Abstract Painting – Luz Artworks

About My Abstract Paintings – Continued

When did I start Abstract Painting?

I started painting abstract pieces in the year 2013, with a couple of blue paintings. Those had names like ‘Windows and doors’, ‘Bridge’ and ‘Assisi’. They felt like cityscapes or buildings. Sometimes figures or even faces were popping up in the works. I often decided to remove figurative elements, but in ‘Assisi’ I worked them out in the final painting.

After the first meeting with abstract painting, I was working on some paintings in 2017, with a vertical composition. Examples are ‘In a Warm Place’ and ‘Openings’. I was mesmerised by the colour of rusty orange. It was for me the first time that I added paper to my paintings. This technique, that I adopted from my teacher Janine van Stiphout, was so much fun to do. My paintings looked more layered and had more texture than ever before. I also added wool and threads to these paintings. 

My Abstract Painting Class

In 2020 I released the online course ‘Pattern Playing’, my first abstract painting class in Luz Artworks. Those days I designed a lot of patterned paper, which I could add to my paintings. It was a challenge to see what would be the perfect match and what would be the main theme of the painting. There are several paintings that I’ve been creating before, during and after the course. ‘Pattern Playing Blue’ and ‘Pattern Playing Green’ are created in the course itself. 

Once in a while I start painting a series in the ‘Windows and Doors’ style, in the colours that I’m drawn to in that period. It’s amazing to discover new colours because I mix my paint a lot. 

Sometimes they feel like cityscapes, sometimes like (very) abstract landscapes, sometimes you could see anything in it, that’s up to the viewer! 

Another Abstract Painting Course

In 2021 I created an online painting course with the theme ‘Beyond Colour Fields’, inspired by Marc Rothko, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Piet Mondriaan and Nicholas de Stael. These paintings have various different sized ‘fields’ and a patchwork like composition. In the course I learn my students how to play again, to make around 30 mini compositions and how to feel connected again with the artist in them. We play a lot and let go of our expectations. 

A New Element in my Abstract Painting

A new element that I added in my own painting style during these days, was a couple of wonderful printing techniques. I used carving, stamping and stencilling in the ‘Sparkle no. 1, Sparkle no. 2 & Sparkle no. 3’ paintings. It provided even more texture and the prints became also patterns. You could see this as a continuation to my Pattern Playing and a mixture of the abstract paintings that I started with in the first place. 

My Inspiration for Abstract Painting

Since I feel very inspired by nature, it’s no wonder that sometimes flowers, trees and plants appear in my paintings. There’s an overlap between my abstracts, my landscapes and my flower paintings. That’s why you see some of my abstract paintings in other portfolio folders as well. 

My Next Step in Abstract Painting?

I really don’t know! I never know exactly what’s to come and that’s exactly the thing I love about it: it’s always a surprise. If I go with the flow, it will take me to a new place to explore. There’s not a name for that yet.