(Toronto)
My process for choosing subjects involves saturating myself with hundreds of photographic images and brewing them in my imagination. Inevitably a few will assert themselves. Often these images involve commonly used subject matter. Rather than dismiss them as cliché, I view them as visual archetypes with direct links to subconscious. I believe the painting process should be an act not an activity. I paint in long uninterrupted sessions where I am able to give complete attention to creating a satisfying tension between what is seen (realistic moments of light or detail), what is known (thoughtful decisions based on knowledge of the effect of colour and texture) and what is felt (visceral mark-making inspired by the subject with uncensored disregard for the above). Ultimately no painting is complete without the viewer and each is uniquely completed by the individual viewing it. As subjects, the cattle present a rich field of visual imagery – the uterine form of the head, open wet nostrils and angelic crucifixion of the splayed ears. These compelling individuals bestow great opportunity for projected state of mind – graceful acquiescence, defeated fatalism and, more dramatically, they have the power to evoke that jolting moment when seer becomes seen and the subsequent occasion for prolonged contemplative mutual consideration. The close-cropped compositions, seemingly incidental details such as bits of fence wire, ear tags, nose rights, the odd fly and the proximity of other animals give specificity to the animal and invite the observer into a particular moment.”
COW WITH FENCE POST
Karen Cantello (Toronto)
Acrylic on canvas
48 x 36 inches
I am drawn to the ambiguous expression of this cow and its many possible interpretations. I have painted this image several times and find it continually intriguing. $2,400
COW WITH WIRE FENCE
Karen Cantello (Toronto)
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
The tight grouping of these cows is what initially attracted me to this image but as the piece progressed I became interested in the wire fence and fly details. $ 2,400
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