Journey Into Abstraction

What is a painting?

Essentially, a painting is a creation that involves paint, tools (most commonly brushes, but other tools as well), a surface; as well as the artist’s hand, eye, and mind. Arguably, a painting also involves the viewer’s mind as well, because it’s effect varies depending on who is looking at it, and the experiences and knowledge they bring with them. But regardless- it could still be thought of as ‘a painting’ no matter who is looking at it. With representational art (or ‘realism’), the focus becomes the control of the artist’s mind over her hand, tool, and medium. She strives to replicate a scene that she sees in absolute detail…. in essence, she is copying (visually) something that exists in the world.

But, a painting can be more than that. Just as the world is much more than what we see, painting can evoke a much wider range of reactions within us than simply awe at the artist’s ability to copy, or at the copied scene itself.

Paint has it’s own qualities that are worthy of exploration, our bodies are full of energy and movement; and our minds can comprehend a vast spectrum of experiences including emotions, dreams and spirituality. Through giving ourselves more freedom as artists, we can explore what happens when we loosen our hand, let our arm and body be involved in the mark-making process… give the paint more freedom: to flow, to drip, to make a hard line or soft. To see what happens when we make marks with different tools: scratches, scrapes, pushes and pulls. We ask: what happens when we try different colours up against each other, or when we combine a field of colour with a simple line, for example.

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In this way we seek to broaden the human experience, to break open the strict boundaries and parameters we sometimes (oftentimes?) put on ourselves. Our experience of life can easily become limited to our daily schedule, and about the things we absorb online: words, photographs, videos. I think our emotional and spiritual, (and even physical), worlds can become very stunted if we are not aware or being careful to nurture them.

Many people claim that abstract art is too intellectual, too cerebral... but I disagree. If we tap into our physicality, and our emotions, we can read a great deal into abstract art without needing to know the history of art and of the artist themselves (though that can definitely help)! First, and easiest of all, we can ask: how does this piece make us feel? Is it dark, or light, or is there an interplay between the two? Is it bright or subdued? Does it give the viewer lines to follow, or is it more soft and subtle? We think about the artist themselves and how they might have physically created this piece- are there visible brushstrokes? Are they small and tight, or more free and open? What action were they doing to make that mark? What state of mind might they have been in, and does it reflect our own in any way? Does the piece make us want to cry…, or dance?

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In my own work I strive to find a balance between all of the elements that make up a painting. It’s like a dance between the paint, the brush, my hand and my mind. I want the painting to have life, but also a sense of harmony. I’m working on finding freedom and balance in my own body and mind, and that becomes reflected on the canvas. Each work is a point on my journey towards getting that balance right. It’s also a way for me to explore the nature of my relationship with the world around me, to push the boundaries of what it means to be a human being… a single consciousness that is part of the mystery and miracle that is life on Earth.

I’ve been drawn to painting and image making since I was a little girl. It was a way for me to better express myself than I was able to verbally. My experience is emotional, physical, and cerebral- and painting can be all of those things.

'Scoop'