Liza's Reef, coral reef art                        TECHNIQUE                      
 

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Medium:
 Acrylic on canvas

Finish:
Acrylic gloss medium with final coats of Liquitex Soluvar varnish.

Technique Essentials:
My paintings happen in two stages. In the first stage I apply paint when the canvas is flat, painted with a background, and has been flooded with water. This stage can be complete in a matter of days, or take months. This process  allows the paint to evolve and flow in extremely free and organic patterns, of which I have only partial control of the final result. This technique opens the door, so to speak, for  other forces to enter into the creative process, and in the final analysis is a process of collaboration. 

What I attempt to do is well described by one of my reviewers in 1986, Mother Placid, Mother Superior and Art Director of the Benedictine Abbey of  Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT. "The process of painting itself is for Pantas part of his exploration into the unknown for he attempts to work with the prevailing natural and creative spiritual energies of the universe flowing though him in interaction with the media and the environment. This is a method that is akin to the artistic disciplines of the ancient Zen Masters in their paintings and works of calligraphy. It is also in accord with the latest discoveries of Modern Quantum Physics which recognize the active participation of the subject continually participating in the co-creation of objective reality."

The second stage involves working with the canvas in the traditional vertical format on the easel. Before this stage is started however, I first analyze the incomplete work that has resulted from the first stage to determine what has happened, and what I am then compelled to draw out and finish, much like a sculptor looks at a rock or piece of wood to determine "what is in there". This last stage may take a month or years.

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Painting detail from "Blue Angels" by Lee James Pantas, Liza's Reef, coral reef art