UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #83

“Rejuvenation” (Satsang Series)

 (Acrylic) 

Size:  90x120cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

A friend used these words to describe my art: “You make it possible for others to reach their subconscious in such an enlightening and yet gentle, whispering way – you embed images of life, love, hope and beauty in their psyches”.  It is always gratifying when someone reflects back to you just what you are trying to achieve – particularly when the concept is not being conveyed in words such as in the case of paintings.

Art making is a life’s work and in fact one’s life becomes the work of art.  This week I had the good fortune to see one of Australia’s top artists being interviewed during the Noosa Long Weekend Festival.  The artist is Michael Leunig.  I call him an artist and also a National Treasure.  However some would call him a cartoonist.  Nevertheless Leunig has been able to convey a “naive wisdom” through his cartoons a bit like Charlie Chaplin conveyed “naive wisdom” through his humour and acting ability.

During the course of the interview, Leunig commented that sadly older artists in Australia are not very well received.  I would agree with what he is saying.  Painting, unlike sport, is an activity that generally improves with age.  Artists like Monet and Olley are such examples.  It takes a life time to be able to call yourself an artist, but when you get to the end of your life, marketing principles that are currently employed in this economic milieu do not see maturity as a viable asset (because the older artist no longer looks good and nor do they have not the productivity expectation that a younger artist would have).  Therefore it is really gratifying when a viewer is congruent with an artist, as was my friend was with me.  A painting may also take years to complete but the viewer often only takes a minute or two to make a snap judgement on that art work.

“Rejuvenation” is one of the last of the Satsang Series.  It was painted after I returned from India.  The Satsang Series is about meditation, however this painting and its twin, “Rejoice” were painted at a time when I was also becoming concerned with environmental issues.  Both paintings reflect a transition period in my art career.  Later my focus for painting changed to being less esoteric. 

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

The genre for “Rejuvenation” is Spiritual (not Religious).  It is part of the Satsang Series and could perhaps be described as Esoteric.  The Satsang Series is about stillness.  Each painting in the series represents meditation.  Meditation has been practiced in the East for thousands of years.  It is a type of spiritual philosophy which is part of the process of living and operates around the concept of “being” with a focus on the Now. The Western world is more involved with a conference of ideas and a concept of “doing” and its focus is on the future.

“Rejuvenation” is a meditation in which thoughts move in and out of consciousness and are observed with no judgement.  This brings about a sense of timelessness.

I do not sign my paintings for two reasons.  Firstly because by signing I am indicating which way the painting should be hung.  In this series I have purposely made the composition balanced from all sides, so it is up to the viewer to decide which way they like it.  Secondly, by signing an art piece, I put my “stamp” on it thus stating ownership.  This series is not about ownership but is depicting just “being in the Now”.  Therefore it can be said that its composition is fairly arbitrary but intuitively balanced.

Its form is two dimensional – no attempt at perspective. Its colour palette is complimentary ie. orange and blue.

Next week I will discuss “Rejoice” which is the twin to “Rejuvenation”.  They are not a diptych but both are similar in that they represent a transitory stage in my art and the close of the Satsang Series. 

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #82

Title:   “Cancer on Society” 

(Mixed Media)

120x61cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING and Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Cancer has become increasingly prevalent in our society in recent times.  We all have been touched in some way, either directly or indirectly by this epidemic.  My experience with cancer has been through palliative care. I am by profession an Expressive Art Therapist which allows me to use art as a counselling tool. 

A cancer develops in an organism when cells mutate and begin attacking healthy cells.  This painting shows corruption of matter. Corrupting the natural order - cannibalizing - similar to the way that cancer cells attack healthy cells in the body. 

Humanity is presently at a liminal point in time - an in between moment when things are changing rapidly in a way never before imagined.  The outcome may be positive or negative and will to become evident with time.  Both humanity and nature will be the driving forces in determining the outcome.

While seeking an emotional map for all this, humanity has to consider environmental questions raised by the exploitation of nature for monetary gains, such as fracking, mining and logging, all of which have resulted in obscene levels of degradation to the natural environment.  Humanity cannot live without the Earth - in a sense the earth is humanity’s body. 

The future also looks bleak on the biological front .  A recent book called “Frankenstein’s Cat” by Emily Anthes, discusses how biotechnology is shaping our future.  Scientists are storing DNA from the planet’s most exotic creatures.  On the positive side, they are cloning to protect endangered species, craft prosthetics to save injured animals, and employ genetic engineering to stock farms with disease-resistant livestock.   However on the negative side, other experiments have produced sensor-wearing seals, cyborg beetles, a bionic bulldog, a cloned cat and GloFish which glow in the dark.  She interviews scientists, conservationists, ethicists, and entrepreneurs and raises moral and ethical questions such as “What does biotechnology really mean for this world?”

