photo of hands holding abstract painting

Paint Studio Demo Artist Elisa Gomez

Elisa Gomez will be in the Paint Studio demonstrating gestural abstraction noon–3 pm on December 7-8, 2019. The Paint Studio is included with general admission, which is free for members and youth 18 and under.

Elisa Gomez is a Breckenridge, Colorado-based painter focusing on landscape through the lens of abstract expressionism. Her bright, floral palettes are often at odds with her chosen texture and gesture, resulting in works that create space through spontaneous and chance encounters. Gomez received her BFA from the University of Utah in 2010 and has gallery representation through Uprise Art, NY, and Loft Gallery, Georgia.

photo of Elisa Gomez working in studio

Photo by Jake Gasaway Photography

Lindsey Bell: What will your demo at the DAM look like? What can visitors expect?

Elisa Gomez: My demo is going to be comprised of mixed media, abstract paintings on a variety of different surfaces. There will be one very large canvas piece, as well as smaller works on panel and paper to demonstrate how abstraction can vary with different surfaces. All the works will be either started in the demo or very recently started in my home studio.

LB: I noticed you utilize a variety of paint techniques, both traditional and non-traditional. Can you explain some of these? How do you decide on which process to use for a new piece?

EG: I am classically trained through my BFA, so I still use things like color theory, triangulation, and other classic techniques in my abstraction. I try to be very thoughtful in my compositions while still maintaining a level of sporadic gestures. I usually have some idea of where I want a piece to go when I begin—floral, completely gestural, geometric, you name it—but there always has to be flexibility in the process.

LB: Your paintings are mostly abstract, offering many different interactions, outcomes, and interpretations from the perspective of the viewer. Is there anything in particular you want people to see or feel when viewing your work?

EG: I want people to be drawn in, for any reason. I just want to provide something that is either visually or emotionally stimulating enough that they want to stop and take a longer look at what is there. There is so much to see in the layers, the lines, and colors; it can turn into a different experience if you take the time to see it.

LB: What are you thinking about when you begin a new painting? Do you have specific forms in mind already or do things come together more organically as the painting progresses?

EG: Depending on the type of abstraction I’m doing, I often have emotions and colors in mind first, and music playing while I get my tools together. Nothing ever turns out how you imagine it in the beginning, nothing—and that’s the beauty of painting for me. The journey and process of creating something with a piece of me in it is cathartic, as well as rewarding.