Abstract Expressionism meets Post Impressionism

Today I'm going to share a bit of a tutorial in relation to one of my recent paintings.

A little story of how it began.....

This artwork started out with me hanging up a large 36"x 36" canvas on my wall; opening up the studio doors to let the fresh morning sunlight and soft breeze blow through; and turning my music up loud enough that I was surrounded by it. Then I simply let all other thoughts fade out, and began.

I put paint and water to canvas without a care for creating any particular image. It was purely emotional expression through colors, splashes, and markings made by brush, fingers, smearing and scraping away with palette knife.

And when my little one saw it after school she told me she liked my scribble scrabble painting but maybe it was a little messy. haha. Yes, it was.

It stayed that way for weeks. I added a bit here and there and took the canvas and turned it sideways and upside down to see what it might want to become. For a long while I was uninspired and moved on to work on other projects.

I attempted making a very large abstract flower with overlapping petals sticking out in different directions similar to the petals of a tulip but without showing the center of the flower. And I left it that way for a while, doodling circular shapes in inky black paint and adding splotches of chartreuse, sea glass blue, and white.

    *my "flower petals"         . 

 * inky painted shape doodles

My "abstract expressionistic" painting hung there in mysterious abstraction on the edge of possibilities unknown.... for weeks. Students came and went from the studio asking "what will it be?" and I wondered myself.


Defining our Terminology

Abstract Expressionism: was the first specifically American art movement to achieve international influence. It began in New York in the 1940's after World War II in a climate of artistic censorship. If the art were completely abstracted it could be viewed as apolitical and therefore safe from scrutiny. The emphasis of the abstract expressionistic artist was on the process of spontaneous, instinctive, or subconscious creation.


I've included links for Famous Abstract Expressionist Artists *(these are just a few, there are so many more!)

• Jackson Pollock
• Hans Hofmann
• Franz Kline
• Mark Rothko
• Helen Frankenthaler
• Willem de Kooning
• Mary Abbott
• Jay DeFeo
• Grace Hartigan
• Judith Godwin

Post Impressionism: in relation to art was a reaction to the confines of Impressionism, but taking from it the use of pure brilliant colors, as well as defining form with short brush strokes of broken color. It encompasses a wide range of distinct styles that share a common motivation - the subjective vision of the artist. Post Impressionism transcended the traditional expectation of art as a window displaying views of the world and instead opened it up as a window into the individual artist's mind and heart. 


I've included links for Famous Abstract Expressionist Artists *(these are just a few, there are so many more!)

• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
• Paul Cezanne
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Georges Seurat
• Emily Carr
• Camille Pissarro
• Paul Signac
• Emile Bernard

The story of how it transitioned from Abstract Expressionism into Post Impressionism....

One evening I was watching the kids play in the back yard while working in the studio. I took the canvas and laid it on the table in front of me. As I stared at it the abstract "flower petals" and turned them upside down, the image that emerged became a tutu and the vision for my post impressionistic painting became something very dear to my heart...my baby girl dancing to the tune of her own music in a dress as unique as her personality surrounded in background of wild elaborate brush strokes of color that mimic my own creative free spirit always there supporting her. Messy, imperfect, scattered but infused with all the love a mom could ever have.

I "sketched" her form first using a very fluid creamy skin tone color that I mixed and thinned with water.

Next, I loosely blocked in highlights, mid-tones, and shadows in her skin using variations of my base color. I brightened with white, pinks and oranges and darkened with violets or complimentary color mixtures (violet and orange primarily).

My tools of choice are a small flexible metal palette knife, a medium to large flat rounded brush with long bristles, a smaller medium round brush and a nice smooth small/medium flat brush

I keep a water bottle to spritz my paint and my palette while working to keep the acrylics from drying too quickly and to create drips or runs in different areas.

As you may have noticed, I work with my canvas both hanging upright on a wall as well as lying flat on a large table. In my personal experience, it's good for me to look at my work from different perspectives. Though this method may not work for everyone, it is something that works well for me.

