Artist’s colorful paintings keep viewers’ attention

"Yellow Line Explosion" by Stacey Elder

Stacey Elder’s abstract paintings are covered in layers of paint and glossy textured surfaces.

Elder will display five of her paintings in the "Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition." She hopes to draw in viewers and keep them looking due to the sheer amount of material on the surfaces of her paintings.

“The process behind my work is very responsive. I pour, scrap and cover to build layers upon layers of thick paint that interacts with thick glossy surfaces intertwined with gestural drawing,” said Elder. She paints based on previous choices, building on layers until reaching her final product.

Elder earned her BFA in 2010 from Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W.Va. She is a 2013 candidate in the MFA program at the University of Georgia. She has shown her work in juried exhibitions and in group shows. Her current work focuses on color and textured surfaces created through gesture and material.

Elder prefers bright, saturated colors and unusual or imperfect patterns in her work. She often mixes planes of color with completely opposite elements in her compositions. She plans to continue making and showing work after graduation.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art March 16 to April 22, 2013, with an opening reception in conjunction with 90 Carlton: Spring on March 22. MFA Speaks is scheduled for March 21 at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.