Are these scientific experiments not similar to what cancer does – mutations replacing healthy organisms?”  Has humanity gone past the tipping point?  This is the dilemma raised in my painting “Cancer on Society”.

This painting is in the style of Abstract Expressionism.   This artistic style expresses individual autonomy and freedom in a manner that can be characterised as chaotic and anarchic.  Freedom in life is translated into artistic liberty with an emphasis on gestural spontaneity.

Painting “Cancer on Society” was like making an emotional map.  It did not solve the problems but it did externalize them and by so doing, the problems were then easier to comprehend.

The title of this painting is important to its understanding.  The form is two dimensional and flat.  The tone is neutral and monochromatic.  The colours are randomly mixed and covered with silver enamel spray. 

It is an experimental painting.  The final result which came about by accident is really very aesthetically pleasing.  It is hoped that the outcome for humanity is as pleasing and successful.  At this stage I think that we are looking into Pandora’s Box.  Will the benefits outweigh the risks?  I would invite your comments.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #81

“The Fractured Earth” #7

Rockscape Series

Watercolour, Ink and Silver Ink on handmade paper

83x98cm  (framed)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING and the artistic techniques used in this painting:

I believe the process of painting is a bit like the process of living.  We do not have a say in who our parents are.  Nor do we have any say in the country into which we are born.  The era in which we live also is out of our control.  We do however have control over the way we respond to the circumstances of our life.  Therefore when I paint I often do not take too much effort in controlling the subject matter.  So when I took the photos that became the basis for my rockscape series, I aimed the camera at interesting rock formations, with little thought to the composition of the picture.  This is the photo I used for this painting.

When I selected the ten photos from the 60 or more photographs I took, again I was looking for unusual rock formations.  I believe that if one is given a subject that stimulates, then one should be able to accomplish a well balanced and pleasing painting.  It is the process of painting (like the process of living) that interests me as much as the finished product.  I believe that given my painting experience I should be able to create a beautiful picture using whatever means as are available to me.  A bit like creating order out of chaos.

I have discussed the concept behind this Rockscape Series in Posts Nos. 9, 67, 69, 72 and 78, so dear reader, go to these if you are interested.  However in the past I have not discussed the process involved in any particular one of this series.  I will do this here.

The photo image was faithfully reproduced in watercolour paints and inks.  When I had completed this I felt that the composition was not balanced.  I therefore used a device (seen as a ghost net) to balance the painting.  A ghost net is a discarded fishing net which is a major polluter of our oceans.  It floats in the tides and drowns all marine life that gets caught in it.  Some of these nets are miles long. So in this painting I used the net as a visual device to balance my composition.  It also fitted well with the concept behind the series which is concerned with the degradation of the natural environment – particularly the oceans and their coastal regions.

Nets are very difficult to draw because our eye tends to know if the net is not correct.  I obtained some old netting from of the fisheries at Mooloolaba.   I had a few attempts before I was satisfied with the end result.  This was then inked in with a bamboo pen.  The sea shells also were drawn with inks. The fish image is a collage made from silver ink on transparent plastic and fixed within the ghost net.  The dead fish is to remind the viewer of the destructive nature of these discarded nets and their toll on marine life.

I always find it a challenge to create a pleasing picture from something which poses a technical problem.  It is the sense of accomplishment that is at the base of creativity.  What do you think?   I would welcome your comments.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #80

“Bridie - Portrait”

(Watercolour) 

Size: 30x22 cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

This is one of the portraits that I did of my family.  Watercolour paint is the medium decided for my granddaughter Bridie because I felt that it best suited her personality.   I painted it from this photograph (below) in a very representational way.  I did this because although many of my paintings are abstract, with family portraiture I am capturing a record of a person in time.

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

I drew the painting first having gridded up the photo. The drawing is seen below:-

Because the photo was taken outdoors, I used what is known as a “Cool Light Sequence”  -  this keeps the background cool and the face and figure warm.  (I have discussed the difference between warm and cool colours before).

The palette used for this painting is as follows:-

Watercolour Palette:

Aureo. Yellow

Rose Madder

French Ultra Blue

Cad. Red

Windsor Blue (or Phthalo Blue)

Indian Red

Aliz. Crimson

Veridian

Cobalt Blue

Light Red

Windsor Green (or Phthalo G.)

I did the background first.  I used 300g watercolour paper.  I saturated the paper with water to paint the background – leaving the paper under the face and hair dry.  I then applied the glazes and allowed the paper to dry between each glaze.  That way I was able to increase the intensity of the colour where needed – ie close to the face.

Painting using watercolour paints requires more experience than acrylics.  It is a very exacting medium.                           

I have written about using watercolour paint for portraits in posts #10 and 64.  I also discussed portrait painting in post #54 where I reviewed other family portraits.  Feel free to back track on this blog to read the referenced posts.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com