Downs, (Conversations In The Abstract #114)

"Conversations In The Abstract #114" by Downs 36 x 36 inches, acrylic painting on canvas -- unframed Downs is definitely a throwback in his overall view of painting. Now in his early 60’s he was very fortunate to have had mentors such as Karl Benjamin and Frederick Hammersley in the mid 80's. Being in the presence of such noted painters impressed on him the importance and responsibility of being true to one's own vision. "By speaking clearly in a non object idiom, the goal is to make art that reflects modern day life. My process consists of layering spontaneous random marks that are sometimes completely obscured. By working and reworking surfaces, I expose the varying depth of color which creates spaces that expand and contract, communicating the work's shifting moods.”  The current series “Conversations In The Abstract”, arose from a stroke Downs experienced in 2015. Downs’ perception of life as an artist changed. The stroke brought on strange and unusual conversations in his min