Class Notes: Abstracting the Set-up

The last couple of weeks in class we have focused on "abstract" painting because it presents very unique challenges and forces students to look at things a little differently.
In the last post and in the past (see:Class notes: Abstract Painting) we have approached abstract painting from a purely compositional point of view, developing work with a specific compositional theme and color agenda.
This week in class, we are talking about "Representational Abstract" painting;
think Picasso and Georgia O'Keefe.
We started with a still life which I set up in a rather casual way and left on the table for about 10 minutes. This is enough time for students to see and be influenced by colors and shapes,
and work out a rough sketch from the first quick impressions.
Once the still life is removed we are free to focus on shapes in developing the composition. This may mean turning the paintings sideways, or upside down as we are look for interesting shapes, deleting some, redrawing others. We do what ever it takes to help the "items" disappear and the shapes take over.
I have a fascination with outlines (and a life long love of coloring books) so I used them to create, resolve and dissolve shapes. Some artists have a natural tendency to see everything as a landscape. Other artists see the landscape as a really big still life.
No matter how you work,  or what your style is - the very act of putting brush to canvas is an act of abstraction. The difference between the "abstract painter" and the "realist painter" is the level of abstraction. How far do you push the envelope to communicate your idea?
Abstract work has a way of revealing an artist's strengths, weaknesses and natural tendencies because composition, shape and color take precedent over subject matter.

Class Notes: Journey into the ABSTRACT

My Thursday Painting class recently requested some instruction in ABSTRACT painting. Every couple of years I specifically address the subject but it can bring out strong opinions in my class painters. Some love it- some hate it.
I love abstract work - of all kinds - and it is an area worthy of study; one that we could spend years on -BUT- I might loose a few students. So, we are taking a couple of weeks to touch lightly on the subject.
Week one we looked at ABSTRACT art that is NON-representational. That means it does not refer directly to a "thing" or view. That rules out Picasso;  think Rothko or Kandinsky.

Kandinsky was one of my major influences as a kid, and the first real art I was exposed to that made me sit up and take notice. Kandinsky believed that art should communicate on an intuitive level.  Hmmm. . . There's a rabbit to chase. 
In class we help the "intuitive eye" connect with the work through the use of composition and color.

My general guidelines for nonrepresentational work:
1. Start with a dynamic compositional theme.  We chose here the CROSS composition.
2. Look at a color wheel or create your own; see the one we created in the photo.
- Choose a color that you want to dominate the work;
- choose a second color that will contrast or complement the first.
- choose 2 more colors to add excitement but with the intention of using them sparingly.
3. Establish your center of interest and work with color and shape to reinforce your compositional idea.
4. Use colors as shapes. Place then to interact with each other, varying the size and shape of the masses. Think about patterns, repeating patterns, theme and variation.
5. Don't over work the paint or you will lose the visual strength and energy you are trying to create.
Note: if you are working with acrylic, don't be afraid to pour, fling, wipe, drip and dribble with paint to: cover areas, build up or allow some areas to come forward
while other areas recede or become submerged for the sake of compositional strength.
This is not random paint dancing, this is intentional, non-representation work with color and compositional ideas behind it.
Abstract work is not a walk in the park. The best work has depth and a driving concept.
Nice things often happen by "happy accident" -  BUT,  great abstract painting is anything but accidental - it is always intentional.

Week 7 - Final Stop on the Abstract Tour

This final compositional idea is very loosely based on "Golden Sections" placed in a Fibonacci series positioned to create a logarithmic spiral, or nautilus. That's tech-talk for my black and white diagram at right.
Some background: Leonardo Fibonacci, in the 12th century, discovered a numerical series that, starting with 0 and 1, each new number in the series is the sum of the two before it. That is the foundation for the mathematical relationship behind phi but is also visually linked to the "Golden Section', rectangle, mean or what ever you want to call it. To read more, Google "Elements of Dynamic Symmetry", "modular", or "Golden Section".
The great 20th century genius designer and architect, Le Corbusier linked the spiral and its ever expanding compositional space, to its natural counterpart the nautilus.
As with most compositional ideas that I use, this starts with dividing the space into thirds to create the grid (the one loosely based on the "Golden Section") to hang our spiraling points on. This device can also be used in a landscape or still life by placing defining elements, maybe where 2 lines meet or complement colors sit side by side, on the points of the spiral. The idea is to subtly lead the eye of the viewer to the center of interest. In non- representational paintings it creates order in what may appear to be chaos. The points like bread crumbs, lead the viewer to the center of interest. Sometimes it is quite subliminal;
and we thought that only happened in advertising. . . . . . . .

