I am always on the lookout for accidental abstractions and colors out in the world. The iridescent reflection oil makes on a puddle, the remains of a chalk drawing on a rough driveway, how a crack in the sidewalk breaks up the square.

There’s beauty there, but it’s ephemeral. When I paint, I try to replicate those beautiful accidents though my process of spills and stains. What shape will pouring this paint on this surface create? It’s a way of pinning down the temporary art made from puddles and stains in everyday life. I like to use raw materials like wood or unprimed canvas – the imperfections create opportunities for surprise.

Then, I like to take control. I play these accidental shapes and fields of color against the sturdiness of a square or a circle or a thick black line. Sometimes I use these marks to enhance the shape the paint made creeping across the canvas, sometimes I counter the organic shape with new lines.

Painting, for me, is a meditation. It’s about play, and improvisation. But it’s also a practice that is inspired by colors and shapes and accidental abstractions in the world beyond the studio.

I have studied art at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Interlochen, Stanford University and the Corcoran.

I live and paint in Washington D.C. For information about my work or if you are interested in purchasing a painting, reach out at selenaclare at gmail.com