Stephen Childress
Paintings
Cincinnati Ohio

My work is currently in two camps: paint and pixel. So far, these forms are isolated from each other; the digital art being a very recent development. While painting, I allow the paint and brush to do what is does best, and likewise for the stylus and pixel while at the computer.

 

The paintings are a combination of dense complex surface texture and fluid gesture that draws you into subtle color metamorphoses. The abstracts tend toward vistas that extol dual themes of chaos and vitality: energies that can evoke internal reflection or universal mysticism. Intuitive and exuberant, these paintings build on a fascinating blend of technique emitting an emotive power that nods to the likes of Turner, Appel and Pollack. With nuance and balance, my work strives to control the dynamics of the picture plane, crafting an impressionistic rhythm that belies the strengths and the vulnerability of the human experience. 

 

The digital art, being much more about composition, has its own energy and gesture. Curve and angle are much more pronounced, giving the work a crisp contemporary feel. A brighter palette is utilized in these works to match the dramatic and bold swept of line and form.