| I want to go into a little more detail of the | | | | practice. Get yourself a large piece of paper - any |
| different ways you can approach the enigmatic | | | | paper ... even newspaper will do. You will need |
| task of producing an abstract.In this article we will | | | | plenty of Red, Blue, and Yellow (remember the |
| look at the Anarchist and the Abstractist.If you | | | | practicals in Part I) acrylics or cheap powder |
| have an anarchistic attitude within you then | | | | paints will be fine. A one fairly thin paint brush, and |
| abstract art is for you. You will never run out of | | | | one fairly thick. With the first attempt do not |
| ideas - in fact even if you had NO ideas then your | | | | "think" of anything other then lines. Place the |
| temperament alone would find a most | | | | paints in easy reach for you to work quickly. |
| fundermental mood swing or dark (and maybe on | | | | Ready? Thin brush first - dip it deep into any |
| more rarer occasions - light) moment to enrap | | | | colour then quickly bring the brush into contact |
| you within its aggressive drama and painful | | | | with the paper - do not stop moving. Move in any |
| colours. Willem de Kooning's "Gotham News" is a | | | | direction. Paint faster. Paint one continual line. As |
| good example of anarchistic abstraction - just | | | | soon as the brush starts to run dry dip it into |
| look at this: ArtStart/sKooning.html. Wild | | | | paint - any of the colours. Keep doing this until |
| movement mixed with such vigorous aggression. | | | | you have filled the paper with a mass of scribbles. |
| Anarchists tend to be wildly demonstrative in | | | | Try this about five or six times - not caring what |
| their approach to ... everything! They have the | | | | is produced (you can throw it away - no one |
| potential to be able to utilize almost anything at | | | | needs to see it ... or you might want to frame |
| hand that might provide them with contradictory | | | | it!).Now repeat the above practical only this time |
| ideas and totally original materials.However, there | | | | try using what is sometimes called "short stroke" |
| is a big "down" side to what might be seen as the | | | | - which is precisely that. Rather than one continual |
| almost perfect abstract artist. An Anarchistic | | | | line, produce lots of short lines - you decide on |
| attitude tends to come from a tremendous sense | | | | the length. But make sure you are still acting as |
| of lacking in many areas. So things like confidence | | | | though it is one continual line - you are just lifting |
| can be a very fearful barrier to the power of a | | | | the brush at the appropriate time. Repeat this a |
| creative flow. Therefore I believe that by working | | | | few times.Next decide which you felt more at |
| on some of the practical ideas written below | | | | home with. Produce another image in that way |
| obstacles like shyness and fear can slowly be | | | | only this time look for shapes. When you see one, |
| weakened until finally the real artist begins to rise | | | | load your brush and paint the outline of the shape |
| out from the depths of darkness or light in an | | | | - very quickly. Finally get the thick brush and load |
| increasingly "louder" manner.The Abstractist is in | | | | it with a colour and roughly fill in the shape. Carry |
| many ways similar to the Anarchist. The | | | | on mark making - even if it runs over any painted |
| difference here is that the Abstractist mind has a | | | | shapes.Finally try again with line and shapes, and |
| colder capability of "seeing" completely | | | | this time adding something else - you decide. If |
| non-representative imaginings. And although both | | | | you really cannot think of anything try choosing |
| the Abstractist and the Anarchist generally | | | | any of the following: Screwing up the whole |
| produce work from deep within. The Anarchist | | | | paper, then unfolding it and carrying on painting; rip |
| cultivates a more physical "anti" approach, | | | | or cut holes into the paper - and carry on painting; |
| whereas the Abstractist appears to have the | | | | spatter (a well used favourite) paint onto the |
| knack of actually visualizing dots, lines, and shapes | | | | paper; find rice, spagetti, sand, earth, dust ... |
| when looking at every day objects.Notice the | | | | anything - pour it or sprinkle it - then carry on |
| similarities between de Kooning's "Gotham News" | | | | painting ... the list is endless.Of course you might |
| and Peter Lanyan's "Wreck" Then take another | | | | not be at home with this ... too messy you might |
| look and seek to find any differences. "Wreck" is | | | | say. Then, perhaps you might be a Surrealist - or |
| very anarchistic, but there are at least two | | | | maybe a Visionary ... that will be the next |
| variants. First the colours of "Wreck" give off an | | | | article.Tim Seaward is the author of "How to |
| almost tangible "landscape" feel. And secondly, | | | | produce an abstract image II - From Anarchy to |
| Lanyan seems to have made decisions when | | | | Abstraction". He is also a practicing fine artist living |
| placing of lines and shapes. This is a classical | | | | and working in the UK. Visit his site to find out |
| abstract attitude. Howard Hodgkin is another | | | | exactly what he paints. |
| excellent example of an Abstractist.OK lets | | | | |