Lindsay Smail Art

My work arises from the immediate sensuality of the body experiencing the world, as well as deeper questions of ecology and spirit. The river I swim in and the forest behind my house invite me into a state of wonder and remind me that everything in this world is inextricably connected. My forms often reflect topography, plant life, or the body, but I am not trying to represent a moment or place. I work abstractly to convey an experience that moves between the internal and the external, what is felt and what is seen. Whether I’m working with oil paint or collage, I begin with a charcoal line. Drawing forges an intimate connection between the wooden board or paper and my inner world. One line begets another in a meditative improvisation. I use thin layers of oil paint over the charcoal to create shifting relationships of form and colour. Blurring, erasure, and staining echo the mutability and layering of self and environment.