Purple Haze-Abstract painting

The Abstract mixed media painting is entitled "Purple Haze".

Must have been listening to Jimi Hendrix though I'm not so sure. Just glancing at "Are you Experienced" The CD by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Surprised to see that he, at various times, backed B.B. King, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Chuck Jackson, and Jackie Wilson. He also backed Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner, before he started his own band. What a great start to his stellar, but short-lived career.

Just missed going to Woodstock to see him perform. A performance that some have described as one of the greatest guitar virtuso the rock world had ever seen.

Picasso once said " Everybody wants to understand painting. Why is there no attempt to understand the song of a bird. Why does one love a night, a flower, everything that surrounds a man, without trying to understand it all? Abstract art is difficult to explain verbally. It alludes to something. Something simple or profound. It can move you, to love it or hate it. The effect can be immediate or transcendental, a challenge to the known, to the orderly.

To view more abstract paintings, drawings, collages or digital experiments visit-
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Abstract Painting influenced by Science?

I just read an interesting theory about the radical shift in thinking and the conception of reality that took place at the turn of the 20th century in Modern Art.

To quote from 'Painting in the Twentieth Century' by Werner Haftmann, - " Dates seem to suggest that some kind of connection exists between science and painting. The radical changes in painting took place between 1900 and 1910. Significant dates are: 1905 Fauvism; 1907 Cubism; 1910 the first abstract painting. A concordance of of dates important in the history of science runs thus: 1900 Planck's quantum theory; and Freud's Interpretation of Dreams; 1905 Einstein's special theory of relativity; 1908 Minkowski's mathematical formulation of the dimensions of space-time."

Many artists such as Klee, Kandinsky, Delaunay and others have stated that their encounters with the discoveries of natural science often threw light upon their own intuitive and artistic activity.

What do you think? That there was a close connection between the new discoveries in science and the radical shifts in the way art was viewed by the prominent and well read artists of these early periods of the 20th century? I think so.

Abstract art on the verandah

This abstract digital artwork evolved from a photo of our verandah, full of plants, that has been completely reworked. Digitally painted, retouched, splashed splattered, erased and then reworked again.

The bits and pieces of abstract color are symbolic of many hours spent sipping intensely satisfying cups of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the morning, watching the misty covered mountain and the sun interplay then sneak over the top. Here I've drawn many sketches, noted many thoughts...seeking to redefine myself, to welcome the new day. To live in the moment. To Awaken the Giant Within. As Tony Robbins states, the single most important step in weeding the gardens of our mind is to interrupt our limiting patterns. So the verandah provides the quiet time to prepare for the new day. Yesterday is past and gone forever, never to return. As some wise person has said- today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. Tobias Wolff states "we define ourselves and our deepest values by the choices we make, day by day, hour by hour, over a lifetime."

For more unusual abstract paintings, unique abstract drawings, collages and digital abstract art, visit:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Abstract Digital art: "Light Variations"

Unlike the fear of a blank canvas or paper, when nothing seem to happen. The mind is as blank as the paper. Using a digital photo as a starting point brings its own set of mind freezing possibilities. The objective: to create something entirely new, unique, entirely different and... abstract.

It must have been music that encouraged me to keep abstracting, refining, reforming, retouching and reducing a digital photo into increasingly flattened forms. The various components artists use include line, shape, form, color, space, value and texture, to create a composition.

The fixed elements in a photo require that the aesthetic manipulations are in more selected areas. leaving central elements almost untouched. You 'arrive' at the outcome when you've exhausted many trials and techniques.

To view more abstract digital fusions, contemporary abstract paintings, unusual abstract drawings, unique abstract collages and prints, visit: http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Hierarchy in Abstract art

The definition of hierarchy in the dictionary will not be useful this time. The abstract painting alluded to the interlinking of family and the generations past, the myths, rituals, superstitions that resulted in what we have today. It is an abstract concept translated into a lyrical abstract expressionist form.

It's an experimental work, weaving from corners to the central forms and shapes leading to an undefined form. Background color was later added to the initial pencil drawing. The exploration continues.

More experimental abstract paintings, drawings, collages, unusual digital fusions, and prints can be viewed at
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Group travel:Escape into abstraction

Have you ever thought about losing everything? Escaping into the night with just the clothes on your back? So often, we read and see these stories, real life brutalities, more macabre and murderous than a Shakespearean tragedy. Unfolding on the nightly news. The genocide in Darfur and other places. The mass movement of thousands, even millions of people to refugee camps. People who once had a home, a family... a life.

