Saturday, June 29, 2013

a small impact...

'Impact'

Acrylic on 8" x 8" x 3/4" wrap canvas

Ready to hang




If you have found my work through my blog, love it and are interested in purchasing several pieces please contact me for a discount and combined shipping.  Let me know where you found me.

This mini abstract would make quite the impact among your collection of small originals.

To pick out your collection of mini's for your wall display, go HERE.


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist




Tuesday, June 25, 2013

impressions....

'Impress'

Acrylic on 24" x 24" x 1.5" wrap canvas

Available for purchase from my Web Gallery






To be honest,  it was another popular painting of mine "Caress" that became the inspiration for this one.   Keeping it light and pastellish is something that I have to keep in mind, as you might imagine once you've seen my colorful abstract paintings.  This is  a softer color palette with more of a minimalist composition  that I would  definitely like to continue to explore in the future.


Please visit MY WEB GALLERY to enjoy more original contemporary abstracts!


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist


  

Monday, June 24, 2013

another mini....

'Argent'

Acrylic on 8" x 8" x 3/4" wrap canvas

More of these 'mini' abstracts can be seen in my Web Gallery: here




Another small abstract to be added to the 'mini' series....


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Saturday, June 22, 2013

mini....

Beryl

Acrylic on 8" x 8" x 3/4" wrap canvas.

Ready to hang




The mini abstract collection can be seen here.   These are signed on the side giving greater versatility as to how they are displayed.  Mini's can be hung as single pieces, collected for a wall or shown alongside larger abstract paintings.  


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Saturday, June 15, 2013

cool blues....

Pelagic

Acrylic on 24" x 36" x 3/4" wrap canvas

Ready to hang

SOLD

May be purchased directly from my Web Gallery: HERE

or by contacting me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com




Started this one a few weeks ago bringing it to a point that I really liked, yet did not feel it was quite where I wanted it to be.  Left it alone for a while hoping and waiting for the next idea.  Time paid off, as I got up one day with the idea for circles.  I am always just a little leary of going back in on a painting that I am really liking, as the whole thing could possibly change.  I am happy to say that the original composition and color scheme pretty much remained in tact as I worked the spheres in. 

 I'll have to confess...I am not the one who titles the painting.  Now and then I will come up with one, but for the most part it can take me much longer to title a piece than to paint it. Lol..  it is my husband who works on the titles.  So thankful! The questions I get asked are " So, what does it remind you of,  or what where you thinking about?" Sounds easy enough...but from this I will have some long, long meaning of it all....somehow he is able to sort through and pick a title.

This list is pretty much all that it was reminding me of, from which he used the thesaurus to find the title.

Pelagic:  abyssal, aquaticboating, cruising, deep-sea, marine, maritime, navigating,navigational, oceangoing, oceanic, oceanographic, pelagic rowing, sailing, sailorly, salty, sea-loving, seafaring, seagoing, thalassic, yachting


More of my abstracts and information can be found in my Web Gallery by clicking: HERE


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

it all works out.....






Carolina

Mixed Media 19" x 20" on 156lb watercolor paper
Ready to be framed

May be purchased directly from my Web Gallery

or by contacting me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com

SOLD


This was began before the wedding of our daughter Emma on Saturday.  I picked it up again to work on it the next evening and didn't really see the influence of that day until just know.  

It was truly the most beautiful day, EVER, which we were all so thankful for as it was an outdoor wedding.  Emma and Trey, along with their company of bridesmaids and groomsmen exchanged their vows on the dock on a pond.  A bright sunny day, yet not hot with a cool breeze in the air and everything green from all the rain we've been having.

I did take my camera with me but with all the business of the afternoon and keeping track of Penny, unfortunately I did not get a single picture taken.  I will have to get my pictures from Elsie and Emma's blog, A Beautiful Mess and will refer you there to Emma's Wedding where many photos will be posted as time progresses.

The dress was designed by Elsie and was an offwhite with gold trim.  Emma's colors for her reception where white and gold.  As you take a look at some of these wedding photos that will be posted, perhaps you might also see the colors and feelings of the day impressed into this painting.

The painting was begun with a gesturally drawing and watercolors on soaking wet watercolor paper.   Some cardboard I found sitting close by was used to pull out color creating textures and colors where allowed to mingle with the first layer.  My intention was for this one to totally just be a watercolor painting.  I worked many layers of color in between allowing the paper to thoroughly, dry in order to intensify the watercolor. 

The magic occurred with the last layer as I am on the phone!  Here I went in with Chinese White watercolor paint and later an acylic white scraping through to underlying layers and accenting with metallic gold.  In the background a light blue acrylic was overlayed with a few of the pinks further emphasized and we were there!

