Combining the unique technique of layering paint and glazes, I try to achieve a depth and subtle nuances which create a richness to evoke a sense of timelessness. Many of the pieces are not concerned with representing reality but interested in conveying the essence or spirit underlying all things.
My work is built on layers of texture, exuberant marks, and color, to crystallize visual imagery. Modernists Mark Rothko and Josef Albers have inspired my use of color. “Her color sensibility and layout are remarkable," said acclaimed artist Franklyn Liegel. Color is the heart and soul of my work. Through the process of application and elimination, I gradually build layers of color, creating depth and translucency that give way to recognizable yet abstract landscapes, simultaneously building upon and revealing the visual history of the work beneath. This experimentation with texture and color reveals ethereal compositions that resonate as spiritual landscapes.
I sometimes juxtapose representational animals within fanciful terrains. Layering color through a variety of techniques, I like to incorporate tactile patterns created by “found” materials such as lace, stencils and templates, mark-making, collage, and acrylics to develop colorfully textured landscapes. “What makes me passionate about each piece on which I work is the immediacy of my personal feelings, the colors, and the textures,” says Kichaven. “In the process of experimentation and unknown possibilities, one image generates another.”