BFF and I recently bought two big canvases (70% off at Michael’s!) for the studio, and I’ve been experimenting with an abstract piece. I used to say that abstract art was easy — just slop some paint on a canvas. But it’s surprisingly hard. My photos today will show you my progress on the big canvas, which was also my first time painting on an easel. I am now much better at:
- mixing colors,
- avoiding making all the colors look like mud,
- being willing to paint over a section I’m not happy with,
- knowing I need to find balance,
- varying the sizes of my marks, and
- understanding that the piece needs to look good from afar and look interesting up close.
I still very much struggle with the ending — knowing when the piece is finished.
Here are several photos of the piece I’m working on right now. It starts with an attempt, then a total paint-over, and finally a direction to go, even though I’m not finished.
Tweaking the circles:
Eliminating the circles:
Starting over:
Trying it in a vertical position:
Better, but not yet finished:
Close-ups:
I’m also learning that art isn’t about the finished product, but rather the process and progress. Good learning!
But Ms. Adele taught me this brilliant trick. All you need is a sheet protector. I painted this potential revision directly on to the sheet protector taped to my painting. I like the shape but I think the black/white pot is too stark in contrast to the rest of the painting.
