Flow and Variety

The two elements I look for in all of my paintings are flow and variety. Flow is important because it keeps your eye moving throughout the piece. Variety is necessary to keep your eye engaged in the painting. I talked about both of these elements in my Blick FB Live last week. I’ll go a little more in-depth into both of these topics and explain how I capture this in my paintings.

Flow
I achieve flow in various different ways throughout my painting practice. First, I try to achieve a flow state when I’m painting. If you’re “in the zone” and the “paintings just flow” that is the best place to be. How do you get there? I spend time getting myself aligned for my painting practice. For me, this looks like meditation, running and yoga. If I’m in the right mindset, the paintings will come more easily onto the page. Second, I look for flow in the visual elements of the painting. This would include composition, color, line, shape and value. If these elements all work together, then there will be a nice flow and movement to the painting. Your eye will move smoothly throughout the piece—it doesn’t stop or feel off-balance. If each one of these elements has its own flow, then together the piece will feel settled onto the page. Last, I achieve flow through the materials that I use to paint. I like the Liquitex soft body paints which have a nice consistency and flow smoothly onto the page. Since they are more fluid than the heavy body paints, yet still have excellent surface coverage, it allows me to achieve that desired effect of flow in my work.

Variety
I’m always looking for variety in my paintings. This will keep your eye coming back for more. It’s really important for me to keep the viewer engaged with my work. I have a 4x4ft canvas painting on the wall in my apartment, and I see something new every time I look at it. It’s like I rediscover a piece of the painting each time—a hidden mark, a subtle color, or a gentle transition. I love finding new things in my work that I didn’t see before. So how do you get more variety? First, you can achieve variety through adding layers to your painting. Layers are a natural way to get variety since they keep your eye looking for more. I like it when little pieces of my first initial layers peek through into the final piece. Second, you can add variety to both the colors and marks in your piece. I will often choose color palettes of neutrals with a pop of color. Or, I might mix both organic and geometric shapes in one piece. The contrast of these elements will add visual interest. Last, you can get more variety with your tools. I use a lot of different mark-making tools when I paint: pencils, paint markers, graphite sticks, water-soluble crayons and watercolor pencils. This range of tools allows me to make many types of interesting marks.

Flow and variety are two elements to look for in your paintings. If you’re wondering when your paintings are finished, you can ask yourself if your pieces have both of these characteristics. Does your eye flow throughout the piece, and does it stay engaged in the work? If so, then you’re likely in a good place with your painting!

Movement and Flow

I am exploring the idea of flow and movement in my painting practice. I’m interested in how these elements translate from your body into your paintings. I started doing more yoga during quarantine. The thought of being confined made me want to move my body more. I think of yoga as this gorgeous sculpture of movement with your body. The vinyasa yoga is a beautiful flow that requires strength and flexibility. The most important elements are often the transitions from one pose to the next. It’s an exploration and practice just like painting.

Painting requires a lot of physical movement with your body as well. The smaller paintings are more focused and guided by your hand. The larger pieces invite you to bring your whole body into the painting. I like to carry that flow and presence from the yoga practice into the paintings. Sometimes this looks like the sweeping marks from a vinyasa flow. Sometimes this looks like the translucent layers from the transitions between poses. And sometimes this is the open space from the calmness you create on the mat. In addition to the visual elements, there is also this feeling or presence that subtly carries through without your awareness. It’s what you feel in the painting versus what you see in the painting. That feeling of flow is one that I often try to capture in my work as it adds a beautiful sense of movement to the composition.