The Challenge of Painting Narrow Rectangular Canvases
I had always thought the shape that made the most sense for abstract paintings was a square, since it didn't suggest any particular subject matter. In fact, most of my paintings are square. But when the director of a gallery asked me to paint what he called "slice" paintings on narrow, 10" x 48" canvases, I gave it a shot.
I found myself making patterned images that could be carried over from one slice to the next. That would allow a collector to hang two or more next to each other, creating a diptych or triptych, for example. This one is called Pecking Order Triptych. I worked on all three panels at the same time so that the colors and designs would be similar, yet varied in each one.
I think that sometimes a 10" x 48" painting might be just what is needed to fill a space, either horizontally or vertically. I tried out this idea using WallAp by OhMyPrints. It allows you to show a painting in various rooms to get an idea what it might look like in your own home.
Now I'm in the process of stretching more 10" x 48" canvases, and looking forward to working on them.