Final Stop on the Abstract Tour- Class Work

My hope, is not to leave this journey in the past or create an "I was there" scrapbook of paintings (this was my WACKY period), but to let the work of probing the more intuitive side of our brain and using the strict compositional themes, to inform every new piece we create.
We (everyone in class) have all enjoyed that sense of pure creative activity, characterized by free flowing process; we also got in touch with the real discipline it takes to tame it.
For this class session we stuck to a very tight set of colors and rules and found that sometimes a short leash is good. This flies in the face of the non- artist's idea - that great non-representational work comes from some out-of-mind experience; in fact it is the work of staying out of just part of your mind at the right times.
I recognize that this may not be commercial work - and to quote a friend and fellow "plein air" painter "people like work they can understand"
- still, as explained in the post above, there is method to the madness.
Having said that, can it really be characterized as madness?
These pieces were done by
1. Karen Hartney,
2. Josie Perea
3. Judith Greenwood
4. Judith Greenwood
5. Gina Quintana
6. Gina Quintana

You are now free to choose your medium and move about the painting universe.

Week 3 - Look Mom, No Hands

In class we have be exploring ABSTRACT painting.
In an effort to get away from traditional paint application (brushes) I tried to concentrate on making the paint do what it does naturally as a result of gravity. I ended up with paint on my shoes, the floor, my hair, - etc, etc.
The compositional idea at work here is sometimes called Steelyard,  also known as Mama Bear-Papa Bear, Baby Bear,  or Asymmetrical Composition or  Off Balance Composition.
I am sure there are other names but it is essentially a dominating element and a relating-subordinate element. Very often the dominant element is larger and the focal point as well. The small lower photo shows my dominant element and related subordinate element. I also made a strong statement as to the color that I wanted to dominate the painting.

Week 3 - Class Work - ABSTRACT

The use of dominant and subordinate shapes is very common in landscape painting:  for example - a big group of trees and a smaller isolated tree. 
But the idea of dominant and subordinate ELEMENTS is also common in abstract work.
Using some formal element, such as shape, line, color, or value,  gives us something to hang our hat on - something to build the painting around.  If I am working with the ELEMENT of shape - repeating that shape is a good way to go. 
Repetition of color, or any design element -  can be used to create a dominate idea with a subordinate to balance it.
This is how the members of the class handled the idea of a dominating element and a related subordinate element. Click on the photos to enlarge the view.
From the top these pieces belong to:
Jerri Everett,
Cathy McCurdy,
Josie Perea,
Gina Quintana,
Dee Bartee

Scroll down to the post And Now For Something Completely Different to read my general guidelines for non-representational painting.

Week 2 in Abstract-Land

In this second week of our abstract journey we are using a vertical -SHAPE compositional idea. My final painting is at the top but the first strokes that established the vertical theme are shown directly below it, to the right. Violet is my dominant color and lime green the subordinate color.
It occurs to me that -although we began the exercise with SHAPE as the major element -
COLOR is also in there grappling for elemental dominance.


Down the line is some of the student work; each started with the same vertical compositional shape and either purple or lime green as a dominant color.
Kayleith Pellandini,
Judith Greenwood #1 and
Judith Greenwood #2,
Gina Quintana, and
Josie Perea.
It is amazing how one idea can take so many different directions. For some of us loosening up is difficult; sometimes the tools we use can be the vehicle to take us to new places in our work.
Judith Greenwood does beautiful and sophisticated work using sticks (from Cottonwood trees)- makes me wonder why I spend money on brushes. . .