Latest posts by michael wilson (see all)
- JORDAN RIVER - February 5, 2019
- Inspired Art - August 2, 2018
- Waiting for Inspiration - July 31, 2018
- The Bridge between Painting and Photography - July 31, 2018
As a serious painter, someone intending to paint often, it is necessary to define your particular direction. Defining your own style will help you to chart your progress and also knowing your style allows you to seek out other artists who share a similar path. This does not imply that your style will change because it certainly will, so when it does you will chart that style and approach as something new and unique to you.
Understand that if you are not a Naturalist, you will not be trying to infuse something from nature. If you an abstract artist, then stay with that without retreating back to that of a Naturalist. Keep moving forward. As an abstract artist you might have the following direction – that of a Geometrist where lines and planes sharply collide. For the Geometrist the edges between planes become important and when done well will exhibit a sustaining resonance – the line vibrates with tension.
Sometimes critics will use the term Organic to define abstract work which has no sharp lines. THe expression is made with broad, sweeping masses of color. Precise edges are not required because the masses seem to collide against one another. Precise lines would negate that kind of energy. THis style is also sometimes called Expressive Organic, which is essentially the same means – great, dramatic color within large shapes and these contrast with smaller, subordinate though balancing smaller shapes.
Recently I have begun to experiment with dragging paint across a hard, primed ply surface which has been sanded smooth. THe paint is dragged across with a squeegee and this creates some dramatic ‘accidents’ on the hard surface. Now I have completed several where I use the drag effect in a smaller capacity, with smaller squeegees and drag in smaller sections. It is almost like having a different kind of paint brush. During the course of painting I will go back and forth from the drag effect to painting in masses and shapes with an actual brush. This often brings about a very dramatic effect which I like.