I've been taking an online art class for a couple of months in hopes to learn how to paint non-objective type abstracts. Our teacher is Nancy Hillis and the course is called Studio Journey. I highly recommend her courses to anyone looking to find their inner abstract artist, or to painters who feel stuck and no longer feel excitement when entering the studio.
This journey to find my inner abstract artist has been humbling, exciting, and frustrating. Just like life. There is such a connection between what is happening in our lives and how it shows up in our paintings. Adding color to my recent paintings has not been an easy exercise. I haven't felt very "colorful". And I really do like a neutral palette. So when the lesson calls for exploration of color, I feel a strong urge to go do laundry or pull weeds, or any numerous dull activities. But, I remind myself that I am in this to learn.
So, below is one of my complementary color exercises using orange/blue. I was shooting for my ever elusive non-objective abstract using a large sheet of 140# w/c paper. The dance began as usual; adding and covering paint, stepping back without overthinking, asking myself "what if?", allowing time here and there for drying. But then somewhere along the process, my heart was no longer in it. Even the paper was getting tired. I reached that place where one either puts it aside for a while, throws it all away (it's just paper, right?) or...they go with the flow!
I saw a face, and then another face. As bad as I wanted to create my non-objective, the faces were already there waiting for me. Bringing them out was easy.
BTW - I think this couple just had an argument. Maybe the woman is me and the guy is my orange/blue exercise? Just a thought.