One night of mindless slaughter and the panic begins. It's survival and communal, it's the desperate exodus to save the family. It's Group Travel.

Though the title came after the painting, no attempt was made to be descriptive of the real situation, abstract painting, drawing, form and color was used to allude to the tragedies unfolding nightly.

The triptych- "Group Travel" is a combination of acrylic paint, drawing and mixed media techniques on paper.

To view other striking abstract paintings, drawings, mixed media artworks, collages and prints visit- http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Contemporary Abstract Collage-'Global"

Watching an episode of "Locked Up Abroad", reminded me of a small abstract collage painting I produced a few years ago - "Global".

Global travel is usually meant to be fun, educational or for business connections and development. But with the advent of 9/11, travel has its rewards but also filled with danger. North Korea, Iran and other countries can make innocent explorations a real trial. You could be designated a spy and that could be the beginning of a long and torturous journey back home.

"Global", is an abstract collage using elements of magazine clippings, line drawings, acrylic paint and oil pastels. The aligning of interlocking and diverse elements create new meanings, some ominous.

Additional and unusual abstract collages, contemporary abstract paintings, unique pen and pencil drawings, digital abstract fusions, and prints are available at http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Abstract art- "Germinate"

Is there anything tougher than a tamarind seed? This hard protective coating would need a sturdy hammer to crack open. Yet, when conditions become favorable, they soften and soon a delicate young shoot emerges. They process is repeated in so many other seeds, preceding germination. Ideas, too, need time to percolate. To be stimulated, then burst forth and emerge. It's a force of nature, defying simple scientific definition.

The abstract painting- "Germinate" merely allude to this phenomenon. Organically evolving on the paper, bounded by flowing lines, a section exceeds the boundary and emerges from the compartment. Is it, like a seed of corn, emerging in a time preceding drought, doomed to wither and die? Or are there gray clouds looming in the distance, signaling stormy conditions, rain and then prosperity? Painted in acrylics and flowing lines, the answer is to be seen.

For additional contemporary abstract paintings, unusual abstract collage, unique mixed media collage, giclee canvas art,and abstract line drawings, visit- http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery

Abstract art - Exploring a theme

ABSTRACT ART AND AUTOMATISM
Thinking abstractly, sometimes the thought is to enjoy the most freedom in drawing in a confined compartment. It brings to mind Automatism.

This style can be described as a technique for freeing the imagination to produce creative works that are free of conscious control. It emphasizes the importance of the unconscious as a source of inspiration. Automatism is a technique made famous, initially, by the Surrealists painters. Taking many forms. Many styles.

In a parallel development, Jazz musicians created new styles - such as non-idiomatic improvisation called Free Jazz.

In this series, called "Freeing the Lines" 1-4, the attempt is to create free, abstract, active improvised lines in restricted spaces. Then make small explosions of color at random.

More contemporary abstract paintings, drawings, unique abstract collage art, digital fusion prints can be explored at
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract Painting -Germinate

Abstract Art Collage-"Flurry"

"Flurry" is a small abstract art collage, using a combination of pen and ink drawings, small paintings, acrylic painting and a flurry of rapidly drawn lines, vigorously executed.. In a sense, it's a flurry of activity, a flurry of elements combined to create a new combination, a new relationship to each other.

More abstract art collage, unique abstract expressionistic art, abstract pencil drawings, contemporary abstract art, experimental digital art, and prints can be viewed at http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html.

Whipping up an Abstract drawing - Flagella

Whipped into Abstraction, into Existence

Artists staring at a blank sheet of paper can be stilled into inaction. Whipping out a pen and drawing in a 'whiplike' manner can start the process of creating a piece of abstract art moving. Randomly moving across the page, in a dream-like fashion, the process continues. Color is slowly added, a scribble here a slashing line there. It's a whirlwind of random acts.

The title came to mind - "Flagella". A flagellum, the singular form, is the latin word for whip. A flagellum is a tail-like structure that projects from the cell body of certain prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and functions in locomotion. An example of a eukaryotic flagellated cell is the sperm cell. The cell uses its flagellum to propel itself through the female reproductive tract and the end result is a new life.

Abstract painting and drawing can encompass many forms, any subject. It's about anything and everything. It evokes meaning, it stimulates emotions, it can be a complex mass, a simple line or the choice of colors that render a poetic feeling visible. It should speak for itself, if anyone is listening. On the other hand, it can be tumultuous and exhilarating as a four storey drop, while sliding down a chute at Aquatica. While trying to look cool to my grandkids.

