Abstract Realism – Yes, you can do it!

"Moonshines" acrylic on 18x24 canvas (abstract realism)

There’s tremendous freedom in doing an abstract painting. To do them well is the greatest challenge. What attracts the viewer? The colors, shapes, values, and most especially the mood. How does the painting make you feel?

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.”

http://emptyeasel.com/2009/03/31/3-ways-to-add-abstract-elements-to-a-realistic-painting/

At the Heart of the Matter are Matters of the Heart

(Is it an experiment, a combobulation of paint, or the beginnings of somethiing interesting?)

Today a woman dressed in shorts and obviously wearing a wig came into the church office. She was distraught and wanted to see a pastor. The more we chatted, it became obvious to me that this was a man dressed in women’s clothing.  She (he) had attractive legs and a nice face.

I told her to come back in one hour and perhaps our Youth Pastor would be here. She insisted that she really wanted to see a Senior Pastor, and she would come back later. This situation reminded me of an incident that happened in our Art Gallery.

I was working there one day when an older looking woman in glasses came in. Her “disguise” was purposely made to look artificial: an obvious curly wig sat askew on the top of her head, and she wore a frumpy skirt with a man’s shirt. She had no makeup and made no attempt to act feminine. The minute she walked in, I knew she was male. Since this happens often in the art world, I treated her as any other art lover.

(Add a glaze or two, wipe out, and something new
and interesting appears) I will define some of the
detail and show you the next two phases. I need
to add some more color for depth.)

She stayed for over an hour discussing art with the workers and indicating that she, too, was an artist. We told her about our group and suggested she look into joining because it sounded like she had great experience and exposure.

A couple days later, she came back dressed as “himself” with a partner. I acted as if I hadn’t seen him before, and showed them the pieces they were interested in. His partner was a collector.

I believe in both of these instances, the gay person was there to establish acceptance and to see if there was any prejudice or alienation in our attitudes or treatment. The “Gay marriage vote” was on the docket in the Fall in our area. But this recent experience with a Pastor was new to me. Perhaps the individual was sincere. I have no way of knowing.

When our youth pastor arrived, the woman returned. Unfortunately, Pastor had to leave again for a meeting. He invited her to come back at 2 p.m. As she left, I asked her if she intended to come back. Her reply: “No he’s too self-righteous.”

I was surprised at that judgment call since they had had only a few words. No one should expect to walk into a business or a church and expect that someone is going to be there for them at a moment’s notice. I think Christian churches are going to be tested in the next few years. “Hate speech” is coming to the forefront and some are even implying that the Bible be changed because of the hate speech it contains.

Ironically, when the Youth Pastor left for his meeting at another church, guess who was sitting in the foyer waiting for an appointment? Either serious help was needed, she wanted to be married in a Christian church or she was simply testing the church environment.

When we meet new people, we never know where they’re coming from. That’s why everyone should be treated with courtesy and respect. There’s no need to generate animosity or ill will. Our job as individuals and entrepreneurs is to avoid making judgment calls on other human beings. How they live their lives is none of our business. In like manner, no one should tell us what to paint, who we may sell to, and when as long as we are obeying the law. Freedom of choice should be every person's prerogative as long as they are operating within the law.

(I did this painting in much the same
way, except the parrot was planned.
It's mate is on the right.)

Since when did we become a society of “busy bodies” meddling into other people’s affairs? Why must our “free speech” be labeled? Who is the authority that designates what is and isn’t “hate speech?” Did they receive our vote? Why have they been given so much power and control over us?

Hate speech can work both ways. Recipients of hate have no race, ethnicity, color, gender or orientation. All are susceptible. Each is unique with specific traits and needs.

Tolerance and understanding can bridge the gap that seems to widen when hatred and anger are used instead. Deal with your fellow human beings honorably no matter which side of the spectrum they’re on.

Choose your Preference: Experienced, Mature, or Seasoned Professional?

"Release" 24 x 30 mixed media on canvas. (Currently adding two smaller side panels)

The “Old Masters” offered artists the fundamentals of drawing, painting, and envisioning. Today we shun the label “old” preferring “mature” or “seasoned” to describe our depth of Professionalism, whether as an athlete, a writer, a musician or an artist; it’s all in how you look at it.

In reading the “Life of Pi” this statement caught my eye: “Life can either be a dry, yeastless factuality, or the better story.”

I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be the “better story!” I want everything I do to reflect what I am and who I am. I want my voice to resound with truth and clarity. I want my paintings to sing, my words to dance, and my vision to connect with others. I want to live my life with passion and enthusiasm.

Still, in comparison to the Masters, I’m a novice. I’m still a student learning from my mistakes, and struggling to become better.

"Cafe Costa Rica" acrylic on 20 x 20 canvas in floating frame

In an article written by J. Thomas Soltesz called: “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” posted in the April 2007 issue of “the artists magazine,” this truth hit me square in the face. “To me,” Soltesz said, “the most important aspects of painting are to be able to see, remember what you see, and have the skills to reinterpret what you see in unique and beautiful ways.”

I try to do this, but sometimes my efforts are met with frustration and the risk of being misunderstood. Many of my landscapes have an abstract quality that veers from realism. Some traditional artists are taken aback and offended; others see the vision or the feeling I’m trying to convey. In taking risks, we all face the dilemma of exploring new ground on the cutting edge, or of caving in to safety by producing what everyone else is doing.

"Sunset on the Nile" 24 x 30 acrylic on canvas in silver frame

I acknowledge that I sometimes go out on a limb. I try something different and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But we have to try! Like many self-taught artists, I fell into a few traps in the beginning.

Soltesz goes on to say “Simplicity is key: It’s the simple color changes and blending of edges that ultimately determine whether the painting works or not. For example, the experienced painter tries to see what he can leave out of a painting to make it successful, while the beginner puts everything in.”

Does this sound familiar? He continues: “Know where you’re going. See the painting already complete on the canvas before you start. Richard Schmid is the master of what I call ‘realism out of abstraction,’ which he describes the way the retina actually sees images, focusing on one area of contrast and making the rest an abstraction.”

"Kelly's Rose" mixed media on wood panel

When I read this article, it was like Thomas was speaking right at me. Another concern I have is that my portfolio is too diverse going from serious portraits to contemporary paintings to illustrations and cartooning. I was so pleased to read his closing comments:

“Always challenge yourself to explore new avenues to avoid falling into a rut.” Amen!

Ace Hardware has a new sales slogan: “Find Your Soul Paint.”  I’m making it my own in reverse: “Paint Your Soul.”