Abstract Painting - Jill Ehlert
This is an abstract painting that I painted in the recent Steven Aimone workshop that was titled:
"The Spiritual Language of Art"
Mary Stewart of "Vancouver Island Workshops" organized this painting workshop and brought Steven all the way from North Carolina. For information on future classes with Steven in Nanaimo you can reach Mary at: marystewart@telus.net Click here for workshop pictures
This is how Steven described our workshop:
Non objective Composition and Processes of Abstracting From a Reference
The first focus is on the language of non-objective composition. Explore what art can say IN ADDITION TO OR APART FROM its traditional purposes of describing external appearances, telling literary narratives, and expressing specific and pre-determined emotions. Develop your understanding of what nonobjective compositions mean, and how and why they work. Shared challenges will guide you on your way.
The second focus explores a variety of ways of abstracting from a visual reference. Whenever you work from the visible, you inevitably select, distill, arrange, and alter the visual forces you find at your disposal. Here, you'll look at a broad range of possibilities taken from art history and contemporary art. Then, a series of shared challenges will guide you on your exploration and enable you to find approaches that are satisfying to you.
While the majority of hands-on challenges are executed in painting and drawing media, this workshop is neither media not technique specific, and no technical expertise is required. Features regular interactive discussion and critique.
This workshop was held in Nanaimo, BC Canada May 10-14, 2010. There were 20 participants in the class.
We all worked really big 48" X 48", on paper clipped to our huge back boards on our easels. We were all so excited at the prospect of working this large and I think we were all a little bit hesitant going in wondering how this was going to work out. Each of us had tons of room to work and paint; the room was set up so that we each had our own work station.