Penélope Osio-Brown

Born in 1973 in Puebla, Mexico, Penélope Osio-Brown moved to the United States at the age of fourteen. She started painting professionally in the U.S. in 1998. She has experimented with oils and watercolors, but currently works with acrylics and dry pigments. Her inspirations are diverse and varied, ranging from her religious beliefs and view of God to her Mexican heritage and admiration for early cultures and civilizations.

Her most recent artistic inspirations have come from her fascination with early language systems and the expressions of art found in these early cultures and civilizations.

"Writing not only serves the important purpose of communicating thoughts and ideas, but it also has a captivating beauty in itself. It's different forms, strokes and gestures come together spontaneously to compose a two-dimensional sculpture. The contrast of the written forms to the surfaces on which they are embedded creates a mysterious and powerful visual and emotional interest. I have been exposed to and intrigued by many of these ancient writing systems from my travels to Egypt and Mexico."

It is this fascination, as well as Penélope's love for vivid and intense color, which has produced this current body of works.

The Process:
For this current grouping of paintings, I have chosen the substrate Duron, a modern version of the popular hardboard, Masonite. Duron provides me a solid-surface on which I can build layers of textured color more easily. The surface is first sealed and gessoed. Various acrylic mediums are then applied to create depth and texture. Then, the process of layered color begins.

Layers of textured color are built to achieve a vivid, yet transparent effect. I use non-traditional tools such as my hands, rags and even my nails to apply or take away the paint. Areas of layers are then polished, exposing the hidden layers beneath. This layering of paint becomes the backdrop on which I carve expressions, characters and markings from my subconscious. The absence of the brush allows me to feel more connected to the paintings, freeing me and removing the constraints found in more-traditional works. At times, this process is what fulfills me more than the result itself.