Untitled Abstract 310-12

10" x 6"

Winsor Newton Artists' Water Colour

Arches 300lb. (600gsm) Rough

I feel like I didn't quite get my brain disengaged enough on this.  Almost like I had one foot in representation mode and the other in abstract.  As a result I ended up trying to work this a little rather than just feeling it.  My better abstracts I think pretty much paint themselves.  Still, there has to be a little "subconscious artist" present to oversee the operation.  Know what I'm saying?

One thing that does seem to come across in this piece is that the color scheme, tangents, awkward placement etc... is helping to convey a sense of tension.  Which is funny because that's exactly what was going on in my head.  I wanted to paint an abstract painting but was wrestling with my conscious, controlling representational mind.  I'm a firm believer that all art we can learn from has value (even if its what not to do).

Now to try to sell this to someone with poor taste.  JK (not really)

One Crazy Night

6.5" x 11"

Abstract Acrylic Over Watercolor on Winsor Newton Cold Press 140lb.

Prints Available: FineArtAmerica.com

Yes.  This piece is a slight deviation from my usual paintings.  That's probably good.  Here's the story behind this one.

I started it late on a Friday or Saturday night.  This is an odd size because it's the scrap from another painting I decided to crop.  I do that a lot.  I will paint something and then when it's all done I realize I have a pretty good painting if I lop part of it off.  In fact I think this is actually part of the painting from the previous post. "Floating Shapes"

What I ended up doing was taping this scrap down on my table and then I went to the drawer with all the acrylic paint I never use.  I just started squeezing paint out of tubes onto the paper.  Then I went at it with a small paring knife I keep in my brush drawer.  Yup!  Painted the whole thing with a wooden handled paring knife.  And I had a blast doing it!

So that's the story.

Floating Shapes

Abstract Watercolor

8.25" x 10.5"

Winsor Newton Artists' Water Colour on Winsor Newton 140lb. Cold Press

Prints Available: FineArtAmerica.com

Red Line

This piece was featured on RedBubble.com's home page.  I'm told that is an honor given how much artwork is uploaded to that site daily.  I must say I did feel pretty honored that someone liked it enough to  give it the extra attention.  Even if is was just for one day in the middle of the week.

Print's Available: FineArtAmerica.com or RedBubble.com

One could buy prints from RedBubble also I suppose although I don't make as much money which is why I post links to FineArtAmerica.com.  Just in case anyone is unclear as to why I do that.

Sorry RedBubble.  It's just business.

Kandinski's Advice

Prints Available: FineArtAmerica.com

This is the first little abstract painting I did.  I started painting abstract only a few months ago mostly in response to a quote from Kandinsky I read on another artist's site.  So far most of my abstracts have been small.  I've tried a few larger ones and by larger I mean still small by abstract painting standards.  This one is only a 7" x 5".

My method, process, motivation, whatever... is that after agonizing over my illustrations and other art projects, sometimes I just need to as Kandinski put it:

"…lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting, and…stop thinking! Just ask yourself whether the work has enabled you to “walk about” into a hitherto unknown world. If the answer is yes, what more do you want?"

Kandinsky, 1910