Abstract Mixed Media Painting on canvas
Abstract Seated Woman
Mixed Media on Canvas
40"x30"
Abstract Ink Figure
The model for this ink drawing was fabulous. She elicits so many different feelings and so I'm able to draw her using totally different dominant colors. For this abstract, I just tried to achieve a feeling of movement and confidence. The colors in her hair made me go for blue!
Female abstract nude in black and white acrylic paint, ink and charcoal on 300 lb. paper, 30"x22"
Black and White Abstract Female Figure
Abstract Female Nude in charcoal and ink
I love working on paper to shake things up! It gives me the feeling of something being temporary and that gives me the freedom to just GO for it...(If it doesn't work, hey, I can use it for stuffing or something:) For this painting, when the model struck her pose, I had a really good feeling about what was to transpire. She was creative, sexy…and relaxed. And that determined the kind of painting I wanted to do…creative, sexy and relaxed! I decided to paint in black and white acrylics and inks, and once that decision was made, I felt I could let my mind go where it would take me and not worry about the end product...I didn't feel obligated to paint what was in front of me, but rather, to paint where it led. And that, my dear Watson, is when the painting began to get really interesting!
Abstract Nude Painting in Acrylic
Creating an Abstract Painting from Life!
Abstract figurative painting from life
Abstract, colorful nude painting done with heavy body acrylics on 48"x24" canvas.
This abstract, figurative painting is one of those examples of having too much of a good thing! The model was absolutely fabulous…She exudes sensuality and poise, and her presence is incredibly striking. So, the question I posed myself in painting her was, "Do I try to capture her physical beauty as I see it, or do I try to capture her essence and what it feels like to be in her presence?" This is always a dilemma for me in painting the figure (especially when I include the face). With this particular painting, I decided to go with abstracting certain shapes to hint at physical features without painting it to 'look' like her. Some of the decisions involved were: basic composition choices as to where to put her in space (seated, with one arm up), color choices for the background that would re-enforce the emotional feel of the painting, what facial characteristics to leave in or to leave out, and, finally…the big question...is it finished? Whew! That's just a small portion of the questions one has to ask oneself when approaching a subject so challenging! (But, that's why I love painting the figure so much)! I'll continue to study this painting as it hangs on my studio wall. I'm sure it will speak to me in time and let me know when it's time to let her go.
Abstract, colorful, figurative painting, "In the Midst"
Abstract Figurative Painting
Abstract Female Figurative Painting
Asking me to pick my favorite abstract figurative painting or drawing is kind of like asking one to pick a favorite child…It kind of depends on one's mood that day! (Uh oh, that doesn't sound very nice...Maybe I should say it's like picking a favorite food:) It really is impossible for me to pick my favorite piece of art because each one speaks to a different part of myself. We're all as complicated as the combination of atoms in the universe that make us up, so how in the heck can ONE painting express all of that? OK...So,.. with that thought in mind, I want to mention that I was asked to do a Facebook Artist Challenge this week, posting three paintings for five straight days. Choosing what to post is no easy matter. Here is one that I put up the first day…It's called, "In the Midst"...
The reason I chose to put this painting in was because I love how it turned out! This painting was done by layering very liquid, transparent acrylics and inks on 300lb. watercolor paper, letting the layers dry, and then going in with more paint…and the wilder the better. I wanted to keep one basic dominant color and that particular day, YELLOW was the chosen child:) So, I stayed basically with warm yellows and oranges. Amazingly, I saw a figure emerge, and voila! the painting was pretty much done. I glued on some dried paints that were left on my palette and "In the Midst" was born!
Peacocks and painting! "There she was justa walkin' down the street,
singin', 'doowadiddydiddy...'…Yep! Today I was on one of my typical Florida walks with my dog (great time to visit the sunshine state!) when an amazing thing happened. Out of nowhere came this peahen, just strutting around looking beautiful (and apparently waiting for her peacock friend:) What struck me instantly was how she moved…a leg up and at an angle off the ground, a neck pushed out there…her colors changing with each body movement. And, looking at her just reenforced how and why I love to paint. Energy. Life. Color. It's what life is full of! There is nothing static about life! Her peacock friend arrived a minute later. He let us know under no uncertain terms that it was time to move on. The pea-couple then proceeded to walk over to a neighboring townhouse where they stopped to stare at their reflection in a glass front door. Amazing.
Abstract Chicken Painting
Abstract Chicken Painting
Using splashes of inks, liquid acrylics and metallic paint, this free-style painting is done on board. It has transparent inks and paint, as well as thicker areas of full-bodied acrylic paint.
This was one of those paintings that just emerged with each splash of paint! I had decided that I wanted to do a painting of a chicken on top of another painting that just wasn't working. I loved the transparencies that were already happening with the liquid acrylics and inks, and I wanted to keep as much of that spontaneity as possible. But, I also knew that I had to go in a new direction and commit to a background and foreground. Committing is always the hardest part for me, because a painting can go so many ways! After turning it every which way, Godzilla chicken was up and running.
Female Figurative Ink Drawing
Nude Figurative Ink Drawing
Nude Figurative Ink Drawing
Minimalistic nude figurative drawing that captures the female in loose, carefree lines and splashes of ink. The drawing is created on Arches watercolor paper and measures 18" x 24".
I was thrilled when the model struck this pose. Her agility and graceful essence just about knocked my socks off (how in the world she held this amazing pose is beyond my comprehension)! I just wanted to get it down quickly and that meant pulling out the inks and going for it!!! My goal was to capture how exciting and alive it felt. I'll always remember this moment because of a jar of black ink and some watercolor paper. How crazy is that?