Painting is a liberating form of expression for Lushana Watson. Having gone deaf at the age of 21, she found herself in an unfamiliar silent world. Feeling at first the isolation of her condition, Watson turned to paint, through which she was able to explore the immensity and depth of contemplative, immersive silence. After recent surgery, which restored her hearing, Watson has found inspiration in the colours of life and the sound that follows.
Watson’s abstract canvases are made up of masses of individual concentric circles like bubbles that effervesce creating a shimmering surface of subtly graded hue and tone. The textured canvas shifts with the oils, creating a beautiful exploration of colors that retains both depth and poise. Some seem almost pearlescent or like the scales of an exotic fish, shimmering and vibrant, about to move. Painted with distinct sweeping brushstrokes, Watson’s use of pattern to create compositions that draw the viewer in is masterly, and the results are visually stunning.
Lushana Watson currently lives in Corning, New York.