Featured Artist Annette Mewes-Thoms

Carolyn Edlund

Hamburg-based artist Annette Mewes-Thoms uses the line as her theme when creating energetic and flowing images. Discover how she works the line into her drawings, paintings and photography by visiting her website.

“Lines H9” Varnish on Canvas, 70cm x 60cm

Because I grew up on the German coast of the North Sea, I played a lot in and with water. I love it, but I also know the dangers that can emanate from it. As a child I was often evacuated when storm floods came.

“Lines 25” Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

For many years I was looking for a way to paint the nature of water without illustrating it. Water is movement—flow and energy—with the line characteristics the same. Therefore, I reduced the forms and shapes I used in my paintings more and more until just the line was left.

“Lines 109” Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

After a few years the “Line” became my new theme.

“Lines 111” Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

At first I placed lines close together and watched their wavelike moving and wavy shifts. Soon afterwards I intersected the lines to create latticed-like structures.

“Lines 113” Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

Today, I am working with a new concept. I start each work with an intuitively placed line to which I align all of the following lines. I then build up several layers of lines. By layering lines I create a condensing as well as an overlap. This is what I call “visual sensations” because the layering creates a shimmering effect.

“Lines 114″ Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30”

While working, I find myself in a state of both excitement and meditation.

“Lines 123” Acrylic on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

I am excited, because I can’t plan and predict how my work will turn out. Experiencing the process of creation is like an adventure. I simply know that there is an infinite variety of possibilities. My natural curiosity drives me to explore this.

“Lines 110” Varnish on Canvas, 40cm x 30cm

The working process is meditative too, because I concentrate on the line and perceive nothing more than my breathing and the sound of the marker. With every line I become calmer. With each line I show a piece of myself. In so doing I document my breathing, my constitution and every disturbance. This is why I can’t plan or even “produce” my works with the computer, as is suggested so often. Such works made by a machine would be soulless, they won’t show what happens inside of me. My works shall be alive!

Artist Annette Mewes-Thoms artwork on exhibit at Art Stage Singapore in 2017

Since 2016, my focus has been on drawing. I have drawn many small black and white works in varnish on canvas. The absence of color is intended to focus the mind on the line.