Go Bold when plans go awry

When plans go AWry

Go bold or go home!  Especially, when studio plans go awry!

Take the Abundance Series, for example. Assuredly, I did not want ‘Quickening’ and ‘Abounding’ to be simple imitations of Hoo Hah and Ruckus, their inspiring works. Nonetheless, after a week or so they seemed to be doing just that.

‘Abounding’

Introduced design elements

Thereupon, I added checkerboard design into the mix. Borrowed from Hoo Hah and Hubbub from my earlier Hurly Burly series, I used this pattern to add direction and movement to my new works.

Following this, zig-zag lines from Ruckus morphed into a tiny mountain-like range in ‘Abounding’. Eventually, stripes and checkerboards emerged all over ‘Abounding’. Afterwards, I focussed on the woven ribbon motif.

Played with dimensionality and values

Then I added more dimensionality. Consequently, earlier lines became deep crevices that contained billowing woven shapes. Next, I experimented with the light and darkness peeking from behind the mass of ribbons. Broad purple ribbons and Cadmium yellow ribbons grew predominant along side warm and cool yellow, blue, orange, and green.

‘Quickening’

Identifiable shapes developed

‘Quickening’ proved much more challenging. Developing bird like shapes proved to be a dilemma in that I didn’t want a recognisable object to emerge. Studio visitors remarked that the shapes looked like surfboards and other things. Apparently, our brains can’t help but automatically seek the familiar.

Dreaded snippety mountains

Soon, snippety mountain-like shapes developed. I did not like them. At all! Therefore, I embraced that the work, indeed, would be an abstract landscape. I had many more works I wanted to complete, so I pushed on.

Accordingly, I covered the dreaded snippety mountains with broad light lavender stripes. Next, a dawning sky developed with light lemon stripes over the previous dull grey-blue stripes. Tentatively, purple blocks in the right sky gave a sense of a beautiful dawn.Thus, the unloved mountains slowly receded.

Minty Mountains

Next, I overlaid mint green on the mid-ground mountain area. Further, to enhance aerial perspective, I placed warm dark green in the foreground. I was starting to enjoy the developments.

Go Bold or Go Home, again!

Then, I added a “go bold or go home” mark by outlining the birds, now definitely birds in my mind, with a dark earthy colour.

Oh no! Had I ruined the work?

Regained composure

Consequently, I took a break for two weeks. With composure regained I painted dark coloured stripes onto the birds. Afterwards, I wove in darker colours, followed by contrasting colour weavings.

Summer Break at Christmas

Then, I put away both works and closed the studio for the summer. I hoped that a long break would bring new revelations for finishing the works. Click here to find out how taking a break can improve your time in the studio.

New year in the studio

Indeed, on return to the studio in early February, I determined that the best thing to do for ‘Abounding’ was to continue intensifying values to give a better sense of dimensionality.

For ‘Quickening’, I simply pushed on by weaving new colours onto what was already on the bird shapes.

Two more ‘Go Bold’ marks

In early March, moreover, I added a second “bold” mark by painting a horizontal red line that connected all the bird shapes.

Furthermore, a couple of days later I added a third ‘bold mark’.  I lived with it for five days before using it to build a dark coloured picture frame pattern. This allowed previous layers to peak through, but gave needed strength and contrast to the foreground. Click here to read further about my ”go bold or go home” adventures.

The finish line

Next, I outlined the weaving on the birds bring focus to them. Meanwhile, I simply pushed values and contrast. I carried on in this manner until the end of March. Finally, I mustered enough courage to add a bright red line to the fore mountains and the distant mountains.

After several days of living with both works in my dining room on my vintage lockers I was confident both works were complete.

They’ve lived on my studio shelves for the past few months whilst I’ve worked on new series. Moreover, visitors to my studio really like them. So do I.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, works going awry in the studio is exactly what I need.  Moreover, it tis the season of unabashed exploration in the studio. This kind of studio flail sometimes feels unnerving, indeed. Nonetheless, I’ve recognised that, with a lot of effort,  plans that don’t go as planned can be my best creative ally.