The days are too short for me. In fact, they are getting longer every day. The time between sunrise and sunset is already more than 14 hours. I spend most of it in the studio and on the way there and back. Spring is slowly arriving in New York. You can’t tell from the temperature, it’s still cold. Nevertheless, nature can no longer be stopped. The trees and spring flowers are in full splendor and bright colours. No wonder I rediscover the pink, orange, yellow and bright green on my canvas. But what is happening with my way of painting, that surprises me. Instead of a gestural application of paint, clear, structured areas of color are created, which I place next to and on top of each other until I see them as a whole. The partly graphic and then again organic forms are sometimes even reminiscent of still lifes.
Since I paint with oil paint, I always have to respect the drying phases before I can apply the next layer. This can take several days. It’s a good thing that I’m working on a lot of pictures at the same time.
one of my colleagues Fabio Esteban Amador from El Salvador is actually an archaeologist and photographer. He is currently a professor at the University of New York. But what I on his website and learn from his stories, reminds me more of Indiana Jones. He has done expeditions for National Geographic, exploring and photographing caves both underground and underwater. He photographed interesting bone finds with 3D scanners and then printed them out in order to analyze their origin, because nothing is touched or taken away. It sounds really exciting.
This week he brought the drone he needs for his research work to the studio. It’s a good thing that the ceiling is about six meters high. I usually find it awkward when drones fly overhead, but this time it’s great. He lets them fly through the studios over our heads. He films and photographs us from different perspectives at work. Then he retreats to his studio to present us with a finished film shortly afterwards. Of the next post on my Instagram page that’s probably clear.
Grafrather artist Claudia Hassel will be working in New York until the end of June. In the SZ she describes her experiences every Monday.
—Claudia Hassel is chairwoman of the artists’ association Fürstenfeldbruck, she lives and works in Grafrath.
(Photo: Private)
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