I heard that a “true” abstract painting should make no reference to anything that occurs in nature. I think it is unfair to require the viewers of abstracts to disavow any inclination to search for a reference point in a painting. It is human nature to seek out symbols that give what we see meaning and place. One reason I made this painting was to invite viewers to give the images whatever names they see.
I put yellow lines and angles in the foreground to encourage the viewer to look beyond and delve into the painting. I find the harsh yellow to be annoying enough to evoke a “why is that stuff there?” but compelling enough to draw the eye in.
The green in the next layer is more calming, and separates the painting into vertical thirds. The eye then is drawn into the blue grid pattern, to view what I intend to be the background. The deep blue squares are also created to cause the eye to note, and then to direct the focus to what is beyond.
The organization of the colors, beginning with the green square in the center, is what I consider to be my own, personal spiritual harmony. In other words, it feels right to me. I splattered Turpenoid generously to soften the whole image. I scraped white lines right down to the canvas to give the painting some bones. I enjoy that there is a lot to look at.