UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #39

“Screen - Day” (Reversible)

(Mixed media)   

148cm high x 128cm wide  

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

The screen consists of six paintings – three depicting “Day”and three for “Night”.  The subject is taken from a drawing I did while travelling to Cape York  which is the most northerly point in Australia.

I used this drawing because it‘s shape fitted the squarish shape of the screen support.  One cannot put just any composition into a triptych, which essentially each side of this screen represents.  A triptych has to be balanced not only in each of the three sections but also overall.  The drawing which I had done on the trip north, served this purpose. 

I  wanted to paint a screen for some time and when the frame for one became available, I had canvas stretched over the sections on both sides.  The concept of “Day” and “Night” then gave me the opportunity to reproduce the same scene on both sides.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

I painted “Day” first.  Note that, although the overall shape of the screen is nearly square, the square shape is broken by the two verticals that are formed by the hinged sections.  The composition is therefore made up of bands of colour (ie the tree tops; the mid-ground; and the creek) running horizontally across the picture to balance these vertical divisions.  The upright thrust of the trees also forms a horizontal band made up of repeating verticals.  There is a slight diagonal movement from left to right across the mid-section, but because of the strong horizontal band of the water at the base of the painting, this diagonal does not interfere with the overall composition but rather keeps the viewers’ eye moving down and around the painting. 

These techniques are what make the composition work and appear balanced.  If I was to apply a similar pattern in abstracted form (so that the viewer could not discern any representational motif) then the composition would similarly be congruent and visually pleasing.  The same principles apply regardless of whether the painting is representational or abstract.

Like many artists, I keep notes on most paintings.  Artist’s Books have come popular of late, but I don’t keep neat books that can be shown at exhibitions.  What I do is keep a folder of plastic inserts, each of which contains notes and ideas that I have when I plan or paint the artwork.

The colours I used for “Day” were carefully planned.  Hot against Cold colours and Light against Dark.  Also the horizontal bands of colour (discussed above) also were considered carefully in the planning stages.

The pallet for “Day” was a tertiary triadic colour scheme of Yellow/Orange (Intermediate), Phthalo Blue/Green (Subordinate) and Magenta (Dominant).  This forms a triangle on the colour wheel.  Because Magenta is the dominant colour, then Emerald Green is its complimentary opposite.

The points of interest (or focal points) were spread across the three sections at the base of the tree trunks and also the shadows cast by the trees.  These highlights move the viewers’ eye across and around the entire picture. 

Texture was achieved through the application of tissue paper and gel medium which provided affects for the foliage of the trees and also the mid-foreground.

Next week I will discuss the reverse side of the screen which is titled “Night”.

http:www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #38

“Conception”

(Synthetic Polymer)   

100x90cm  

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

The title of this painting came about after this painting was completed - it reminded me of conception or pregnancy.  It was not the intended to represent anything during the process of painting.  The painting was executed as an exercise and as an experiment in colour and technique.

You may also notice I have painted it in Synthetic Polymer.  This is just another way of saying that I have painted it with acrylic paint - there is very little difference.  However the new artist quality acrylics are very specialized as mentioned in last week’s post.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The point of focus in this painting is the circular image in the lower centre of the canvas.  The composition of the painting is converted from the rectangular shape of the support to a square and the circular point of contact is slightly below centre of that square.

I have used a diagonal from left to right to create interest and tension.  Diagonals are supposed to create feelings of tension in the viewer.  The circular emphasis is repeated a number of times giving an encapsulating feel to the subject. 

The colours used for this exercise were red and yellow and their complimentary opposites - green and purple.   This colour combination probably is what subconsciously gives the painting its visceral overtone.

I experimented with different types of applications.   Variation has been used in the size of the dots on the right side.  Also on the left side the mauve is varied from light at the top to dark at the bottom.  Such contrasts create visual interest.  The darker colour at the bottom also provides grounding for the composition.  Although these techniques have been used for contrast, I have been consistent in my style by maintaining the flat appearance of the overall painting, the texture of which is quite smooth.

This painting and the one discussed in my post #26 called “Relationship” are the most figurative of my abstract paintings.  In both I tried to extend my range of different techniques while maintaining my signature style.

I think that this painting may have more appeal to women than men.  I would be interested to hear your feedback.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #37

“Ginger Kiss”

(Acrylic) 

Size:  120x90cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

This painting came about when someone gave me a magnificent Torch Ginger flower.  I was so in awe of it I instantly made a drawing of it.  

As it was, I had a canvas which I was experimenting with.  After drawing the flower I realized that this canvas was just perfect for my purposes.  I then drew the outline of the flower onto the canvas in blue.  This blue became the background for the painting.

