Charmed, I am sure..

When I began painting back in 2009, I painted a lot of neutral paintings using very little color. Over time, my process evolved into loud, saturated color. It wasn’t only my palette that changed over the years, my technique and my “hand” has also changed. I can see the way I am placing paint and mark-making on each painting is dramatically different than it was. Sometimes loose and sometimes, tight.

“Charmed”, 30x40” abstract painting by, Julie Prichard. Tap the image to purchase art.

Staying loose is my concern after all these years and I feel a difference in my process for sure when I take breaks and start back up again. On the stretches where I paint over long periods of time (consecutively), things are much easier. The first day after I take a break is difficult. That never changes. The inner critic quiets itself after I get warmed up again.

I am challenging myself to create more fluid compositions, which I feel I accomplished in this piece. I know that a lot of artists use water to thin acrylic paint. I see them pouring large amounts of liquid color onto canvass, turning the canvas in all directions to create runs and drips. Personally, I do not like the watered paint. I know that the professional grade paint that I use can, indeed, take water, but I do not like how the water thins the paint’s “heft”. To me, it looks watery. I’d rather start my compositions with a much heavier paint presence and retain control of the fluid paint to an extra degree.

Blush pink, bright red and magenta with a primarily neutral palette. Abstract art available for purchase from the artist.

In this painting, I experimented with mixtures of matte medium and polymer medium to create paint mixes with different levels of transparency. The mediums are not as “thin” as water, so when you pour them, you can coax them and have them retain as much of their shape as you want to. I am happy with the results.

To see close up images of the details on this piece, please tap the images to be taken to the art page. I’d love to hear your comments below. Let me know what you think!