UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #58

“Oriental Inspiration” SATSANG SERIES

Acrylic on handmade paper

70x104cm  (unframed)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

I have been to India on three occasions and stayed in an ashram for one year on one of those visits.  It was during that year that I started the Satsang Series.  “Satsang” is a Sanskrit word.  Sanskrit is the ancient classical language of India.  Satsang is to do with the spiritual search for Enlightenment and loosely means “meeting in Truth”.  This painting is therefore a meditation and is meant to convey that state to the viewer.  Abstract art is an ideal medium to express such an abstract concept.  Meditation (for both Buddhist and Hindus) is achieved by sitting quietly and observing one’s thoughts moving in and out of consciousness without judgement – thus one is in Awareness in the Now.

Artistic techniques used in this painting:

Why do I consider this to be a “good” painting?  It has a spontaneous element to it which suggests that the painting was created in the moment.  This approach to painting is not unlike the Zen use of calligraphy to express a similar practice.  The fact that it looks spontaneous and maybe has been done spontaneously does not take way for the “value” of the action.  Sometimes things that look easy are oft times made to look that way because the practitioner has done the task over and over again.  Take ballet dancing as a case in point.  I believe that only through art(s) can the truth of a non-shared experience be transmitted.

Red and Green are complimentary colours.  They also can be considered opposites.  The Yellow represents the “nugget of gold” one finds when one observes one’s thoughts.  They float in a sea of Green with splashes of Red punctuating the tranquillity. 

The composition is balance which adds to the tranquil feeling it conveys.  Its simplicity also contributes to the essential meditative nature of the painting.  Do you think it achieves this?  Have I been successful in conveying an abstract concept to you, the viewer?

 http://www.buderimartstudio.com

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #57 (New Year)

“Phoenix”

Rose wood (antique) and Feathers 

102x77cm 

ABOUT THIS ART OBJECT:

The phoenix is a mythical bird who after wandering the desert for 500 years, was believed to have consumed itself by fire, only to rise again from its own ashes with renewed strength.

I feel that the phoenix is appropriate to New Year because a new year arises from the old year.  It is a time of renewal when resolutions are made for the coming year.

Artistic techniques used in the art object:

This art object was born from my coming by two incidentals.  The first occurred on my return from camping at Carnarvon National Park which is located in Queensland's central highlands.   While driving along the road I happened upon a large freshly killed bird whose magnificent feathers I salvaged.  The second was a part of an antique Chinese rosewood lamp that was kicking around the house but was too good to throw away.
When I salvaged the feathers, somehow I knew how I would set them to good effect and honour their beauty.  I drilled holes into the rosewood lamp base and set thin wooden skewers in the direction I wanted the feathers to stand.  I then glued them in place and inserted the shaft of each feather onto the skewers.  Little had to be done after that other than polishing the rosewood.   Thus a phoenix was born.

I think that this symbolizes the New Year and I would like to thank those who follow my blog for their support and wish them all the very best for 2013.

I also want to say that a 2013 calendar features one of my paintings which is a great honour.  The National Rural Health Alliance that produced the calendar is Australia’s peak non-government body for rural and remote health and the Alliance’s vision is good health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia.  The calendar is available to you FREE of charge from nrha@ruralhealth.org.au  -  if you would like one sent to you – just email them.  If you would like to read about my painting that is featured in the calendar, go to Understanding Abstract Art #4 on this blog.  It’s title is “Up”.

 http://www.buderimartstudio.com

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #56 (Christmas)

“The Black Madonna” – #1 and #2 -Two Sculptures

#1  Cement – plaster cast from clay

#2  Clay, Das and Paint  

35cm high approx.  (both) 

The Story of the two Madonnas: 

Like all good stories it starts with “Once upon a time...” and being Christmas time, it is about the Madonna.

This was a time just before I went to study art therapy at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.  Although I had a strong academic understanding in psychology and art I was required to complete a small sculpture course to fulfil the art requirements.  This is where “The Black Madonn #1” was born.  She was fashioned in clay and then covered in plaster of paris and finally cast in cement.

Before I left Australia, I took photos of her and in the first year of being in Louisville, I started another “Madonna” in clay, however because of the way she was built it was not possible to fire her in a kiln because I did not have the equipment or the space to do so.

Upon my return to Australia a few years later, I discovered that my “Madonna #2” had not travelled very well.  The sculpture was smashed in over 70 pieces.  I reconstructed her using Das which is a self drying synthetic clay which served to stick the whole head together.   I then painted her with black matt acrylic to cover the obvious damage.  She thus became “The Black Madonna”.  Her fragile state remains today as she is impossible to fire. 

Both Madonnas are similar but have character differences.

Artistic techniques used in these sculptures:

I am not a sculptor so I can’t talk about techniques in depth.  Nevertheless I am artistic and I really enjoy doing these two pieces for my own self expression.

Thus ends the Christmas story of the two Madonnas. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2013 and thank you for your support over the last year.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #55

Title:   “Soft Glances” 

(Pastel, Oil and Fibreglass Resin on Masonite)

61x92cm

Highly Commended in the Garden City Art Prize

THE IDEA and TECHNIQUES  BEHIND THE PAINTING

As opposed to last week’s portrait, this painting is not a portrait of anyone.  The face emerges from a background of tertiary amber colours in oil paint.  The face is drawn with pastels.  It is purely an experimental piece but was successful in that it was highly commended by the judges in the Garden City Art Prize.  The painting was finished in a coat of fibreglass resin.  I used the resin which has a similar finish as Liquid Glass, a product that is available in art and some hardware store.  However I was uncomfortable about continuing to use it because I feared that it may not be healthy for me to use without a protective mask.  Since I find masks difficult to wear, I ceased using that type of finish although it looked great and really enhanced the colours. 

These days it’s acceptable to outsource different techniques and I suppose I could do this, however I tend to like to do my own art making and do not find it as satisfying to get someone else to do a stage for me.  This is probably because the process of art making is as important to me as the finished product.  However I produced only a couple of these paintings and then disbandoned the technique and style which is very different to the way I typically paint which is now my brand signature.

This painting style also proved financially successful – it seems that people like to “see” something in a painting. However it is ironical that people will listen to a piece of music and at the end they never say, “What was that about?” but when they look at art they seem to need to have a clear visual story for them to interpret and appreciate.  Without that they seem to be lost.  I suppose that is the reason I write this blog - in the hope that people will not rely on visual cues in order to appreciate and enjoy abstract art.

The hereunder is my only photo of the complete painting.  As you can see the high finish on the painting reflected the flash.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com