Artist's studio in Arenal, Costa Rica
The recent works from the "Light Sleeper Series" are dream-like sequences created in the artist studio in Arenal, Costa Rica. These
images are painted in Acrylic and Dry Pigments on a Fredrix brand canvas called "Water Color Canvas", which allows the Artist to combine
numerous techniques developed over the years to a common surface.
The painting begins as a simple cartoon drawn on full size
drawing paper. These studies will often be cut appart and reasembled several times to achieve the desired composition and placement
of objects. Once the study has solved any compositional problems to the Artist's satisfaction, important referance points are transfered
to the canvas and a detailed drawing is created. (See photo below.) In the case of the "Light Sleeper Series", the Artist then paints
the margin area with acrylic using airbrush before moving on the the underpainting stage.
Salazar always developes a full underpainting
of each image in neutral tones. The underpainting starts with watery applications of acrylic in a handeling simular to classic
water color painting. The light, dark, half-tone composition is further developed by spray applications and with dirrect Dry Pigments
rubbed into the surface and details erased out. Once the underpainting is compleat, the image is sealed in clear acrylic and ready
for up to seven layers of color application and detail, each layer sealed in a coating of acrylic medium.
Since 2005, Salazar
has been exploring imagery that confronts the over-saturation of digital imagery which has become over-exposed to the point of
deluding the power and importance of representational imagery. The newest works in both Etched Aluminum and Acrylic/Resin are meant
to creat an archival object that has to be viewed in person to capture all dimensions of the work. The Etched Aluminum paintings blur
the line between painting and sculpture as they appear to move and change dimenison depending upon point of vantage and lighting.
The
newest Acrylic/Resin images ( "Entrada Al Cielo", "Rise And Fall of Snow", and "Far Side of Houston"), are built up in numerous layers
of Resin which creates a depth to each image of layer floating over layer. Both result in images that can be photographed, but must
be seen one on one to appreciate the full impact.
Drawing stage of "Fine Art of Daydreams".
Pencil (with acrylic paint on margin areas), and masking fluid to protect the highlight
details. Ready for the first layer of neutral water color application of acrylics to establish an underpainting.