Other unusual abstract paintings, abstract drawings, collages, mixed media contemporary art, digital experimental fusions and prints are available at http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract drawing -Erratic/erotic

"Erratic/erotic" is an abstract artwork comprising lyrical abstract drawing using colored pens and markers.

Abstract art collage - "Upward"

"Upward" is a lyrical abstract collage with line drawing and painting elements.

After a 3 week hiatus in Florida, I'm ready again to blog.
Saturday, June 27, saw the "world's fastest man", Usain Bolt win the 100 metres at the National Senior Championships in Jamaica.
Saturday July 18, visited a number of galleries in Miami Art District.
Saturday, July 18, tried all the scary rides at Aquatica in Orlando with grandkids.

For more unusual abstract paintings, drawings, collage and digital experiments visit
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract window

How's this for singlemindness? I once read a short article about a photographer who lived in an apartment overlooking Central Park. From a specific window, he recorded the varying changes that occured at certain times of the day, the changes of the seasons, the changes that occured when the weather moved from summer to winter and from stormy to sunny days. The changes must have been remarkable, all from one window, as varied as the patterns on a croton leaf.

From many windows in Jamaica, the views from the north are the hills and mountain ranges, to the south the ports and beaches, the sugar cane fields.

To the east, the rising morning sun, streaming through the mango trees. To the west more trees, the setting sun.

The painting "Window" is an abstract culmination of many views fused together. All sourced from memory and the imagination.

It's an acrylic painted modern abstract artwork, a network of animated, dancing forms. It's a small abstract painting, with much larger implications in an ever changing polluted world.

These and other unusual abstract paintings, powerful abstract collages, contemporary mixed media original art, original pen and ink drawings, unique digital fusions, giclee prints can be viewed at
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

ART Quotes for Today

Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956)
It's not your painting anymore. It stopped being your painting the moment that you finished it.

Jeff Melvoin, Northern Exposure, Fish Story, 1994
Every time I paint a portrait I lose a friend.

A thoughtful quote for today. That's why I skillfully decline requests for portraits, You're safer with Abstract Art. Of course, if you have an aunt like mine, she may tell you "abstract art is the product of a confused mind."

The Fine Art of Wandering Abstractly

Aimlessly wandering around New York City is one of my great joys, on these now rare occasions. There is a surprise on every corner. The longer you stay away, the greater the surprise. Once I hurriedly took an early morning train, transferred to the MTA bus, in great anticipation, for a visit to the Metropolitan Museum. Did I say it was a Monday morning? And they're closed on that day? Well, wandering I did, slowly traversing Central Park. Going to 57th street, where I was an art student in 1970. Remembering the student protests in Columbus Circle. Eating at truck drivers stops. (You get huge helpings, cheap). Those were interesting days.

Wandering, is a pursuit I enjoy. Deliberatly, heading nowhere in particular. My favorite Delicatessen, book shops with old books, antiques, old maps, very old magazines. The Russian Tea Room. I once saw Muhamed Ali on 57th street, near the Art Student League, surrounded by fans. Moving towards Broadway, the theatres, movie houses and peep shows. How can there be so many gift shops in a block?

"Wandering," the abstract collage above, evolved out of a wish not to discard a well drawn map. Obviously of no use to me now, probably inserted in an old National Geographic, I decided to create a collage from it. A central drawing emerged from the now mental 'wandering' across the surface. Collage elements were added. Acrylic paint embellished certain areas. With the advent of GPS in most new cars, a map is now becoming obsolete. Who can read it anyway? Who has the time?

In this abstract collage painting, a new life was restored from an old map.

To find unusual abstract collages, unique abstract paintings, pen and ink drawings, mixed media artworks, mixed media digital art and prints visit
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Arbitrary abstract acts-Tripartite

Divisions can be arbitrary. Imposed for abstract reasons. What started as a wandering pen line, soon required painting, light washes of color as forms began awaken and emerge. As in other pieces in this blog, the end result seem like an archaeological dig. Revealing. Mystifying.

It raises questions of life. And death. What will archaeologists find a hundred years from today? The ancients had their beliefs about death and the journey to the hereafter. Has modern man, armed with genetic codes, contemporary scientists unlocking the cures with new medical breakthroughs, provided a better answer? What becomes of the inner voice? Tripartite - life, death and the hereafter. Only the Father knows for sure.

