Combining Words
and Paint
Words can add mystery or meaning to a painting. They can provide
a narrative, leading the reader or viewer to a certain interpretation
of other elements in the painting, whether these are images or
mere shapes and colors. Or they may be shrouded in veils of paint,
masked in tissue paper, leaving the viewer to guess at what lies be-
neath. Some words in close proximity read like poetry: lonely, fall-
ing water, sad sound. Others may be more mundane: fish, chips,
cha ir, rest. The painted word can be bold, ostentatious, elegant,
faint, reassuring, exciting, and many other things.
A handwritten character
over some medieval
printed text makes a bold
statement but does not
require a lot of skill. Any~
one can draw a capital C
and embellish it with the
odd curl.