Deep Dive and Shallows

I'm still really engrossed in my journey of exploring abstract art.  It's a totally new avenue for me, as those of you who have followed for a while will know.  For many years I painted coastal scenes, things and places you would recognise.

Some time last year I felt the call to try something new, to work in a looser style and yet I just couldn't commit to taking that leap, and so persevered with my familiar style.

Working like this, very much from the heart and soul is proving to be so revealing in many ways.  I am understanding how art really does have the capacity to create space in the mind, and to heal.

This piece is called Deep Dive, and it's an acrylic piece on a wooden panel.  I used a flow medium to make those glorious puddles of colour.

Much of this painting is led by intuition, I allow myself to be directed to colour, shape and pattern without trying to influence the outcome.

Shallows

Choosing to work with a minimal choice of colours, I built up many translucent layers of paint, it reminds me of staring into the shallows of the ocean, those beautiful turquoise shades, lilac and blue, and soft sandy tones.  I was really happy with this piece, and feel I'd like to explore this layered way of making art further.

Wanderlust and Tide Pools

Wanderlust

A feeling of adventure, of sea and sky, journey and landscape.

This piece has a gorgeous deep edge, so you could display this painting either freestanding, or hang on the wall.  I also like the serendipitous paint run down the side, how about you?

Tide Pool

Colours and movement of a tidal pool, fluctuations of seaweed undulating in the water and the surprise of marine life hiding in the shadows.

Painted on a deep edged white canvas, this piece is so utterly mesmerising.

What I'm learning as I create these pieces is that they come from somewhere deep within.  There is no expectation of any outcome as I paint, it's a journey of sorts - and each painting is a revelation, like a revealing of the soul.  Working intuitively with colour is both mindful and meditative, I am seeing that this work could be (and perhaps already is) deeply healing.

Shorelines

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Shoreline

I seem to be forever drawn to painting the sea, although recently I have crossed over from illustrative representational work to abstract work, this piece was created in acrylics with a flow medium, and I wanted to convey the feeling of movement and energy where the tide meets the shore.

Whenever we get the opportunity we love to go over to the Yorkshire coast, although it’s May here, temperatures had plummeted to just 5 degrees hence the winter coat...the views were worth it though, at both Bempton Cliffs RSPB and Scarborough.

The Shape of Water

 After a long absence, I'm back on my Blog.  I have decided to intersperse writing helpful tutorial, sharing advice and stories along with Journal type posts, sharing what I'm up to in the studio, with behind the scenes pictures, on a more regular basis.

Back in March, I hit a bit of a wall - you could call it a dark night of the soul if you wish because I stopped painting for weeks and weeks, and at times I honestly didn't know if I'd ever pick up a brush again.  Everything felt tired and done.  Did you ever feel that way about things you create?

It was a tough few weeks, I questioned where I was going in my business, and wondered who I was without art - was it even possible to imagine a life without it?  

If we resist these times of change though, it becomes harder - if we soften and allow ourselves to let go, we can get through the pain and journey through to the sweet new beginnings that await us on the other side.

I had no idea I would ever make art that looked this way.

My friend encouraged me to go back to the studio, and to just have fun.  I took her advice, found a wooden panel and played with my acrylics and some flow medium.

The piece at the top, which I created while thinking about the feeling of water was where it all began.  I discovered that I was enjoying the concept of making art for fun, using the theme of water to explore mark making, shapes and texture.

Painting this way is completely different from when I paint in an illustrative way.  I am allowing my deepest, subconscious feelings to manifest on paper.  I allowed myself to really immerse myself in the shape of water, the feeling of water and the energy and movement of it.  These pictures are the happy result.

I've been surprised by so many kind comments on my social media, I honestly wasn't expecting them.  In some ways I was nervous to share this new work, I think when you have worked in a certain way for so long, people come to expect that and this was a complete departure for me to suddenly be sharing abstracts.

I'm still curious to explore this more intuitive way of painting.

I've done a couple of new vlogs too, all about this process.  I shared about what happens when you fall out of love with your art (Episode 13) and what happened next (episode 14).  You can watch them over on my 

You Tube Channel here.