Mini-Collage Series

Here is a fun little exercise I do to get in the mode of working fluidly, without hesitation or angst. It is really simple, but the key is to do it in quantity. I make these little cut-paper collages on 4.5"x6" pieces of bristol. Each collage has three shapes in three different colors.

After I have made loads of them, I crop some of them, and add a little line and pattern detail. It is fun, relaxing, and gets me out of thinking mode and into a visual groove.

I will be offering an online class on the Mini-Collage, but for now, here is an overview of the process:

Here are some of the little collage pieces:

Thanks for visiting!

Painting Stripes

Here is a little bit of thinking out loud while I paint stripes.

I've been asked a few times if I would be teaching a workshop on stripes, but for now I'm just offering a little window into my own process. I'm not sure what people want to learn when they say they want me to teach a workshop on painting stripes. There aren't any tricks or special techniques involved, and it is a very slow process. Hope you enjoy!

No, It's Not Finished, and Yes, It's Too Busy

The two questions I get most frequently when asked to comment on someone's work are:

Is it finished?

and

Is it too busy?

The answers are NO and YES, respectively. If you have to ask, then it is not finished. Only you can say when your piece is finished. It has to speak to you, the artist, to qualify as a genuine expression of you. What counts as finished for me may not be finished for you, and vice versa.  Is it too busy? Again, if you have to ask, then it is.

Which is not to say that you don't need occasional feedback or direction from either a teacher or another artist. It is very useful and eye-opening to get someone else's take on your work. Here are a couple of ways you might re-frame the questions in a way that may elicit more useful answers:

What do you see?
Can you suggest a couple of ways I might move forward on this piece?
What stands out to you the most?

If the person says "Don't touch it; it's finished", then put it aside (out of your visual field) and look at it the next day with (your own) fresh eyes.

But don't ask the questions until you have worked on the piece over some time, come back to it with fresh eyes, and done your own looking, seeing, making decisions. It is YOUR art, and you are the only one who can really discover what that is. The discovering is an ongoing process.

For more on seeing, observing, your own work, see my book,

"Abstract Painting:  The Elements of  visual Language".  

New Stripes Available as Prints and Products

I delivered a batch of my new Stripes paintings to Edgewater Gallery last week, where they will be on view and for sale later this month. Meanwhile, you can see them, and purchase prints and products, on Pixels/Fine Art America.

Deep Dive #1 18x24" acrylic on panel

Deep Dive #2, 24x24" acrylic on panel

Stitched Together #1, 20x20" acrylic on canvas

Stitched Together #2, 18x24" acrylic on panel

Stitched Together, 18x24" acrylic on panel

Stitched Together #4, 18x24" acrylic on panel

Stitched Together #5, 24x24" acrylic and collage on panel