Fearless Friday, A Patch of Blue
We’re going to explore abstract painting a bit today
I have been commissioned to do a lot of abstract paintings in my career
Any commission is a little scary
because you want to make sure your client loves it,
but when it is commissioned by your own daughter,
that is the scariest of all!
This painting, “Cool Calm and Collected”
migrated from DD’s old living room to her new powder room
after they renovated their house in 2019
Because they loved their lot and their location,
when they began to out grow their house ,
they decided to rebuild instead
Now they have a huge great room with walls begging for art!
Life’s Layers is on the left wall
and she asked me to paint a large canvas
to go on the opposite wall near the stairs
DD and I have a lot in common,
but our taste in decor runs very different!
I love color and lots going on,
while she is very plain Jane,
her whole house is neutrals,
gray and white with gold fixtures and accents
She gave me the photo below from Pottery Barn
and said it was exactly what she wanted…
she plans to hang family photos around the painting
forming a small gallery wall
so she wanted the painting to be simple and serene,
to add a pop of color to the space,
but not cause distractions
Azure Patchwork Hand Embellished Canvas Print
Here we go!
She requested a 48″ x 48″ canvas
which actually looks small in her great room
but it sure looked big in my kitchen!
I printed out a photo of the Pottery Barn canvas for reference
and set up my Sta-Wet palette
A Sta-Wet palette is so handy for acrylics,
the paint stays wet because the palette paper
sits atop a wet sponge in a plastic box
When you’re finished painting for the day
you put the lid on and it seals tightly
and the paint will stay fresh for days
I made a grayish blue by mixing Prussian Blue,
Titanium White, a touch of Cad Yellow and Ultramarine blue
then varied the proportions of the mixed paint
to slightly vary the different blocks of color
I used a 2 1/2″ house painting brush for the large areas
to spread the paint quickly
and mixed in a medium gel to thicken the paint
for texture in some areas
To finish and help it tie in to her decor I added some gold streaks
It’s really hard to see in the photograph,
but it looks much better in person
and most importantly she said she loves it
which is all that matters to me!
They haven’t a chance to hang it yet
so I will post an update of the whole wall
once it’s hung and you can get a better feel
for how it looks in the room
How do you feel about abstract paintings?
Here are some of my favorites
If you think you’re not a painter try an abstract~
Abstract painting is not as easy as it looks,
but here are a few tips to keep in mind
- Find a photo or object to use as a model, then break it down into simple shapes
- Make sure your composition has an off center focal point where the eye is drawn
- Use a limited palette, it will keep your painting harmonious. Too many colors can make it look like a hot mess!
Be Fearless!
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Sundays on Silverado Love Your Creativity
Between Naps on the Porch, Celebrate Your Story,
All About Home/ Common Ground Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Tasty Tuesday Oh My Heartsie Girl Turn About Tuesday
Full Plate Thursday Centerpiece Wednesday Creative Crafts
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Wow! Your talent never ceases to amaze me.
Thank you Bernadette! I hope you have a lovely weekend~
I must admit that I prefer more colours…bright, and vibrant colours make me happy. Life’s Layer looks good.
Me too! I am always fascinated by individual tastes in art…everyone is so different, but that’s a good thing!
Good morning, Jenna! Your daughter’s house is beautiful, and I love all the wonderful windows. The painting you created will go perfectly with her decor, and the blue color is perfect. Happy Friday!
Thank you Shannon, her house is beautiful and she’s taking her time with the decor which is smart, you have to live in a space for a while to realize what you want or need…as I said, it’s not my taste, but I am delighted she asks me to paint for her!
Niiiiiiice! Abstracts are so hard: Mine always end up looking like mud! I enjoyed getting to be a looky-loo in your daughter’s house. It is so pretty!
Thanks Ricki Jill, not my favorite painting but she loves it, so that’s all that matters…Have you ever painted a large canvas, wow, it is challenging! Have a great weekend!
My feeling about abstracts depends on the the location of the painting and the colors. I love what you did — you got the colors just right and it will be perfect in that spot. Often a large spot calls for something abstract. In general, they don’t fit my style but that doesn’t mean I don’t like or appreciate them — I just can’t live with them in the same way. I think I could live with this one!
Thanks so much Jeanie, I really appreciate your feedback and comments…abstract art is more complex than many people understand…I think I will like this painting more once she finishes furnishing her room and adding more framed photos around it.
Jenna, your abstract is going to be lovely when it is hanging in your daughter’s beautiful home. As you know, I love color. My son and DIL’s new home is all neutral and sparse, just what they wanted!
haha, you can relate can’t you!! As long as she’s happy I’m happy!
Wow, you fulfilled your daughter’s request beautifully! I’ll look forward to seeing it hanging. I’m a lot like your daughter in how I love neutrals, remember how I painted my entire interior a pale neutral gray. I do love my color, but enjoy those in my accessories. I really enjoyed peeking into your daughter’s lovely home. Happy Friday Jenna…….
Awesome! I’m so glad she loves it. You always do such beautiful work Jenna. Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much Martha!
Totally Love the Peacock dreams….like a foamy pool, going down the drain…but then something else…a peacock winking at you. Art is designed to evoke a response and if your client is happy then you succeeded. Hugs, Sandi
Oh, Jenna, you met your daughter’s challenge beautifully! I can’t wait to see your artwork in its space surrounded by the photos. Bravo!
Thank you Rosie, you are always so kind!
My one brother is an abstract painter. He is always commissioned to paint pictures for different clients and I enjoy seeing what he does.
I enjoyed the process of you making this canvas painting for her! Thank you!
And her house is quite beautiful!
Enjoy the weekend!
Thank you Nancy…I would love to see your brother’s work, does he have a website or Instagram account?
He does not. But I’ll send you some pics.
Oh thank you!
Your work is lovely, Jenna. I toy with color, but not as fearlessly as some do (you!), but I wish I was more fearless! I am playing with dishes right now, and am loving the color. My oldest daughter LOVES color, and I love seeing her decorate. My second daughter is more subdued with naturals, and the baby’s nursery is gender neutral (even though we know it’s a girl!). It must feel really good that your daughter asked you to paint for her home!
Thanks Rita, yes I am always flattered when she asks me to do a painting, and of course the price is right 😂 This one was a challenge because of the size and simplicity, and it’s good for me to wander outside my comfort zone! I’m so excited about your coming granddaughter!
You did a great job, glad she loves it. Her home is lovely with those big open spaces. I do like the Peacock Dreams, Breaking Waves, and even the Bloom paintings, very different, but nice for a change.
Thank you Cyndi, I love to do abstracts but the Patch of Blue one is definitely not my favorite, but it’s just what she wanted and I think it will look nice with the framed family photographs she wants to put around it.
I love the design of the great room! Remodeling was a good solution for them. We just changed states because of a love of freedom, and I was not prepared for the way houses are decorated now with a palette of grays. I am a bright colors, paisley kind of girl, but I have some adapting in my future. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to do a painting on commission, but it seems you made your daughter happy or she wouldn’t have asked for more. I really like the abstracts you included at the end of your post.
Thank you so much Linda, I am a color person too, and I think you should decorate any way that makes you happy! I have actually heard that color is on it’s way back in style. Commission paintings are a challenge, but I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone and doing something different.
Jenna I have neutrals in my decor but really love to bring in the pops of color to reflect each season. You were definitely up to the abstract painting challenge and did a great job!
Thanks for sharing at the FWF party.
Thanks so much Rachelle, my daughter is by far my most challenging client!