It begins with a line, then there is color. Generous curves play a vital role.
The composition, first worked out in his head, comes to life as soon as he begins working on the canvas. The hand becomes an extension of the mind; in direct contact with the medium, it is perfectly attuned to the original idea. “I know where I’m going, my brain provides the impulse, my brushes transfer emotions onto the canvas without betraying them”.
But is it the hand or the emotion that’s in charge of the process?
It’s a mysterious combination of the two, call it intuition, if you will. Colomina is entirely self-taught. He never went to art school, following instead his own initiation process: one of observation, hard work, and years of practice. He developed a form of untrammeled gesture that has given him great freedom as a painter. His brushstrokes are powerful, forming soaring arabesques. He says he leaves perfection to others. “Drawing is a technique : painting is a matter of taste. Drawing is premeditated, colour isn’t. It must be happy”. |