Abstract thoughts for an abstract painting.

Other unusual and strange abstract paintings, drawings, collages and mixed media digital artworks are available at
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Painting in pieces

Abstract art, especially using the modern art technique of Collage, layering varying elements to produce something new.Two plus two equals five. Artists through the centuries have tried to produce something uniquely theirs. To use techniques, thoughts and compositions that make their artwork identifiable and individualistic. I've used disparate pieces of my work, abstract pieces from the past, combined with painted abstract, acrylic, animated backgrounds. To evoke ancient history without the representational elements. To use line and abstract colors and forms to evoke thoughts of times past. Though the elements are abstract, it triggers thoughts of man's early history.

This modern abstract collage painting is called "Meso". This and other contemporary abstract paintings, drawings, abstract modern collages, prints and other artworks can be viewed at
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Leaves- an abstract study in gray

No kidding! The starting point for abstract painting can be as diverse as the colors of the rainbow. Here I was, with a copy of a photo of ficus leaves. The thought occured to me that I should create an abstract structure over the print. With a brush loaded with gray paint, I began a series of rectangles, layering one over the other. A complex series of compartments. Obscuring the leaves. Obscuring the facts? Is this what some leaders were doing in a different context? Were multinationals obscuring the figures by a complex device of launching dozens of new subsidiary companies? A compartmentalized web of delusion.

But, to return to the painting "Leaves." I painted, in one of a few occasions a monochrome study. Showing the range of hues from black, to various gradations of gray to white. It's a small study in abstraction.

To view and purchase unusual abstract paintings, drawings, collages and prints visit:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

" Abstract art is the product of a confused mind"

So said an opinionated, deeply religious aunt of mine. She heard I was painting and wanted to find out what kind of art I was producing. So when I vaguely explained that it was a semi abstract kind of art, This was her retort. Well I was shocked, she hadn't even seen any of my work, so to be described as confused was extreme. I didn't say much after that. She didn't either.

It didn't change my approach to art. Which was largely intuitive and experimental. But her words stuck in my mind decades later. Maybe she was right. It has never been easy to explain or understand. You like it or you don't. It is always useful to try and get at some of the thoughts the artist perused as he worked.

Abstract art is wide ranging in style and content. Some abstract art is totally non-representational. No object is descernible. Other types of abstract art hint at objects, visible things, landscapes.

Modern art got its driving force at the turn of the 20th century. It was a new kind of thinking, it was essentially experimental, always exploring new ways, new thinking, new solutions, defying the traditional techniques. Thus no definition is absolute, except in its diversity. This is where the heated discussions and differences begin. The controversies are exposed, outlandish remarks are made, arbiters of "good taste" reject it outright, weak artist retreat to their studios, the works can gain notoriety, sometimes the artists gain a cult following, the media loves it.

Most people, on viewing modern art will say, "I don't understand this stuff!" But understanding is not what you'll find. Instead, modern art should be regarded in the same way you appreciate instrumental music, flowers, poetry, it's an appeal to the emotions, to the senses. For modern abstract art to be fully appreciated you have to drink it in, absorb it. It's an experiment to be enjoyed, or cautiously accepted or sometimes angrily rejected, as "the product of a confused mind." Such can be the effect on the senses.

What do you think? How do you feel about abstract art?

Intuitive abstract collage art

This abstract collage is an intuitively linked combination of ink drawings, prints, brown wrapping paper, pastel and charcoal lines, on an acrylic painted background. On a bleaky morning, I assembled a number of random samples in a folder, with the thought of creating a collage of these pieces.

Collage was developed by Picasso and his friend Georges Braque to show art in a radically new way. This was an attempt to break the tradition of the paint brush dipped in oil paint, depicting something representational. That was the practice at the turn of the century. At some point, having gained fame as an artist using the classical techniques of that era, Picasso started experimenting and collaborated with his friend Georges.

Picasso, always seeking new ways to express himself, started using bits of newspapers, wallpaper and odds and ends around the studio. The more mundane the better. It was meant to shock the traditionalists. And it worked. There was outright condemnation by the art dealers of that time. Many felt Picasso could have made a comfortable living, rehashing the accepted styles of that era. Thankfully, Picasso rejected the conventional wisdom and created a new form of art. Thus opening the door, giving confidence to many other artists who came after him.

