Beyond the Canvas
My artworks often start with ideas first - research, historical references, excerpts, printouts, article clippings, and my own memories.
To me, the ideas that feed into each painting are an integral layer in their own right. But the references usually stay with me, and the ideas remain inside my own head.
So I wanted to find a way for them to become an actual new layer of the painting itself - something that could stay with the work as it moves from gallery to collector, and into the unknown for generations to come.
Ideas as a layer of work
Some of my paintings now include a small, discreet marker behind my signature. It’s invisible, but it links the artwork to a permanent digital archive.
The archive holds the ideas, notes, research, and other material that helped shape the piece - the layer that never appeared on the surface.
The record is stored independently of a website or cloud service, giving the work a digital layer designed to remain with the painting into the future.
Within the archive, you can find:
• Creation information
• The thinking behind the work
• Background about me the artist
This record is designed to remain with the artwork into the future - a digital counterpart to the physical layers I created.
For me, this is just the beginning ...
With the help of a technical partner through my side project, Arkhouse Gallery, we've found a way to make this idea a reality.
Ideas that shape the painting stay with the painting
Click/tap on artwork to view its permanent digital archive
Please note this opens up a new window
