Greetings!
I have been thinking a lot about texture and pattern lately, and how to incorporate it into my images. The above image was completed a few weeks ago, and is now featured at the faculty exhibition at my college. This image shows an example of how I am using texture and repeated shapes. Most of the time texture refers to something of a tactile quality. But for me, and my paintings, I'm using texture to break up space in the same way that pattern does. I suppose there could be a perceived tactile quality to the background of my images, but what I am more interested in, is how the space is broken up by the lines, shapes, etc. and how it relates to the rest of the image. In this instance the pattern takes precedence over the texture.
This next image is a painting I completed last week.
It also features a background broken up by textural shapes and pattern. This one might have more of a tactile feel to it, given that the circles have a defined edge. I really like what is happening with the backgrounds, and I plan to continue exploring these ideas. The image below is a painting that I started this week, and for the background here, I plan to go into my old sketchbooks and pull out some patterns from when I worked with clay.
The combination of the figure with a patterned/textural background makes for a visually interesting image.
