cjh abstracts newsletter, issue 2

Issue 2

Abstract Expressionism, The “Chick Factor”: Lee Krasner

Lee Krasner (1908 – 1984), wife of Jackson Pollock, was relegated to the background while he was alive. She, however, was a formidable abstract artist in her own right. She studied under the tutelage of Hans Hoffman at  the National Academy of Design in New York, NY.

One of my personal favorites is Noon, 1947. This piece is very action-oriented; you can almost feel the energy of the people bustling around New York City.

While highly self-critical (her final catalog includes only about 600 works; many works were discarded or re-done), she and Pollock enjoyed mutual support during their lives together.

Krasner will remain one of the pioneers of the abstract expressionist movement.

Featured Artist: Cliff Warner, UK

Cliff Warner is one of those people I was fortunate enough to “stumble upon” in Facebook.

I was viewing some great art in a Facebook art group and came across one of his many inspired creations. Wanting to see more, I sent him a friend request. I have been enjoying his work ever since.

A little about Cliff: he completed a foundation course in art at North Staffs Polytechnic UK, which lead to a B.A. in Fine Art Painting at Liverpool Polytechnic.

Cliff’s inspiration for figurative art came originally from drawing and painting different life models. His reason for specializing in figurative art “was simply discovering how vast a subject figuration is; both historically [e.g. classical subject matter] and in its interpretation. He find[s] the figure to be a very versatile vehicle in expressing representational/abstract/expressionistic/impressionistic ideas, etc., through the use of different media.”

Some of his work tends to convey a meditative/ethereal and reflective ambiance, which are inspired by a personal spiritual guidance underlying the creative process. Other works are inspired by interests in the art of dance and jazz.

Cliff’s paintings draw from many influences, especially Renaissance art work and more Modernist work by artists such as Balthus, Mattise, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiel. These different influences are reflected in the various styles and ideas he uses.

As for his technique, he sometimes starts with painting a basic composition and then applying standard soft pastel which he grinds up and applies with tissue paper, which creates an ethereal effect. Sometimes he uses a very soft pencil to give a more detailed effect. On more standard acrylic paintings that are almost completed, he usually applies a small amount of charcoal or conte crayon which is then smudged.

I encourage you to experience some of Cliff’s magic for yourself.

What I’ve Been Up to Lately:

The Painting Experience Workshop

I had a great time at the Painting Experience workshop. I had some apprehension prior to the workshop because I had allowed myself to become intimidated by some previous work by students featured in the preliminary materials. I quickly found myself letting go once I arrived. It was amazing how the transformation occurred.

We were given access to heavy stock paper, tempera paints, and four brushes (from a fine, detailed brush to a flat brush of a slightly larger size). We were allowed to stick to one sheet or use as many as we preferred. I ended up doing 7 paintings over the 2.5 day workshop, one double and the rest single sheets. I did glance around the room fairly early on to see what others were doing. I both saw work that was “better” or “equal to” what I was working on. The “equal to” gave me some relief. Seeing others so freely creating without barriers gave me the freedom to take a deep breath and just relax. The best feeling I had was indifference. This may sound negative but is actually the contrary. So often when I am painting I am concerned heavily with the end result; this detracts from my enjoying the process of creating itself. In this manner, the workshop was invaluable. I honestly didn’t care what came about. I even stepped outside of my comfort zone to use a detailed brush.

I have since purchased some tempera paint and paper to use to play around with or as a precursor to painting on canvas. I am having fun with it.

My First Commission

I received the honor of doing my first two commission pieces. A friend posted a link to my web site on her Facebook page, and as a result, one of her friends bought a piece from the site. She then asked if I would be willing to do a commission. I had not done so yet but was certainly open to the idea. She gave me the color schemes she was interested in and I took it from there. She loved the result!

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At the divide
Where the known and unknown collide
Lies true art.
I am the door.
The telltale brush
Colors of countries
Indifference jubilation
I am reborn.

– cjh
September 2009