ROTATE MORE

Here's the new Atelier acrylic abstract painting turned on its side.  Just now I adjusted the color to be closer to the actual painting, too.  Better? 

Or upside down? 

I like it better these two ways, with the horizontal format being my favorite.  Thanks for your comments, too.  Sure appreciate your taking the time to give your opinion.

EASTER

This abstract was started a week ago and has evolved slowly.  When the painting began, my purpose was to just play with the paint on YUPO, using the Atelier Acrylics which lift even after they have dried. 

Today after taping it up across the studio, I was surprised to see the face.  The word 'FORGIVENESS' was added vertically to the right side of the face then subdued.  It's also printed backwards so it's nearly impossible to see.  Using Caran d'Ache crayons I added some other scribbles and other meaningful words as well as lightening the eyelids and adding a highlight on the lower lip. 

Easter is my very favorite day of the year because of its significance for me.  Happy Easter!

"GOOD FRIDAY" Atelier Acrylics and CAran d'ache Crayons on YUPO 20x26"

MORE FUN

Here's another textural painting that was freeing to create. It's also on acid free foam core which has been covered with various textural products and allowed to dry. Then the acrylic paint was added to bring out the textures of the surface and to help develop a good design. Transfer cut from an old magazine was also embellished onto the painting for added interest. Painting smaller, nonrepresentational work increases my love of being an artist.
"ONLINE" Acrylic on Acid Free Foam Core 4 x 4"

TEXTURES

This painting was created with fluid acrylics, tube acrylics, some surface treatments, and lots of time discovering and maneuvering shapes within the created textures. Painting it somehow seemed like a vacation away from painting, and yet 'painting' has ALWAYS seemed like a vacation... sometimes without a map or reservations. It reminded me of the huge volcano that erupted this past spring, hence the name.

"EYJALLAJOKULL" Mixed Media on Acid Free Foam Core 4x4"

DOUBLE FUN

Painting on canvas brings back college memories for sure. Back then - the 60's - acrylics had just been introduced and, as I remember, they were very, very plastickie. These two canvas were collaged with various bits of rice papers and football cards, then painted with Fluid Acrylics, my favorite medium right now.

Both have been hung side by side in their new home in Richmond, Indiana. The person they went to is a banker, so I managed to print my own 20's, 50's, and 100 dollar bills then transfer the ink from the prints onto the canvas - seen in reverse, backwards. Ditto for some golf ads, too. This was fun to create but a little scary because I wasn't positive they would like it. They did:-D

LEFTOVERS

This very small painting came from the leftovers from the bubble print which began as a tree line - being the leftover from the other half of yesterday's post. This section of that print is only about postcard size. The original bubble texture that remains in the light bar in this finished abstract shows off the textures formed from the colored bubbles.

The top of the trees shown cut off here - now the new leftover -really doesn't have any area that makes me want to design a painting. It will be saved for a part of a future collage, but I posted it above the new abstract so you could see where it came from.

The compressed design of this abstract is one of the many things that Gerald Brommer teaches in one of his excellent workshops. The idea is that the narrow band of color and texture at the top of the painting presses down. The larger shape at the bottom also seems to exert pressure up. The thin band in the middle seems compressed and becomes the focal point of the painting. Allowing the bubbles to show clearly there helps make a surprise for the viewer. I do like how the bubbles remained in many other areas, too, adding subtle textures that could not be painted with a brush.

"MOULDED" Fluid Acrylic Bubbles with Transparent Watercolor, Conte Crayons, & Caran d'Ache Crayons on 140#HP Arches 5 x 8"

MORE BLUES

This painting was created using fluid acrylics on hot pressed paper which was initially glazed with two coats of gloss medium. I applied colors, building up layers of many colors and, after letting them dry, wiped them partially off with rubbing alcohol to reveal some pretty cool textures. More paint, more rubbing, and more removing continued, and a small amount of rice paper was collaged in a couple of areas.

It's a great process that tells you when you're done... but not in a very loud voice. It was so much fun as I discovered the hidden textures of the painting while lifting off areas with the rubbing alcohol.

In this abstract, the temperature dominance is cool, and it was done about a year before I went overseas, when I then intuitively switched to creating mostly warm temperature paintings. Caran D'ache crayons embellished parts of the painting, too. I spent many hours painting this, then partially removing areas, repainting again and again, and each time I look at it, I remember the joy I felt as I discovered new areas of texture and beauty.

I loved the process, which seems to be more and more important to me lately. The message I want to convey somehow is directing the process choice, and I'm just along for the ride. I love the journey!

"JOURNEY" Fluid Acrylics on Hot Pressed 140# Arches 22 x 30" COLLECTED

THERAPY

Painting my way out of a hole. That's how I would describe this painting. When I started it, my feelings were dark, lots of misery, plenty of self pity, I'm sure. Also remorse. Usually I don't paint if I'm not in a good mood, but this time I had to.

