Floats

M4 Float [detail], oil on hardboard, 18" x 24", 2009. © Edmund Wyss

M4 Float, oil on hardboard, 18" x 24", 2009. © Edmund Wyss

My latest oil work reminiscent of several gouache pieces created this year. I've just decided to call this series Floats to illustrate their positioning and to distinguish them by title from earlier paintings. These can be view at: www.edmundwyss.com. This one presents a special challenge. When done with gouache paint (which is very matte) on a matte paper the surface is consistent- good. When the semi gloss of oil lays on top of a matte gesso surface something about it seems wrong. Not to mention it's awfully difficult to keep the black gesso clean. Should I paint the black background with black oil paint and risk screwing up the whole thing? Not sure. Anyway, this issue will force me to take different approaches to materials which I will catalog in future posts.