Abstract Series

I think of my work as unfinished provocations, attempts to stimulate the imagination into experiencing stillness, transience, and, ultimately, a sense of mystery. My art strives to embody the Tao Te Ching’s meditation on transcendence. Lao Tzu wrote these paradoxical lines: “Soft overcomes hard, weak overcomes strong.” This concept of wu wei, or “effortlessness,” is at the heart of my creative process. Lao Tzu’s eternal truth is that stillness and transience together form a mystical whole, one we can only understand through personal experience. The Tao Te Ching assures us, “Indeed, the hidden and the manifest give birth to each other.” In my oil paintings, I aim to hide what is manifest and make manifest what is hidden in order to create new possibilities.  I clothe ancient ideas in the visual language of abstract expressionism, inspired particularly by Robert Motherwell’s poetics of emotion and shape.

Courtney received her B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to her paintings, she also works on commissioned projects and designing unique women’s accessories. Her expressionist-inspired handbags, jewelry and perfume bottles are made in collaboration with origami artist, Giang Dinh and artisans in Florence, Italy. Courtney’s studio is located in Arlington, VA.