I recently posted a blog on abstract painting, and I probably will continue to do this until I’m satisfied with my own abstracts.  If you look at me in my studio, I’m always trying to figure out how to balance the kind of look that I really love to see, with the look of realism.  There are a few things I really feel have influenced me, and one is the Impressionist movement, such as Van Gough, Monae, to name a few.  I also love very abstract like Picasso, or even Motherwell.   The question is, can you blend them in such a way that they are fun, and still pleasant to look at.   Do they need to be pleasant?  Or is it better to leave the viewer with a little uncomfortable feeling?  All these things run through my mind while I’m working on what was supposed to be “Really Abstract.”

As I watch these teaching videos, it is obvious that it’s all very subjective.  Some artists just love  painting non-objective abstract that is busy.  To them it tells a story just like this video. Jillian is very much an intuitive abstract painter.  Her work is busy, colorful, and she loves it!  My son Chris is the same way.  His art is all  intuitive and in explaining his art, it always has a story to tell.  To me it becomes a sometimes a little difficult to digest and understand.  Some of it I fall in love with, and some of it, well…….lets just say it’s not my favorite!

We all have our own way of expressing ourselves, and both Jillian, and Chris express in a similar way.  Is it wrong?  Shouldn’t we all be able to express our creativity the way we wish?  Can anyone explain it’s validity besides the artist?   It definitely takes a different kind of viewer to appreciate this kind of abstract art, but that doesn’t make it bad, it only makes it different as it should be.  It pushes us past our comfort level, and in doing so, we just may become better at our own art.  After all, if we were all alike, life would be more than boring, and who would we have conversations about.  Isn’t art here to make us think, and stretch ourselves.  We can’t grow as painters, or viewers if there isn’t something to learn from……