Notes From Straw Mountain Studio: January 2013

Saturday, January 26, 2013

It Must be Time for a Process Post!

I thought it might be time to invite you back into the studio for a short picture tutorial on how my abstract paintings actually come to life

This painting will have a finished size of about 12" X 12". Since I need a 3-inch border all around to wrap around the gallery stretchers, I drew some grid lines to just remind me where the image area should be.

These are the tools I use most often to move the paint around on the canvas. I seldom use any brushes as I prefer wood sticks, sponges, scrapers, flexible plastic edges, palette knives and a block sander

These are my larger cans of paint...

...and these are SOME of my smaller paints.

I began by putting down two colors.....

...followed by two more colors, blending them while still wet. This gives a nice depth to the background.

This was done with a sponge....

I continued by adding some modeling paste in the center which gives it a nice raised texture, as well as a focal point.

Then I just let my mind wander around in the painting, adding some features, adding paint, removing paint, just playing with the image.

The last step was to add some black ink lines to define the areas of paint. This may or may not be finished. I usually let a piece rest for several days, walking around it and looking at it, until I pronounce it finished. If it holds true by that time, I will title it "Genesis".