Harriet Bellows
North Carolina
Artist Statement Submitted 2014
The foremost concerns in my paintings are the elements of line, color, form and structure. I have a background in clay. This material gave me the opportunity to build objects. I learned about volume and the use of line to define form.My paintings are made up of layers of color. Frequently I draw lines through wet paint to either emphasize a visual plane or to reveal the color that is underneath a top layer of paint. These lines appear as symbols or marks. This aspect of my work has developed over decades as a personal language.
The consideration of line and space developed over the thirty years that I spent flying airplanes professionally. I can best describe this visual experience as having looked down from high altitudes. It has defined the meaning of line and space within a very different context.