Markle - Art Journey - Abstract Painting: a Celebration of Contemporary Art

CINCINNATI, OHIO

artistsnetwork.com

CODDIWOMPLE , Jodi Ohl, mixed media, 36" 72" (91cm 183cm)

THE ARTISTS

Abstract art leaves behind recognizable imagery to explore the relationship between shape, line, form and color at their most basic levels; this is a great opportunity for artists because of the endless range of expression that is available. Artists painting in the abstract are not beholden to the natural world of realistic painting; these painters are limited only by their imaginations and chosen color palettes! Art Journey Abstract Painting showcases more than one hundred works of art; the artists share not only their work, but also their thoughts on the creative process and why abstraction is an important art form worth exploring and understanding. Here are just a few of the insights youll find as we explore the world of abstraction.

Abstraction allows the artist to capture shape, line and color, and also emotion. Barbara Benedetti Newton bases her paintings on the emotion shes feeling. I start each painting based upon my emotion of the day. The work begins with relating color to my feeling or state of mind. I try to capture those thoughts to form an overlay of the primary emotion. That results in a visual expression of an in-and-out, back-and-forth exchange of emotions represented by colors, shapes, lines and textures in a sort of windowpane or layered effect.

Some abstract works have some echoes of representational elements within. This is true of Kristy Gordons work Rise, which explores the themes of transition and transformation. I usually start with a theme before I begin a painting, although sometimes the theme will reveal itself to me as I work on a piece. When this happens I approach beginning the painting more intuitively, starting with blocking in a few colors that I feel drawn to, then responding to them compositionally with other colors and shapes. Eventually an image will emerge, and with it the theme will reveal itself to me.

Many of our artists create powerful works, taking inspiration from the surrounding world. This was true of Genady Arkhipau, who combines various media within his work. My nonobjective work heavily relies on drawing, and Im particularly interested in exploring the relation between line and shape. I usually have a vague idea about design in my head before I start, which can come from almost anywhere: shadows on the pavement, paint flaking off the wall of an industrial building, any set of patterns, really, that fire up my imagination.

Carrie Raeburn explores how water can transform what we see when used as a lens or filter for the everyday world. This series is my attempt to explore how I see shapes and colors of architecture, and other man-made things such as vehicles, deformed by the rain running down my car windshield unimpeded It is my way of communicating about our modern day, car-centered lives, not to show the downside of that life but the upside of beauty where others may not expect it to be found.

Known for his realistic watercolors, Paul Jackson enjoys exploring the abstraction process for the insights and new perspectives it can bring. Abstract art to me indicates something real as a foundation, but processed through your personal artistic filter to alter the appearance. Abstracting the world to see things in a different way is to broaden your vision, to open your imagination and to inspire ideas beyond reality.

Mira Whites work often generates interest in its images and content. My works have usually employed recognizable content and are represented in ambiguous spaces, watery and atmospheric. My experimentation with images has evolved with an understanding that there is a kind of internal logic linking certain forms with each other, a logic that, perhaps, belongs to the world of archetypes, and definitely forms its own iconography of symbols.

Art is also about attitude, as expressed by Mel Grunau. Art to me, should bring joy to the viewer no matter the means of expression. In abstract art, this is manifested through color, shape, edges between shapes and line. Ideally the end product reveals something unique and different each time it is viewed.

Finally, abstract art, like all art, is an exploration, hopefully providing a guidepost to life. Susan Flora Glendenning said it best: I believe abstraction also offers us adventures, discoveries around the bend of a line, a new color combination, a squiggle or perhaps a scumbled texture of deliciousness weve never seen before, that teach us to lighten up and look at life in the same way.

BLUE HORIZON, Sally Cooper, acrylics, glazing medium, liquid gloss medium, watercolor pencils and crayons, 36" 36" (91cm 91cm)

Location: Do you like to work in a studio or outside? How does the environment change the way you work?

I work outside in my backyard when its warm and indoors during the colder months. Environment does not affect me much. I feel equally comfortable working both in public and by myself, as long as I have enough space.

Technique: Tell us a little about your technique. What type of medium did you use? How important is your choice of medium to the expression of the piece?

This is a mixed-media piece. I used a watercolor underpainting that I covered with pastels and acrylic paint. I usually work with my painting on the floor. I mix and prepare paints or choose pastel sticks, then warm up for about an hour with drawing, which helps me loosen up, reach that degree of careless confidence and get into the zone. Then I work on up to five pieces, one at a time, with the one in the middle typically being the best of the batch. This particular painting is part of a series of nonobjective artworks, where I started every painting with a simple figure and then developed it in an explosion of abstract shapes and lines.

Theme: Do you think of a theme before starting your abstract piece? How do you choose your theme?

My nonobjective work heavily relies on drawing, and Im particularly interested in exploring the relation between line and shape. I usually have a vague idea about design in my head before I start, which can come from almost anywhere: shadows on the pavement, paint flaking off the wall of an industrial building, any set of patterns that would fire up my imagination. Mostly, though, it comes from previous work that I wasnt happy with; maybe I was intrigued by some part of a painting and feel it merits being developed further into its own painting.

The idea is just a starting point. If I try to implement that idea thoroughly and exactly, the painting will turn up lifeless, calculated, constrained and bland. That is why I usually let it develop itself while painting, following design hunches and happy accidents, which makes the process much more intriguing and exciting. I try to create an illusion of movement through expressive brushwork and strokes, aiming for dramatic effect by putting emphasis on strong contrasts between colors, shapes, patterns and textures. I hope for my work to be able to stimulate the viewers imagination, so the viewer will interact with the painting by exploring it and will want to revisit it, each time finding something new.