ED MONROE

Sunset in the Hills (2004)

Palette Knife & Abstracts

Monroe realized early in his career that if he was to spend his whole life painting, he should investigate the abstract, cubist, and other modern-art traditions.

He began working on palette knife paintings inspired by fellow artists at the 4th Street Studio in Berkeley.This technique involves using a palette knife instead of a brush; the artist “squishes” the paint around on the canvas (as Monroe says, like “cake decorating”).

The brush and palette knife can be used together. The technique allows the artist to produce some different effects that don’t easily happen using a brush, where the colors can be differently juxtaposed or where colors “bleed” together in interesting ways. Almost all the palette knife work that Monroe does is using oils.

Desert Fire (2008)