Finding Joy in Abstract Painting Art
Finding joy in abstract painting art is easy when we make art that feels like our true selves. You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy making art.
However, often there are other hurdles that we create for ourselves to stop us from finding that joy in creating our artwork.
Perhaps we could be worried about criticism not only from other people but also from ourselves. Perhaps it is something to do with our impulse for perfectionism that we must create the perfect painting. Perhaps it is the belief in ourselves that we are not good enough.
You might be wondering why finding joy in abstract painting art. It could be any other art. And that is true but I chose abstract painting for two simple reasons:
- I firmly believe that abstract painting comes from within deep down in our innermost feelings. It is almost like a mirror reflection of your inner self.
- Abstract painting is the closest subject to my heart. It has been with me for as long as I can remember. I have a very close connection with abstract art.
In this article, I am focusing on the inner self and its reflection in abstract painting rather than the technical aspects of creating a painting. We can easily learn all about the tools, techniques and materials to use for creating abstract paintings.
Creating abstract paintings using your own feelings is entirely a different subject. It’s not easy to explain things to do with feelings but I will give it a try.
Abstract art definition
Generally speaking, art definition is rather broad. However, in simple terms, it is a means of communicating and sharing our life experiences without necessarily using words. Because art relies less on the use of words, it overcomes cultural and language barriers a lot easier and faster than any other communication tool.
This method of sharing and communicating experiences has been with us since the dawn of humanity. Take the example of Cave Paintings. I’m absolutely fascinated by the immense creative tool that our ancient ancestors used thousands of years ago to tell us something about them.
They used art to give us a glimpse of their lives. No one knows for sure the meanings or the messages of these magnificent paintings.
To me, I’m happy to leave it to my imagination to create that meaning, that message and that story. My imagination can create many stories about life at that time. There are no restrictions and no limitations to my imagination. That also reminds me, in a way, of abstract painting art. What does the painting mean? A common question every abstract artist receives.
As you can appreciate, art is much more than a piece of beautiful artwork. Something I came to realise many years ago and I discussed the same at various events.
The sad thing is we still teach our children a very narrow side of art. We teach our children one small meaning of art and that is about it being “beautiful”, “colourful”, “vibrant”, etc. Art is a lot more than that and I’m sure abstract painting art demonstrates some of the other meanings of art.
So what is abstract art definition? In simple terms, abstract art is the works of art that do not try to represent or recreate an accurate depiction of the real world. The artist relies on the use of the elements of art, i.e., colour, shapes, lines, texture, etc. to create abstract artwork.
I could almost hear you thinking – how do you use those elements to create an abstract painting art? If that thought crossed your mind, you are halfway to really feeling (or seeing) abstract painting art. Bear with me, we will come to that.
How to make an abstract painting
As I mentioned earlier, I am not planning to cover the technical aspects of creating abstract painting art in this article, i.e., the type of paints and mediums, the tools, the types of canvases, etc. I have written a detailed post about How to Make an Abstract Painting. The article highlights several subjects including:
- Abstract painting tools and techniques,
- Understanding colour theory,
- Colour psychology
These are some of the basic knowledge you will need to create abstract painting art. The same would be required for almost any other type of art painting.
I am more interested in how to use these tools and the technical knowledge in creating a meaningful painting that tells a story and evokes emotions to last long after its creation.
Over the years, I developed my own routine of creating abstract painting art. The creative process begins as soon as I put on my painting clothes. My mind immediately starts to think of ideas for abstract painting.
Several ideas for abstract painting seem to come to mind, particularly when starting a new abstract painting art. For example, I think about which medium to use. Acrylic painting vs oil as I mainly use acrylic paints or oil paints.
I haven’t used watercolour for many years. Although I started my journey into art with watercolour, when I discovered oil and acrylic paints it was an immediate transformation.
Irrespective of the medium you use, I would like to share some simple steps that I have learned over the years. These steps have become an essential element of my creative process that helps me tremendously to enjoy the making of abstract paintings.