Note: I make use of styrofoam or paper plates every once in a while, but what I really like to use is the waxy backing paper from my Oracal vinyl as a mixing palette. (something we use at the sign printing / t-shirt shop) Recycle & Reuse!

www.theartgirljackie.blogspot.com                                                                                                             Jackie Patton 2017             

www.theartgirljackie.blogspot.com                                                                                                             Jackie Patton 2017   

I continued working highlights and shadows into her skin and hair and dress until I felt it was balanced and complete up close as well as stepping back and viewing from a distance. I wanted to keep the short choppy brush strokes of vibrant colors and the texture of the abstraction in the background intact.

So here she is. My little dancing dreamer. Full of love, creativity and a soundtrack for life that's always on play.

www.theartgirljackie.blogspot.com                                                                                                         Jackie Patton 2017 

Supplies Used on this Artwork:

• acrylic paints
• water and spray bottle
• palette knife
• paint brushes (medium to large round and flat bristle)
• hands, imagination and heart

My Art Therapy

Sometimes the thing we need is not so much the end result as the process.

Art is a lovely form of therapy for the creative soul to express the things that won't come out in words.

To let go of all that needs to be released.

 To reveal what we hold inside.

 To laugh, to cry, to shout.

 To turn up the music and let the paint brush dance.

I become immersed in the free flow of color and texture and personal expression.

The colors and textures of an extremely fulfilling art therapy session. 

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 

He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."  - Exodus 15:2

Large Abstract Landscape Scripture Painting - Jeremiah 33:3

I recently shipped a very large scale commissioned artwork to a church in Louisiana. They wanted a special abstract landscape featuring the scripture, Jeremiah 33:3 for their new prayer room. It needed to be a substantial piece so we made it six feet wide by three feet tall with 1.5" thick finished sides. My husband does an amazing job building the sturdy hardboard canvases like this for me. I love creating thick layers of texture over the surface and then continuing with multiple translucent layers of paints and glazes and special textured media like the gold mica flakes I used in the land formations on either side of this composition.

It's such a blessing to get to do artworks like this. I pray my work inspires those who see it to contemplate the beauty and majesty and mystery of God's creation.

No artwork could ever compare to His glorious designs, but each time I get to create I feel such appreciation and awe for God's creativity.  I am flooded with thankfulness that I get to experience such joy in working with colors and textures and patterns and in the activity of transforming a thing from a blank surface to an intriguing image.

Thick, Textured Abstract Painting of Flowers

Calling all painters!
Beginners to experienced artists, if you have never cranked up your favorite music and completely let go with your artwork here is something you've got to try!

It is exhilirating to abandon all "careful attention to detail" to squeeze thick paint directly on the canvas, swirl and slash it loosly around with a palette knife or rough brush to create an abstract image with tons of movement and texture!

Tip: No overmixing or overblending allowed! It may take some practice to learn when to stop. But I encourage you to approach it like a child getting to do something for the very first time - with excitement and abandon and not intimidation. Have FUN!!!

Here is my example. A painting I created for a friend. Her Requirements: match these rich bold accent colors (red/orange, navy/blues, cream) to tie in with living room decor, and make it abstract - loosly resemble flowers.
 I was so happy with the finished piece and so happy that she loved it too.
I will paint like this more often.

Once your artwork is complete it may take several days to dry since the paint is so thick.

Finish by painting the edges of the canvas or framing it.
ex: Mine has 1.5" thick edges that I painted black and there is no need for a frame, this gives a more modern feel.

A protective clear sealer can also be painted over the finished work when it is completely dry. Make sure you use something designed for artworks. Liquitex makes some great options matte or gloss.

An Inspired Work of Art

The weather here has been so incredibly inspiring. Cool, crisp mornings that gradually become warm and sunny afternoons. The kind of days that make you yearn to be outside breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of nature.

And following all of the spring cleaning we did this past weekend I felt the urge to leave my usual studio space and take my new easel, canvases and brushes to a space where I could work with the walls literally opened up to the outdoors.... our garage!

