Sweet Spot IV

Sweet Spot IV

7"x7" - acrylic on paper - $30

The last of four paintings done at the same time.

Now, just need to scale up - and that's when it gets scary, as in scary fun, lol.

Sweet Spot III

Sweet Spot III

7"' x 7" - acrylic on paper - $30

Number three of four small paintings done together.

Sweet Spot II

Sweet Spot II

7" x 7" - acrylic on paper - $30

This is the second of the four small paintings created at one go, on one piece of paper divided into four sections. No subject here - just intuitive painting.

Sweet Spot I

Sweet Spot I

7" x 7" - acrylic on paper - $30

A few days ago I masked off four more or less equal sections of a large piece of paper designed for acrylic paint, thinking I would paint four small works, at once. I didn't have any particular idea or subject in mind, I just wanted to play with composition, colour and marks and thus painted intuitively as much as possible. 

Below is what the larger paper looked like when done. 

I wanted to stick to 'the less is more' mantra, and believe I stopped at the right moment. I have to say that I love the resulting four small paintings, the first of which is above. 

Heart Strings

Heart Strings 

24" x 18" - acrylic on canvas - $150

Following my recent experience with painting in a 'non-representational' way, I wanted to try to work larger. This is the final result after many weeks of going back and forth and trying not to stress about where it was going or how I felt. I started by just drawing lines and shapes with a black paint marker and then adding colour and then letting it sit, and thinking about what to do with the bits I didn't like. I am glad that I kept going because I love the finished painting, and love looking at it. Though it doesn't look like what I 'normally' paint I think that is just fine. I truly believe in the need to grow, experiment, change and take risks in art making, despite the set-backs that may arise. It's so much more fun that way. Cheers!

Below are some process pics......

Big Idea

Big Idea

10" x 8" - acrylic on canvas - $45 (includes shipping)

The last of six small 'no-subject' abstracts. They have been challenging and fun. The next challenge will be to increase canvas size and scale up, but I will have to do this in stages I think.  

Pink Light

Pink Light

8" x 10"-  acrylic on canvas - $45 (includes shipping)

This is my 5th small non-representational painting, working without a subject  in mind, considering only the elements. Cheers!

New Year, New Directions

Like many at the start of a new year, I thought about setting some art goals for 2019 and decided to try to (sometimes) work outside of my comfort zone (now that I have it back after 6 months of very limited painting due to arm and shoulder injuries, LOL). For me, that means different subject matter (figures, still life), using more (mixed) media, working smaller, working more abstractly and (of course looser) and once again taking a stab at non-representational painting.

Hot Sauce

8" x 10" - acrylic on canvas - $35

Over the years I have experimented with non-representational painting, defined (in it's simplest form) as art without any recognizable subject matter.   These attempts have usually led to frustration and impatience with myself and even greater respect for the work and talent of many non-representational painters, artists like Krista Harris and Dorothy Ganek (take a look at their work and you will understand what I mean!).  I have often thought how fabulous it would be to watch them work, layering their canvases with lines, shapes and colours and then losing those elements in their quest to create what I think are quite sublime paintings. How do they do it I wondered as I whited out another canvas. Sigh.

Balancing Act

8" x 10" - acrylic on  canvas - $35

One of the things you learn, the more you paint, is that you have to keep painting. Working is the one rule that must be followed. (See the irreverent art critic for New York Magazine Jerry Saltz, and his list of 33 Rules for Being an Artist). Stopping too early and giving up because 'it's' not working is a learned (failing) behaviour in art (and in life). I don't give up on representational painting, so why do that with non-representational art, something that looks easy (hah!). 

Inch by Inch

8" x 10" - acrylic on  canvas - $35

So, I turned off the inner-critic and tried to work 'intuitively' (wondering at the same time what that means exactly) on 3 small 8x10 canvases, sporadically over a couple of weeks. Having no subject felt like floundering in very deep water, until you realize that you really do know how to swim. Once I stopped worrying about what I was doing I began to enjoy the process, taking a break when I felt stuck. Over many days I kept layering, obliterating, adding, and I realized that I liked what I saw developing on the surface! There were definitely 'ah hah' moments as I added and eliminated, played with texture and paint application. And then they were done. Wow.

I am really happy with these little paintings and despite their size I find each quite compelling. I hope you do too. 

Have a wonderful weekend!