ARTIST STATEMENT

Ed Hall: “I have always dreamed of being an artist and painter. Painting makes me happy. I was born and raised in Detroit in the 1960’s, a historical period of unrest and change. In my early years, I was influenced by the music of Motown, early local punk rock, and the era of social awareness. I had encouragement from my insightful and supportive grandfather, who also helped create my desire to see the world and realize my dreams.

Thanks Grandpa!

My paintings are abstracted landscapes. I work in acrylics on birch cradled panels. The support of the wood panels is more desirable than the give of a canvas, making my process more efficient. I’m interested in the worn, distressed, and weathered elements found in the environment. My approach in painting is spontaneous and intuitive. Multiple layers of paint are worked into the surface with continuous scraping, erasing and mark making to reveal depth and texture. The focus is on light and dark, rough and smooth, transparent and opaque.

Lately, I have been doing a ‘less is more’ approach to my painting. Knowing when to add and to stop is the goal. Sometimes using color, sometimes not. I like the calm that appears within the paintings - a sense of peace and quiet. Simplicity, minimalism, and restraint define what I want represented in my work.

Do what you love and love what you do!”

“The only thing the imagination has to work on is remembered experience.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge