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| "Moonshines" acrylic on 18x24 canvas (abstract realism) |
Some abstract
paintings are stark and limiting. Others may distort shapes or simplify images.
According to Sue St. John, author of Journeys to Abstraction “The
choices are vast and nothing is wrong. Abstract art can be incredibly
liberating.”
Think of
abstract art as fluid. Allow your brush to intuitively follow your imagination
and mood. Take an idea, a theme, a feeling and express it in liquid motion.
Keep in mind that an abstract artist is expressing “concepts” rather than exact
depictions.
Abstract
realism combines the best of both depending on what you choose to emphasize.
Shapes and colors may be in the abstract with one part of the painting rendered true to life as the focal point.
The reverse is also possible. Take a realistic background and an abstract
center of interest. Inspiration is all around you.
I have an
artist friend who gets inspired by fabrics. She can turn a small element of
design into a full-blown abstract painting.
Look for shapes
and patterns in your environment: the way light and shadow play out and create
designs, structures, and lines. The world is full of texture, color and form.
Examine how they work together and how they make you feel.
"My Trail of Tears" mixed-media on canvas
To advance a
theme or emphasize a point, some artists incorporate symbols into their artwork.
They are interesting. They provide additional information. For example, if the
artist’s vision is “new birth” or change, a butterfly would help signify this
metamorphous.
Many symbols are
already familiar such as the circle (infinity, cycle of life, wholeness); the
Egyptian Ankh which symbolizes the harmony between the physical and the
spiritual worlds. Pentagrams (five-sided stars) represent the four elements of
earth, wind, water and fire and how they are bound together with the fifth element
of spirit.
The study of
symbols alone would provide you with an astounding number of paintings and the
basis for combining realism with abstraction. This should not only release you
from preconceived notions about earth and life, but inspire you with countless
stories and designs that are unique and personal. Above all, have fun!
"Moonlight Magic" 11x14 mixed media, layered acrylics
The following
link should provide you with some great ideas. I’ve also included a quote by
well-known artist Sherrie McGraw:
“A painting
is more than the subject matter or the story it might depict. Good painting
carries an undercurrent of beauty that expresses something beyond subject
matter, beyond the tangible reality. It is this level of seeing that makes a
painting a living thing, something that speaks even centuries after the artist
is gone.”
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