“Lost Track of the Time”

Martha Valenta - 2023 - 37” x 37”
plaster, gesso, acrylic, and sealant on cradled board in painted wood frame

"Lost Track of the Time" is a heavily-textured, abstract, mixed media painting that expresses my personal experience with time blindness and hyperfocus due to ADHD.

The predominantly golden yellow hues, bold pink sparklines, and curved teal forms mirror my fragmented perception of time. The undulating, textured waves represent moments when I become intensely focused and lose myself in a state of flow, only to have these immersive states constantly interrupted as my thoughts rapidly shift directions – taking me further away from whatever else I have to accomplish. This painting captures how I can fixate so deeply on an idea that the concept of time completely fades away,

This piece is framed in a gold-painted, wood floating frame that is shallow for the protruding painting. The blue painted sides subtly express the hurriedness I feel when running off to the next place I need to be, as I try to hide my ADHD-related blues with gentle reminders that I’m still good stuff, even when late...again.

Abstract painting "Lost Track of Time" with rhythmic, undulating lines in shades of golden yellow, blue-green, and pink, suggesting the fluidity and disorientation of time perception in ADHD.
Angled view, looking from the bottom, right corner. Abstract painting "Lost Track of Time" with rhythmic, undulating lines in shades of golden yellow, blue-green, and pink, suggesting the fluidity and disorientation of time perception in ADHD.
Abstract painting "Lost Track of Time" with rhythmic, undulating lines in shades of golden yellow, blue-green, and pink, suggesting the fluidity and disorientation of time perception in ADHD.
Abstract painting "Lost Track of Time" with rhythmic, undulating lines in shades of golden yellow, blue-green, and pink, suggesting the fluidity and disorientation of time perception in ADHD.