Most of the time, fine artist Carmelo Blandino uses oil on canvas to create beautifully detailed paintings of flowers. His Single Flower Series explored the delicate beauty of individual flowers while his more recent flower series takes on a more messy approach. How and why did he completely switch styles? In this stunning series, he instead uses acrylic, a palette knife and his less dominant hand.
“This series began as a way to let go of the ten years prior,” he states. “I revisited and revised old work by repainting them again and again, slowly extracting my old story. Each painting represents a step towards freedom from the known and the cultivation of a new persona. I began painting with my left hand and transitioned from oil to acrylic, obliterating every connection with the past. With each brushstroke the past dissolved and revealed the present.
“At first it was rather difficult, but as I continued to paint through the awkwardness I realized that this was turning into a valiant effort,” he continues. “Stroke after stroke I wiped away my memories related to my past, and began to build upon my present. A new artist appeared, with a new style, direction and drive.”
