I have framed drawings for many years but not ever my paintings. I've always thought that painting around the sides with a continuation of the lines and colors of the painting was the best way to finish my work. Last week I finally framed a painting and to my surprise, I love it. I am more pleased with the look than I had expected. What has always worked in the past is not always the best way of doing something. I'm working on being more flexible.
Let it flow
Today was a warm day with no wind and I happened to have a huge cardboard box. So it was definitely a day to experiment. Water, acrylics, ink, sticks and leaves lay on the ground waiting for the fun to begin. After some pouring, adjusting and readjusting of the canvases, letting things dry and pouring some more, I was surprised with what took place on my canvases. The sunlight peaked through the trees and helped me embrace the freedom to just play. Then it was time to head into the studio for some exploration of shapes. It took me some time to see what was there and what could be pulled out and highlighted with details. Intuition and a need for visual balance with forms and color lead to the larger painting becoming more whimsical. I wanted to create more visual interest without loosing the movement.
The paint and inks on the two small canvases took on a movement that I did not want to disturb. All they needed was a small amount of cleaning up.
Here is the result of a day at play.
