With X Marks the Spot, a 9×12 inch oil on paper painting, I wanted to explore the magnetic pull and playful finality of focal points, destination, and revelation. Through this painting, I sought to capture a sense of striking certainty mixed with raw urgency, utilizing sweeping brushwork, layered color planes, and jarring chromatic contrasts.
Created as an original oil on paper painting measuring 9×12 inches, the piece features a rich, dominant ground of deep charcoal and moody black across the upper field, opening into sweeping directional undertones offset by thick, luminous impasto swaths of vibrant yellow forming a prominent, textured “X” at the center. I applied heavy palette knife strokes, directional dragging, and scraped textures across the paper to give the oil medium a tactile, unsettled depth that speaks to hidden markers, excavation, and the weight of discovery.
