First and foremost, these are NOT paintings. This is Assignment One from Louise Fletcher’s Finding Your Joy mini-course. I’m a little behind because I have been resisting.
Friends, I will tell you DOING is so much better than watching. Please note that I am posting this much later. The mini-course is over but is held every year. The link will take you to Louise’s website where there are plenty of artist resources and information to inspire you and your art making.
What I am showing you is the result of pure “keeping my brain out of it” PLAY. For those of you who know my art, it is highly detailed, realistic interpretation of nature, multi-layered work. In other words, TIGHT. Each piece, be it watercolor or graphite drawing, takes a long time to complete.
I’m just delighted I could let myself go. As my brain is wired for storytelling, I began to give titles to these even though I explicitly said they were not paintings. The top left one is called “Who Let The Cat Out?” The bottom middle is called “Our Plans Were Spontaneous.” The bottom right one is called “Koi Pond.”
This was a completely freeing exercise.
I learned a few things I would not have discovered otherwise. They are:
1. You can get just about any color you want with three primaries (red, yellow, and blue) plus black and white. I know this in theory, I just hadn’t limited myself to 5 colors before.
2. Limited color palettes are amazing. Being limited can be amazing.
3. I found I love painting with my fingers. You can make the most amazing marks with your fingers.
4. I started grabbing for things to make marks I don’t typically use. (Note to self, when I do this again, have lots of mark-making tools at the ready!)
5. When I went back to the watercolor painting I’m currently working on, I had renewed energy and love for it. (Long process. I’m on my fifth layer of building up color and texture. Stay tuned).
So now you have been given a glimpse into an artist’s sketchbook. This is what these are. Abstract sketches. The stuff of ideas and future projects. Artists’ sketchbooks are fascinating, BTW. There you find raw, uninhibited thoughts in color and gestures with notes scribbled all over the place.
Will I become an abstract painter?
Who knows. I do know that being good at abstract painting takes years of practice. In the meantime, I know what to do when I feel stuck creatively.
Studio Notes: These abstract sketches were done with gouache with some colored pencil and white gel ink pen on heavy 300 lb. Fabriano hot press watercolor paper. The paper was taped into six sections. I painted over the entire sheet for about 30 minutes. After the paint dried, I removed the tape and cut the paper into sections.
Your Turn.
Have you gone outside your comfort zone with your art? How did it go, what did you learn? Will you try this experiment in abstract painting? Care to share? Please jot down your thoughts in the comments. I respond to all. Thank you for reading. Be kind to everything that lives.
