James Groleau: Tide at Littlefield Gallery

James Groleau: Tide
July 17-August 14
Artist’s Reception July 22, 4-6 pm

Tide is a series of imagery exploring life at the margins of the sea. James Groleau was born in Lewiston, Maine, in 1960. He is the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowhips, including a MacDowell Colony fellowhip in 2001. His work is included in the collections of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Oakland Museum of California; National Museum of Fine Art, Antwerp, Belgium; and the Janet Turner Print Museum, Chico, CA. He divides his time between San Francisco and coastal Maine.

The process for the collage works:

There are several steps I take in the process of making a collage; preparing the paper is a key element. I first paint color inks on crumpled paper, the hills and valleys of which concentrate the ink in certain areas creating an irregular pattern. I allow the painted paper to dry then crumple it again and paint the back side often with its complimentary color. While the paper is still wet I stack one sheet over another and allow that to dry before separating them. I sometimes add acrylic medium to encourage the paper to tear in separation. The image is then created by gluing torn pieces onto stretched canvas. In general the darker colors are laid down first, while the highlights are the final touches. I then sand the collage to an even finish before applying multiple layers of varnish.

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