Grid Again

Working with a grid again and very high-key values. I have tried this as a horizontal and verticle diptych, and I think I like the verticle best. I am enjoying the scratching through the paint and using one overall color with little value changes.

Grid

I keep going back to the grid; I guess I really like working with one. This painting is another one that I say is "Notes to Myself" as I actually write notes to myself and make some marks and symbols and then start covering up. It keeps me from having any recognizable form in the painting. Fun!

Concentration of Design Elements

Here I am working with color and texture as the emphasis for the painting. I am making my goal this year to finish all unfinished paintings/drawings or throw them away. Many of my paintings are about horizons and landscapes, but I am trying to make them more abstract than in the past. Concentrating on one or two design elements seems to help with that.

Meaning

A college painting instructor told me that abstract/non-objective work does not need to have any meaning, and I have learned to appreciate the energy of a work of art. But - for me I think I still need a meaning, whether it be an image that I see in the painting or the concept that I was working with. Maybe that is the conceptual approach to non-objective art, not just energy but also the thought. Some works go quickly and some take forever; this one which I call "Everything Under the Sun" went quickly, and I think I am satisfied with it and it is finished.

Working with a Grid, Again

I am working with a grid again and am planning to add a third painting to this diptych to make a triptych. I call these paintings "Just Fun" which is what they are. I like working this way, and I like working with 12 x 12" canvas and making a triptych 12 x 36"; so it is "just fun" for me.

Painting from Photo

Here is the painting I am doing with the previous photo as inspiration. I loved the scene that had almost no visible horizon line but I didn't want the painting to be quite as dark as the photo so I lightened it up and added a little color.

Another Photo to Paint

Here is another photo that I took at the beach last week. It was first thing in the morning, and there was really no visible horizon line. It is, not unusual for it to be very cloudy and overcast at the beach in the early morning, soon to burn off when the sun starts coming out. Since I have been working on a series of Horizons in my paintings, I thought this was a perfect addition - a barely visible horizon line. Also, I loved the bright white spot on the water. I will post a picture of the painting when done.