My Abstract Painting Process

It all starts with a little leftover paint. 

Whenever I’m working on a painting that requires a lot of finesse, I like to end the session by taking whatever paint is leftover on my palette and loosely slathering it on an old canvas. By the time I’ve finished the detailed painting, I typically end up with a solid base for an abstract painting. 

At that point, I quiet my mind, I tune into the layers of paint before me, I notice the shapes and the colors, and I allow them to evolve in my mind's eye. What feels like a natural evolution? Where does my brush naturally want to move? What colors are speaking to me right now? It’s a practice of tuning into subtleties.

And so, it is also a process of letting go. I let go of trying to manipulate the forms into preconceived ideas. I let go of my mind’s desire to control. I let go of needing to improve my skill. I let go of ideas of what my art is “supposed” to look like. I let go of who I think I am in order to see who I am take shape before my eyes. And I allow who I am to change from moment to moment. I struggle sometimes to let go, but this process helps to push me in that direction.

With this presence, it is inevitable that the emotions and the circumstances of my life come through in the art. Whether I realize it’s happening or not, I start to see my mind, body, and soul laid out before me. Sometimes it is strange, sometimes touching, and always beautiful, always evolving.

These paintings are extensions of my heart and soul made manifest through my body’s relationship with its surroundings.

This process serves as a reminder that I’m learning. There is no right or wrong when it comes to painting. And at any moment, I can choose to let go, to try a little less hard, and to just be.

And while this process came about naturally out of a desire to not waste paint, it has given me so much more than I bargained for. The more traditional painting styles and the abstracts influence each other in such an awesome way. The more skillful paintings teach me how to create more depth, better value, blending, and lighting. All of this carries over into abstract painting. With more techniques under my belt, I have more potential places to take my abstracts; it opens up a world of depth and possibility. 

The abstract process on the other hand encourages me to let go more often in my more traditional paintings, carving a pathway for them to become more expressive. 

And that expression is the key to my happiness throughout the creative process. The paint gives voice to that which cannot be well expressed in words alone. As someone who often struggles to express the depth in which I feel, this is an incredible gift. 

If you try out this leftover paint process, send me photos of your pieces! I would love to see them. I would also love to hear if this inspires you in any way. Art is love <3