I’m currently engaged in sharing my love of nature-based abstraction and can’t get enough of it!
I’m starting to use this new platform (my Squarespace site) to blog, (instead of reviving my old blogspot place) and am currently trying to describe my recent changes in artistic direction. So I thought I’d do a post showing a couple of abstract youtube videos I’ve shared recently.
I still love nature and painting nature, but the techniques and style which are bringing me inspiration and joy are more expressive, loose and colorful than my previous habits as a reliably realistic painter. I’m learning that, for me, expression and emotion bring more meaning to my artwork. I can’t say that realism by nature is meaningless and stiff; there are so many realistic (representational) landscape painters who get across poignant and important meanings in their works. I could never throw shade on an entire genre, and one which has been a lifelong love. However, I’m leaving it behind. Leaving behind realism, that is, and for the time being continuing to explore abstraction and loose impressionism which I’m finally ready to admit and embrace.
Art as human expression seems to be a very obvious concept, but for me, it was one which had always been relegated to a secondary and less important role. “I could have done that!” is a refrain which I’ve heard so many times (and thought myself) when viewing an expressionist work. But now I get it. Furthermore, I’m delighted, as I approach retirement, to set aside the idea of finding a market for my art and making money doing it. It would be nice, but it’s ok if I only paint and repaint canvases for the forseeable future.
Here’s to exploring and accepting.
Below are some links to youtube videos about my experimentation in my evolution as a painter.