(Side Note: I am so grateful to my husband's sweet Aunt Marsha for sharing these treasures with me. Her mother Betty, was a talented artist, but is no longer able to paint. And on a recent visit I was offered the great privilege of aquiring many of her treasured art supplies for my own projects. Thank you Marsha and thank you Betty.)

With my husband off to work and my oldest daughter off to school, I put my paint clothes on, filled my coffee mug and went to set up my easel. When my little one woke up I dressed her in play clothes headed to the garage with her sippy cup and cheerios and turned on the music.

We danced to the sounds of our favorite 80's music and contemporary christian songs, enjoyed the fresh air and let the creative juices flow.

Our precious little old dog Abby, thoroughly enjoyed the experience too. She may be completely blind and almost deaf but she can certainly still enjoy lounging in the green grass and soaking up the sunshine.

Believe it or not, I actually began priming my canvas today with every intention of creating a realistic serene looking landscape scene. However, once I let it all go and abandoned the idea of pre-determining the outcome things changed a bit. ;)

I let my feelings guide my color choices, the music inspire my brush strokes and let the artwork take me where it wanted to go.

My little one says it's either bubbles or lolly pops and that makes me happy. My girls love both of those things and when I look at this painting I smile and think of them. I think of their joyful childhood abandon, their love, thier complete trust and lack of worry, their laughter. It makes me happy.

5 Days of Art - Part 3, 4 & 5: Painting, Painting & Painting

I also got to spend a lot of time working on some paintings. I've listed several new ones in my Etsy shop. Here are a few that I worked on during my 5 Days of Art.

Very large 24"x48" textured canvas, acrylics and gold mica flakes with the scripture Psalm 90:2.

Smaller canvas 16"x20" abstract acrylic, 2Samuel 23:4

24"x24" Misty blue sky abstract landscape

These two were commissioned pieces for one of the coaches at school. Pictures of his boys playing baseball. I used some baseball digest pages to cover the canvas and created the look of a baseball field in the background and gave it an aged look, except on the boys themsselves... to create a nice contrast.

Check out my listings on http://artfultrinkets.etsy.com/ to see some of my other paintings.

Encaustic Painting

I spent my Saturday playing with hot wax!

I went to an "Encaustic Painting" workshop taught by an artist named DeannaWood. There were only 3 students in the class so we got a lot of individual attention and time to experiment with all of the really cool techniques and tools used in this unique painting medium. The idea is to be able to achieve layers upon layers of translucent colors and imagery. This is done by using hot melted beeswax as paint and tinting it with oil colours. You can achieve so many cool looking effects and it is really fun to do.

Uh oh, I'm afraid I have a shopping list for new art supplies now. :)


This was our teacher, Deanna packaging one of her artworks for shipment. You can see some of her other paintings on the wall in the background. Also notice the hotplates with containers of colored beeswax on the table.

This is one of the small pieces I made during the workshop. I incorporated a fashion illustration and some lettering and the number 5. It is titled "After Five" - for the fun, sassy outfits we ladies love to wear on those fun evenings out on the town.

This one is an experiment with carving into the wax. I got the idea from one of the other ladies who was there. It's symbolic of handwriting but without any real recognizable text. (in person the etched areas are the same yellow as the top part of the piece giving it nice contrast and unity.

Jeremy is holding up the last one. It was just an experiment with non-objective abstractions, using a lot of texture.

It was a fun class!

Maybe I'll make some more this summer.

Summer.

Aaaaaaaah....... what a beautiful thought.

On-Line Art Show

I've been thinking it's probably about time that the "art girl" finally posted some examples of her artwork. Feel free to critique these examples and make comments, suggestions, etc.

Colored Pencil drawing of Carley on a dry brush painted background.

Ceramic carnival style mask, painted with acrylics.

Micro-mosaic made of hand cut glass pieces on a clear glass background.

Abstract acrylic painted landscape.

Surrealistic style oil painting.

I will add a few more of my artworks later.