Paula Boas

My paintings are a compilation of studio moments that fluctuate between instinctive painting and contemplation.

The visual effects of mark making and asemic writing as line, shape and pattern have long been of interest. I studied calligraphy as a teenager and held my large, calligraphy-filled pages up to a mirror to better see the patterns and rhythms in the negative spaces. Sadly, cursive handwriting, an expression unique to each person, may soon be a lost art.

My non-representational paintings are rooted in natural and architected landscapes and the patterns, rhythms, lines and shadows within. Works evolve as I reveal, obscure and re-expose layers of paint, script, graphite, and paper to create subtle yet complex surfaces that have a sense of place. My painting process is intuitive and improvisational – a dance of thoughtful expressions, spontaneous gestures, and numerous long pauses. The forms and fields that emerge are clarified and reduced until a delicate balance and quietude are achieved.