Colección: DISCOMBOBULATIONS
People ask me why I do Abstract paintings as well as figurative and mixed media paintings. The answer is this. Abstract art has become an essential tool in remaining somewhat sane in this world and they are great for breaking free from routines or patterns blocking creative flow.
When my mind gets overwhelmed by seemingly random subconscious waves of thoughts brought on by day to day events, news, media, or a destructive repeating sequences of unreal imagined interactions. When something I love to do becomes difficult for too long, I will stop what I am working on and pull out a blank canvas and start auto painting with whatever colors are left on the pallet. The act of boldly yanking a canvas out and throwing paint on it acts to discombobulate mental and physical states or patterns to redirect the thought process to something more comfortable, in alignment with energy I wish to express rather than the letting negative energy expressed by others like outrage profiteers online—not to mention the people willing to post negative comments on your work who do it for no other reason. The older I get the more I realize how destructive the regular ongoing exposure is.
Once the discombobulation has occurred I focus on the elements of the act of painting. It becomes easier to feel of the brush in my hand, feel the paint as it is moved across the canvas through the brush in my hand. Soon a smile creeps in, adjust the audio a bit and take a moment to enjoy it and be thankful for the opportunity while you immerse in the sounds, the beat and rhythm.
Time to take a few deep long breaths and now pull out specific colors purely on how they make you feel. Clean the brush, hand or tool of choice and move back toward the painting that has yet to take any shape. I find my knees loosen and the rhythm takes hold and strokes of determined color hit the canvas in time with the beat. Soon I am contemplating the joy of life and how fortunate I am. Many times this is when I begin to work out concepts for figurative conceptual paintings. A sketchbook or a stick in the dirt will accomplish the same thing.
I have since learned of a simple technique for anyone to discombobulate negative or critical thought spirals. Take a moment to sit quietly and close your eyes. Hold up your hand and focus on the feeling the surface of your palm, take note of how it feels. The focus your feelings on the bones of your hand and take notice of how it feels different that the palm. The focus on the back of your hand and take notice of how it feels with tiny hair sensors detecting the atmosphere, how it is decidedly different that the palm or the bones. Notice the difference between temperature and something that almost seems like magnetism.
