Palimpsest Flowers

Getting this set up for individual paintings as a tablet

Acrylic and ink on canvas 16" x 20" 2018
Palimpsest Flowers - full view

This piece explores the concept of layered memories through the metaphor of botanical growth. Using a combination of carefully layered acrylic and acrylic ink, the work reveals hidden patterns as the viewer's perspective shifts.

The central floral motif emerges from a palimpsest of urban botanical sketches, creating tension between organic forms and landscape structures. This juxtaposition reflects my ongoing investigation of how natural and built environments intersect in our collective memory.

Texture detail Color detail Color threetail

The work evolved over several months as I experimented with various layering and scumbling techniques. Each application of pigment was followed by a process of partial erasure, creating the characteristic distressed surface that gives the piece its depth and texture.

Materials

  • Canvas
  • Mixed and unmixed acrylic
  • Acrylic ink

Techniques

  • Layered application
  • Selective erasure
  • Acrylic ink mass tracing

Exhibitions

  • Alberta University of the Arts 10th Annual President's Student Art Exhibition (2022)

Process Notes

This piece began as a series of foliage sketches made during my daily walks. Through successive layers, the organic geometries layered into balancing forms, mirroring the way urban spaces become naturalized in memory.

Palimpsest Flowers - Full Resolution
Background full image