Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Fracturing from the Imagination ll -Demo





Flowers from the Imagination

6x8in  oil on canvas panel  $125.

After scrutinizing fruit for the last few days I needed to do something for the
pure pleasure of using paint.
I am receiving more and more inquiries about the
fracturing technique and this is another way of starting than the one I showed here
http://juliefordoliver.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html


Artist Note.

Painting from the imagination is a lot of fun and you can make alterations
all the way through because you respond to what happens.
I started with flat shapes of color on oil primed linen.
I picked up what was on the palette
from yesterday's painting of fruit.
Using a knife I pressed and twisted
until the random shapes suggested
something to me. The green next to the
orange suggested the center of a flower.


Still not committed, but working with
flowers in mind, I started to add
more colors remembering to
neutralize some with
complementary colors
so the pure colors would pop.




Okay - I could really see the flowers
now so the commitment was made
and the thinking had to begin.
The negative shapes at the left I
liked so I kept them and added color.
Filling in the backgroundwith transparent dark colors
to bring it together. I do not usually
paint this way and I was enjoying
responding and making decisions to what was happening.
After this stage, I worked all over with my angle brush and
handy tool, but a shaper will do. It is easy to see the surface marks I made
on the finished piece. I decided to take the vase right out at the bottom.

Please let me know if you enjoyed this or have any questions.




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33 comments:

  1. Such an interesting technique...not sure I would see the flowers the way you do. Mine would turn out like rainbow polka dots.

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  2. I forgot to say I would like to have a whole bouquet of the yellow flower on the right.

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  3. Put stems on rainbow polka dots and you will have Lisa Flowers. Its all about our own individual interpretations. I know I would love yours.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your approach.It is very educational to see how others attack a canvas. Lovely as usual.

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    1. Thank you Roger. We artists are like sponges when it comes to learning new ways with paint. Continual learning is a joy.
      Loved your different viewpoint with your subject matter today.

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  5. paint from imagination is the joy of the artist! I see you start with the idea "yellow" flower and something dark ... and then the painting seems to be asking to come to light in a certain way!
    I love the composition! As always watching...
    you can see if this perfection requires enhancements, Julie!

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    1. Hi Rita, actually at the very start I thought autumn trees, but then the roundish spot of green made it into the center of a flower and that's what is great about responding to accidental mark making.
      Thanks for the feedback.

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  6. Wonderful post and demonstration, Julie. It takes lots of talent and experience to paint spontaneously and you obviously have that.
    Thanks so much for sharing your techniques.

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    1. Interesting you think it takes a lot of talent, Carol. The hard part for me is to let go of all I know and respond to what is happening so I believe that the level of the artist is not as important as the willingness to experiment...to know no fear!
      I would love to see you try it.
      Thank YOU for sharing, too.

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  7. dog training adelaide

    It looks easy but when I'll be the one doing it I don't know where to start. Anyways, Thank you for the demo. Its very helpful.

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    1. Hi Mischy - you start with a light and a dark of any color combination you like. I actually closed my eyes when I made my first marks so I would not be in control. When I opened them I did not see flowers, I "saw" fall trees. My vision changed as I went along. Part of the pleasure of what you and I do, is the feel of the paint and miracle of color. With the handy shaper it is easy to remove anything you do not like. Remember to know no fear of it not being perfect - just enjoy the communication of the voice within and learning.
      Something not so easy if you are trying to "look" at something and capture it.

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  8. Well, I did enjoy it! I think you summed it up best by writing that you were responding to what you were putting down, thinking and making decisions all the way through. Seems spontaneous but really there is a lot of thought there. Great explanations too (as always).

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    1. Thanks Libby - glad you understood the process. I can see when the painting is finished, how the start looks as if it was obvious all along, but it wasn't. The only reason the dark was so far apart from the yellow is because I had my eyes closed when making the marks.
      (To let go, I really have to let go)

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  9. Thank you for sharing your technique with us Julie. The resulting painting is stunning and so full of mood and presence-- I can't think of another way to put that. It makes me think of a beautiful mosaic, lit from behind. Just beautiful!!!

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    1. What a lovely comment. Thank you Ann.
      You captured a beautiful mosaic of colors on your new piece. It is gorgeous.

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  10. I second Ann. I appreciated you showing your process. I like to paint this way myself. Haven't done it in a while and should probably do it more often. It's a delightful day. Your painting shows that. Beautiful as always.

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  11. I love this and thanks for posting. What is a 'handy tool'? Or is that another angle brush? You made the perfect small change on the still life of the last post- the overlap in the orange slice is great!

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    1. Hi Mary - my handy tool is one I made, but a shaper will do. I find mine is more flexible and that is why I like it. I tried to cut and paste but this format wouldn't accept it. If you are interested, it is on my blog. May 2nd is how I make it and Mar 3rd is how to use it.

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  12. Julie, your painting is beautiful. I know you apply a lot of paint. Do you have your recipes for certain colors memorized, do you just keep a lot of the colors you are using premade each day, or how do you handle that? I am continually mixing new paint.....

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    1. Actually I do not use heavy paint to the degree I have seen it used. I have some texture, yes, but my dark areas I keep thin and transparent where possible.
      I do put out different colors according to what I am going to paint.
      When I was painting the previous paintings of fruit, I put out three yellows so they were on the palette when I started this one. I always have a warm and a cool of each primary. Orange is a staple.

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    2. Thanks, Julie. That's helpful to me.

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  13. Looks like so much fun, Julie. I'm going to try this! Thank you again for always sharing your techniques and explorations. You are a very generous and giving person!

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    1. Thanks Carol. I cannot take credit - I am a natural sharer. The middle child!
      If you read some of my answers you may find it becomes even clearer. The main thing is to enjoy it and let me see what you do.

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  14. I'm very new to your blog Julie however, I see this love hate relationship developing. LOVE receiving your blog and all the information you so freely give and HATE, going back to my blog. It looks so borriinngg! New project will be trying to spruce up my site with Julie sunshine, smiles. Thank you!

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    1. What a great sense of humor - I really enjoyed reading this, Blanche. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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  15. I LOVE all those slabs of color!! Brilliant, Julia!!

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  16. This is amazing, Julie!! It makes absolutely no sense to me..I guess since I paint with pastels..I don't get it!...BUT I certainly enjoy every painting you do!...its a wonderful demo but I would have to watch you in person to understand! OKAY, when are you coming over!!!

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  17. You don't get it? I wonder how I can get it across because it works with pastels too. Try this - take a blue, a yellow and a red pastel...I decided to email you with the rest...

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  18. This came out so well, I am breathless! I love the thick dabs of paint. It was also very interesting to read how you create something from nothing. I have once canvas kinda like that that I began - there is one little part that I like - I think I am going to work out from that using complimentary colors and see what happens.

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    1. Hope you try it Dan. I think it is important for us artists to be somewhat experimental. let me know what happens.

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  19. I really enjoy you letting us in on your techniques and processes!

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  20. That is good - thanks for letting me know, Catherine.

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie