UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #8

Title “The Stage is Set” (Acrylic) 184x122cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This is one of the largest paintings I have done. I think that a painter has a preferred size in which they feel comfortable painting. That size for me is ideally 90x120cm or 90x90cm. A number of factors govern this… I can only physically handle this size comfortably, and it is the largest size I can transport in my car. So practical matters govern this preferred size. But there are other factors that are at work too. I feel restricted when I paint small canvases and I think that the statements that I want to make suit a larger scale. I would paint larger if I did not have to transport the painting eg a mural. But I also like to be able to pick up the canvas and let the paint run or turn the canvas while I work. I am sure that other artists have preferred sizes that they stick to also.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The painting grew from a still life which I set up in my studio. Parts of the objects are still visible, for instance the handle of a teapot (centre) and a cushion (red/black/white image).

This was the first time that I used gradation in a painting. The grey is not made from black and white but is derived from the palette range I was using. This is what keeps the painting alive. I have used black and white within the composition but in the grey mix, blue-green dominates and enlivens the effect.

The composition is balanced because of the diamond shape which takes up the centre of the whole surface. Also the visual “weight” is at the bottom edge of the canvas, with the dark grey and the red/black/white image or approximately equal value. A thin horizontal band is suggested just above the centre which divides the plane into a square. This gives the composition balance and a feeling of congruence.

The title “The Stage is Set” alludes to the anticipation one feels when one is awaiting a performance to commence. There is a feeling of suspended mystery and receptivity at that moment. It is this that I am trying to capture for the viewer.