To view more abstract paintings, collages, drawings, digital experiments, and prints visit:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art-framed

Small abstract paintings when properly framed and matted can have an impact in your home. Here are 4 examples of framed paintings on a yellow wall, showing a variety of colored frames.

To view other abstract paintings, drawings, collages and art prints visit:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art-Hierachy 4

This abstract drawing "Hierachy 4" is a rapid pen drawing, of compressed forms in compartments. It could be an aerial view of an archaeological dig, The abstract pen drawings appear to be lowered into another site, pasted on an umber ground. So much can be deciphered from ancient sites.

Other abstract paintings, drawings, collages and art prints can be found at:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art group

This Abstract painting started as a loose charcoal sketch. Gradually acrylic paint was applied loosely, then the images were subdivided into segments. Figurative abstract heads made an illusionistic visit. Diffused by layers of overpaint. Subtly applied.
These and other works on this blog are small scale abstractions. Small is powerful.

To view this and other abstract contemporary paintings, drawings, mixed media artworks and high quality giclee prints visit

http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art - Global warner

This abstract painting developed from a wandering pen, drawings using colored markers, pen lines and acrylic layers.

As the artwork evolved, increasingly, I was reminded of 'seers', 'prophets' and people who suddenly seemed to get a vision of what would happen soon, in Jamaica. They would preach on the sidewalks in the busiest bus terminals, on the most jam-packed streets, anywhere the message could be heard - "Repent, the end is coming soon." This could go on for hours. Some curious onlookers would stop and stare. Other would hurriedly leave the area. Unless they got too boisterous no one would bother them. Well almost, there were always a few idlers who would mock them. Then the screaming would really begin - 'Repent! Repent or perish in eternal damnation.'

Though abstract in development, this contemporary artwork evoked nostalgic memories of times past.
Additional abstract paintings, drawings, collages and prints can be found at:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art - Fused

This contemporary abstract collage painting "Fused" was given this title because it represented a fusion of many art forms. "Fused" combined pen and ink drawings, torn magazine pages, pastel drawings, acrylic paint used in an abstract expressionist style.

Sometimes the elements of a collage are scattered around the studio. How are they to be used to form a composition? Should they be a formal design? Or offbeat? Very often I try something off beat. To invent something new. Strong vertical and horizontal forms? To be different, I choose a diagonal angle to the central compartment. The elements too strong? I try to obscure them with paint. Too unstructured? I try borders and compartments. The surface is too flat? I layer other drawings. The surface lacks texture? Brush strokes of white dance across layers of forms and colors.

The end result of this abstract painting are not smooth and refined. But life is never really smooth. To appreciate the necessity of the rough expression helps one compare and appreciate other smooth forms of beauty. Is there ever a greater calm than after the storm?

Contemporary Abstract art incorporates many styles, forms and abstract thought. What's your definition of abstract art?
To see more of my contemporary abstract paintings, drawings, collages and prints visit:
http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Art Quotes for Today

QUOTES FOR THE DAY

Painting: The art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to the critic.
Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914),

The Devil's Dictionary
A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions than anything else in the world.

Fellow artists, what do you think?

Abstract art-Enjoined

In this contemporary abstract artwork, I created a pen drawing with a series of fused abstract forms meandering across the page. Working with the larger fused forms in the middle, I created a border of related abstract forms. A print was made, then hand colored with pastel and colored pencils. Though the work is small - 8.5x11 inches the intricate details were quite involved and took a long time to complete. Small works keep the eyes focused, the intensity and concentration, like a laser beam, on a small area at a time. Someone once said "to do a large painting, use a large brush." This has never been easy in the style and build-up method that I use.

Line drawing, for me, lays the foundation for most of my abstract paintings. It represents a skeleton on which to create more three dimensional forms, creating a balanced though informal composition, where color can be used to enhance and highlight certain areas. Colors can be bright and explosive or subdued and introspective. I try to be as original as possible in the start and completion of each work. That's what keeps the interest going. The thought of a new day, a new creative way, to express the thoughts and vision that stimulate the imagination.

Additional contemporary abstract paintings, drawings, mixed media artworks, digital artworks, and abstract collages can be found at http://www.yessy.com/emooyoung/gallery.html

Abstract art/collage-Emerald

This abstract painting combines pen line drawings, collage elements pasted on surface, wax drippings, acrylic paint in foreground and background. It was an attempt to create and use recycled art and build compartments of color in the foreground elements while using more subdued color and wax drippings in a more abstract manner in the background. This is an example of a contemporary mixed media collage painting.