Where to Find Ideas for Abstract Paintings
Ideas for abstract paintings are as numerous as clouds in a winter sky, skittering across the landscape of our mind’s eye. In fact, they may even get away if you do not write them down! So far, there is no immediate way of painting what our mind holds directly onto the canvas, so we must use the middle man of the artist’s skills. The artist may even be ourselves, but whoever winds up doing the final version of someone’s artistic vision, that person will have had a grounding education in abstract painting. Form and color, texture and execution, the painting that is abstract may speak more easily to the viewer than a representational painting, because these elements touch our emotions more directly than with the intervening persona of the mind, which must interpret each figure in a representational piece in a time-consuming way. An abstract painting goes right for the inner core of the viewer.
Do you have a favorite color? Then the general wisdom is to discard that favorite in lieu of another color. You may use your absolute favorite in small doses on the painting or as a trim color in the room in which your painting resides, because to overwhelm your scheme for your painting with your favorite color runs the very real risk of making you bored with that color, and you don’t want that. By keeping it to a minimum, you preserve the favorite as sort of a surprise treat, which is an old trick used by experienced interior decorators. Rest assured, you will have the expert advice of an artist and will not make any wrong steps in choosing the form of your color scheme. Ideas for abstract paintings will spring forth from both of you, creating a synergy that is most productive.
The search for shapes to use in an abstract painting can be as simple as searching the internet for a set of photos of the natural world. Rather than identifying what the object is, look for shapes that speak to you as you simplify the elements in the photograph, alternate colors or focus on a small part of the image. It’s easier to begin with something ‘real’ as the basis for an abstract painting than it is to start from scratch. Consider the spiral of a seashell and work from there, perhaps thinking of it as a tiny maze, a way into the very core of the shell. Who knows what we’ll find there?
It’s done, you have the idea. Now how to implement it? Do you commission a painting from a reputable artist or take on the delightful task of recreating your vision yourself? After making the decision and gathering your strength to firm your resolve, start out boldly. Do you see it as a large piece, a small piece or a framed or un-framed piece? If you take on this aspect a little bit at a time, it will not overwhelm you and you will feel more in control. And the finished art will have gotten all the attention it deserved from when it first sparked in your artistic mind.