This painting took so many twists and turns in the course of maybe two hours…
A couple nights ago I had this idea of something new to try painting wise. I was tired of the rainbow drip fluid painting I’ve been doing for some time now, though mostly in 3d form. So when I had some time today during the Intern’s nap, I wanted to give it a try.
I’ve never been one for making huge messes and doing the whole crazy splatter thing. But today, that’s how the painting began.
I got a 10×10 canvas and covered it in very thin acrylics. The watercolor panel was attached to the fence in the yard. I used the canvas to basically fling the paint at the panel.
After the panel had a nice cover of splattered streaks, I took it off the fence and just waved it rapidly so any excess came off. I let that paint soak in a bit. Before scraping with a palette knife. I was pretty much scraping off a blue gray layer of acrylic to reveal very light neons, pinks and aquas deep in the panel. I got a hose and used a strong jet stream to get the last layer of the blue gray that was still wet off the panel.
While soaking wet, I added some vibrant watercolors.
Then came some gold ink streaks.
I used a hair dryer to get everything baked in good. Before laying in some gold flakes. Just enough to catch light.
Then came some dry brush turquoise and springtime yellow. Followed by white, black ink and teal swirls. Each time I used a hair dryer before adding a layer. The final touch was scraping some blood red in with a palette knife.
As soon as the red was on, I knew the painting was finished. I decided to set it aside and stop looking at it for a few hours in hopes that coming back after some time, the title would be obvious to me.
So there I am later that day looking at a picture of the painting taken in the sun. And I accidentally hit a button on my phone. Now I’m the first to admit I’m not great at tech. When it comes to phones, I just text. Occasionally post. Take lots of pictures. Not much else. So here my phone is telling me that my painting looks like “Watery Paths” by Jackson Pollack. And then gives me a bio on Pollack. I’ve been told a few times my work shares similarities with his. It’s a compliment for sure. I’ve always liked what I’ve seen of his work in museums. But all I know of him is what I saw in the film with Ed Harris. That’s how the title came about.
I rarely paint like this. Without a purpose or emotion that I’m trying to capture. But it was definitely fun just experimenting and going with the flow so to speak.
This piece is in the shop now.
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