Building an abstract is very different from painting my impressionist or even my contemporary artworks. The latter 2 always have something more representational in them. I’m easily inspired by the world around me, as well as within me. As I’ve frequently stated, I paint my life as it unfolds. I’m out walking the pups and see a landscape I must paint, I’m at a concert and paint the marquee, I’m at the heart doctor and begin a contemporary piece with nothing but a cardio rhythm and build off it. A tree is a tree and its before me. A symbol or character is easily identifiable, as well. My abstract work is me totally in the moment expressing my more organic, spontaneous & connected universal viewpoint. Here, I’m going to take you through my process in 9 steps. In a Shakespearian 7 ages of man kind a way. It’s become a repeated theme in my work over the years, in a piece entitled ‘Wild Abandon’ I expressed the idea in 3 stages, although it doesn’t end.
People frequently ask, “What are you thinking about when you paint these abstract artworks?” I usually respond with some variation of fractals & chaos, the dominant patterns , ‘Mandelbrot set’ and the chaotic detours that changes within them. How all these patterns, echo upon each of us, throughout all life and across the universe, as a meaning of life statement, revealed in art. In other words my abstracts represent the cyclical nature of of life, death, and the interconnectedness of all beings, all life, our mortality, and everything. A metaphor of sorts, where somethings emerge others recess, from time to time within the ubiquitous layers. We all add or own color and texture for a time, even when we die our color still exists, but may fade from the big picture within the greater tapestry, until a later time, or as in my paintings, when the quality of the light shifts. With that, my abstract artworks have no beginning or end, as with the continuous nature of life.
My process simplifies and revealed top left to right, on the 9 paneled square grid. #1 I tone the painting that will be a complimentary color. #2 I usually put a very textured layer of Titanium white down, each step created patterns that guide me #3 more color and texture are added #4 I break out all my tools and knock down and build up creating the overall aesthetic #5 I choose the colors and the placement of the focal area #6 oil pastel is laid in enhancing the color, texture and line #7 a bit of graffiti using ebony pencil is added, words & symbols #8 I determine where to put the dramatic high key area utilizing the existing patterns #9 the 18karat gold leaf is put in followed by the large charcoal stick marks. Each step is an ongoing assessment of patterns and messages, throwing in a bit of chaos for good measure. Sometimes the process in a couple weeks, others a couple months. Like I show & tell viewers as the ponder the meaning within each piece, the messages and what you see will change throughout a day, a week, a month , a year depending on the type and quality of the shifts in the light around it…it’s a bit of a mood ring, I say, followed by 10 years from now you’ll see something in it you never knew was there.
I’ve stated this thought in some form repeatedly as its my mantra, my world view. So then, I had this articulated thought & moment of clarity…WE, ALL LIFE, ARE ORGANIC ALGORITHMS RECOGNIZING MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS OF FRACTALS x CHAOS, MADE OF THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MATTER & ENERGY OF SYNCHRONICITY IN THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUSNESS OF THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM...stardust, be it named, the Universe, Absolute Reality, Divine Mind, Supreme Consciousness, or God.
Thanks, and as always your questions & comments are welcome,
Richard
At the oil pastel stage of building,
My process in 8 reveals.
‘Matrix’ 36”x36” mixed media