Angelia Goes Abstract

This post was still living in my drafts, but I thought even though January is long gone, I would share what I did with the first 30 days of 2010!

"Perception of Power"

I love January. January is about new beginnings and new possibilities. This January, I discovered new possibilities in going abstract!

I made a trip to my local Pat Catan's craft store and bought a 11" x 15" Canson 90lb watercolor pad, a couple tubes of acrylic in lucsious colors I couldn't resist, and a couple canvases. I could hardly wait to get home to pull my treasures out the bag and get

started.
There's something to be said for even the ritual of preparing to paint. My winter painting area is actually in my living room. ( I have a beautiful studio but can't afford to heat it in the winter - but that's another blog post.) I carefully cover my work service - a large, walnut writing desk purchased years ago at an antique shop, with a plastic tablecloth and begin gathering the essentials for a successful session. These items include a mug of rinse water, assorted brushes, a bottled water and a mug of coffee, and my cell phone.

Having gathered all the necessities, I'm ready to find something interesting to listen to via my laptop. Usually it's music although sometimes I will listen to lectures. After I finish with that, I address my blank support. I rub my hands across the surface in a subconscious effort to "connect" with the paper. Then I look through my paint and the 3 or 4 colors that "speak to me" are pulled from the group and placed on the table.

                                                                                                                                 "Sins of the Father"

Something exciting happened this year, though.

Instead of taking the usual route of selecting a brush, I dipped the fingertips of both hands into my water and gently began moving them around my paper to moisten the surface. Before I knew it, I was compelled to put paint directly onto my fingers and paper and let art totally create itself from my subconscious. 

Using this method to paint is extremely satisfying  and I highly recommend giving it a try.  It's much like finger painting and is a great way to reawaken the
imagination and get out of a rut.  I think you might be surprised at the spectacular images living just inside your subconsious mind.