Didn't see this coming…
I have to go back through my gratitude journal to know the date, but somewhere in late 2021 I spent exactly $19.99 on some painting supplies at Walmart. At that moment, it had been about 20 years since I painted; the last time being my senior year of high school during an art class I was taking for fun, as an elective.
It took a couple of months after getting that 20 dollars worth of supplies to finally put paint to canvas. With all due respect to Walmart and their selection of artistic goods, when I made my first attempt at a painting, I was…underwhelmed. Somewhere between the quality of the brushes, canvas and paint, I failed to produce any magic. Yes, an amateur usually likes to blame their equipment, but I truly tell you, something was off. The paint just kind of splotted and globbed as I made brush strokes. I was able to blend the paint a little, but it was all very far from anything angelic. It was certainly nothing like the videos of acrylic painting I had studied on Instagram for months, convinced I would so easily be able to replicate.
The First 5 Pieces
I started out with some 5x7 canvas panels. There were 6 in the pack, and as I mentioned, I tried some brushstrokes on the first. I didn’t have much of a composition in mind, and again, I wasn’t filled with joy with the result. For the next attempt, I saw the beginning of my desire for abstraction. I thought to just pour and splash the paint on the canvas and see what happened. I came up with a primary color ladened result. I was excited by some splatters, and quickly learned that I had used too much pouring liquid/medium (water in this case) to get the look I was truly imagining. For the third canvas, I used some patlette knives and spread around some color. With this piece I thought, “I may have a knack for abstract painting.” The result looked and felt like things I had seen online that had been inspiring me. Also, an Instagram friend commented “how much?” and that was all the affirmation I needed. On the fourth piece, the greens and yellows colliding felt messy but cathartic. And lastly, I went with the mantra “don’t think” and brushstroke-d my way to a nice purple and pink combination:
A Tribute to Mom
After the first 5 pieces, I felt empowered and went out to purchase more paint and then 8x10 canvas panels. By now it was late March/April and an idea popped into my head. I lost my mother to cancer in 2012, and my grief journey has been a roller coaster. Thankfully, in the last few years, I’ve found some positive groups and outlets to help manage it. Some of these outlets suggest many different ways to honor the legacy of a loved one, and I’ve taken that to heart.
My mother’s birthday was May 2nd, and the thought came to me to make some abstract paintings in her honor. I had the perfect color palette in mind. My mother was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority whose colors are infamously pink and green. I looked at their logo and branding online and noticed white, brown and black also accompanying their look from time to time. All that said, I had fun pouring this composition. With the leftover paint, I went back to that 6th and last 5x7 panel and dropped the colors. I love how they turned out and sooner than later they will be in my Aunt’s possession, as she quickly claimed them:
Off to the Races
What followed after the purchase of the 8x10 panels and eventually some 9x12 canvases, was the understanding that I was becoming obsessed with abstract acrylic painting, and in particular the style of pouring paint to make a composition. I’ve been fascinated with different pouring media and what affect they have on acrylic paint. I’m starting to learn the balance between letting go, cathartic expression, not overthinking, and actually having some control over my pours and achieving a desired vision or result.
I’m having a blast and look forward to the next chapter of selling them, because I hear and heed the clamor on social media.