Here we go…
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Mental Preparation – Use your feelings
Whilst having the appropriate technical knowledge and experience is a must for any type of painting, I always believe mental preparation and awareness are equally necessary.
An important part of the creative process is to block any potential distractions. This is quite important for me to begin the creative process journey and continue to the very end.
Many years ago, I discovered the link between music and creating abstract painting art. Listening to music while painting has become an integral part of the creative process. To eliminate distraction, I put my earphones on to play my favourite music, loud.
I do not doubt that music can create a powerful emotional response that connects with my creative process. I tried to paint without music, but I could immediately feel different. The entire painting process didn’t seem to connect.
“A painting is music you can see and music is a painting you can hear.” – Miles Davis.
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Easy abstract painting – Keep it simple
Keep your approach to the painting process as easy and simple as possible. Work with your canvas and paints using your feelings. Just let go and trust your feelings and you will see how the painting starts to evolve right in front of your eyes.
Many artists find it challenging to make a start on a blank canvas. Do I start with mark-making? Which colour do I start with? Shall I start with a paintbrush or a palette knife? Many questions will go through your mind. Just make a start and go for it.
To me, the entire creative process of making abstract painting art is a joyful journey. There is no negativity none whatsoever in the whole process. Finding tranquillity, peace and balance is the prime aim of the painting process. That is also supported further by the absolute freedom of expression.
I said it so many times before and will continue to say that I follow no rules, no restrictions and no limitations. I trust myself and my feelings that the painting journey will result in a beautiful story every time no matter what happens.
It may take days, weeks or even months, but I always know that it will be done with tremendous satisfaction. Nothing else comes as close to bringing me that joy and contentment.
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The most important step is to have fun
This is by far the most important step in the whole process from beginning to end. Enjoy it and have fun. Enjoy the challenges and enjoy overcoming these challenges. Create more challenges and repeat the enjoyment process again and again.
By the way, you may have heard that abstract painting can help us to learn more about problem-solving. And that is a simple example of learning how to face and overcome a challenge.
Having fun is one of many reasons that I and many other artists keep creating paintings. It’s the fun and enjoyment you get from each painting, from the creative process and simply from being with yourself.
My average painting session is about 8 hours and I enjoy every minute of it.
How does abstract art make you feel?
Recently, I visited two art galleries in Middlesbrough, UK. The Auxiliary and the Pineapple Black. I have written about both opening evenings here: Art Galleries in Teesside and Art Exhibition in Teesside.
At Pineapple Black, I visited as an exhibiting artist and met several people at the opening evening of a new exhibition. As usual, the main subject of discussion was art and in particular abstract painting art.
I joined other visitors looking at my abstract acrylic painting on display and discussed so many questions, e.g.:
- What does abstract painting mean?
- How to understand abstract art?
- Why do you paint abstract art?
- Is abstract art really art?
- Who invented abstract art?
- What is the main idea of abstract art?
And the list goes on…
I did my best to answer all the questions in as simple terms as possible without using ‘arty’ terminology. I had a great time talking to everyone.
It was a warm evening so, I stood outside for a bit of fresh air when I met a small group of young people and the conversation started again about art and abstract painting art.
A young lad told me that he wasn’t really interested in art but he liked one particular painting on display in the art gallery. He started describing the painting as it had a lot of white and black random lines with a little bit of yellow here and there. He went on to say that it was an abstract painting and it didn’t mean anything but he felt something about it.
I asked him what did the painting make him feel. He couldn’t exactly describe his feelings and all he said was that he felt something that kept him looking at the painting. I asked him which painting he was referring to and he pointed it out. And yes, it was mine.
I was very pleased but wasn’t, in a way, surprised. That is the power of abstract painting art and its connection. Knowing that it was my painting, the young lad asked me how to look at abstract painting art.
