Figurative Abstract Painting "Adorn" by Elizabeth Chapman

Adorn

Acrylic on 10" x 10" canvas

SOLD

If interested in created custom ordered figurative abstract painting, contact me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com

I worked on another commission for a figurative abstract this last week.  I will admit these always make me a little nervous. Then again, that can be a good thing right? A good challenge.  Not that the large abstracts aren't, is just that with these I feel the expectations of those who have entrusted me to create a cherished piece.  

I have been developing a process of approach that is consistent and works for me. It begins with getting acquainted with my subject by drawing directly on the canvas. Then I will block in the negative space adjusting and correcting any drawing problems. Next, I will move in to the subjects(s) and begin finding and painting flesh tones. I'll need to break and leave it for awhile. When I come back I am able to continue with a back and forth flow between background and subject. The last step is the very hardest. At this point, I have gotten to know my subject(s) and it's time to be willing to take a risk. It's the giving of life.  Brushstrokes and colors are boldly and confidently placed. Hopefully, it's all worked out and I can send an image to the client for approval.  Lastly, is the celebration stage... and I can sit back and enjoy the work!! Hope you do too!

More of these can be seen in my website: HERE

or in my Etsy store: HERE

Elizabeth Chapman

Modern Abstract Artist 

Figurative abstract mother and child painting, "More Love" by Elizabeth Chapman

More Love

Acrylic on 10" x 10" canvas

SOLD

For your custom order you can follow the link on Etsy: HERE

or contact me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com

This painting was done as a commission for Elise Cripe.  Two years ago I did one for her first born, Ellerie  and her together. This one is Elise and her second born, Piper.  The paintings "Mother's Love" and "More Love" are being paired up and displayed in her home together.  Working on a couple more this week and an order next week.  Seems like once started...they just keep coming!

Visit my website to see my modern expressionistic abstract paintings: HERE

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

in the studio today.

Bon Vivant

Acrylic on 36" x 48" canvas

SOLD

It's a large figurative abstract painting that is presently on the easel.  I was working here from an old black and white photograph, instagrammed: here.  I was attracted to the setting of a group of people dining and enjoying each other's company.  Included in the photograph was my grandfather from Venezuela, Rafael Vegas (another link:here) and great grandmother  Falligan (didn't know her first name). My grandmother Simone Falligan, who would later marry Rafael is taking the picture. The photograph was taken in France…thus the title "Bon Vivant"--- enjoying good food and drink.

What else is going on in the studio today?  well, I am moving….

for the last five years, all abstract paintings where produced in this upstairs/bedroom studio.  As you can see…a small space.  This side of the room is my office and in the closet is my paint cart with supplies needed for packaging kept on the top shelf of the closet.   The cart was purchased a few years ago as way to keep all my paints safely put up from and locked away from an active toddler grand daughter.  She was the reason that I moved up to this room in order that her parents and her could have their own space.  The table that you see in front of the bookshelf is also used for painting. (didn't realize her rocket ship was left laying there)  It is much like an extension of my easel.  When I really become involved with a painting, the canvas will often end up on this table where I can turn it and work from all sides.  This is when my pug Gigi will take off running, as she hates the sound of it.

As Penny has grown up, I've been able to move all those jars of paint back on the table, where they are lined up warm to cool colors. This has been so very helpful, as I paint intuitively and need to be able to grab the next jar of color that comes to my mind without having to dig in the cart. Here you can see the latest painting on the easel. The one on the other easel that  is turned is the completed "Sponta" (last blog post).  I have it turned so as to not have those colors influence the painting I'm working on. On that back wall is where I have hung paintings that were too big for the easel. Lots of paint on that wall! The little bitty painting is Penny's!  Under the table is a storage bin that my husband built for me.  It stores all of my completed paintings on paper. The short table by the door is Penny's play dough/studio table. I have been instructed  that I must make sure and move it too!

The packing it up process has begun and will probably take a few weeks to complete. Moving upstairs was not something that I wanted to do.  I had grown attached to my studio downstairs, but it was all being done for the right reason.  I am thankful for a gift that I can use in order to have my own business and spend time with what I love best…family.  Don't get me wrong..I LOVE creating painting beautiful abstract paintings, but  keeping priorities priority is more important. This room was covered with a drop cloth canvas in order to protect the carpet.  That will be removed as the room is painted and restored into a bedroom.  These small footprints of Penny (around 1 year old) were a mother/daughter project which will be cut out and saved.  Thinking, I will quilt and frame them.  Along with this will be many photos found while packing, of this time in her life that will be put together in a scrapbook.  Perhaps, Aunt Elsie would help?

