Interview with painter Karen Appleton, II

Till Death Do Us Part © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

What's composition all about, ultimately? For painter Karen Appleton, it's finding ways of making the painting irresistible – pulling the viewer right into it.

"I always want to make the strongest abstract visual statement, but before I start thinking about composition, I am already in love with the idea for the painting. The foundation of a painting for me is always an idea or feeling, and once I know this, all composition decisions are based on what will best describe what I want to say in the painting. How and where I crop an image or don't crop an image; how and where lights falls; how shadows are cast; what direction shapes are going – all these things help me express the underlying idea."

Dandelion © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

"One basic approach to composition for me, though, is to keep in mind the Alfred Sisley quote I have on my blog, which is, 'Every painting shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.' I always looks for that one area on my model or set-up that just makes my heart beat faster.

Joy to the World © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

"With that spot or area in mind, I organize the image on the canvas so the spot will land on or near one of the golden sections of the canvas. Then I check to make sure diagonals from the folds of wrapping paper, corkscrews of ribbons, cast shadows, etc., are leading the eye around and to that area. For me, this spot is always a key area in describing the feeling or idea behind the painting as well.

detail, Joy to the World © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

"Ultimately my goal with composition is simple – do everything I can to reach out and pull the viewer into the painting. I want the painting to just be irresistible."

Interview with painter Karen Appleton, I

Melt © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

Karen Appleton, whose artwork you can find online at karenappleton.blogspot.com, paints gift-wrapped presents, and the profusion of color and exuberance found in ribbons and bows. We conversed by email as I prepared to write about her work, and she shared what she loves about painting, how she approaches a painting, and how she approaches composition.

"I love everything about painting," she writes. "I love the smell of the oils, the feel of a big blob of paint as it smears on the canvas, I love sketching out ideas, mixing piles of gorgeous color – everything.

"But I am crazy about observation, especially observing color. I am fascinated with how our brains perceive and interpret color, especially as it wraps around form. I enjoy playing close attention to the variety of colors that actually make up what we perceive as only one. Seeing how this variety of color breaks apart into abstract shapes, or pieces like a puzzle, and how they fit together to form the object is beautiful to me, and I really enjoy playing this up in my paintings."

You can see how this comes into play in her painting Melt, above, and in a detail below, with its profusion of ribbons.

detail, Melt © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

"I also enjoy working from life – it is a very important part of my process. It requires me to slow down and focus all attention on observing an object in an environment that slightly changes throughout the day. So a painting becomes a selection of the most beautiful colors as they change from day to night, and day by day. I'm not capturing a moment in time, but many moments in time, which is exciting to me."

Here you can see how Karen Appleton arranges a still life setup, with the composition of a new painting drawn out in charcoal on the canvas beside it.

Asked about her approach to her subject matter, she wrote, " A painting always starts with an idea of feeling. Usually an idea is inspired by an experience – a jog in the snow, a crowded train, signs of spring, etc. I automatically think of these experiences in terms of color, shape, and texture. Snow might be a heavy white velvet ribbon, ice might be a shiny silver stick-on bow. With the ribbons and bows I recreate the visual experience, but I'm also attempting to describe how that visual experience felt."

Icicles © Karen Appleton, reproduced by permission

"I find that an object's shape or positioning in a composition can be very helpful in expressing a feeling. Any object can be expressive, but for me, ribbons can be shaped or arranged to reach up or out to the viewer; they can flop over, feel heavy, droop, bend, or bounce; they can pile on top of each other; they can almost touch, or completely intertwine together.

"I also adore the entire process of actually creating the image I'm going to paint. I chose the colors and shapes that will contribute to the feeling of the painting. It's almost like building a little stage, picking the actors, deciding costumes and lighting, and writing the script."