Possibility Series - Capturing Flow

Possibilities Series - Capturing Flow is comprised of 14 small mixed media works on paper, that were created simultaneously. I developed a set of criteria in which I was to work:

• paper substrate
• square format, 12" x 12"
• background vignette in Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic- Parchment

• collaged papers both handmade and found• water-soluble graphite
• work quickly without judgement, allow the creative flow to just happen

These were the only limitations. This criteria or structure provided a commonality within the series.

If I became stuck while working, I would avoid asking myself, “Is this good? bad? too weird?  Rather, I would set the piece aside and continue onto the next piece and so forth to maintain my flow of creativity.  Sometimes I would make a piece of paper to collage realizing immediately it would work best on a previous piece. I would then go to that piece and start the process over from there keeping things as fluid as possible.

Tapping into the unconscious is very important in the making of abstract art.  The artist’s brain must resist the temptation to fall back on “recognizable” imagery, even though subconsciously that imagery can happen on its own. Through abstraction the viewer is able to make their own interpretation of the work and to “see” what they want to see.

Children, at an early age, inherently express themselves in this manner until society inadvertently teaches them to second guess themselves. I found this process to be exciting and liberating.