Abstract Beginnings

Yesterday I kicked off an abstract painting.  I put on some masking tape and some directional masking fluid spatters.  Then laid on some nice thick paint: Indian yellow, transparent yellow, Winsor red, quinacridone magenta, Prussian blue and French ultramarine.  Then threw on some salt – not table salt for a change but big chunks of Maldon sea salt that I ground up between a couple of jar lids.  Sharped off a few bits from my sepia and French ultramarine inktense sticks (not the inktense pencils).  Dropped in some water to create cauliflowers.  Put on a crumpled Easter egg wrapper, some bubble wrap, some French stick wrapper and some torn up watercolour paper.  Put a bit of hardboard on top, weighed it down with a paving slab and left it overnight.

And here’s what I ended up with.  French stick wrapper is always a winner, better even than clingfilm.  The bubble wrap also came out well.  And there are some good salt effects and cauliflowers.   Two unexpected things were the shard halfway down the left (unfortunately too near the edge for me to be able to make something of it) and the white golf club formed by the masking fluid below the masking tape areas.

It looks horrible outside, so I have all day to stare at this and keep turning it round looking for something to turn it into.  One thing’s for sure though – any alterations will involve one of my transparent blues (Foch ultramarine or Prussian blue).