The Key To My Artwork
Did you know I always place a key in my artwork? I entice my viewers to take a second look, through my embedded text, sometimes stories, keys, and door hardware to create substance and interest on the paint surface.
From the painting “Will The Show Go On?”, Acrylic & Mixed Media on Birch, 14” x 18”, 2021
My focus on commissioned work enables me to paint to fit an interior space in an individual’s home or business. For many, it’s a way of treasuring the past – a reminder of a long-forgotten family home, farm or street scene.
I started incorporating keys into my paintings in 2018. I was painting doors in downtown Medicine Hat and found a box of old keys in a church studio. It seemed a natural transition to begin placing old keys into my artwork, which I have been doing ever since. I embed them in the artwork. Sometimes they are exposed, and sometimes they are hidden. In the end, for me, a key is a metaphor for opportunity. It’s that liminal space between the doors I find fascinating, especially when it comes to places where people reside.
It has many meanings… and, collectors often have me place one of their keys in the art too when they commission a piece. Sometimes, I even place a word in the artwork. It’s fun for people to search for these items and I find it creates a stronger, personal connection to the work. It’s something pretty special and unique.
When you commission a piece of artwork from me, don’t forget to ask about the whole story.
Can you find all the keys in my paintings?
