Friday, November 6, 2015

The Evolution of an Abstract Painting

This all started because I have some friends that are married to each other that have different tastes in art. We sat down one day and she told me what things they have in common in their art preferences and who were some artists that they liked their work.  I took it upon myself to try to create the perfect piece that they would both like based on her description. This was not a commission just a challenge to myself. 
Then I didn't think much else about it until I was cleaning out my storeroom and came upon this print on hardboard that I no longer had room for. I measured it and found it was the exact size that IF they purchased a piece of art it would be this size. 
So as my whole premise of making art is to use up things destined for the landfill and turn them into new treasures. I thought this would be the perfect substrate. 
First I gessoed the whole board. Then added pages from an old engineering textbook to give it some interest and depth. Added some bright colors over that. 
Then took gesso and some muted colors and knocked back the intensity. 
Started adding some more interest with joss papers and stenciled dots. 
More layers with white fluffy cloud like shapes. Some liquid acrylics that I let drip. 
Added back in some brighter colors. 
This is a very different kind of painting than I am used to painting. It's always hard to know when you are finished but with an abstract I think it's even harder to know. After many layers. I just sat with it like this for a week or two and was satisfied so I called it done and painted a layer of matte medium over it. I named it Heaven and Earth as that is what it reminds me of. I have entered this in a fundraiser for The Women's and Children's Alliance. The theme was Metamorphosis and I thought this fit perfectly. My friend that inspired this experiment has no idea I even painted this. Can't wait to see what they think. But my ego is not hanging on that as I know I like it and it gave me a new piece for the fundraiser. 

4 comments:

marianne said...

Fun to see the evolution, thanks for sharing! Look forward to seeing it in person, and to hearing what they think.

Rebeca Trevino said...

I really like this painting ~ Pam! good job.

be sure and let us know what your friends think about it . . . will they be at the fundraiser? so they may get a chance of bidding on it?

anyway, i have been neglecting my blog for way too long . . . not sure why that is . . . maybe it's too much going on.
i have so many finished art pieces that i haven't yet posted . . .

hope ou and hubby are well, looking forward to seeing you

Pam McKnight said...

Thanks Rebeca. We are looking forward to our visit and hope it works out. After reading your comment I realized I had not heard from my friends and assumed they never saw my post. I tagged her in it today and I was correct. She never saw it but says she and her husband like it! Not sure if they are going to fundraiser or not. (They are in the midst of moving)

Rebeca Trevino said...

Hi again. you were correct, i had not seen your reply, so thanks for the nudge.
we too are looking forward to your visit, even if it's just for a day or two. I know you guys are always on the go . . . but it would be fun.
rebeca