I want to share with you some thoughts about how working with and finding yourself in unknown territory in your art can open you up to deeper experimentation.At first, when you try something unfamiliar, it can feel scary and intimidating. You may feel frustrated because you don’t know exactly what to do. Your usual marks, moves and […]
The Holy Grail of Creating
There’s a secret to fulfilling your destiny as an artist To express yourself in your art, to search for your truth, you must first master yourself – a never-ending wrestling match with the dark angels of self doubt. It’s similar to the biblical story of Jacob wrestling all night until daybreak with an angel by […]
How To Get Unstuck In Your Abstract Paintings
I am finding ‘what to do next very challenging These are the words one artist I work with used to describe one of the biggest challenges most artists face. As artists, we face this problem of how to move past feeling stuck in abstract painting, in the middle of the painting, each time we […]
How To Finish Abstract Paintings
How Do You Know When Your Abstract Painting Is Finished? The question of how to finish abstract paintings and how to know when it’s finished is a pervasive one for artists. This question is for me the Gordian knot of painting. Just as with the Gordian knot…you’re not going to untie it by following […]
Color Secrets Of The Pros In Abstract Painting
An artist asked me recently about color secrets in abstract painting and how I think about and work with color. Color is an enormous topic and one you can spend a lifetime exploring and never reach the end of it! In the beginning of my painting journey, I couldn’t wait to get into my studio and […]
Repairing A Tear In Your Abstract Painting: Part II
Easily Repair A Tear In Your Abstract Painting If you work vigorously on paper and tear your painting, have no fear! You can easily repair a rip or tear in your abstract painting. In a previous video I showed you how to patch the tear from behind. In this video, I show you how to […]
Repairing A Tear In Your Painting (Works On Paper)
Exploring On Inexpensive Paper Recently I decided to explore working on inexpensive paper to get a feel again for the experience. The paper I use here is Borden & Riley, 90 lbs. It comes in rolls of various sizes. I cut this piece to 42″ x 42″. This is the paper I’ve used in live […]
The Power of Curiosity & Inquiry in Abstract Art
And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth. ~Raymond Carver (1938-1988), Late Fragment I love this commencement address by Dean James Ryan of Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this talk he explores the potency […]
Create Your Deepest, Most Authentic Abstract Art
As an artist the biggest challenge to me is to not repeat myself. The best work is still tomorrow’s work, not the past Hung Liu The art of activating the canvas and bringing your painting to life with your own personal lexicon of mark making, expressive gestures and brushwork is nothing short of miraculous. To […]