xe

On one of my visits to the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans I viewed an exhibit featuring the work of artist Mario Petrirena. The show consisted of collages and assemblages. I enjoyed the show enough to buy a catalog. In the back of my head I’ve known I wanted to do a piece having seen his work. The question became how to make my painting just
a painting.


acrylic on canvas, 5" x 5"

To begin I painted my canvas a muted red and pastel of the same color. Next, I mimicked circle cutouts by dabbing dotted lines. Then I mulled over what to add while flipping through the catalog. That’s when I saw an assemblage involving a hand. Placing my own hand over the canvas, I created an outline with dots. From there I filled in the positive and negative areas created. To finish I looked at an ornate design, before creating one of my own.