Friday, February 13, 2015

ABSTRACTED OR JUST SIMPLIFIED?



This one is finished.  
Do you know how I can tell when one of these abstracted/simplified paintings in acrylic is done?  It's done when I'm bored with it and want to do something else! ha ha

I find that the outcome of this one is pretty amateurish and simple (not simple in a good way, but not defined, not elegant or subdued).  Maybe I'm better off not having an idea before starting and painting.  But this is the time to NOT judge so harshly yet - give this baby some time to grow a little and start walking - right now it's at the rolling around on the floor stage, sucking it's thumb and wanting attention stage.


In the Depths of Winter, I Dream of Summer
Acrylic on 11 x 15" Fabriano Artistico 140# cold press watercolor paper


If I did this again, I would change the flowers to something less childish looking and round - and also the stem would be just a flowing elegant line - not so thick and one dimensional.  My favorite part is the bottom where I painted and then scratched into the paint and smooshed it upwards with a dry paper towel to push some paint up and blurred at the top edge.  So maybe something next time with more scratching into the wet paint?  We'll see...



7 comments:

Lorraine Brown said...

Thanks for sharing Rhonda, its great that we always learn and love something in each work we do

Autumn Leaves said...

Rhonda, I've never been an abstract art fan but I truly think this is one of my favorite pieces. I love the gorgeous colors and the wonderful grasses. I love the blocks of color and the simple roundness of the blooms lends to the abstract feel of the whole. It is wonderful!

E.M. Corsa said...

We nit pick too much about our work. This is lovely. I can really feel the transition from the chilled grasses and reeds of winter to the sunshine warmth of summer.

Great job!

Carol Flatt said...

Rhonda, I think you've done very well with this piece. Love the colors and the fact that you've included both warm and cool aspects of both major colors. I love the texture you've created in each area particularly the linear "scratches" across the bottom. I think the simplicity of the yellow flowers is a perfect choice to contrast with the vertical rectangles of the blue and green areas. I wouldn't think a frilly flower would offer the impact the simple circle does. This painting has punch and a "notice me" attitude!

Alice Jo Webb said...

It seems like you're in an exploratory stage, though, and the real outcome can't be seen until you have enough of them done to see this one in its context. It may totally add to the narrative in a relevant way in a few months.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Lorraine.

Sherry, thanks!!! I'm so glad you like it.

EM, you're right - too much thinking and not enough doing right now but you got what I was aiming for the viewer to get so that tells me I did something right :)

Carol, thanks so much for picking the pieces apart to tell me what works!

Alice Jo, you're right - exploratory offerings - maybe that's what I should call this stuff! ha ha In looking at it again, I could see it becoming a "nest" with eggs! ha ha Perhaps I'm just too bird-brained!

RH Carpenter said...

Alice Jo, I was thinking of the stone soup one when writing this, not the Summer one, of course - not sure how that would become anything else right now.