Tag Archives: Abstract art

Aug4

Ending of July!

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Can you believe we are starting a new month? I’ve been creating like crazy, and here is my latest abstract. I’ve tried to name my pieces prior to starting them, however they never turn out as I had planned. Lately I’ve been picking my colors, my canvas, and maybe a few pieces of paper or foil that I think might go into the new piece nicely, and more frequently than not……they never make it in.

Bob Burridge always says to name them first, know where you are going, have your colors all ready, and know the design.  I know he is intuitive, abstract, and is in his right brain while painting, but what I don’t know is how he plans all that out.  I can never know where my painting is going, and when I think I do…..It tells me,  “I don’t want to go that way!”  Just like a spoiled child.

 Yes I consider my paintings children. There hasn’t ever been a painting that I’ve worked on that has gone as planned.  I don’t like knowing where they will end up, but what I do like is being as surprised as anyone when it turns out completely and unexpectedly different!

The best feeling in my opinion, is when I start to work in my studio, something starts to look good, and all of a sudden it’s late in the day, and I’ve been working all day without interruptions.  That’s when I realize I’ve been playing with my inner child, and totally in my right brain!  What a joyous feeling.

I hope you like my last painting in July of 2016.  August brings a finished watercolor painting that one of my friends asked me to do. It’s just about dry, and one more last look at the balance.  I soon will be posting both paintings prior to sending them off to their new home.

Let’s start August with a big burst of creative energy!  Meanwhile, I’m going to check in with Zebra Designs & Destinations to see what Z is up to.  I hope you’ll check them out also.   By for now……

Jul20

Ideas in my Sleep

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Memories of Santa Fe

Memories of Santa Fe

The last three or four weeks have been very productive for me. I seem to be driven to do more abstracts. Really abstract….not landscape, not figurative, real abstract, abstract. Non objective abstract! The kind you toss paint at. Maybe I’m feeling a little Jackson Pollock or something, but put a brush in my hand, paint by my side, & I’ll be happy.

If I stop to rest, lay down for a nap, or try to fall asleep at night…..my mind goes right to painting.  Designing, and throwing paint at a canvas with loud energetic music playing in the background.  In my dreams, I have huge buckets of paint, a huge canvas, and BIG brushes to paint with, with long handles.  Scrapers, sponges, mark makers of all kinds.   Even oil sticks, and ink, I love working with ink!  Acrylic ink is like watercolor, and by the way didn’t I recently tell you I’m not into watercolor.  I think I did.  There are many things I still love about watercolor, but I don’t have to want to paint with it.  I also love to use printeres ink, that’s real ink too!

The piece above is a 12 X 12 canvas with 140# watercolor paper bonded to it.  I have titled it “Memories of Santa Fe.”

Meanwhile, I going to leave you to continue working in my studio, and hopefully not get any more paint on my shutters.

Thank you for  following me, it is special for me to have anyone interested in listening…..my husband only wants to talk sports!

Jul14

Layers & Layers

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A collage of scraps

A collage of scraps

These last couple of weeks, I’ve been spending time gathering my embellishments. This really means that I’ve been stamping deli paper, layering the best paper towels, & starting to put papers together so when I start assembling the mixed media piece, I’ll have choices!

Paper towels colored, & covered

Paper towels colored, & covered

What do you mean choices?

Skins

Skins

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Since I’m work intuitively, as most abstract artists do, I never know what direction I’m headed until the piece tells me the direction!  This could mean it pulls together fast and easy, or…..it could mean hours of agonizing decisions.  This is usually determined by my brain;  you know right brain, or left brain.   The minute I start analyzing my work, I might as well stop.   I’ve slipped back into my left brain, and it’s all over for the day!

Stamps on Deli wrap

Stamps on Deli wrap

Somehow, when I’m just playing with embellishments, in my mind it doesn’t matter.  It seems easier to create something that may or may not be used.  Or, it may be used in part, the rest being left for another creation.   See…easier!

Soaked egg carton, flattened for texture.....we'll see!

Soaked egg carton, flattened for texture…..we’ll see!

All this has been created in the name of embellishments.  Even at that, it may be covered with gesso, or a semi opaque color so just a little will see through.

These six squares, all painted on brown paper, is in part my attempt at playing like a kindergartener!  Will it work,  we’ll see.  It looks a little rippled.  When torn up , or cut up depending, it will probably lay flat.  But, it’s not finished yet.  I’m just getting started, and I never know where I’m going until I get there!

Jul12

The Cold Wax Process

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A cold wax, and oil paint demo from Kim Sobat.  I have looked all over YouTube for a simple explanation of using these two mediums together, and this is it.  I hope you find it interesting, and useful.  So far I’ve tried it on a watercolor painting I just finished, an acrylic abstract, and recent oil painting to help preserve it.  The watercolor painting, and the oil did well.  However it seems  to me that it just presents more problems for an acrylic painting.  The one thing I haven’t tried is mixing the cold wax with the acrylic as I’m using it.   Rather than trying it on a painting, I think it might be better trying it on a small sample of watercolor paper.  What do you think?

As Kim’s work continued, I slowly began to see what he was trying to achieve.  

Each time he put another color on his paper, I thought….hell no!   But as it progressed I could see where he might be going with it.  Then as Kim finished it up, I began to really like the completed piece.

Maybe it’s worth trying cold wax again!

Jul5

One of My Favorites!

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I refer to Bob Burridge often, and that’s because he is not only abstract but he has fun time painting and ……he’s loose!

Loose is something I aspire to on a continual basis.  Recently I’ve decided if I can’t play like a kid, I don’t want to play.  But, I do want to play, so I must change my evil ways.  I’m playing, and having more fun..

I hope you enjoy Bob Burridge, he’s one of my favorite artists…..

Jun23

The Impossible is Possible!

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Garden Fantisy

Garden Fantasy

After agonizing over this, and thinking about what my friend would have painted, I finally decided to do it my way!

It’s really finished, I only have two more much like this one to work on, and although I’d like to do them differently, only time will tell if that will happen.  Bob Burridge mentioned in one of his monthly news letters that he was using Cold Wax to seal watercoler paintings, so that’s what I did.  I very carefully covered it with cold wax, and lightly buffed it.  It didn’t run, or transfer, and worked just fine.

The frame is the only thing left to decide on.  I don’t do frames any longer so I thought I’d mount it on canvas with some sort of border.  I’m not sure right now exactly what this means ,because I have to find a canvas that’s the correct size for not just the painting, but a little extra size for a border.

Part of my inspiration comes from Zebra Designs & Destinations.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen a post from Z, so this is a shout out to them as well.  Z is always an inspiration, and living in  Equador, it is so different from the US that I’m fascinated with what goes on there, and how Z finds time to be creative.