Mitchell Chmielewski Art

Mitchell Chmielewski

Untitled 1, 2024

Acrylic and modeling paste on canvas board

9×12 in

This piece was the first to be produced during an extended hiatus in my artistic journey. My intent was to break through this mental barrier, allowing myself to simply create. Texture has always been a fascination of mine ever since being introduced to ceramics in college. As with most of my work, there was no goal from the outset, rather I wanted the painting to reveal itself to me.

I carved flowing, angular lines into the muted orange and purple; while I painted blue, yellow, and green at the center. As I was painting, I had a sense of water cutting through its container of rocky formations, creating a new way. As I scraped layers revealing bright and yellows and greens, I felt a sense of ease and refreshment. I imagined the spatterings of purples and orange as sediment eroding against its influence.

As with all paintings I do in this way, I saw of a reflection of my artistic struggle staring back at me. This step towards forcing myself to create once more was the water cutting through the rocky form of my mental block and the fear of rejection.