For a long time, I have been intrigued by an artist I follow on Instagram who paints "intuitively". What she means by this is, she allows her emotions and paint colors to to flow & communicate with each other... She adds layer after layer of color, she uses, brushes, pallet knives and even her hands to create texture and lines.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of what I do is intuitive in a way, especially when it comes to painting on pallet boards, but generally I have a plan in place when I start a painting. From the color pallet to subject matter, I usually approach each piece with some idea of what I want to do already.
I have wanted to try this whole idea of coming to the canvas and fully allowing myself to flow creatively...
I have had this canvas that was given to me a few years ago that was used at a party back in the '70s.. the party goers were allowed to paint on several canvases throughout the party... Then the canvases hung around in the garage for nearly 40 years before getting passed on to me! Now, when I got them I washed them off and reused them, but one of the canvases wouldn't come clean! Every time I would try washing and scrubbing the canvas the paint they used would not wash away, but it would act like watercolors and just run and bleed on the canvas! I tried to, even gesso over it, but the colors bled through!
I thought to myself, THIS would be a great canvas to practice this intuitive painting on!!
Here is what the canvas looked like before I started adding color...
You can see some of the creative work of the party goers here! From a sun toward the top to music notes at the bottom... I started adding blues to flow with the colors that might bleed through.
This is how far I got before I remembered to take a photo...
You can see though that the old colors were bleeding into the new colors, but I loved the effect and kept going.
I moved out onto the porch for better light and learned that I love painting out there!! I know our Florida weather is going to change very soon to blistering heat, but this last month with coughs and colds keeping everyone inside, I was so ready for the beautiful, freshness of spring on the porch! When I would add a new color, shade or tint I would allow the colors to run and dribble on the canvas, matching the way the old colors were adding movement to this, what I was now seeing, was a wave! Layer after layer, day after day, I fell in love! I felt so free! I couldn't wait to get out on that porch to see what else I could add... I had been captured by the creative process... I am hooked!
Since finishing this piece, I started on 2 more! I was open minded to creating something completely different from the First Wave, but it felt, almost like my heart was still wanting to express more on the same subject! So I went with it ... I ended up with three beautiful waves! The Second and Third Waves were painted on new canvases... and throughout the process the paintings felt too clean...I began to think of ways to "muddy it up" a bit... below you will see the finished pieces!!
What do you think?
First Wave
Acrylic on Reclaimed Canvas and Framed with Pallet Boards
28 1/4" x 34.5"
$575
Second Wave & Third Wave
Acrylic on Canvas and Framed with Pallet Boards
34.5" x 28.25"
$525
I have all three pieces on display at the gallery, so if you are local you should stop by and see them, they are so pretty! I framed them all in reclaimed pallet boards which adds to the size and drama of each piece! You can see a little video of my process in choosing the the wood for the the frames HERE
Spring is coming and Florida is BEAUTIFUL!
I hope to see you soon,
Creatively yours,