In my paintings, I explore the boundaries between realism and abstraction in images of the natural world. From afar, my work appears realistic, sometimes photographic, but close up, there is an awareness of paint, gesture and process. I build up a complex layered surface in oil paint, hoping to convey the essence of the subject rather than describing it literally. I zoom in on sections of an image, removing it from its context, focusing on pattern, composition and light.
Most recently, my paintings have focused on various bodies of water and on small patches of diverse plant life. I’ve become increasingly dismayed by the unhealthy gardening and lawncare practices that poison such plants and feed the toxic runoff into our watershed. My paintings call attention to the overlooked beauty of the targets of herbicides and pollutants and are studies of these interrelated ecosystems.
Website: lynnemillerjones.com