Abstract Painting #4

The layers continued on in my 4th class. Though there is a bit of glare on the following photographs and thus the colors are not clearly represented, I'm excited by the direction of the paintings. I felt like I was loosening up a bit (I approached the painting as I was my garden, out of control, and beautiful in its chaos), and I also liked the thin layers I achieved with the oil - showing the under layers through it all. 

My instructor suggested I cover a larger area of the canvas with a color and not just a bit here and there.... A curious idea - I'm not exactly sure if I can picture this yet.... Though I'll give it a try in my next class. Stay tuned.....  :)

P.S. I have to say, I'm surprised by my opinion of painting on wood. I'm no longer sure it's a fit for me - at least at this time in my life.... Hmmmm......

Pair of wooden panels - abstract oil layer #3

Abstract oil layer #2

Abstract oil layer #3

Abstract oil layer #4

Abstract oil layer #3

Abstract oil layer #4

Painting Abstractly - 2nd Class

(The following 3 paintings are paintings I had started at home. Please see my post from Sept. 17th for the chronological progression of my process on these....)

I started my second day of class with my wooden canvas. The application of paint, in this abstract method, was so very different from my usual way of painting on the texture and rigidity of the wood. I'm curious to see where this goes......

Pair of wooden panels - abstract oil layer 1

I then took one my new canvases I had finger painted the foundation on. I found I really liked painting on canvas! Who knew?!  :)

8" square - abstract oil layer 1

I continued on with the next canvas. This particular piece seemed to have a very strong imagery/presence from the very beginning of my finger painting. I found it interesting to follow this foundation in the first layer of oil. I'll be curious to see if this imagery remains throughout the process......

8" x 20" - abstract oil layer 1

As the class is 3 hours long and the above 3 paintings took about 1/2 that time, I still had time to continue work on the 3 I had started my first week. I found approaching their 2nd layer even harder than I imagined! 

Whereas the first week, I had a blank canvas to paint on, here I'm presented with/working on top of layers I really like!  (Please see my post as to what they looked like before the following).  

But I really wanted to work towards the idea of having 5 layers of paint on a piece (suggestion from my instructor), so I just had to jump in!

6" x 4" - abstract oil layer #2

8" x 10" - abstract oil layer #2

8" x 10" - abstract oil layer #2

And I have to say, afterwards, as scary as it was, this second layer really added to the whole of it all. What fun! Stay tuned for the 3rd.......

Painting Fingers

Having been told from my abstract painting instructor to bring larger canvases to work on the next time, I decided I would bring them with the foundational layers of paint I normally work from. I set up shop on the floor of the porch and laid out 3 purchased canvases ranging in size + 3 pieces from my collection of wooden doors.

All ready to go!

It was not long before I had what I thought enough to work from on each of the surfaces.

Golden Fluid Acrylics and Mediums are what I use for this step

 My largest stretched canvas is 24" x 30". My fingers found it quite different to paint on canvas as they're normally used to the unforgiving wood.

Barefoot and paint - it doesn't get any better than this!

I had pulled out the last 2 pieces of the blue door I had found down an alley in St. Paul years ago. I'm curious to see how this format (primarily that of the frame-like border that goes around) will work with abstraction upon it..... 

I'm especially drawn to the 10" square canvas I started......

 The true test of fun that was had - paint covered fingers and hands!

Stay tuned for my next post on Day 2 of my abstract painting class. I'll take these surfaces, now primed with my paint and fingers, and build layers of oil, abstractly of course, upon it all.

Oh! I have an idea....

Don't you love it when you say yes to something even though you don't know at the time what you'll do with it? This was the case on the chair you see to the left. My dear friend and fellow artist, Patty Carmody-Smith, picked it up along side the road with me in mind. Granted I was taken with it's wooden curves, but I really didn't know what I would do with it, much less than when I would do something with it.....

I can hardly wait to show you! I'll just say it involves red, black and white. Stay tuned!