“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.” –Georgia O’Keeffe.
My painting series, Thoughtful Chaos, delves into the joyful physicality of painting, embracing spontaneity and instinct for its creation. It’s an intuitive and yet completely self-indulgent process that thrives on reaction. With no plan, no concept—only the materials that happen to be within reach. To assign reason to it would be in vain; the inspiration is as fleeting as the work itself. Even I don’t know what they mean, so why should you?
The charcoal series, on the other hand, is created with more contemplation, focusing on the figure with intent. These works explore themes of nostalgia, family, intimacy, and love—often reflecting my own dreary romantic life, serving almost like diary entries for dating. Unlike the paintings, the figurative works carry a stronger sense of purpose; they know what they are.
Stella Tavener