Inclination, mixed media on wood, 8 1/2" x 13" x 2", Carole Sesko 2010
“Inclination” just popped out of the studio. It’s truly an example of a process-driven art work: messy, creamy, vanilla, flowing, dreamy, delicious, rich, deep. I love it when the art work takes over and tells me what it wants to be.
"Tahoe Day", acrylic and mixed media on wood, 24" x 30" x 2", Carole Sesko 2008
Ever experience a perfect day that lingers in your memory? A summer afternoon at Lake Tahoe inspired me to create this art work: I reminisced gestalt-style about bright sunshine, clear blue sky, cold water, cool breezes, sailboats racing, and the subtle fragrance of pine trees and flowers. The end result is an abstraction of sensory delights.
"Pink Guitar" acrylic and mixed media on wood, 24" x 24" x 2", Carole Sesko 2009
I feel reverence for guitars. I admire their contour, resonance, craftsmanship, history, and potential. This is the third painting I’ve done using a guitar’s shape as a starting point. As I built up the colors in this image, I was reminded of a wise old friend who once told me, “Think pink, and you won’t have to sing the blues.”
House Box, mixed media on paper, 7" x 7" x 8", Carole Sesko 2010
Been traveling a lot this month, and now I’m happy to settle back into routine. Over the last few years I’ve worked on series of house sculptures that represent the feelings of warmth, comfort, and refuge associated with being “at home.” The house box pictured is one of my personal favorites.
Red, mixed media on canvas, 36" x 36" x 1 1/2", Carole Sesko 2008
Colors evoke emotion and red gives me a thrill. There’s an illusion of movement in this painting, and a powerful iridescent glow. I used sequined fabric, lace and paper to build up texture, washed with layers of acrylic. Toro Toro!
"Snow Catcher", metal mesh, glass, copper wire, 11" x 16" x 4", Carole Sesko
Ah, springtime in the Sierra Nevada…. best to stay warm and keep smiling.
"Snapshot", acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 36" x 48" x 1 1/2", Carole Sesko 2008
“Snapshot” is one in a series of three art works: same size, same materials, different directions. As this composition evolved, it reminded me of one of those odd photos you take on vacation, holding the camera at arms length, trying to capture yourself and the background view at the same time. Inevitably you miss both images ending up with a throw away photo. Or, it becomes a chance inspiration for an abstract painting.
"I Left my Heart in San Francisco", mixed media on wood, 12" x 12" x 2", Carole Sesko 2009
I collect maps, and often incorporate them in my work. Usually I utilize maps as a textural element without being too specific about the place where the map identifies. In this art work I took the opposite approach. Something about the beautiful contours of the California shore and bay area caused me to make them the object of focus. Love San Francisco, love traveling there.
"The Game of Life", mixed media on wood, 24" x 36" x 1 1/2", Carole Sesko 2010
This piece incorporates bits of old and new: antique lace mixed with modern textiles, all imbedded with acrylic media on wood. I used silver and copper acrylic paints as a ground, and built up the sheen with layers of iridescent color. Though the game board image suggests some strategic maneuvering, the overall mood is meant to be bright, happy, and carefree.
"Deep River Blues", mixed media on wood, 24" x 24" x 1 1/2", Carole Sesko, 2007
As the late great Doc Watson sang, “Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole lot more, cause I got them deep river blues…” This art work is all about water. I constructed it with layers of paper, mesh, and metal applied to a wooden panel. After I felt the composition had a floating quality, I added blue acrylic, layered in washes over a metallic background until the piece began to glow. The fish adds some whimsy, designed to induce a smile.