December 14th, 2010 by admin

You may be mistaken in thinking that buying a piece of abstract art would be a simple thing to do. You just select the work you want… and buy it!

The truth will creep up on you as soon as you look at the first painting “it is not quite the right one, so I will look for another”.

Here is the first realization – and question to ask yourself – why exactly is this piece you are looking at “not quite right”? The answer can be manifold:

1. It includes a colour I do not like
2. I am not sure it will go with another item in the space I would like to place it
3. A slow realization that a certain personal undesirable association is being emitted from the painting
4. It looks great but I am not sure it will fit the space
5. It is just right but the price is a little bit more than I wanted to pay… and the list goes on.

Although I do not have all the answers I will endeavour to reveal, from my own personal experiences, a few solutions.

So, you see a picture you like but the colour combination is wrong. Put simply the thing to do is to contact the artist and tell them your dilemma. You will find that some of them will either be able to reproduce a similar work in the colours you prefer, or they will be willing to notify you when and if they produce a work that might be nearer to the colours theat you require.

If size is an issue then I would advise the same as above – contact the artist and tell them the problem. I believe you will receive a similar reply to that which I have written above.

Make sure that when you do make a purchase that the artist is offering a return policy. I have a ten day return policy which means that if you buy a painting and hang it in your space – if within ten days of purchasing it you become uncomfortable with it for any reason and you cannot live with it, then you may return the piece and your money will be returned. An important point here worth mentioning is the fact that you have made certain decisions on buying this piece of work, therefore it is worthwhile mentioning it to the artist which will enable them, if they so inclined, to produce a work that has omitted the undesirable entity. This way you may well end up with a work that will be of greater value to you – having communicated your dilemma.
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June 22nd, 2010 by admin

Abstract art is not just a mixture of colourful meaningless patterns and arbitrary shapes.

There is, I believe, a definate therapeutic value to be found in most of the enigmatic marks made by the very different styles available today. What appears to be the most important decision to make is a very careful consideration of the specific audience in conjunction with the choosing of the appropriate artwork. This is not something to be taken lightly or quickly. This can cover anybody within the wide spectrum of individual audiences: a busy boardroom environment or a single office or room where quick thinking, fast reactions, and serious decision making is required; or a worker who returns from a hard days work simply wanting to be visually massaged by an easily observed enigma; or even the space inwhich the desperate and mostly misunderstood person who is gradually loosing their tentative hold on the sense of reality. There is a tremendous variety of possibilities.

Here are some suggested associations from one artists point of view:

Colour plays an obvious healing and therapeutic role to be found in a carefully selected crafted piece, and so colour-field work, which is growing in popularity, first conceived by artists like Mark Rothko and Ellsworth Kelly with their vast areas of empty colour space, might add a general feeling of peace and quiet to an otherwise noisy and hectic environment. With there being very few variations within such a large image a gentle sense of immersion into abstract stillness can slow down any fretful or irratic thinking, and even assist with the adrenal challenge of a creative.
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June 21st, 2010 by admin

It has been a long and raging arguement that the abstract expressionists of the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s were very busy contemplating their own navels and trying to find the “zen” in everything they did.

I would argue that they were in fact just one very important example of the hungry sleep-drugged soul seeking a way to be heard. However, many artsists of those times, and indeed today, would flatly deny anything remotely to do with spiritual things – or worse still – religious things.

Take, for instance, one of my favourites – Mark Rothko. This tragic artist committed himself to the task of producing massive canvases with many vaguely resembling the outline of a window – especially an after image once the eye has closed. His vast expanses of colour seemed to hunt out a corner or edge in a desperate attempt to complete, or conclude, the picture. Not satisfied with that he went on to give up titling his work saying that he did not want to influence the onlooker in any way. Ironically he failed … and sadly took his own life. For me his works speak of wonderful tantilizing clues visually demonstrating the struggling spirit seeking (and succeeding!) in revealing herself – now that is real influence! Let me explain by an apparently unrelated route:

I seek to assist my own spirit in attempting to make manifest even the tiniest, most pathetic, weakest fact that the spirit in us all is not only just trying to communicate with us – but is in fact actively seeking to set the whole human balance right … which is the spirit leading the mind and body back to her source – not the other way round – the mind and body leading the blinded soul to … well, eventually death.
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June 20th, 2010 by admin

I have always loved bright colors and movement, like dancing its healing, relaxing fulfilling and challenging as well. The bottom line is the feeling and message that I want to convey through the medium. When I paint, every attempt is to capture the feel of warmth, passion, joy and bliss in none objective or figurative composition. I enjoy experimentation of different media and subjects.

My subject varies based on my emotion and statement but my love for colors is constant. In spite of this, viewers see different forms or figures in my abstract expressions. The good thing about these expressions is the freedom of the viewers to see and appreciate the forms in their mind’s eyes, like face painting in the eye of the viewer. Its also important to mention that “Uli” which is my traditional art style has played a major role in my age long career. The symbols and forms of this art style are reflected in my cubism, abstract images, abstract relief sculpture, seascape, drawing, pastels and watercolor painting.

People see different forms or images in abstract art, the depth of what you actually see when you look at the paintings is partly based on individual exposure and understanding of art forms, color, shapes, line and texture; which are the physical elements that combine to make up the artworks.

A selection of different dark hues, shapes and forms may give various impressions to different minds; light, airy images as mystical; balanced, temperate forms as peaceful. Uli organic forms and shape are symbolical such as colors and forms have meaning in and of themselves. It is a simple truth that you can’t give what you don’t have. I am a believer and my work time is also a meditation time, which can go either way depending on the spiritual consciousness of the creative mind.

To me, my work section is an intimate moment between I, canvas and colors. At this creative moment there is a spiritual impartation from the artist to the Art. Hence the emotional reaction to these elements even if they create no recognizable object for us to hang onto.
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