Water Dance, soft pastel, 20 x 16″
©2009 Marianne Post
I have had an urge to abstract the landscape. Something that I have gradually been inching towards at what seems like a snails pace. It’s interesting that I have never heard an artist say they want to “tighten up.” And why is letting go of the detail so difficult?
In what is the last of my current waterscape series I decided that I could attempt a more abstract scene. I wanted the series to have a cohesive look, so I knew right out of the gate that a total abstraction would not be appropriate. I could gingerly work my way towards the abstract and literally get my feet wet.
I chose a close up view for Water Dance thinking that would help with the abstraction. While the strokes are looser, probably trying to keep the cohesive feel for the series held me back. But the seed for the next painting is in the one I just finished so we will see where this all leads. That is one of the many joys of being an artist. We can be inspired by the world around us, but we can create are own interpretation of it.
e.scape artist 