Impromptu
My art has always been a refuge for me in difficult times. But when the pandemic took hold in the Spring of 2020, I didn’t feel right continuing to work on my usual practice.
I had been wanting to explore other materials, and chose to take a leap and learn about working with oil and cold-wax. It was liberating to be out of my comfort zone. I found myself immersed in the experience — layering and scraping back, experimenting with texture and color, and reworking until something begins to emerge. Well into the process, I begin to get a sense of where the paintings were going.
During the summer of 2020 our gallery was closed to the public. Five of us mounted an online show—IMPROMPTU—which spoke to our experience during the first six months of the pandemic.
Titles above, left to right:
- Winter Thaw, Oil and-cold wax on Duralar, 17 x 14
- NYC Sirens all night, Oil and cold-wax on Duralar, 17 x 14
- Anger. Grief. Injustice, Oil and cold-wax on Arches oil paper, 8 x 11
- Empty Streets, Oil and cold-wax on Duralar, 17 x 14
- Seismic Shifts, Oil and cold-wax on Duralar, 17 x 14
- Wearing Thin, Oil and cold-wax on Yupo opaque, 14 x 11
- Dreams Deferred, diptych, Oil and cold wax on Shuji paper, each panel 23.5 x 11 (SOLD)
- Seeking Balance, Oil and cold-wax, graphite pour on paper, 9 x 12
- Spring Thaw, Oil and cold-wax, on Yupo clear, 14 x 11
- American Legacy, Oil and Cold Wax on Arches Oil paper
The concept for this series came out of a winter collaboration: chair . arch . wave . oval . box .
I was intrigued by the idea of “box”, and began to use it as a symbol of the containment we were all experiencing during the pandemic. I wanted to find a way to capture the felt experience we were all going through. I began this series with the idea that it would function as a touchstone— so we would remember what we’d experienced, and what we had learned. These pieces reflect moments in passage during this difficult time.
Isolation
Titles above, left to right:
1. Onslaught, 22×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
2. Underwater, 30×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
3. Heartbreak, 30×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
4. Rain of Tears, 30×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
5. Cornered, 30×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
6. Breathe, 30×22, Oil and Cold-wax Medium on Multimedia Board
Box L to R: Diane Sawyer, Joanna Klain, Suzette Marie Martin, Sara Surto, Catherine Dunning
Emergence
Spring was our inspiration as we planned our four person Exhibition at the Eclipse Mill Gallery in 2021. We felt a sense of hope as spring became summer that we were finally emerging from the restrictions of the the pandemic that we had lived with for so long.
- Cascade, Oil and coldwax on Duralar, 18.25 x 14.5, framed, 25.25 x 19.25
- Emerging, Oil and Duralar, mounted on cradled panel, 18 x18
- Reflections 1, Oil and coldwax on Duralar, 9 x 11.5, framed 14.5 x 17.5
- Vail of Rain, Oil and cold-wax on Arches Oil paper, 8.75 x 11.5, framed 14.5 x 17.5″
- Spark, Oil and cold-wax on Arches Oil paper, 7.25 x 9, framed 14.125 x 12″
Expanse (Aerial Series)
The restrictions of isolation, and the limitless expanse of the sky seem like polar opposites. As I’ve explored these ideas, I’ve come see them as two ends of our experience.
Expanse explores the view of the earth from a distance. It challenges us to see beyond the bright lights to a world more complex and nuanced.
Titles above, left to right:
1. Rapid Descent, 26×40, pastel on black paper
2. Expanse, 20×40, pastel on black paper
3. Night Flight, 18×24, pastel on prepared board
4. Crossroads, 24×18, pastel on black UArt
5. Mystic Meets Malden, 24×18, on black UArt (SOLD)
6. Ocean Towers, 18×30, pastel, ink, charcoal,on black paper
7. At What Cost, 18×24 on black UArt
8. Making the Connection, 18×24, on black UArt (SOLD)
9. Old Town Albuquerque, 18×30, pastel on black UArt
10. Making the Final Approach, pastel on prepared board
DIANE REED SAWYER 