“Abstract painting has always been my first love, but it has been a challenge as well. My paintings reflect a memory, music, poetry, friends, experiences, or simply color. When I try to capture a moment on canvas I strive to create a shared experience in color with the viewer. This is the ultimate form of connection between me and the viewer. Acquiring a piece of art should be an unforgettable experience.” Trudi Norris Color is the central figure of Trudi Norris’s paintings. Some of her work presents color study and variation, where others present contrasts, and then some present black and white. Color takes precedence over form, and its impact is visceral and evocative. The scale of her paintings varies, they range from small works to 70”x70” canvases. Trudi is an instinctive, exploratory painter whose work, images and colors are inspired both externally and internally. She conceives of a piece, and then starts with charcoal or graphite markings, often writing poetry on the canvas. She then paints it quickly as she uses the energy and dynamism at hand to work, and then complete a painting. The process involves adding and subtracting areas of color, working and reworking many layers of paint that can take weeks to complete. Trudi uses Kroma acrylic paints in part because they dry quickly; these spur her to complete sections before they dry. Acrylics lend themselves to more sculptural applications with the variety of instruments that Trudi uses: brushes of all sizes, plaster trowels, wallpaper applicators, print making rollers and paint knives. Trudi studied design at Emory University in Atlanta in the late 90’s, where she was encouraged to paint. She has painted under Andy Braitman in Charlotte, NC. Most recently, she studied with Claire Desjardins in 2017 on Granville Island outside of Vancouver where she was inspired by different concepts of abstract painting. Trudi also studied under Jodie King in Houston, Texas. Jodie’s energetic abstract painting style influenced her process along with using meditation and journaling. Trudi is influenced by everyone she encounters in what she calls creative solidarity, using collaboration as a learning experience, where everyone’s success is celebrated.