One Artist's Journey

Great Wall #2 - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and colored pencil on Masonite - $300

I redid the Great Wall piece and am happy with it. but I really like the one I did in the meantime, “Fields.”

Fields turned out well. It was difficult because I wanted to add more detail than I should have. There were some large round hay bales in the foreground that I just couldn’t get right. I tried to make them “just shapes” but they looked too real. I will have to figure out how to abstract small things. All in all I think it went really well. And the Great Wall turned out well too.

So, this week turned out really well. I am happy with what got completed. and I like the new direction I am headed in.

Great Wall #1 - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and colored pencil on Masonite - $300

I have started using photographs as references for my abstract landscapes. The problem with that is sometimes I get too caught up in making a good representation of the photo. In this picture of the great Wall of China, I got too caught up and I don’t think it turned out great.

Now watch, no one will buy it from me if the artist doesn’t think it is any good!

Anyway I am going to try it again tomorrow and make it more abstract. “They are only shapes!”

Tetons - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and graphite on Masonite - $300

Today I had time to do two paintings. It takes longer, the larger the board I am painting on. I wasn’t ready for that when I started the 100 in 100 challenge. I need to hustle and I am a little worried about moving on to larger canvasses (boards).

The two I worked on today turned out well. I am fighting the urge to get too detailed. When I get detailed or try and make it look like a photo, I get really messed up. I have to keep reminding myself “It is just a bunch of shapes” and “This is an abstract painting.”

Mesa Arch - 18" x 14" - Acrylic and colored pencil on Masonite - $300

If I can keep those two things in mind, I think I will do OK. I am happy with the two I finished today. I am also using a lot more paint than I was with the smaller paintings. I found a container to put my pain into so it doesn’t dry up between paintings. I just use a disposable plastic square container and slap the lid on when I am done painting for the day. I also have a tiny spray bottle that I use to moisten the paints every once in a while.

Abstract sketches based on photographs

I was thinking about it and I like doing abstractions. When I start adding too much detial, I get messed up. What if I take a photo of a scene and break it down into its largest groupings and treat them like geometric or abstract shapes?

I have tried painting outside, but have had trouble. I try and add too much detail and it becomes too realistic. I don’t like that. So, maybe this abstraction idea will work.

I tried it with a magazine of photos I have and really liked the results. It is kind of how I draw anyway, so I think it is a good fit. I can sketch the pictures and abstract them out, but I will have to wait till tomorrow to see if I can paint them in practice. Here is an excerpt from my sketchbook.

Abstract #11 - 16” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

This is the next one. It turned out with smaller boxes. I don’t think I like that as much and I added boxes on the insides of a few boxes. It started getting to ornate and patterned. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It just isn’t my style. Hmmm. It is getting farther from what I saw in my mind’s eye based on the expressive drawing. How can I get back to what I really liked about the expressive drawing?

Abstract #10 - 12” x 16” Acrylic and graphite on Masonite - $200

The idea for this started as a few squares in space. But then I started linking them up and came up with a grid. This isn’t what I wanted, but I have decided to trust myself and go with the flow. I started filling in the boxes and it turned out OK, but I really wanted to cover up some of the lines and when I tried that it just didn’t look or feel right.

I filled everything in and played with the outlines a bit. It turned out OK, but was just the beginning of this exploration.

Initial sketch of boxes

Expressive Drawing #2 used as idea for abstract series # 10, 11 and 12. I really liked the bottom left corner.

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 3
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 29

Today is Saturday. Soccer games are over. Everyone has gone somewhere. I think I have about 4 hours alone today and I am in the studio. I’m excited. Here we go!

I started the day working on an expressive drawing. I don’t really like it, but then I wondered if I could learn something from it.

I looked at different sections and realized I really liked the bottom left corner. I then took that idea and made a series of abstract paintings. I am happy with them and I really like the last one. Here is what happened…

Red Head - 12” x 12” Acrylic and pencil on Masonite - $200

I just wrote my aunt who left a comment on this blog. I thought I came up with some pretty good stuff, so I would like to share it here:

Contemporary art is all about what the artist is trying to say. Not what the piece looks like.

I believe that the viewer completes the artwork. I do my best to create something either with a message or something that is thought provoking. Then, when the viewer comes, they bring their background and baggage and they get a certain meaning out of the art. Now it is complete. And each person that looks and understands something or feels something, creates a new piece of art.

Right now,  I am trying to whittle down 13 years of neglect to find the artist I was at school 13 years ago.

Abstract #7 - 12” x 16” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 2
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 18

First let me say that my art paintings for sale include everything you see on this site. If you see something you like, you can email me at shaun[at]oneartistsjourney [dot]com. I would be very happy to hear from you.

I worked on two abstract paintings today. I had absolutely no time but with my new-found determination to get into the studio every single day, I made some time and painted two paintings.

Abstract #8 - 16” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

I have been thinking about getting a star rating system for the site, then you can vote on pictures you like. That is good so I know what people like. It is also good because artists need validation. What do you think? PLease comment below and let me know if you would like to vote on my pictures. Thanks!

The two abstract paintings I did today were fun to do. I am trying to make up 10 years of lost time and get back the style I used in college. I understand things have changed; I have more experience, etc. But I really liked the art I created in College so that is my first goal. To get lose and instinctual like I was then. My wife said the two I did today reminded her of my work back then. Maybe I am on the right track.

I found a blog of a draftsperson. I really like her stuff, especially her koi and garden drawings. She uses really bright colors in her (pastel?) drawings. http://alethakuschan.wordpress.com

Kanji #1 - 12” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 4
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 16

I have decided to keep track of how many paintings I complete so I don’t have to go back and count them again and again.

After looking at the two of the abstract images I did last week, my wife mentioned they looked like Kanji, or Japanese or Chinese characters. So, I Googled some beginning Kanji (up, down, man, woman, etc.) and decided to paint those today. I used them as a starting point in some abstract paintings. I think they turned out OK.

Kanji #2 - 12” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

Last week, I did 5 paintings on Monday and hardly made it down to the studio after that. That isn’t the point of this experiment to paint 100 paintings. The point is to get into the studio for the next 100 days and create art.

So, I made an effort to get down there today I ended up completing four paintings. I need to get down to the studio (I say “down” because it is downstairs) and paint every single day till New Years.

While painting, I get frustrated because what I am doing looks silly or contrived. But then I have to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun and natural. “Art is Fun and Natural.” I should engrave that and put it up on the wall.

Here’s to Fun and Natural…