Palimpsest: noun something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface
My first palimpsest series was inspired by horses in my classes at Oklahoma State University. I took Breeding and Foaling during my first senior year where I took pictures of the mares as they gave birth, the yearlings as they played, and the two year old herd.
My process begins by editing my favorite pictures I garnered through days on the ranch and taking these images to the studio. I always kept them on my computer so that I could zoom in on details if I needed to. I would grab my charcoal and with my computer beside me opened up to multiple tabs of pictures I would begin drawing the horses. These were rough sketches, but as I progressed I began to see where my next horse would go and which would slide to the background. Next I would grab my a cup of gesso and begin painting around the lines I wanted to keep and erasing the ones I did not. The different shades of grey came about from me painting directly on the charcoal. The more layers of gesso I used, the lighter my horses became. In some instances I would paint the background with oil paint, or paint the whole thing entirely. I personally love just a touch of color because I feel like it helps bring the piece together.