Paula Elliott : Point Of View

Beginnings comprises a group of small-scale works that serve as a prelude to a new, large-scale series on paper initiated this past year. Working within an intimate format has opened space for renewed experimentation with the rich and expressive possibilities of pastel. Sculptural form continues to drive the artist’s inquiry, now shaped by a heightened spatial intricacy. Within the constraints of scale, each composition explores the emergence of a distinctive—at times eccentric—shape or object, emphasizing both structure and nuance.

Outcomes expands upon the discoveries made in Beginnings, embracing a greater freedom of movement and expression. These large-scale works on paper foreground the monumental and formal power of a singular, commanding form. Through their scale and clarity, they assert a strong and individual presence, inviting viewers to encounter each form as both object and atmosphere—at once grounded and expansive.

In Elliott’s words:
Whatever “creation” may mean, it prompts the artist to reflect on process—on starting points, motivations, stimuli, and constraints. Each work begins with a simple idea, one that establishes an arc or sets a tone. This initial impulse may arise from a formal consideration: an orientation, a preference for a particular color, or the spatial relationship between a shape and the dimensions of the paper or canvas. Structural and dimensional elements are carefully weighed, determining how an image might settle into place within its field.
Concepts of objecthood and “field of play” have informed the artist’s practice for many years. Recent works titled Oddballs take inspiration from a line by A. R. Ammons—“all up in the air”—a phrase that continues to act as a creative spur. Ideas typically begin unfixed and open-ended; each image evolves on its own terms, gradually becoming something the artist must answer and refine. The pleasures, challenges, and uncertainties of this unfolding process are inseparable from lived experience, which inevitably folds into the work as it develops.
Over the past decade, the artist’s primary focus has been on works on paper, often centered on a solitary shape. Within a single image, the aim is to articulate the singular presence and particularity of an abstract “object.” The recent large-scale series Outcomes explores the monumental and formal power of a single, distinctive form. Alongside it, the Oddballs series embraces a more eccentric sensibility, marked by quirky, idiosyncratic presences.
Working primarily in pastel, often combined with charcoal and pencil, the artist begins with a simple sketch. Throughout the process, contrasts emerge between soft, amorphous forms and strict geometric structures. This sustained dialogue between opposites—fluidity and order, spontaneity and structure—creates a dynamic framework for interpretation, inviting viewers to engage with each image as both form and presence.