Would you paint an abstraction? A lesson in unleashing your inner Fearless Artist.

Sometimes I like to be a little representational when I paint and sometimes I like to live on the wild side and be abstract!

Have you ever felt like unleashing your inner artist and painting some non representational art? 

Well here is your chance to learn first hand how easy it is to have some fun with abstraction!

Read on and join me today as I show you how to paint with your imagination.

First I start by prepping the materials that I am going to use in my painting. Let's spread some  water color ground, which is a gesso type product that will allow me to paint on a canvas using my water media pouring techniques.

French curves are used to create abstract shapes.

You are going to love how easy it is for me to start my abstract creations!

I lay out a bunch of objects on my painting surface and then....just like when I was a kid begin to trace around the objects that are scattered across my canvas. 

An abstract is born!

In the picture above you can see the shapes left from tracing my french curves in a variety of ways all over the surface

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Anything can be used to create a design!

I will use all sorts of objects to create an abstract "landscape" even lace!

Below you can see how I paint my "friskit" over specific areas that I want to protect & remain  white or lighter regions of the canvas. 

Let the fun begin with color. Here I have added a poured wash of transparent watercolor over the canvas surface.

 You can just begin to see some of the patterns that I have created inside of my larger traced shapes by painting the "friskit" in stripes, squares and diagonal shapes.

Time to pour a second layer of transparent watercolor

Watch more about my pouring techniques on YouTube in the artist's video : 

 The Fearless Painter's pouring techniques

Each poured layer of paint allows me to create a series of values from lights to darks which will create form, pattern and a unique abstract composition.

After 4 or 5 separate pours of paint I let my canvas dry.Then I remove the "friskit" by rubbing it off with a square "friskit" remover, which you can see photographed above.

Are you thinking my painting is done?  

Not quite....but you can see now how I have been incorporating a free & fun use of tracing , finger painting and pouring watercolors. You can also see how I have used the "friskit" and created patterns inside of the larger shapes. I now have the start of an unusual abstract imagery.

Yes you can create an abstract like this also!

Time to grab my brushes and pull out my fluid acrylic paints. My visual goal is to start working to bring out a center of interest in my composition. 

I will accomplish this goal by painting over specific areas with cool colors to tone them down 

and with the use of bright warm hues; I will work to bring other regions of the painting forward.

Here is the finished painting:

"FULL SAIL" © 2013 30 x 24 mixed media on canvas

Come see this painting at the 125th anniversary of the National Association of Women Artist's members exhibition at the Sylvia Wald & Po Kim Gallery October 3 - 30 ,2014 . 

The opening reception will be on Thursday Oct. 9 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The gallery address is at 
417 Lafayette st. - 4th floor New York.

Learn more about how to paint Fearlessly in my Fearless Painting Art Classes. 

Until next time my friends....have fun creating your own abstract paintings. Feel free leave me a comment or ask a question about the techniques I wrote of in this week's blog.