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 #53

Title:   “Scene of Action” 

(Inks and Enamel on Masonite)

46x61cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING

This painting is the prototype for a much larger painting which won Highly Commended in the Warrana Festival Art Prize.  It was a mixed media and called “Space Encompassed” (90x120cm).  It also is in the Caltex Collection.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

With all my art making, it’s a matter of enquiry, problem solving and resolution.  This could concern issues of a personal, political or global nature.  Or it could be of a technical artistic problem.  People who have been following my blog will know that I do not just paint a picture... there is always something deeper going on.

 The smaller painting shown here titled “Scene of Action” represents experimental art.  I began by pouring inks onto a sealed masonite board.  At the time I was experimenting with inks and air-brushing.  I had a small air brushing kit that used pressure packs to spray fluids.  I poured the green inks and then the reds were applied with the air-brush.  It was a very spontaneous way of producing a painting.  I then reproduced this painting onto a 90x120cm board.  This used all my skills and painting experience because I was reproducing something that was initially born from chance.  However I did accomplish this and it was highly commended by the judges at Warrana Festival.

I re-named the bigger painting “Space Encompassed” because the focus point is the red space in the lower centre (slightly to the right).  The viewer’s eye is drawn into this area of the painting as if into “a still space beyond all the action”.  The name of the prototype being “Scene of Action”. 

I used enamel on the larger painting along with inks, whereas on the prototype I used the air-brushed inks.

Although the prototype was produced randomly, the larger painting had to be scaled up and the spontaneous dribbles and pouring had to be reproduced.  It is not easy to do this and keep the spontaneous look.

I really urge painters to experiment with new materials.  It is only through trying out different mediums that you start to get experienced in just what they can do.  Then when you want to achieve a certain effect, you will be able to select the best medium to achieve that effect.  This is what painting is about – along with the traditional techniques of colour, composition, texture, design, emphasis and meaning, the knowledge of different and new materials is essential.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #52

Title:   “Satsang Triptych” 

Satsang Series

(Inks and Acrylic on Handmade papers)

104x220cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING

 A large painting is deceptively difficult to do.  It may appear to those who don’t paint that size does not matter, but... yes it does!  It takes much more energy to paint a big painting.  Also it requires the painter to keep track of the composition.  It goes unsaid that the environment where the painting takes place, also plays a part.  For instance, one cannot do a large painting in a small studio.  These factors all have to be considered when doing a large painting.

I painted this triptych when I was in India.  There was an art studio at the ashram where I was staying.  An ashram is a spiritual space to which people can retreat – in this case the focus of the retreat was meditation.  Meditation is not like prayer.  The Western mind tends to be preoccupied with analysing and finding solutions – in “doing”.  On the other hand, the Eastern mind tends to be more concerned with “being”.  Therefore meditation is attained by sitting quietly and watching ones thoughts move in and out of consciousness.  Not analysing why, but just observing.

This painting (triptych) is about meditation - the mind as a screen with thoughts being observed without judgement in the present moment.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

I painted this triptych on three large pieces of handmade paper (bought and made in India). 

I used a variety of inks to symbolize the movement of thoughts because colours in ink are more vibrant.  It was a very expansive experience to pour ink at random onto three sheets and then develop something coherent out of this image. I then used over painting with acrylic paint thus eliminating that which was unnecessary and therefore bringing order and harmony from out of chaos.

The point of focus is not as easily discerned with a triptych.  The three sheets are separated by the spaces between so balance needs to be both within each discreet sheet and also overall.  This is even more so with abstract art because there is no definable image that the viewer’s eye can interpret into an identifiable image.  In this case, the viewer’s eye wanders across and around the three sheets unimpeded because the composition appears balanced.  There are instances of drama but none are more dramatic than the others – in fact there is a type of repetitiveness throughout the whole painting which instils calmness in the viewer.  The background (dominant) colour is mixed and is not a commercial colour.

The painting is not framed and ideally should be hung between two large pieces of clear perspex so that borders and boundaries are avoided.   This then allows a feeling of expansiveness. 

I believe that my art is closely aligned with my idea of spirituality and I approach it with a kind of reverence.  I also find something intrinsically spiritual in nature and the natural environment.

I have now been blogging for a whole year and wish to thank those who have read and followed these blogs.  It is very gratifying to know that there is an audience out there as the numbers reveal.

Also I would like to advise that the painting of “Sandplay” that I donated to St. Hilda’s School, Gold Coast (which was my old school)  featured in blog #47 raised over $6200 for the school. 

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #51

“Jewelled Fan with Woven Handmade Paper Case"

Fan - Feathers, Crystal and Turquoise with Fur

Case - Handmade paper by Tanmayo - woven  

Size - Fan 56x35cm and Case 64x40cm

ABOUT THESE TWO ART OBJECTS:

Creativity is within all of us: we just have to unlock our potential.  I wrote my book to help get the message out there that we are all able to create artistic objects.  The feeling of passing on a talent makes this blog and my book worthwhile. 

The Fan:  This art piece is a homage to objects found in nature.  It was created from nature and is meant to be treasured.  I found the feathers scattered in a forest.   I was bushwalking in the forest when I found them.  The bird must have fallen prey to some wild beast.  I collected the best of them to fashion into a fan. 

I attached a large elongated Australian quartz crystal which became the handle of the fan. The two turquoise stones were bought from a gem shop and the fur was recycled from an op shop.  All these “sacred” and “precious” objects came together to make this art piece.  I followed no preconceived plan - I just figured it out.  Feathers are beautiful mysterious objects and deserve nothing less than precious stones and fur to compliment them.

The Case:   The case is to protect the precious feathers.  I attended a paper making workshop by Christine Bellinger.  Over the course of the weekend we cut and boiled many varieties of vegetation to make different types of paper.  The process was fascinating and gave me a deep respect for paper and how it is made.  I cut some of the sheets that I had made at the workshop into strips and wove them into a case to fit the fan.  I then lacquered the case for durability.

I admit that this is not abstract art but nevertheless it does demonstrate creativity and that is central toall art making.  Why don’t you try something like this today?  Choose some items that are precious to you personally and fashion something unique.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com