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

The canvas was initially an experiment in paint application.  I used reds, blues and purple acrylics.  I poured the paint on and manipulated it with flicks of water and by pressing sheets of paper onto the paint to get random texture.  This was allowed to dry and it was this that I used for the flower.

The painting evolved effortlessly.  It was as if the experimental dabbling was perfect for the subject.  Sometimes things like this just happen.  What a joy.  Life is sometimes like that too. 

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #36

“Breaking Through”

(Acrylic) 

Size:  122x92cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

This painting was done with the early acrylics when all that was available was flat colour.  These days the new acrylics are more like oil paints and offer transparency, different consistencies and slower drying time.  Paints now come in three different types of pigment: transparent, opaque and staining.  Transparent colours are used for glazing, which give a transparent tinge to the colour which is underneath.  Opaque colours are solid and do not have the same effect.  To make opaque colours sing one has to mix the paints thoroughly and have a keen knowledge of how to achieve certain colours.  This comes with experience.  The paint was applied with brushes and pallet knife.  The painting was done on canvas stretched over ply board.

The painting depicts the point of resolution at which a personal problem was solved.  One can see the uncertainty and lack of direction something like a fog with a clear and decisive solution suddenly slicing through the indecision. 

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

The colours are mixed from the three primary colours: red/blue/yellow together with white.  Mixing colours, instead of using colour straight out of the tube, always gives a better effect in my opinion.   Also there is something very satisfying about mixing colours – it is as important to me as applying the colour to the painting.

The composition is balanced and the paint is moderately textured.  The texture adds to the drama of the composition.

The contrast between the light colours and the strong red/blue provides the drama and also the point of focus on what is a flat surface without perspective.

Is that drama evident to you the viewer? 

http://www.buderimartstudio.com

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #35

“Glasshouse Mountains” (Prototype for a mural 180x720cm)

Acrylic

Size of prototype: 60x180cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PROTOTYPE PAINTING:

An iconic natural feature of the Sunshine Coast is the Glasshouse Mountains.  Those who live outside of Australia may not know that Captain Cook (who discovered Australia) named these volcanic mountains in 1770.  

I can actually see the top of one of them from my home.  They are rich in indigenous legend which is available on the internet.  Each of the mountains represents different characters in a family.  It is with this myth in mind that I have painted the different panels in this prototype for a mural.

The Glasshouse Mountains can be viewed from different angles and protrude from a flat plane.  I have taken my view of them from Wild Horse Mountain. 

It is very difficult to get the whole group of mountains in one painting because of the expanse of the vista.

In order to capture this vast panorama, I borrowed from the large Japanese scroll paintings.  Some of these break a panoramic scene into twelve sections.  My mural has 12 panels each 180x60cm.  For my purposes, I have made each section a separate painting in itself.  This makes the size of the mural 180x720cm. 

The mural has not been painted, however the prototype is based on an equal ratio.  Thus the prototype is 60x180cm with each of the 12 sections of the prototype being 60x15cm.

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

In order to capture the vastness of Glasshouse Mountains, I have use perspective techniques.  However I wanted to keep my overall painting relatively abstract.  Therefore I had to carefully plan the painting before I started it.  The rear, middle and forward fields rocket off the canvas into the space inhabited by the viewer outside the picture plane.  The points of focus created by the perspective are therefore outside of the painting. This draws the viewers’ eye into the enclosed vista.  The long rectangle shape of the canvas also extenuates the horizontal line and exaggerates this vastness.

The colours are also carefully planned to capture the hazy flat landscape from which these mountains protrude.  The painting however is kept as flat as possible (a particular characteristic of my painting style) while keeping the integrity of each mountain shape.

The narrative of the mural is taken from the ancient legend and the different characters in the story are represented by each of the seven mountains.  Each character is portrayed in this painting through the choice of colour.   I always keep notes on the colours I use when painting because over time one forgets, and because I mix my colours, they are not easily reproduced.

I have taken the prototype as far as I intend.  I have not attempted to start on the mural because without having a commission to do such a sizable painting, it becomes a problem to store.  I would just love to have the opportunity to paint it some day as I can see just how I would be able to create very interesting flat planes of colour that cannot be achieved in the smaller version. 

At one stage I also envisioned that the mural could have an overlay painting of the foreground done in a transparent material which could float in front of the painting.  The foreground could alternatively, be projected onto the floating surface in front of the mural.  (See figure 1.) 

One might think that it is a lot of trouble to do a prototype before having a commission, however it is in the doing of the painting that one learns… and it’s also a joy to achieve the effects that one intends.  That for me is the reward.   If anyone hears of an opportunity to produce this idea, please let me know.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com