ABSTRACTING THE TRADITIONAL (Suggested for Stage Three; Learning)

Acrylic and multi-media artist Mary-Lou Boulanger is wanting to take her more traditional floral paintings to a more abstract and looser direction. To simplify, she has taken cropped areas of her past paintings to make simplified, more abstract versions of them. In this Artist Critique, Nicholas helps Mary-Lou take her gut instincts and push them further in order to make her work more exciting and contemporary.

What you will learn:

  • Mixing abstract marks into traditional approaches makes it more about the painting and less of the subject matter.
  • Bringing opposites together is a new take on a very traditional subject—a blend of predictable and unpredictable.
  • Pushing areas away from each other in texture and contrast can really elevate the drama.
  • When there are fewer elements in a painting, the choices of what you want to show and don’t become really important.

https://art2lifeacademy.com/art-critique-31-mary-lou-boulanger-2/