Audra Weaser: Tides of Light

Audra Weaser is an American painter and sculptor living in Los Angeles,CA. She earned her B.F.A. from Laguna College of Art and Design and her M.F.A in painting from Claremont Graduate University.

For the past decade, Audra Weaser’s work has focused on nature. Her interests are in creating physically charged images reminiscent of watery landscapes. These abstracted scenes are formed from rhythmic manipulations of pigmented materials. Her process includes building layers of color to form intuitive, organic compositions. Through a sanding process, she navigates back into the surface. In this excavation, an image of motion and presence emerges from a white expansion. The paintings invoke images such as swampy bayous, mystical forests, or light shining in from gathering weather. They are an essence of what is unseen and translated into a visual and poetic experience.

Artist Statement
For the exhibition, Tides of Light, at Lanoue Gallery I’ve created a series of abstract waterscapes based on the rhythm of the tides, which can be gentle and meditative as well as powerful and dramatic. How we respond to such shifts can also vary depending on our internal states. But regardless of our subjective experience, the inherent contrast between the light reflected off the surface of the water and the darker depth underneath creates a compelling dynamic in both the natural and aesthetic worlds.

Having always lived near the ocean in Southern California, I feel a very personal connection that resonates not only in the subject of my work but in the process of creating it, which is both physical and immersive. I start by applying multiple layers of color that I then cover with a veil of smooth plaster paint. From there, I sand into the surface with varying levels of intensity. My approach is fluid, leaning in with the sander and then pulling back to observe, and I never fully know what will emerge as the final composition. This process also creates three-dimensional, sculptural work, which I hope engages viewers more fully and on multiple levels.