Margaret Embree: Mercurial and Not

 “Mercurial” popped into my head while curating this collection.

The word “ Mercurial” is associated with the characteristics of being; swift, volatile, changeable, or related to the Roman god Mercury (also the Greek god Hermes Trismegistus and the Egyptian god Thoth). There are also Alchemical meanings associated referring to substances that unite – representing a blend of the spiritual and the physical resulting in transformation. Either on the spiritual plane, the physical plane or both. Such as in paint.

My abstract acrylic pieces incorporate transparent layers that allow one to see behind, where the painting first began from “nothing” , sometimes starting with India ink. The light play on the top surface interacting with Interference pigments creates a changeable reflection - the daylight reflects back  the pigment differently depending upon the position of the light and the viewing angle.

My landscape and still life oil paintings present a more concrete appearance in form. I think of them as images of things I see in our outer world. Things that have manifested into the space we live in. My other work is more about color play and visions from my inner world.