Loess Interpreted

Loess Interpreted

30x36"

Mixed Media on Birch Panel

Painting #264 - My artwork is inspired by the song Loess, by The Fragments. Loess immediately resonated with me. Its melody inspires a sense mystery as do the lyrics, which personify soil. Through this project, I learned that a loess is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, and its soils are among the most fertile in the world.

After repeatedly listening to the song, I was motivated by the story about the earth’s land. I’ve never considered the life of soil and how it constantly moves, settles, accumulates, and takes shape. It’s like there’s a secret world that lives within our landscapes. I felt the melody reiterated this idea and that’s what I wanted to capture in my painting.

I chose blue tones to depict a mysterious mood and used mostly an analogous colour scheme of yellow, green and blue. I loosely blocked in the sky, land and trees. In the foreground, I painted bands of colour in different widths to represent layers of soil. This is also where I would capture the movement of the music and the land. From this stage, the painting took on a life all of its own. I aspired to let the song feed my art and to remain open, receptive and responsive to the moment. A constant challenge was ensuring my piece looked unified. I knew I was finished when the feeling of my painting fit the tone of the song.