Dynamic and vibrant, personal and figurative, Brigitte McReynolds describes her work as a "continuous investigation of abstraction and an exploration of the human form". Entranced by an idea or a vision of a finished work, McReynolds focuses creative energy into a series, which explores a central theme, sculpting oil, acrylic and en-caustic into figurative works or abstract expressions. McReynold's figurative series are abound with conceptual, abstract elements that contribute to the elegance of her figurative paintings. McReynolds credits the creative synergy that produces simplistic figures to her experience working with shapes, forms, and lines in abstract paintings.
McReynolds studied a wide range of mediums including monoprint at the II Bisonte in Florence, Italy, sculpture and jewelry design at the College of Marin in California, and silk screen at the Art Institute in Berkeley. Originally from Rosenheim, Germany, McReynolds now lives in Sonoma, CA.
My work is a continuous investigation of abstraction and exploration of the human form. It is a visual diary, a “paper trail” of a process, spontaneous yet deliberate, personal yet universal.
I work in series that can start as a concept of the mind, an idea, a thought, a vision of a finished work, or it can begin as an emotion, a feeling, a process of the heart. When I work on a theme, like stripes for example, I explore it in oil, acrylic, and encaustic, working figuratively and abstractly until it exhausts itself or leads to another theme. I apply what I’ve learned from working with shapes, forms, and lines in my abstract paintings to finding the simplicity that is needed for abstracting a figure. Similarly, my abstract work profits from my figurative experience.
I work in layers of paint, creating luminous color, depth, and voluptuous texture. Painting for me is a dynamic intuitive process. A drip or smear can reveal part of that process. I like that!
