Power with Paint?

Power with Paint?

Exploring expressionistic painting methods in new work

Recently I have been trying to quite radically change the style of my work by employing more 'action painting' type methods, to try and create a more energetic composition and interplay of elements in my work. I have also started to limit the colours I use in a painting, and in some cases dull them down from my usual bright primary colours! The reason for this is because most of the work I have produced recently which I think has had the most impact has been the pieces with a limited pallete, and I am beginning to learn that simply bombarding the eye with colour does not have as much potential for creating atmospheres in paintings, as say using a more limited amount of colours effectively.

These are the results of my experimentation

Schism 01:



















Medium sized acrylic painting on Board
This was one of the earlier experiments with using more expressive , painterly methods in my work. I have splattered paint, smudged it, scratched into it etc and I like the final frenzied nature of it. Be interesting to see if I can expand on this style and make it more my own as it were.

Drowning:


















Another medium scale square canvas painting. This time with a even more reduced pallete and with a lot more emphasis on scratching and smudging. Fairly happy with it, in some ways I find it unnerving and intense but I like that quality , make it more interesting perhaps?

Glacial Unrest:



















This is the biggest work I have done in this style at 48 by 36 inches , I'm really happy with it and I think it achieves that which i've been groping for with this experimentation - namely the portrayal of atmosphere and an increased intenstity that my older work may have lacked. I think it is a perfect synthesis of the first piece and the 2nd piece, as it employs methods from both in a more effective manner than both I think. This has portrayed some manner of power in paint I think, and I am going to aim to capture this kind of power again.

Leave any comments you may have about employing expressive methods in painting, about the work or anything else (relevant) that comes to mind. How do you portray power in paint? Leave your thoughts!