I painted with vigor as if I could dump my emotions into the paper if I tried hard enough. Starting with watercolor and some created textures, then adding charcoal, conte crayon, caran d'ache crayons, acrylics..... I used whatever was at hand to help 'push my emotions' out onto the painting surface.

I was so ready to rip it up. I hated the painting, (I thought.) But actually other things were coming to the surface that were the cause of my hateful feelings.

Later, looking at the painting across the room, I was amazed that it had a life and movement of its own, and a positive feeling about it, too! How it got there...where it came from??? Creating art can surely bring about a healing force. Therapy once again.

This painting along with a couple dozen more of my recent works will be in a show opening Friday night (March 28) in Middletown, Ohio's Art Center. My Wednesday morning class will also have works on display at this show. We're planning on having a great time, so if you're in the area, please join us. (See side bar for more info about the show.) Hope you can make it.

"CAVERN" Mixed Media on 80# HP Strathmore Aquarius 15 x 11"

ACRYLICS AND COLLAGE

Fluid acrylics painted over collaged pieces of washi papers helped enhance the textures I wanted in this painting. I used rubbing alcohol to rub off some of the dried acrylics to reveal the colors and textures underneath. This painting is on canvas, which makes it easy for the viewer to reach out and touch the textures.

When I started this, I had no preconceived idea of what I was going to paint - my favorite way of painting for sure. Letting the painting lead me is lots of fun and often very exhilarating, allowing expression I could not reach any other way. I also like letting the viewer decide what they see instead of defining it clearly. What do you see?

"OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND SING" Fluid Acrylics over Collaged Rice Papers on Canvas 18 x14" Collected

DANCING

There are times when just ''being able to create'' is all I really want to do. That need to produce a 'product,' 'a finished painting' or 'something to show for my time' becomes irrevelant. Enjoying the moment takes over, and art becomes playtime, like when I was five years old.

Those moments happen in almost every painting, but the best is when I spend a couple of days in that mode. No expectations. Only exploration.

This painting was like that. It doesn't 'look' like most of my paintings, but I really love it for the journey it took me on. Click on it to enjoy all the textures better.

Painting freely is like having a big cardboard box to play in, making believe it's anything I want it to be. Open ended possibilities. Like dancing when no one's watching!

"ACCORDING TO PLAN" Fluid Acrylic Watercolors and Tube Acrylics on 140#CP Arches 30 x 22"

IT'S GOT TO BE WRIGHT

Once in a while, a special friend and I get together to paint. I drag my array of supplies to her studio, and we drench ourselves in making art from day break til late in the evening.

I am the most free to explore and play when I'm there. No expectations. No deadlines. No one else's opinions. No self imposed requirements or judgements. Practically unlimited use of resources and supplies. I know that making art is a solitary journey for most, but I seem to thrive on painting with creative friends.

This may be the airplane that Wilbur and Orville must have dreamed about before they engineered it to fly ..... but someone else suggested that it reminded them of Falling Waters. Either way could be wright.

Actually, the posted painting is upside down. Earlier, I liked it better flipped over, so I signed it in the deep red area and framed it with the deep red on the bottom. I may take it out of the frame and adjust it someday ... flip it back over. Always a work in progress, these abstracts.

"MERIDIA" Fluid Acrylics (straight out of the bottle) on Crescent Board, 32 x 20"

MORE EXPLORATION

What a wonderful opportunity artists have - to be able to express their feelings in a tangible way. This painting started out as an expression of misery and depression, but I think it resulted in a pleasing painting full of hope and peace, a strong contrast to how I felt when I began it. While working, I noticed that my focus turned to creativity and delight instead of the destructive thoughts I'd been entertaining. The angels in the painting were an unexpected joyful surprise, too. Thank you, God!

"ANGELS AMONG US" Transparent Watercolor with Conte Crayons on 80#HP Strathmore Aquarius, 15 x 11"

TREASURE HUNT

Done on watercolor paper, this painting includes both torn rice paper collage and tube acrylics, plus a lot of rubbing alcohol used to rub off some areas of pigment to reveal colors and textures underneath. The idea was to create a weight or tension between the top large shape and the bottom band of color.

Using rubbing alcohol to lift areas of dried ACRYLIC paint creates surprises and textures that I could not get any other way. It's like a treasure hunt to see what's been hidden away.

"FULL MOON" on Arches 140# CP 15 x 11"

ACTIVITY

Ginkgo trees loose their leaves in one day. The way the leaves lay on the ground under the tree when they fall reminds me of wearing crinolines when we were little kids. The leaves around the trunk on the ground look like the crinolines did when you dropped them down around your ankles, before you stepped out of them.

Since I'm inspired to paint Ginkgos, I'm headed down to the studio and will hopefully be incorporating many things learned this past week from Nicholas Simmons. This painting is just an up close of part a painting we did last week in the workshop. The COLORS!!!!! WHEW! Doesn't get much more dynamic than this. I'm charged up.

Fluid Acrylic Watercolors on Arches HP 140# SOLD