Ah, a find blend of chaos and control… terrifying for some, but thrilling for California based artist Heather Day. Her latest works, complete with Heather’s vibrant washes of color and confidently drawn lines, are about to be hung in a new show, titled The Hysterics, at Stephanie Chefas Projects in Portland. The show opens this Saturday, October 19th from 5-8pm. Here is part of the statement from the show:

As the title suggests, The Hysterics is a reference to Day’s process of mark-making. Her process demands motion, requiring her entire body as she pours and pushes paint across the canvas. The canvases are subsequently drenched with water, enabling an element of vulnerability that remains essential to her work. Acting quickly, Day adds marks to the canvas and thereby allows each gesture to inform the next. An eternal dance between control and chaos ensues, climaxing with a unique and vivid creation.

“It’s moving, it’s rapid, and you can’t always predict what’s going to happen. I’m pouring the paint, I’m manipulating it, and there’s a level of understanding of what might happen as I control the fluidity of the paint or the opacity. Then there’s also the unexpected when I pour a bucket of water and it splashes everywhere.”

“The Hysterics” runs until November 23, 2019.

ps. I looooove Heather’s studio / WIP shots. Always very inspiring… see:

Sigh.