Tuscan abstracted

[MurrayG]

Hi, one of the dailies that was not binned today. 2.5x3.5 on card, Rembrandt's.
The search continues for meaning ...
This reaaallly goes against my grain, often I see minimalist in markets and cringe, but I am discovering things that may lead to something useful. The "inspiration" comes a stock photo of Tuscany, an earlier 8x9 hinted at a direction.

To put you in the/my frame, here is yesterday's ATC

Where am I going with this !!!

 

[Terri]

Wherever it's taking you, keep going! These are lovely.

 

[PaintBoss]

Murray success! Both of those are little beauties. Boy they have a lovely look and feel about them. It’s gorgeous, you’re loosening up. Boy there’s a lot of artist expressiveness that’s very engaging. The first with the fields they look a little hypnotic and I’ve seen that in the fields in big sky country with the crop. That last smear of white for the cloud is a chef’s kiss. Really makes the piece!
I think your second piece is done. Don’t touch it! It’s gorgeous. Oh my goodness it has a feel in the fields that I love driving by or walking in. You’ve also captured the light and nature wheat I’ve seen in the field. This reminds me of some of the master’s works. You have conveyed the scene with expressiveness, and with an apparent ease to the viewer (even if you worked a lot behind the scenes). You have created an immediacy that a lot of us struggle to get. Oh, we can work things down to find detail, but it’s tight. And we lose some of the magic. You’ve got light and air and movement and all that going on. You did not work it to death. Love love, love.

 

[MurrayG]

Hi Paintboss and Terri, thank you so much for your thoughts. The second ATC is kind of my "style" , but the daily series is making me look for inspiration.... Not easy just now.
I feel like the "abstractions" are too simplistic, when I see this style I feel it's "slapdash".
BUT it is teaching me something!!!
I feel at home with the impressionists, but have found some abstracted realists that in a way echo the style. I'm going to try some gouache studies for simplicity.
Thank you for the encouragement!

 

[Donna T]

Keep going with the abstracts, Murray! They really do teach you so much that you can apply to all of your work. Simplification can be a very good thing. It kind of forces you to pay much more attention to your composition and how the shapes are interacting. I wish I had started with abstraction and then moved on to representation. Your style will come through no matter what.

 

[PaintBoss]

I agree. There’s beauty in both. And it teaches you a lot and I like to go between representation and abstract. I find it’s good for me.

 

[Bartc]

Here's an exercise for ya, Murray: Try painting the least amount of lines or splotches that reads to your eye as a landscape. Like Zen painting. I'm not being a wiseguy. It's a real exercise.

 

[MurrayG]

Hi Bart, ok, thanks for the hint.

 

[Bartc]

Hi Bart, ok, thanks for the hint.

And don't feel compelled to totally fill the canvas either.

Not to hijack your thread. Here are a couple for example:

 

[MurrayG]

Hi Bart, no problems, all suggestions gratefully received. I do tinker with what I call sketches similar in form. They help. What I am trying for now, is a "finished" piece where I can see that I am not reproducing the same thing.... Hard to explain, we each have an evolving style, and I like (mostly) my take on impressionism, but know very well I am limited by my expertise and experience. This series is not easy as I feel I run out of ideas, so I have to try new stuff.... Each daily is meant to be a stand alone, framed or not. If I don't feel it's finished, it gives me an excuse to cop out, does that make sense.
Thanks heaps for your support!!