Understanding abstract art – Part 16
December 8, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Understanding any art form of expression must first start with the observer opening themselves up.Coming to art with a closed mind leaves you with a limited sense of perception. As for abstract art sometimes we try to look to deeply into what the artist was trying to express.Unless the artist themselves makes a statement about the work of art we must approach it for what it says to us.
Art is made up of lines, shapes, forms, and color arranged in a composition within limited space. When we look at a painting how does it touch our emotions. Do we sense tension,anger,peace,balance, or even love. The art is only a portal to draw the observer in. Look at the colors and how are they applied. We may see reds and black plotted on the canvas in a harsh jagged manner.This may bring about feelings of rage, anger, or violence. A painting with smooth flowing lines of blue may make us feel tranquil and at peace. Colors have been shown to evoke emotions and feelings but this may be centered on the individual and his past experiences.Life is a continual learning process.
As we mature and learn about the world around us we are are in a constant state of evolution. Thus when we observe an abstract painting ten years prior to the present we may have concluded a completely different interpretation as we do in the present. Even a painting by a realist may be seen differently from one to another. Art can be appreciated at different levels. It may be judged on execution, style, expression, and communication to name a few. For most of us it is the expressiveness and what it communicates to us. Few of us are art critics or teachers. So when you look at an abstract do not be to critical.Accept it for what it says to you and how you feel.No artist paints to be liked and understood by everyone. We can though, appreciate an abstract painting for the mere fact than the artist showed us a part of himself, his emotions and feelings in an every changing world.
Understanding abstract art – Part 6
October 29, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Abstract & Cubism
Abstract art, like any art, should not be “explained” as a how-to. Appreciating art is as far from a skill or craft as you can get. Each person has the ability to understand a work of art- even if their only understanding is whether they like to look at it or not.
People I have met who have not studied art at all often tell me they don’t know when I ask them what they think of an artwork. I tell them that it’s okay to not like it, even if they don’t know why. Visual imagery is a very powerful tool in our moods and our daily lives. Even simple colors effect how we feel without our knowing it. Think of advertising, where fast music and bright colors make you feel energetic. Dark images and slow music lend to mystery or solemn memories. Images and colors are understood on a basic instinctual level. An abstract level, you might say.
I am an artist, and I generally paint abstract paintings. I also enjoy some combination between abstract and figurative- basically people/ figures, and shapes and colors all mixed in together. I think abstract art is powerful because it can convey thoughts and feelings, ideas, evoke emotions. Anyone who has ever seen a picture of something and done a double-take, or stopped, or gone back and stood in front of it for even a few seconds, has appreciated art. If an image is powerful enough to get and hold your attention, it has done its job. The reason that Abstract Art can have a little more power is that it is not an attempt to “feed” you an idea through a recognizable common image. Abstract art gives you, the viewer, control over what you make of it.
When I paint using many bright colors and shapes and movement, I am painting my feelings at that time. I am painting the way I am seeing the world at that moment. When you walk over and look at that painting, you automatically project your current emotion, thought, feeling onto mine. You will react based on your own personal perspective. If you show twenty people a picture of a horse, they’ll all “see” a horse. If you put an abstract image up, you will likely get twenty different responses according to what they drew form the image. I refer you to the Rorschach Inkblot tests. It’s all relative.
I think that, essentially, is the main draw, for me at least, of abstract art. Each and every person will get a different experience out of each image. That is how art should be, a personal experience that can also be shared.
A Wonderful Gift: the Plum Tree Painting
August 20, 2009 by Portrait Painter
Filed under Landscapes
The plum tree painting is one of the best gifts one can get or receive. Available at online galleries on oil canvases this kind of painting can be found in two, three, four and five panels oil painting. The painting can be the tree itself, a detailed blossomed branch or the tree with a wonderful sunset. No matter what the painting focuses on it will bring out a range of emotions in each viewer. The oil paintings made on panels seem to be the winners of today’s world.
A multiple panels oil painting is first of all a wonderful painting and then it is a form of art in itself through the way the panels can be arranged. The panels in themselves are pieces of wood or other board supports available in different sizes. Painting can be done with different kinds of paints but each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. One of the most preferred types of painting is the oil painting. This however can be very laborious and one has to be sure each layer is dried before painting another new one. However with today’s research more and more methods of painting were developed and even oil painting became a pleasant way of painting. Though there is a lot of work with an oil painting, especially a multiple panels oil painting; the results are most of the time very effective.
A plum tree painting involves drawing, composition and other artistic considerations. A plum tree can be included in still life painting, landscape painting, abstract painting and even symbolic painting. Bright color oil painting will also brighten the room and provide an outstanding way of decorating the interior of your house. The paintings can also be done with acrylic paint. The difference between oil paintings and acrylic paintings is the drying time. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on the way the paint is modified the final result can look a lot like an oil painting and yet be done with acrylic paint. Selecting the type of painting for a canvas depends mostly on the artist, but a lot of artists use both acrylic and oil paints. Also important in choosing the kind of paint is the technique the artist is using for creating a certain painting.
You can find oil paintings at online galleries at very affordable prices. They come in different sizes and shapes. Also most of the online galleries offer secure ways for payments. You can pay with credit cards or through PayPal and some accept even money orders and checks. The delivery time varies depending where and how you want your painting shipped. So if the painting is a gift you should make sure you order it about a month ahead. For international shipping the time is usually shorter because most of the places use couriers, but it is also a little bit more expensive. Nonetheless the painting and the shipping will still give you an affordable price, one worth paying to see the joy in your friends’ eyes or to decorate your living room walls. With the new oil paintings that come in single or multiple panels you can have extremely pleasing art at very affordable prices. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars for a painting just to make your house more welcoming.