The Canvas Agenda

This agenda is all about respecting the physical surface. The artist isn’t just applying paint—they’re considering the medium’s properties and how it interacts with the canvas. For example, a heavy buildup of acrylic paint will produce a plastic feel eliminating the original feel of the canvas weave which is pleasant and more earthy. The canvas weave is not only informative toward the materials used, it also catches points of light and shadow softening the visual experience. The awareness of the effect the painting’s surface has on the outcome and to the viewer is the Canvas Agenda.

The Color Agenda

This agenda is driven by hue and its placement. When a painter works with the Color Agenda, they are thinking in terms of specific colors and where they need to go to serve the painting. It’s less about form or texture and more about the psychological and visual impact of color relationships. The painter is focused on creating a vibrant or harmonious palette, guided by the virtue of color alone in this agenda.

The Shape Agenda

This agenda is about creating form and volume. This is a more deliberate and structural approach. The painter is no longer just applying color to an area but is actively creating an image by defining shapes with clear edges. The process of adding highlights and shadows to these shapes to create the illusion of three-dimensional form is a key part of this agenda. Think of a sculptor building up clay—a painter working with the Shape Agenda is building up their image using light, shadow, and defined edges.

The Glow Agenda

This is the most advanced and ethereal agenda. It transcends the physical and technical aspects of the other three. The Glow Agenda is about infusing the painting with a sense of light, energy, and atmosphere. It’s where the “miracle” happens—when the elements of canvas, color, and shape come together to produce something more than the sum of their parts. This is often achieved through manipulating the internal light to create a radiant effect. This agenda is not just about making a painting; it’s about giving it a soul, a purpose, a vibration, bringing it to life, giving it a life of its own.