$89 unframed

8×6 oil on canvas panel I’m not an abstract painter, but I’m always trying to think in terms of abstracting the image. I’m not that interested in documenting the literal, likeness of objects. I do, however, love the look of things as revealed by the light falling on them. I use this phenomenon as the basis for exploring the abstract concerns of making paintings.

Painting is a duality and abstract painting is an entirely aesthetic thing. It always remains on one level. It is only really interesting in the beauty of its patterns or its shapes. (Francis Bacon)

The abstract artists that I admire were grounded in drawing, composition and design and it shows in their work. (Jennifer Bellinger)

All paintings are abstract. Some abstract paintings also have pictorial representation or narrative content, but in essence they are first and foremost abstract because we have only paint. (Robert Bissett)

There are really only seven things we can indicate when we make marks on the canvas. There’s Line, Shape, Direction, Size, Value, Color, and Texture. If you discover another let me know! What we do with these seven marks is governed by a set of seven principles. There’s Dominance, Contrast, Repetition, Gradation, Harmony, Unity, and Balance. A lot could be said about each of these principles and how they may be applied and varied to organize our marks into something pleasing to look at, but more on them later. These things are the abstract concerns of painting that can be infinitely manipulated, and offer a wonderful basis for meaningful experimentation.