New abstract piece - coastal storm
I will often start a painting with a loose concept in mind (or sometimes not even that - I just need to paint) and through this process the piece kind of guides me as I see what's working (or not). I will get to a point where I think I'm finished, but not in love with the piece, so I let it sit. Some longer than others.
This piece sat for a year. It was actually a companion piece to an abstract landscape, neither of which I was completely sold on. I kept looking at them, liked them, but didn't love them. They never seemed finished. I took out the original, a bigger canvas, and almost started back in on it with the idea of going over the whole piece with oils (the originals were acrylic).
I couldn't commit to redoing the larger piece - there's something there yet. The smaller one lacked the vibe of the other so I knew it was time to do something with it.
While I first attempted to refine the original concept of the piece, a landscape, I found myself thinking too much and the result was uninspiring. So, working alla prima, I just started working the oils together and this stormy coastal landscape started to emerge. While definitely still an abstract, it's a softer piece than the original would have been.
Because this is a repaint of a repaint (of a repaint), it has texture that doesn't correspond with the finished painting. This is a quality that I often bring into my paintings and this one just because of its history, has a complex surface beneath that only really pops when you give it a closer look in the light.
The textures suprisingly support the visuals for the most part. Vertical and horizontal ridges, along with mottled surfaces throughout the clouds and sea section seem to add a tension to the scene. While I like the piece, it does have a bit of a rougher quality so it will remain in my personal collection. I thought I would share to offer some insight into my process.