The title.  Well, kinda all goes along with the feel of this painting.  Just as I'm getting there...the phone rings and it's my mother.  Yes, I went ahead picked it up, but continued to paint as I'm talking to her...well actually as she is talking to me as she LOVES to talk. Her name is Maria Carolina, nicknamed Corina as a child.  I have always thought Carolina, (pronounced differently in Spanish) is a beautiful name.  The wedding was out in the country where she lives in a log cabin on the farm that we moved to when I was a child.  So, when it came time to title this one..well, you guessed it!

Funny, how it all works out!

More wonders can be seen in my WEB GALLERY

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist




Friday, June 7, 2013

love.....


Convergence

Acrylic on 30" x 40" x 1.5" wrap canvas

SOLD

To purchase through PayPal directly from my Web Gallery, go here

or contact me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com



As my thoughts are focused on my daughter Emma who will be getting married tomorrow, this painting has continually came to my remembrance as a visual expression. Rather than give you my thoughts, I'm going to leave this one to you.  But, would love to hear yours!!

We are very excited with all the activities and the bringing together of friends and family!

for this very special celebration!!

Peeks can now be seen: HERE


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

embrace creativity....

Imperial

Acrylic on 36"H x 24"W x 3/4" wrap canvas  


or

by contacting me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com






Besides the RED, I just love the variety of patterns and how they play against each other in this painting.  This is another one of those that changed a lot as it progressed. LOL...don't they all!  It was a matter of getting to that point where the critical self steps aside and the creative auto pilot takes over. Oh, I so hate to admit this.  But, there is a point when I might just feel as if I have got the ugliest painting ever created and so it really doesn't matter.  Just go ahead and do whatever.  I have learned to embrace this time as so many beautiful paintings have resulted from that mode.  So, go ahead....don't be afraid...embrace creativity and play!!




Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Painting

Monday, June 3, 2013

a wonder....

Amaze

Acrylic on 20" x 60" x 1.5" (X3) canvases.  
60" x 60" Tryptych

NFS

Please visit my WEB GALLERY to see more of my Contemporary Abstracts.




The top image is the completed painting that I created for my son Doren's new apartment.  This will hang on a large wall.   Delivering the panels there tonight and I can't wait to see what it looks like on his wall.  It's a loft apartment and so his kitchen and living room are all in the same space.  The kitchen counter has lights that hang from the ceiling that are cobalt blue color.  These had caught my eye and just knew I would want to incorporate that color into the painting.

When he first asked me if I would paint him something for his apartment, I just wasn't really to sure I could fulfill that assignment.  We have many things in common, of course we are family, but artistically we are different.  I'm abstract, he's graphic.  He once approached one of my paintings and said "but look mom there's a blob of paint here".  Without him saying anything else I knew it bothered him that it wasn't smooth and blended out. To which I responded "I know, it's texture, it's part of the painting and I like it".  That should give you an idea of our differences!

So, I asked him, "what type of painting would you like this to be"...trying to get some ideas of what he might like.  "Well, mom, I would like for you to paint something that reminds you of me"  Oh boy, I'm thinking that is quite an assignment... how do I approach something like this abstractly? And then, "What if you don't like it?"  The good mom that I am put it off for awhile in hopes that he might forget.   For awhile that worked and then he was over asking about where to buy a large canvas to paint.  Just knew with work, school and a daughter that he needed some help.  There were three canvases in my downstairs studio that were perfect for this project.  I was inspired!!


 Now, back to how to approach this painting with what he had in mind.  I had no idea and so I just started in the same way I typically work.  Intuitively. One mark, color leading to the next and next and next, always hoping for the best.  There were so many childhood memories of Doren that went into this painting.  It was like memory instagrams!  So, in that respect it is a painting that reminds me of him.  I didn't think of it until later but he always liked green and there did turn out to be a lot of green in this painting.  As, I was painting some of the blue in it reminded me of a time that we painted his room a requested blue color and then felt as if we were in a fish bowl. Lots of movement too...he gets to see that now in his daughter!, who is so much like he was as a child.  He was born with eyes that were wide open, moving all around checking everything out as if in amazement!

This last image was actually the pic that I took, thinking that I was done.  Although, to be honest there was something I felt missing but couldn't quite get it.  I was looking at it one morning as I was getting ready to post it and began to see circular shapes that just seem to be asking for some definition.  The painting would need to be re-photographed.  Unfortunately, I had already put the finishing varnish on when I discovered that I wanted to work with the circles.  Photographing with the varnish already coated on has caused a bit of glare in the finished (top photograph) In this bottom one you can get a better idea of that area. (before the varnish)

So there you are son...hope you are always totally amazed!

Love you SO much...mom





Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist