June 4, 2025
A lot of my recent abstract works have been shaped by quiet moments and daydream like meditative states the kind that happen when you’ve just woken up and are trying to grasp the last memory of the dream you just had, but its very slippery! Sometimes you might get that feeling after a long sit in meditation staring into the blackness of your eye lids and then flashes of shapes and colour appear (daydreams?).
Those little flashes of imagery, colour, and feeling tend to stay with me. They’re often abstract, a mix of emotion and suggestion rather than clear pictures, and that’s what I try to capture when I paint this kind of abstract work.
Disclaimer, I enjoy the process and feeling of painting this more than the actual result sometimes, and I can acknowledge that’s because I have a deep respect for the technical ability students and professionals develop through realism, impressionism and other styles. (More on that in other posts and experimentations to come)
The Process
The style I’ve been exploring lately draws inspiration from post-modernism and layering artists, but with my own experimental twist. I’ve been working on a whole series of pieces at once in this case, and that’s helped me let go of the need for each piece to be ‘perfect’. It also saves time because the 3 or 3 boards are prepared and primed like a custom canvas, and similar to other works it means that my colour palletes are interchangable and there can be some common colours that tie it alll together, even if the style or subject ia different.
Instead, I focus on letting ideas flow based on what I’ve dreamed up, and then seeing what turns up once I’ve put pencil to MDF in this case.
The process starts quite simply. I used 12mm MDF sheets, which are easy to cut down and have a smooth surface that takes both pencil and paint really well. Id probably reduce to a thinner sheet next time because its quite heavy to mount , as I found out later. But on the other hand the routered frame is deep and quite effective.
Once I’ve cut the boards, next comes the base coat. I paint each board white. It’s more than just priming, it clears the space and gives the colours something to bounce off. I sketch out rough compositions in pencil. I use a frame sometimes to help get the structure right, but I don’t aim for exactness, just a good indication of shape and colour, where the background and foreground is or should be. These early sketches are more like signposts to guide me along the way.
Then I begin layering up the mediums. I use spray paint to build background and then move to acrylic for some textures mood and atmosphere. I work over this with more spray paint for depth and shadow, using paper or card to curve to the shapes like the circles on the symbol, this creates shadow and lifts the shape.
Sticks are used to draw bold shapes and lines, and flickering ink like stars and add more depth and detail. Mark making plays a part in the large format piece for depth and the colours add contrast and detail. The colours were what I found in my shed and then moved up some complimentary colours using some colour theory (see sketchbooks posts!).
By working on a few paintings at once, I give myself the freedom to move around ideas. I literally change location. They were mounted on pallets so I didn’t completely ruin the grass! Some are darker than others though and you can see where there has been some resistance to experiment fully, but give into more simple contrast, which is equally valuable!
If one piece isn’t working, I switch to another, then come back later with a new perspective. Sometimes a piece transforms completely from how it started. Others stay surprisingly close to the first sketch. That’s part of the fun and experimentation, though with practice it can also support consistency in the methods you use in each image of the series.
One of my favourite pieces in the series was bought by a friend, which meant a lot. We put it up together in his loft studio, and it was one of those really satisfying moments—seeing the work living in someone else’s space and knowing it made a connection
Tips for Working in a Series
This isn’t necessarily for beginners, but it can be really effective as you develop more consistent technical skills. I really recommend trying to work in a series rather than focusing on one single piece. Basically:
- You don’t get stuck trying to make one painting ‘perfect’
- It helps you explore an idea more deeply and flow
- You get more confident with your materials through repetition
- You learn to make decisions quicker and more intuitively
- You have an option to choose the best (in the same way that in a sketchbook you might have just 1 final piece, or a client chooses 1 artwork from a pitch deck of 3)
- Theres consistency in replicating the process in succession (you just need to remember it for later if you want to continue the series!)
Key Takeaway
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Experimentation time matters just as much as “finishing” a piece. That’s when real breakthroughs happen. If you haven’t yet, check out some of my earlier posts about the power of sketchbooks and finding inspiration. Keeping a sketchbook it’s one of the best ways to collect ideas and stay creative between projects.
Keep at it and let me know how you get on!
Where You Can Sell Your Work in the UK
If you’re starting to build up a body of work and thinking about selling (like, uh, maybe a series of work like this!), here are a few good places to begin:
Etsy: great for handmade and original art with a creative audience that are looking for bespoke work
Shopify: allows you to set up your own branded online shop, more time intensive to set up but ong term
eBay: ideal for testing pricing and reaching a wide market, luck of the draw sometimes though and is trending or seasonal. low listing fees.
Gumtree: more local, but a good starting point for direct sales in your area, another avenue for you to sell without listing fees r postage if they pick up or lightweight to send.
Local car boot sales: a fun and affordable way to meet buyers face-to-face, might be £10 plus fuel or so to enter, so make sure to have a variety of bits, price them right, and prepare to wake up early to get a good spot!
Pop-up markets or local art fairs: great for getting feedback and meeting other creatives
Instagram and Facebook Marketplace, and TicTok shop: free and easy platforms to show and sell, similar benefits to ebay and gumtree.
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