Kindred Artists

As I mentioned, I've been looking through a book on acrylic techniques called Acrylic Innovation by Nancy Reyner. (She also has another book, Acrylic Revolution.) Along with showing different ways of painting with acrylics, she features many artists using these different painting styles. Two of the artists that have jumped out to me so far with a connection to my own style and aesthetic interests are Jylian Gustlin and Catherine Mackey.

Jylian Gustlin combines abstract elements with figures, reducing down details to eliminate individual identity. She uses her knowledge of Photoshop to play around with composition and layering effects that she then uses in her paintings. She's also done work with images of industrial/urban landscapes and animals. There is quite a lot to look at on her website. I'm envious of her gestural freedom and ability to still capture a believable, enjoyable image. She also has a beautiful balance of figurative and abstraction that I would love to have in my own work.


Catherine Mackey is a fellow Rauschenberg fan but that's not the only thing I find kindred. She too is attracted to images of urban decay, signs, posters and graffiti. Some of the things she's done I feel could have come out of my own head. Mainly, it's her use of stenciling text combine with hand drawn images that I find familiar. Her background is in interior architecture which allows her to create amazing detail and space within her paintings. She works mainly on wood panels and builds up layers on each before combining some of them together.