I suppose to someone who paints with so much emotion as I do,  it should come as no surprise that I should become SO attached to a studio.  Visualizing the new space, making plans, moving stuff and writing this post are all a part of saying my farewells and helping the process.  I am now looking forward to the new studio! yay!!  It won't be a lot, a lot bigger but it will be more space with much better lighting.  And yes,  I will share pics of the new studio!  For those working out of a small studio or those of you who are not working because you don't feel as if you have enough space, I will leave you with this, Leonardo da Vinci once said, "An artist's studio should be a small space because small rooms discipline the mind and large ones distract it."

So there you go…

To see all the abstract paintings that have been produced from this studio, visit my gallery: HERE

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

inspiration.

Mother's Love
Acrylic on 10" x 10" canvas

SOLD

This was a commissioned figurative abstract for Elise Blaha from the blog: 'enjoy it.'  She contacted me as she is friends and works with my daughters Elsie and Emma of  A Beautiful Mess, inquiring if I would be interested in creating this painting of her and Ellerie. How could I not?! Such an adorable picture of these two.  The photo that I used is in part of her blog banner or instagram @elisejoy if you would like to see it.

I know, I know I need to keep painting these figuratives...


I did not know Elise and so decided to check her blog out.  I left reading her blog inspirationally pumped and I'm not through reading it yet. There is so much. You couldn't possibly miss finding something you would enjoy reading. She has been blogging since 2005. I found this post on posting in the section: Blog Content which caught my eye for ideas.  loved it. Currently, she is starting a birthday challenge called make29 for her birthday this year.  I'm not quite sure how she finds the time for all that she does.  She certainly, is an inspiration.


Interested in a figurative abstract painting?
email me: elizabethchapman@artlover.com


Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

sisterly ties

"Sistery Ties" on the easel

Figurative Abstracts

Commissioned

Sisterly Ties One

Acrylic on 10" x 10" x 3/4" wrap canvas

Commissioned

Sisterly Ties Two

Acrylic on 10" x 10" x 3/4" wrap canvas

Commissioned

My husband is so laughing at me, because one of my goals for this year was to phase out small abstracts.  Concentrating more on the large abstracts.  Well, here I went and joined the 30 paintings in 30 days challenged last month and to make it more manageable for myself, I painted a lot of small abstracts.  It was also a good time to try something new.  Figurative abstracts had been something that I had dabbled in a little with the "Pool Side Series", but after 4-5 paintings had dropped it.  So not exactly new, new…but was something I wanted to continue…

It has turned out to be a natural for me and really not to far from abstract expressionism.  It is really another emotional form of painting in which it is more about picking up the feeling or movement of the subject than creating a realistic depiction. Yet, there is just enough realism to connect with. This new style has turned out to be very well received  and I have been busy  painting several more since last month.  So, here I am painting more of the small abstracts!

This was a  special commission and one that is meant to be a gift to two sisters who share similar ties. I was contacted by their mother who was a regular follower of my daughters' Elsie and Emma's blog, A Beautiful Mess.  On their blog she had seen one of the paintings I had done for the January Challenge titled "Sisters". She fell in love with the painting as it was a reminder to her of her own daughters and 'sisters' with a unique bond. She asked if I would be willing to create a figurative abstract from a photograph that had appeared in a local magazine article of her daughters   ….and would I do 'two paintings' as they would be a gift to each sister.

The gift would  be given as a celebration for this years fifth anniversary.  The older sister is a recipient of a kidney donation from the younger sister.  Each year in May, there mother has given them a gift. It was all the information I was given. Since having completed the paintings I have been given more information and totally admire the courage that these sisters have had.  I've been told that "Sisterly Ties One" totally captures the personalities of these two daughters/sisters. 

