Kind of a dark title, but that is how this piece came out.
I created it by first putting down light acrylic colors that I then stroked with a sharpened piece of bamboo. Once it was mostly dried, I applied ink splatters and water, allowing it to run and blend more or less on its own.
Prints available here
I started this piece with an idea from a recent New Yorker article on the artist Mark Bradford. What Mark often does is build up multiple layers of paint, often ending on top with a layer of white, and then scrapes the top layer or layers off with various instruments. He also uses collage to create other effects.
For this piece, I put down different colors and patterns on a couple of Photoshop layers. On top of those, I created a solid white layer. Then I masked that layer and started “digging through” the mask using various shapes, lines, and patterns. My initial idea was to do it all with rectangles, but in the middle, I thought it would be more interesting using other shapes and patterns. And in many places, the top layer was made partly transparent, so elements of the underlying layers only partly came through.n Toward the end, I added arcs and other lines on top of everything.
Prints and other fun stuff here.
This image was created entirely in Photoshop, but the process was much like that of abstracts I have made using paint and ink. In both cases, the idea was to start with an interesting shape or effect and then add to it (or take away) in an intuitive way. In the end, the exercise is a much about the process of discovery as it is about creating a pleasing image. Of course, the creation of something attractive is at the heart of how most people understand art, but sometimes one’s intuition doesn’t lead to that result. In such cases, the response should not be to discount one’s intuition and try to force an effect, but to trust the process and stick with it.
Paper, canvas, and metal prints available here
Another in the series. Beginning to use red to lend vibrancy to these pieces.
Paper, metallic, and canvas prints available here.
Another in a series inspired by Asian art. I created three counterpoints in this piece. In terms of the composition, there are back to front and side to side elements. The third counterpoint is between the monochrome gray/black and the splash of red. In putting all of these elements into the image, I hoped to use broad, simple strokes to create a rather complex and engaging image.
Standard prints, canvas, metallic, and other options available here
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