ATMOSPHERE & SHAPES, Day 2

Diving Into the Lesson: I started by getting a first layer of my chosen palette of colors on ten sheets of paper. I lifted paint; overlapped it; used a brayer; wiped back; and added texture via techniques such as stenciling, scribbling, sgrafitto, and dripping—to create layers, depth, and a feeling of atmosphere, a feeling of 'airiness,' the illusion of space with the quality of endlessness that's found in nature.

sample start of atmospheric background

another sample start of atmospheric background

I repeated the layering process through several rounds until I felt ready to introduce shapes. Once I started putting shapes on the page, I worked back and forth between atmosphere and shapes until they seemed to be having an engaging conversation with each other.  

I elected to limit my shapes and their colors. For shapes I used (an approximation of what are called) Reuleaux triangles (curved sides) as my primary shape and circles as the supporting cast.

Inner Process:

I really enjoyed creating the initial layers of atmospheric background, working quickly and intuitively without any protracted decision-making. I applied paint, responded to whatever appeared on the page, worked with a feeling of flow.

Adding shapes and creating compositions challenged me. Working narrow and deep within my parameters was engaging but often, at the same time, pushed me to my creative edges and out of my comfort zone. Continuing to develop atmosphere once shapes were on the page gave me a good run for my money. Getting pieces to a place where they met my self-created objectives involved a bunch of what felt difficult and fussy more often than I would have wished, but I chose to trust in all parts of the process—not just the parts I enjoyed!

Stay tuned …