Approaches to painting can vary, at least for me.  I wanted to keep the feeling consistent for each painting and so they were painted side by side back and forth.  They paintings are obviously alike in many ways  but yet there are elements from each one that I prefer and so in that respect I feel they turned out with a good balance of likeness.  What spoke the most for me was painting the area around there shoulders.  In the photograph the sister on the right has her arm wrapped around the other.  I couldn't get this to work and so their ended up being more of a merge occurring.  Frustration set in at first, but then I realized it was a part of the flow of the painting as it was a perfect illustration of their closeness. Knowing more now, it will be interesting to learn which painting each sister chooses.

Sisters… share so much.  Sure there are the occasional disagreements, but the love between them overcomes.  

To commission your figurative abstract email me: elizabethchapman@artlvoer.com

A full portfolio of my abstract paintings can be viewed and purchased from: HERE 

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Day TWENTY ONE

Into The Open

Mixed Media on 9" x 9" heavy watercolor paper
Ready to frame

Available

Day TWENTYONE….of the "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge.  Another photo snagged from A Beautiful Mess. This time it is of my daughter Emma taken by Elsie.  The title "Into The Open" means forward, ahead, onward which I thought was fitting for a girl with a bike and an independent spirit.

Today is Emma's birthday and as I was writing, the post date reminded me of her twenty-first birthday.  You see here in Missouri you never know what the weather is going to be like in January, or any other time for that matter. Emma was born on the most beautiful, warmest, sun shining day.  But, on her twenty-first  birthday she was blowing out the candles on her cake as we were surviving ten days of not having had electricity after a major ice storm.  Side note- lights came on just as she finished blowing the candles out.  Wishes do come true!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Emma!

WEB GALLERY

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Day TWENTY "In Vogue"

In Vogue

Mixed Media on 9" x 9" heavy paper
Ready to frame

Available

Day TWENTY….of the "30 paintings in 30 days challenge".  This figurative abstract is of my daughter Elsie taken by Emma.  They are both such wonderful photographers that I've been going back to their blog, A Beautiful Mess in search of photos to work with.  My intent is not necessarily to paint a realistic portraiture, but more to capture the feeling for that moment.  The poise, color or patterns are all elements that will attract me and become more of what is emphasized.  In this case it was the poise, with one leg swinging back, satchel in hand, face looking into camera. Sophisticated.

Web Gallery

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist

Day SEVENTEEN "Mademoiselle"

Madamoiselle

Gouache on 9" x 9" heavy watercolor paper

Ready to frame, $100

Available: HERE

Day SEVENTEEN of the "30 paintings in 30 days"

Web Gallery

Elizabeth Chapman

Contemporary Abstract Artist

Day NINE

Bathe

Gouache on 9"H x 6"W heavy 156lb Arches paper

Ready to frame, $100

Available: HERE

Day Nine of the "30 paintings in 30 days".  The photograph I worked from with this painting is from the DPW challenge,  The Bathing Woman.  You don't have to be a member of the site in order to participate in their challenges.  I am a listing member, but have never participated in any of these challenges.  Well, until now. I have been wanting to work with some more figurative abstracts and found several photos on their to work with.  It's been a good place for me to start.  However, I am going to have begin looking for my own, take my own or perhaps my daughters from A Beautiful Mess would be so kind to allow me to use theirs!

I began this painting purely as a gesturally drawing done with a wash sketch pencil on wet watercolor paper.  My objective was to use color with a soft atmospheric effect and not loose the gesturally feeling.    If you have never worked with Gouache (French, pronounced gwash), it is a water-soluble opaque medium. I love that you can move the paint much like working with oils.  Unlike acrylics that dry permanently, you can come back later and re-work, soften etc., an area. Because they are an opaque, thicker paint than watercolors, I can stay with the painting longer, rather than having to stop allowing drying time between layers.  Try them sometime!   

Day Six…"Savor"

Savor

Gouache on 9" x 9" heavy watercolor paper

SOLD

DAY SIX of the 30 paintings in 30 days.  This painting was inspired by the DPW challenge of the week.  To paint a work that helps you forget about winter for just one moment.  You can check out the other paintings: HERE.  Guess I'm just up for challenges lately!  Actually, they are helping to keep me up and going.  Plus, I'm snowed in!  This one will be added and can be purchased from the figurative abstract category in my web gallery.

Elizabeth Chapman
Contemporary Abstract Artist