How do you feel about abstract art? Love it or hate it? Maybe you're somewhat intrigued by it but you're not sure why?

Think of some of the most famous and loved artworks, like Van Gogh's landscapes, Degas' ballerinas, or Monet's water lilies. There is a reason why this work is so well-known. These artists were genius at color harmony and composition, among other elements of design. They knew how to structure a painting that was central to its compelling success. 

Have you ever thought that the reason those famous works are famous is because those paintings have a compelling abstract pattern? The structural pattern is the strength of it. I know Monet was using those water lilies as his inspiration...he used the colors and textures as a starting point, and he used his knowledge of design and composition to compose the paintings. He knew where to quiet down a color, and where to increase the darkness of a passage, and how to use open space so your eye can rest. 

One of my mentors, David Michael Slonim, says abstract art is like music without lyrics. Isn't that a great way to think about abstract art? It's like jazz music (Miles Davis... Bill Evans...favorites of mine). There is structure to the music, but also freedom and much expression. Without that structure, however, there would not be as much room for the freedom of expression. Creativity thrives within constraints. This is another concept that I think about all the time. Just like a great chef would not use every spice available for that delectable entree, an artist does not use every color on the color wheel. Color is just one constraint, but I'll not go into all of that!

The only real difference between good abstract art and good representational art is that abstract doesn't have the details (like music without lyrics).  A circle can be an orange in a Cezanne painting. A rectangle can be a house in a Van Gogh landscape. A dark mass can be the night sky. A bunch of 'random' energetic lines can be water reflecting trees and sky. Are you getting the idea?

It can take a long time to appreciate abstract art. I painted dogs, horses, and landscapes for more than a decade before I was interested in even considering abstract. I had been painting 'things' for so long, and I was feeling dead in those works. I wanted to paint differently...to paint more expressively, from within the depths of my soul. I was not achieving that anymore in what I was doing. David helped me to see what was possible in abstract painting. I can paint from my heart now. I work hard at my painting, and I continually study and meet with my critique groups so I don't get stale. But who is to say I will never paint horses and dogs again? I really have little control over that. For now, I'm painting abstractly, but also with the essence of nature. Many of my recent works are based on nature's shapes and colors. How fun it is to start with an idea and go with it, not expecting a certain outcome until I feel and know in me that it is finished and ready to be seen. 

What I love about abstract art the most is the challenge it takes to see a painting all the way through, and not to give up because it's a hard process. But the absolute best is when someone else connects on a heart-level with my work. 

Do you have a favorite abstract painting? I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading. Cheers ~

Heidi

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* The photos in this blog post are from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in 2018. We were visiting our good friends, and I got to see with my own eyes, "Salut Tom," the monumental 4-part piece by Joan Mitchell, one of my art heroes.