I don’t believe in one truth or one way and so I paint abstractly to express multiple truths and ambiguities. It is often difficult for me to express my emotions so I am driven to paint them instead, often writing beforehand to gauge my mood.

I work with acrylics because of their watery, responsive nature and quick drying time which allows me to capture fleeting moods and fiery passions in brilliant colors that blend, bleed, drip and flow onto a smooth, prepared, wooden ground.

I work large (48”x 48”) because my emotions often feel huge and overpowering. A large surface allows me to express myself using my whole body, sometimes with large house painting brushes, a garden rake and my body pressed into the paint.

I think that viewers are most inspired by my use of color and by my spontaneous and free method of working. None of my paintings are pre-planned or pre-sketched. I don’t guess ahead when I’m painting, I let the painting lead me, no matter how long it takes. Sometimes one line can take hours and hours of just looking.

I hope my paintings inspire the discovery of hidden beauty.

Kathy V. Crabbe Temecula, California May 20, 2011

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