The art gallery had more than fifty paintings, a mixture of realism and abstract paintings. My answer to his question was simply “if you like the painting that’s fine, if you don’t like it move on to the next painting but give each painting a little time to view”.
Why do we like art?
We look at art to see if it moves us. If it evokes emotions and what would be our emotional response? That is simply the attraction to art – evoking emotion and our emotional response.
The challenge with abstract painting art is found in its definition – that it doesn’t recreate an accurate depiction of reality. This is so different from realism art. This is not to say that realism art is easier, but with realism art, there are clear guidelines to help the artist to evoke emotions. The guidelines are there to tell a story based on real objects and subjects.
In abstract non-representational art, there are no clearly identified known objects. The artist relies on the meanings and associations of colours, shapes and lines. I use those as vocabulary and descriptive words and meanings to paint a story. But how many of us clearly understand the vocabulary of colours?
Abstract non-representational art doesn’t tell you this is a landscape painting and this is how you should react and feel it.
Throughout our entire life, we are taught to identify and recognise objects and subjects to make sense. But how do you make sense of random colours, shapes and lines here and there on abstract painting art? That doesn’t make any sense!
Does abstract art show emotion?
As I mentioned earlier, abstract painting art relies on a combination of several elements such as colours, shapes, lines, textures and the overall composition.
Abstract non-representational art doesn’t attempt to depict anything from the real world. So, it becomes more challenging as there is no reference or representation to use for creating abstract painting art.
This is where the artist’s skills come in. His/her understanding of the visual elements and their respective meanings. Yet, this is another challenge for the artist to overcome as the meanings of colours, shapes and lines are personal and are influenced by culture as well.
And irrespective of culture and personal influences, we all know and agree that colours can and do affect our moods. As an abstract artist, I rely entirely on the emotional power of colours, shapes and lines to express my feelings in a painting.
For thousands of years, we have been using art to communicate and self-expression. That is even more prominent in abstract painting art. The lack of reference places more emphasis on creating emotions and feelings to connect with the viewers. This is not a simple job.
My paintings evoke my feelings because simply I created them, but there is no guarantee they will evoke the same, similar or even any emotions in the viewers. However, when or if it does, it is amazing to see the many different emotional responses of the viewers from the same painting.
The same painting could evoke many different emotional responses and interpretations. I find that to be absolutely amazing.
I’m a firm believer that creating and viewing abstract painting art can help to explore feelings and self-awareness. It can also help to improve self-expression and boost self-esteem. And I know it can help people reduce stress levels.
Viewing artworks is a form of visual environmental enrichment and is believed to be stress-reducing through positive distraction. This simple diversion of attention helps to alleviate negative emotions. Focusing our minds on creativity and works of art can re-boost positive energy. Just think about it for a moment.
A prime example that many people experienced during COVID-19 self-isolation was that they turned to the arts. Why arts? They sought a creative outlet of expression driven by an innate desire for self-expression to make them feel good during a difficult time.
Abstract art is simply the visual language of feelings.
How does abstract art evoke emotion?
There are several reasons we like to look at visual artworks. Some of us like to learn about the artistic side of the artwork. Others may just enjoy looking at artwork to evaluate it. But the majority of us look at artwork to feel emotions.
All types of artworks can evoke emotions. Our emotional response is the important part. The emotions we feel from any artwork depend on our own individual open minds, personal experiences and great imagination.
In creating my abstract paintings, I rely on my emotional response to keep me connected with the artwork and to guide me through to the next step. This emotional response connection is the main link between me and the artwork. But sometimes that connection disappears and no matter how much I try it doesn’t happen.
This is the time when I know that I need to take a break. Sometimes that break could be just overnight but it can also take days or even weeks before I manage to connect back again with the painting.
Abstract art can have many meanings and interpretations. When I create abstract paintings, I reflect my feelings and when viewers look at my paintings, the aim is to reflect their own feelings. And that is the beauty of abstract painting art.
