I truly find it difficult to think and create abstractly. I first did a sketch this morning and it had too much detail and the flowers looked too real. It’s just not what I was in the mood for…
Then I remembered what I used to do years ago. I would cut and cut and cut creating shapes, collage and templates for artwork.
Why you ask? What I had figured out years ago, is that I’m pretty good at creating interesting shapes and assembling them very quickly. Faster than I could sketch something. I would create clothing for paper dolls, designs for chairs, self portraits, landscapes, you name it. My mind could break down and create compositions via the act of cutting the objects out,way better or should I say easier than drawing them.
I think another positive to this approach is that you can move the templates around before sketching. In doing so, I can pay a lot closer attention to the negative spaces and arrange the shapes in a more playful manner as to not create such a literal image. I love that the lemons are rolling down the surface. It’s fun. I moved the lemons around horizontally and vertically until I saw what I liked. No paper wasted.
I think in the upcoming weeks I will try this approach a little more. I want to do a bird series which could work well with this. If I keep all of these templates I make, then I can make some really large pieces of artwork incorporating the entire compilation of pieces.
Here are a couple of other things: First, I’m looking at the white background in the above photo and wondering why I always go so darn wild with color (orange background?) I can’t seem to stop earlier in the process…I just go full throttle until there isn’t a speck of white on the page. Wondering what you guys think again? Should I try a little harder to pull back and restrain myself? Second, This was a funny thought…If I kept going with this approach, I could be known as the recycling artist…You know, the woman diving in dumpsters and ripping apart the recycling. I’d find that amusing, but I guess I’m already that :)
So I had another fun day exploring art mediums. I definitely got my bright color fix for the day. Now,I’m off to relax and think about what I might come up with for tomorrow.
Be Creative Mary 
I like the bright colours. I’m always encouraging my students to fill in the entire space with colour. I’m okay with some white but not the entire background. Great picture. I like the idea of cutting out the shapes and moving them around until you like the composition.
I thought you might like that idea for your students! They could also trade with each other…
Abstract is so hard!!! People look at abstract art and think there’s nothing to it but I 100% disagree. I love your use of color. To me, color=happy and interesting. It’s always good to try different things but I love your style.