Abstract painting

I'm going to share something a bit different today. I've been developing several story projects, which is very exciting, but very draining on creative energies. To combat that brain drain, I've found myself being drawn to forms of abstract painting. For me, abstract painting is about the act of guiding the paint rather than controlling it. There are still some decisions to make, but allowing the colors to mix and spread on their own is my main focus. And when you're knee deep in decisions about character, story structure, themes, and the like, it feels wonderful to sit back and let the paint do its thing.

(Watercolor washes I used for a project)

I have this huge canvas from college that I painted over and started working on. Right now, it sort of reminds me of a cluster of plants or flowers, but that might change.

I love the paths that oil paint takes when it's thinned down. It's like dozens of tiny rivers, all meandering and mixing together.

Abstract painting is kind of a subjective topic and I don't pretend to be an expert on it. These paintings may not mean much to other people, nor will they ever be grand and important masterpieces. But that's ok. For me, they are an act of letting go, of sitting back and observing, of embracing happy accidents. And if that's all they end up being, that's enough.

onward and upward,
Bethany