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When I was much younger, I enrolled in a pottery class offered at a local ceramic shop. At the first meeting, an artist demonstrated how to create a clay pot on a pottery wheel. It looked so easy to do, and like so much fun! I could almost feel the cool, wetness of the clay as the artist gently shaped it while pumping a lever with her foot to make the wheel spin. Remember the scene from the 1990 movie “Ghost” when Whoopi Goldberg created pots on that wheel? I wonder how many thousands of fans tried the pottery wheel after that? But I digress.

My experience working on the pottery wheel was quite different! Under my hands, the  “wannabe” pot remained a misshapened glob of clay, off-center and doomed to be thrown back into the mother lode of wet clay still in the big tub where it came from. But I reframed the experience. As I looked at the ceramic shop’s shelves, I decided if I became really good at making pottery, my work would look just like all those other pots on the shelves. I, on the other hand, wanted to create something original. With that thought in mind, I said adios to the pottery wheel and began shaping some cute little primitive birds with my hands. Today, those 4 little birds decorate a table in my den. And I still enjoy them. They are one of a kind.

So what does this have to do with creating abstract paintings? Actually, a lot. 

I was inspired to start painting abstracts after I asked an artist at an art festival why he chose that style. “If I do realism well, it looks exactly like what I’m painting. And for centuries, thousands of artists have been able to copy what they see. There are no surprises at the end. It gets boring to me and to those who buy it,” he said. “I want to create art that evolves as I do it. I never know how they’ll turn out!” he said with a broad smile. “Abstracts allow me to use my creativity and show emotion,” he added.

That sounded like a call to action to me! I immediately created two acrylic abstracts that won prizes at local art shows. Many people who saw them commented on how they stood out from the other entries not only because of their bright colors, but also because they were so different from the other entries — most of which depicted realistic objects  or landscapes. 

Although I enjoy painting in a variety of styles, I must admit I like painting abstracts most of all. It’s challenging to capture the emotion in what I see and “edit out” what is confusing, distracting or unnecessary to the composition rather than seeking photo realism. And heck, I paid a lot for my iPhone, so I will leave the photo-realism to the actual photos!

I also enjoy experimenting with colors and shapes rather than being tied to what is realistic. Here’s one of my latest abstracts. 

A View from the Top

I’m not a big hiker. But I would love to be transported to the top of a mountain to enjoy the view. Perhaps the world would look as magical as I envision it in this abstract. It’s painted with acrylics on canvas , is  37 1/2” x 37 1/2”, and is framed in a custom-made gold and black floater frame. 

Find this painting in the “Abstracts” section of my website at paulawilllits.com or contact me for more information at [email protected].