Post-presidential election, this is what it feels like. Still does. The only response I have left is to make art and continue to make art.
I didn’t want to let a long lapse of time go by before I played with abstract painting again. The opportunity to do so presented itself with an idea gone south that I had for a watercolor years ago. It was all drawn out with faint pencil lines on top of a lightly drawn grid to guide me through the complexities of the composition. You can still make out the guidelines in these abstracts.
Again, these are NOT paintings, per se. This is pure play and a chance to stretch outside the other highly detailed work I love to do. An exploration of color, design, my (lacking) glue skills, and collage. It’s also a nudge to others who feel like they need a break from their business-as-usual studio routine. Play is necessary!
Taking the lessons I learned from my first Abstract Play, I divided the large 20 x 30-inch sheet of 300 lb. 100% cotton Fabriano hot press watercolor paper into six sections, blocking them off with artist’s tape.
Next, I did a few layers of gouache, mixing white, red, and yellow to make pink, coral, to sunset hues painted in broad strokes with the biggest paint brush I have. In between layers, I let the sheet of watercolor paper dry. I wasn’t rushing this play at all.
After contemplation and working on the other watercolor project I had going on in the studio, I added marks of black and blue gouache mixes, letting the paint run and travel at will. Then I let it sit some more, like a fermenting wine.
Never having tried collage before (I truly admire and love a good collage artist!), I decided that I would give pasting random, yet connected bits to my abstract painting.
Enter the sources of storylines photocopied from old, now well-worn, children’s story books: Crib and Fly: A Tale of Two Terriers by Charles F. Dole, copyright 1900. The illustrations by Gwendoline Sandhal are enchanting. I should note this book is the property of the Community Library of Hancock, in Pope County, Minnesota.
Peter and Polly in Winter is one of many Peter and Polly books by Rose Lucia, published by the American Book Company, copyright 1914. My copy happens to be the property of the Glenwood Public Library, also in Pope County, Minnesota.
Lastly, Little Tonino is about a little donkey, a story by Helen Hill and Violet Maxwell, copyright 1928, published by The MacMillan Company — a book that doesn’t appear to have been swiped from a local library. (Thank goodness. I was thinking of the library fines I would owe for the first two!) The colorful landscape-illustrated end sheets and interior illustrations show there was likely a healthy budget to produce this storybook.
The “clip art” of frogs and fish comes via SCAN THIS BOOK: Over 2500 Copyright-Free Objects for Scanning and Photocopying compiled by John Mendenhall. The book is from my early days as a graphic designer, where clip art came in handy when there was zero budget for original illustration for layouts, design, etc.
Other embellishments include thick black paper, semi-transparent vellum, white gel pen, and black Sharpie. I feel like the pauses in between working on this abstract collection didn’t hurt it, as I did my best not to think, just feel my way along. I’ll let you be the judge. The titles for each came easily as fish swimming downstream.
We May See Interesting Things. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
Everything That Grows Below the Earth. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
Mr. Green Is Very Kind. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
Where We Can Find Rabbit. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
Where Can The Fish Swim Now That The Lake Is Dry. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
We’re Not In Kansas Anymore. 8 x 10 gouache/mixed media/collage.
Your Turn.
What are you doing to cope with the post-election results? Whatever your means, I hope it’s creative and constructive, and includes friends and community. We are all in this together. Jot your thoughts in the comments. I respond to all. Till we meet again, be kind to everything that lives, and especially be kind to yourself.
