Marsha Staiger: I work with acrylic paint in a variety of ways. I am fond of very loose washy paint as well as tactile heavy paint, and often combine these two techniques in a single piece. The encrusted history of layers of paint and collage creates a deeply layered visual and tactile surface. The marks I make in a painting are my visual language. I make marks I respond to by isolating and combining areas based on strength of color or visual texture.

I love to add found objects that catch my eye as I move through life to my paintings. These little finds document existence and cause unexpected additions to the process of making art. Taped lines have become an essential part of my process. The geometry and regularity of the tape transforms the organic nature of my work, brings structural order to the piece, and adds another collage element to the painting.

I always work on a series of paintings because that process helps me work harder and more fully explore and develop a single idea. I enjoy finding my way with a group of paintings, allowing them to reflect and respond to each other. My current series began as an exploration of surface texture with raw canvas, as well as canvas that is treated with texture and gesso to change its topography. The elongated format creates dynamic tension by restricting horizontal bands in a vertical field.

During the creative process a rhythm builds in my paintings, creating tension, harmony, and tone. The work retains a physicality of how I apply paint, maintaining evidence of the hand used to create it. I work and rework the piece until the painting seems to pulse and breathe on its own. Click here to view her website.