Qui Bono?

Qui Bono, acrylic, 20 x 16

I actually thought of the title for this painting before I began painting it. It came to me while I was reflecting (for a change) on the many disastrous decisions being made at the White House these past 3 months. Qui Bono? Who benefits? Well – certainly nobody I know.

I could paint pretty landscapes or appealing still lifes. Not terribly challenging anymore, but still fun to do. I could do portraits. Somewhat more interesting, but they still don’t fit the bill. But abstracts, yes! Slapping paint on a canvas, red and angry! Free-form, flowing! Yes – that does the job.

Qui bono? I don’t know, but I hope you find my painting interesting to look at and think about.

Chaos

Chaos, Acrylic, 12 x 12, $295.00

Given the events of the past two weeks, this pretty much expresses my feelings. Even though it represents total chaos, I still think my painting has balance of design and color, so it’s not completely chaotic, not yet anyway. But as for the future, ….?

I was tempted to just smear on paint at random, but being an artist, I couldn’t leave it at that, so although this small painting has lots of texture and random marks, I still took the time to judge the need for color complements, focal points, and other compositional elements.

Having gotten the initial impulse out of my system, I’ve just begun another rendition, so I guess the idea of chaos has served me well, in the short term at least, because I broke through my ‘painter’s block’ and am working again, after a hiatus. Feels good. Hope you like the results.

Winter

Winter is not my favorite season. The cold, the early dark–make me want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed until Spring. But that way lies madness–right? So get up and paint, I tell myself. Remember the warmth and color of the sun. It’s still out there, even though it’s doing its best to hide from us right now. So I reminded myself of the Caribbean–the lush islands, the beach, the sea. And I got out my paints, squeezed out a pile of yellow, grabbed a brush, and started smearing paint on a couple of canvases. And guess what? Today, after a couple of weeks of intense cold, the sun did come out and the earth warmed up a bit. So I guess my ploy worked, for today, at least.

First, I did a little vignette.

Sand and Sea, acrylic, 12 x 12

Next, encouraged, I branched out into something a bit more substantial, focusing on the light, the sun filling the sky. So that’s how this landscape came by its name.

Light, acrylic, 16 x 20

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope, Acrylic/Mixed Media, 20 x 16

Sometimes my hands start itching, telling me I need to paint, but I don’t have any particular composition in mind. When that happens, I squeeze some paint on the palette and trust that the colors themselves will tell me what to do. I just ‘go with the flow’ and let the paint do its thing. After a while, an image begins to take shape. That’s when I can step in and gently nudge it in the right direction. The result? A kaleidoscope of color, sparkling on a beautiful fall day.

About Consistency in Art

Artists are often advised to present a consistent body of work to the public, for very good reason. If you’ve developed a following, you owe it to your “fans” to give them what they expect. But as an artist, this is easier to say than to do. Creative people naturally want and need to experiment with various art forms, different media, interesting techniques. Even if you absolutely love abstractions, as I do, there’s nothing to stop you from also loving detailed landscapes and intricate still lifes.

When I exhibit, I make sure to maintain consistency. But in my own studio, anything goes. Here are two of my latest efforts, one completely abstract, with lots of texture and one in which I tried to capture the misty chill of a Scottish Highland stream.

Seas A-Rising, Acrylic, 20 x 16
Scottish Highlands, Acrylic, 16 x 12

Painting Color and Texture

Sculpture in Gray, Acrylic, 24 x 20

Maybe you’ve noticed–I love color. I love how different colors play off each other, sometimes soft and soothing (analogous colors), sometimes bright and jarring (complimentary colors). I often combine my colors with various mediums to create texture on the canvas, too. But for “Sculpture in Gray,” I decided to try something different. To begin, I just glopped on a pile of black and white paint loosely mixed with fiber paste and started spreading it around with a large palette knife. The painting sort of took off on its own from there. I glopped on more paint, dribbled on some silver, sprinkled a little glitter and–voila!

At first glance, you might think it’s just a gray painting, but as you look at it, you notice the swirls and layers, the shadows and lights, and you begin to lose yourself in the richness of the painting. I’ve been studying it in my studio for about a month now, wondering if I need to add any of my signature colors or maybe some defined shapes. But I’ve decided I love it just the way it is. Minimalism has certainly been around since at least mid-twentieth century, but now I find myself appreciating it much more deeply than I ever have before.

So How Do You Name Your Pieces?

Gothic Bazaar, Mixed Media, 11 x 14, $175.00

Sometimes people ask me how I come up with my titles. Well, I enjoy naming my pieces almost as much as I do creating them in the first place. I try to invent names that give the viewer a hint of what I was thinking while I was painting, but at the same time, something that leaves a bit of mystery, a little question in their minds. I’m calling this piece Gothic Bazaar. Why? Well, the pointed arch is a bit of Gothic architecture, isn’t it? And the colors remind me of the time I visited the bazaar in Istanbul, full of golds and secret passageways and hidden corners. Touristy? Sure, but all the same exotic and fun. Everything about this–the design, the colors, and yes – even the title, says Whimsy. A bit of whimsy to brighten up a cold winter day.

Painting in the Abstract

In my previous post, I wrote about using a 12 x 12 format to express a single idea, but sometimes, I need a bigger canvas to capture the moment. A River Runs Through It reminds me of the colorful river towns perched on the hilltops in Spain. The water rushing down the mountains, the clean, fresh air! Aah–how delightful.

A River Runs Through It, acrylic, 20 x 24

New Small Paintings

I love working in a small, 12 x 12 format. It forces me to really think about what I want my painting to say, because the small space doesn’t lend itself to a lot of miscellaneous flourishes. Here are a few pieces I’ve done in the past few months. By the way, Facebook has somehow removed my page (and no–I haven’t been posting anything horrible!), and I’ve decided to just let it go, so if you have a comment, please post it here on WordPress, or just contact me directly. The pieces here are all 12 x 12, Acrylic and mixed media, framed and ready for display.

Inspiration
Midnight Dream
Oh, Happy Days!

Still Life

Still Life with Turkish Pot, acrylic, 20 x 16

I bought this Turkish coffee pot in Istanbul years ago, in a little bazaar filled with rugs and leather jackets and the aroma of exotic spices. Today seemed like a good day to put it into a painting, using autumn tones but hopeful little flowers to help us get through the winter that’s almost upon us. When Spring comes again, we can hope that most of us will have been vaccinated, and we can begin to emerge into the light again.