thoughts on abstracts

any museum-goers think abstract works can be completed without much thought.(Interviewers question to Gerhard Richter)

"Actually, the abstract paintings take quite a long time. I begin, it starts looking good, I go back to it three days later and think, “Actually it doesn’t look good at all,” and the next thing you know four weeks has gone by."  Gerhard Richter

And that pretty much sums it up for me.  I start a painting with maybe a thought or no thoughts just start.  I put on a layer of paint and maybe another and then I'm sitting because I'm lost and forgot how to do this.  I question whether

I ever knew how to paint like this.  What the heck am I doing and the board is huge.  I think some more and know that my go to salvation is color.  So I start to balance the colors, cools, warms, darks and lights.  Then I think about 

some marks and motion.  Lots more thinking and sitting in front of it wishing it would just start to speak to me.  I give up go and knit.  That's even more frustrating as I can't stop thinking about the painting.  Finally after what seems to be a short while and really is about 2 weeks I see something that catches my eye and off I go. Slow at 

first as it starts to emerge then with a mad frieze it I can not put one more spot of paint on as the piece is screaming I'm done STOP>>>>>  and then the name comes like a flash and it really is complete. The conversation

has ended and the story and passion is complete.

32 x 36   "The Fray of the Night Sky"

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!