Thursday, August 12, 2021

Happy World Elephant Day!

 


Gregg Chadwick
"Learn of the elephant" (in process)
54"x54"oil on linen 2021

Hope that you have had a marvelous #WorldElephantDay !
Posted are in process images of my latest elephant inspired painting. I support the efforts of the @sheldricktrust as they strive to create a world that believes all elephants deserve to roam wild and free, safe from harm. Not just on #WorldElephantDay, but each and every day.


As those who follow me know, I first became aware of the fragile nature of our planet as an elementary school student. For Christmas one year, I asked my parents for the book “Wildlife in Danger” published by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) They are still an important organization providing information, plans, and hope for our endangered earth. Worried about the environment as a kid, I drew pictures of animals constantly. Now I am bringing out a series of paintings, to be exhibited at @theotherartfair in Los Angeles at Barker Hangar in September 2021, that shed light on climate change, the beauty of the natural world, and our place with other species.

Notes on Technique:
Ghosts of earlier ideas appear within my artworks and combine with other transparent moments to create a semblance of movement, of time passing. I build a combination of shadow and illumination in each painting to create a sensation of light emanating from the work. I work with oil paint and usually create at least one color in each painting from ground pigments mixed by hand with linseed oil. Linseed oil has the propensity to grow more transparent with age and visible traces of earlier painted marks gradually appear because of this tendency — called pentimenti. I embrace this eventual outcome in my work and incorporate planned and unplanned pentimenti in my process.

#art #elephants #climate #environment #SantaMonica #artistsoninstagram #Africa

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