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OIL UNITED STATES
DEMONSTRATION

Kathleen Lack

View from the Top

Kathleen Lack paints figurative scenes from a unique
vantage point in her series of works

eeply felt emotional connections with
Dmy grandchildren have been one of
the most compelling factors in this series of
paintings View from the Top. I enjoy seeing
them create their art or play their games. It
captures my own memories of doing the same
with my siblings as a child. My eye connects
to a particular scene with that aha moment
and I start taking photos of them from many
different angles above. I had so much fun with
the first of these paintings, Paper and Pens,
creating the color fields of orange and purple,
that I was inspired to do more.
Family gatherings provided more moments
for me to capture. We were at my brother’s
home and his grandchildren were playing with
a dollhouse and their plethora of miniature
toys: from that lovely day evolved the painting,
Little Decorators. Their little bodies (ages 1½ to 7) were
so actively involved in play that they didn’t even know
I was there standing right over them, candidly taking
shots. As with other paintings outside this series, my
inspiration to paint and draw people is constant. When
I observe people, I am seeing a soft golden hue against
the face, an expression of emotional involvement when
playing the cello, the strong morning sunlight creating
magical contours over a child’s face, and I am compelled
to capture that on canvas. To me, it is the intensity of
that moment, the graceful body positions, the light,

Paper and Pens, oil, 48 x 48" (122 x 122 cm)
This is the first in this series. Little bodies so intent on creating
stuff—I love it. It was so much fun creating these spaces of
vibrant oranges into deep purples. Those color choices and the
activity in which the kids were involved joined to create high
energy to the painting. Note the realistic bits here and there:
scissors, bits of paper, cut outs. The replication of patterns
(stripes) ties the painting together.

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Kathleen Lack_Demo 4.indd 50 6/17/16 12:13 PM