Have a look at the paintings on this page. These are some of my abstract non-representational paintings. What emotional response do you feel looking at all the paintings? Take a minute and think about your feelings.
If you have looked long enough at each painting, you have most likely used the same process to find a meaning or an interpretation. That process reflects your own ‘YOU’. Your own experiences, your own thoughts and ideas. Your own individual way of looking and interpreting things in life.
The challenge with abstract art is the presence of unfamiliar objects. For the untrained eyes, the brain will be working so fast trying to identify and recognise ‘the unfamiliar’ to something more recognisable. During this process, some people may become less engaged and dismiss the painting.
The connection with any type of artwork may take time, particularly with abstract art. It is rarely the case that a piece of abstract art would grab your immediate attention.
And as I said to the young person I met at the art gallery: “give it some time looking at a painting, if you like it that’s fine, if you don’t then move on.”
How do you find joy in abstract painting art?
Here are just a few ways to find joy in abstract painting art and I’m sure there are a lot more:
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Excel, enjoyment and the link
We excel at doing anything we enjoy, but how do you find joy in doing something?
The creative process itself allows you the opportunity to find your inner self. Forget for now the end result and focus your energy on the process of making abstract painting art. This is an exciting opportunity to truly express yourself and discover yourself.
Remember, there are no rules to follow and that by itself is a massive relief to be free. There is nothing to restrict your thoughts and there is no limitation to your imagination.
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Develop inspiration
Art inspires us and lifts us up from our busy lives. When you focus your mind on creative work, it takes you away from thinking about the fast-based world. Creating art tells you to slow down and enjoy your own company.
Creating art offers you a great opportunity to express yourself. To take what’s in your head, heart and feelings and put them down on a canvas or a piece of paper. It is an opportunity to experiment, explore and grow your creativity and creative thinking.
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Transform I can’t do to I can do mindset
Creativity helps us to change our mindset and take on challenges. When you are creating art, you are also making choices and solving problems.
It can be quite scary to face a blank canvas. What do I do and where do I start? As long as you really put paintbrush to canvas and make a start, nothing else is going to happen. Just make a start and let go. Think of the first brush strokes as a new beginning of a new journey.
Creativity is a very effective way to develop and strengthen believing in yourself and your capabilities. It helps to transform from “I can’t do” to “I can do”, from the fixed mindset to the growth mindset.
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Overcome perfectionism
Perfectionism could be linked to fear of being judged by yourself or others. We always need solutions to so many things, but we don’t need perfect ones. Abstract painting art opens up great opportunities to create and face challenges as well as find solutions.
It took me a long time to overcome the impulse of perfectionism. I kept my art to myself for many years until I truly started to realise one element of the definition of art. And that is sharing our life experiences.
I learned that art isn’t necessarily about aesthetic beauty, which controlled my impulse for perfectionism for a very long time.
I learned that if perfection exists on this planet, it may be found in Nature. Just look at the messy cluttered undergrowth in Nature or your back garden. There is a world of complete harmony and balance. It’s not a mess and it’s not cluttered.
It is we, humans, who judged it to be a mess.
Perfectionism could hold you back from discovering amazing abilities about yourself and discovering other beautiful experiences in life. Just let go and enjoy creating that harmoniously balanced mess…
The joy you will find in creating abstract painting art is that there are no rules, no restrictions and no limitations. You have a blank canvas and you are free to create anything you want. There is no right or wrong way to create a painting or express yourself.
When you create art, your mind slows down and your focus narrows and you lose all sense of time. You enter a different dimension of the creative world. You will feel good about your art journey. The more you do it, the longer and stronger that effect.
Art allows you to focus on the ‘now’ and lets you live this beautiful moment. The magical beauty about it is you will want more of the same again and again.
Just enjoy it and it’s okay to play with art. Try it. It’s great fun.
Let me know your thoughts and experiences with art creation.
Further readings:
