On exploring abstraction and getting out of a rut
I got bored and decided to paint abstract. Here is what happened.
When I was a kid, I painted with big brushes. Big strokes. Fast. Messy. Intuitive. Now, I use medium brushes. Sometimes small. I grip them too tightly and my hand hurts. I tell myself to relax my hand. I practice holding my tools loosely. I notice myself holding my breath while I paint. I tell myself to breathe. I make a mistake and get frustrated. I paint over my colors over and over. What am I doing? Where is the line between devotion to craft and obsession?
About a month ago I decided I was bored. Bored of the way I was painting, tired of how I was feeling. Tired of winter, of grey, of whatever mood I was in. Tired of everything. JanuaryFebruaryMarch. MondayTuesdayWednesday. Tired of each day feeling the same, even when it wasn’t.
So I decided to try something new: abstract painting. In all my years of making art, I’ve never made a truly abstract painting. I’ve made abstract marks in my sketchbook, even on big pieces of paper. So technically, maybe I have painted abstract before. But never with intention, never to make a finished piece. I’m still working on my first abstract painting, and I am excited to share when I am done. But for now, here is what I am learning in the process:
I’m still me, even when I paint in a different way. My painting habits are still the same.
I thought that painting abstract would help me release my need to control, but turns out it’s not that easy.
Trying something new is invigorating.
I still love developing my composition as I paint. While I use sketchbooks for practice, mark making, and creative meditation, I feel trapped when I strive to translate a piece from my sketchbook perfectly onto my larger surface. I like letting it evolve.
I don’t know what’s next, but this feels like the next step in my creative evolution, and that is a great feeling.
How I started painting abstract:
As I was pondering experimenting with abstraction, I stumbled across this video by Orla Stevens, about how to paint expressive landscapes. I loved the suggestions she shared, from working on multiple pieces at a time, to putting down a base layer of a medium before starting to work on your painting.
I made a video about my process, which I will link below if you are interested in watching, but I will also share the simple exercise I completed to become more comfortable exploring abstraction.
Lay out multiple pieces of paper. I chose five pieces 6”x6” watercolor paper that I’ve had for years. Allow it to not be precious.
Gather your supplies! I selected gouache, watercolor, charcoal, and oil pastels.
Before painting, lay down a base layer of paint or other marks to give yourself inspiration to work off of.
Once you start painting, move between the various surfaces. Working on multiple little pieces meant I didn’t have to wait for paint to dry, but it also allowed me to explore multiple ideas simultaneously.
Rotate your surface as you paint. I found this so helpful. It allowed me to view each piece from a different perspective, giving me new ideas as I progressed.
Have fun. Listen to music. Let yourself get lost in creating. Remember, it’s not that serious. It’s an exercise, and it doesn’t have to be “perfect.”
If you would like to watch the process I described above, here is my YouTube video.
Thank you for reading!
Sarah