Part Two: The abstract class continued

In the abstract art class, our next assignment was to create something on a blank canvas based on whatever we were feeling in that moment. I have a really hard time with a blank white canvas in front of me. I remembered from art school that it helps to put a wash over the canvas so that it doesn’t seem like starting from a blank slate. I decided to do a blue-to-orange gradient because I love this color palette so much.

I ended up with another painting that has a garden-like feel to it, and I just leaned into it. I really love the way the paint mixes and the textures drip. I forced more drips because the result makes my soul sing. I added more messy dots and some white sparkling and crackling. My mom noticed that if it’s turned sideways, it looks like a beach, and it does!

In the Garden, acrylic, 16×20

I sent a photo of the painting to the teacher for feedback, and she suggested that I mix paints a little more rather than using the colors straight from the tubes. This was great advice, because I tend to be a little lazy using colors right from the tube. I just really love bright colors.

I tried a similar painting again with more paint mixing, and it is so much richer when other colors are mixed on the palette as opposed to straight from the tube. I love it! This one turned out quite different, though. I don’t have any paint drips, unfortunately. And the garden vibe is turning into something else. Now it might be sound waves, like a beautiful song that only the wise can hear.

I’m a little behind on the class; it’s time to catch up and do some more acrylic paintings!

Have you ever taken a painting class or art class as an adult?

A Wave of Sound, acrylic, 16×20