Carolyn O'Neill

Artist Statement: Paying homage to the early abstract expressionist painters from the New York School such as De Kooning, Pollock, Motherwell and Kline is essential as their work initially inspired me in this direction. Amongst others they were the pioneers of this avant garde movement paving the way for artists such as myself and are a continual influence in my work. Each piece begins with stream of conscious mark making which soon build up into layers. The oil paint glides onto the canvas when combined with medium. Both opacity and transparency weave through, interact and intersect. Passages of paint transition from one mark to the next. Whilst scratches and scrapings indent the surface revealing the layers beneath. In some areas the paint is given space to drip and meld into form. Despite these initial marks and layers, most pieces are dismantled and rebuilt. This editing process of addition and subtraction strengthens it's construction and serves to unify the work.