UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #49

“Ripe”

Acrylic  

31x31cm 

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This painting deals with the bounty we enjoy in Australia.  The title says it all – we need to be vigilant in preserving the balance of nature on this planet for our continued existence.  We need to keep the environment balanced and healthy. 

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

I approached this painting as an exercise in colour.  I set up the composition with real fruit and also controlled the background colours so as to paint what was exactly there and not what my mind told my eyes what it thought was there. 

I used what is known as a “colour spot” which essentially is a mid gray card (20x20cm) with a whole (about 1 cm in diameter) punched in it.  When an object is viewed through this device, it enables one to discern the exact colour one is looking at and screens out what you “think” the colour should be.  The effects of light are constantly changing: for example, variables like distance, weather etc all affects our surroundings and the way we perceive them.  Also colours are affected by the company they keep – colours that are nearby change the appearance of adjacent colours.  I refer you to a book called “How to see colour and paint it” by Arthur Stern.  NY: Watson Guptill Pub. 1984., for further information on this if you want to try it for yourself.

The painting’s composition is balanced and simple.  I applied the acrylic paint with a pallet knife so therefore the painting is slightly textured.  By using a knife I was able to get crisp sharp edges.  Although the painting is realistic,  I kept the background predictably flat which is indicative of my style.

The paint was mixed to the colour I observed through the “colour spot” and then applied to the picture.  My pallet of colours was restricted.

Painting is something that one continually learns.  Few people can say that they don’t need to challenge themselves by learning different techniques.  The joy is in the journey and not in the arriving.  

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #46

Title:   “Grok” 

(Acrylic)

90x90cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING

The word “Grok” is new.  It was invented by the author Robert Heinlein.  It means to intimately and completely share the same reality or line of thinking with another physical or conceptual entity.  According to Wikipedia grokking is the intermingling of intelligence that necessarily affects the observer and the observed.  This painting is about networks and networking and its social affects.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The advent of computer technology has not made the human race any happier.  In fact it seems to have restricted human qualities such as communication, relationship and love.  It is based on the binary system of mathematics, and I would predict, as humanity evolves the human brain will develop with a bias to extreme thinking – the human race will develop a “binary brain”.   All nuances in the spectrum between the two poles of any continuum will disappear leaving just the two extremes.  This will be reflected throughout all levels of life, ie. religion, wealth distribution, political ideologies etc.  It is happening now.

In this painting I used a wide variation of colour on the spectrum Blue/Orange.  There are many variation of Phthalo Blue used.  Also I used an Orange made from a blend of Fluoro Orange and Vermillion. 

I intentionally made the Orange constant and flat to contrast with the dynamics seen in the abstract subject which is the point of focus. This abstract subject is what represents the networking as per the internet.  The Orange “hybrid” colour is derived from two colour types, which gives the painting its intense impact and adds to its edginess.   Orange and Blue are complimentary opposites and are meant to have this effect.  They are extremes on a spectrum of opposites, just as Black and White are extremes.

White is used in this painting to get the Aqua but Black is not used.  Alizarin Crimson is mixed with Prussian Blue to get the Blackish colour.  

The concept of “connectivity” as implied by the title “Grok” is considered and examined throughout the process of creating this piece.

There is no right way to hang this painting.  I leave that to each individual’s taste.  The painting is technically balanced but also poses a sense of imbalance with the main subject disappearing off the canvas.  This imbalance creates tension which was my intent for this painting.  I do not feel that modern technology has created balance and harmony – in fact I feel that it has increased edginess.

The defused plane of Tan colour that obscures part of the main point of focus represent the future which is uncertain and cloudy.

There is no way a viewer could ignore this painting.  It is meant to be “in your face” through the colours used and its composition.  It is about the “Brave New World” of our future.  However I do not necessarily see the future in a pessimistic way.  Nevertheless, we all need to be consciously aware in the moment and not assign our individual responsibility to others who seek “control” of our hearts and minds through advertising and the mass media which includes the internet.  It is used as the banner for this blog.

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 #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