Three New Paintings All About Creative Practice!

Serafina iii 9” x 12” Mixed Media on Paper, Little Gems Series, (c) 2022 Deb Chaney

I was hanging out with a friend and fellow artist a few weeks ago and we were talking about the conundrum that many of us creatives face regularly. That is, the need to rest, self care and take care of basic life stuff - housework, exercise, paperwork, etc - and the desire to execute and bring our big and grand creative ideas to life! Paint those big paintings, creative sculptures, write and record music… Often the former items win out on our time and we end up feeling sad about another day going by and we not getting to our creative dreams..

Perhaps you are curious how I get around this?

What I shared with my friend was a middle ground approach that has been my Little Gems Series for over two decades now (where does time go? !). These small paintings are a quick way for me to get into the studio, play around within given parameters that I give myself, and get my ‘creativity on’ without over doing it.

My friend and i went to the studio after talking about “the conundrum” and we both blissfully painted 3 paintings each within the same parameters we gave ourselves:

1) These paintings were inspired by play and fun

2) We were only ‘allowed’ to use turquoise and burnt orange

3) We decided we’d use a vertical composition.

The above featured painting is one of my three paintings from this little parallel session artist date, the other paintings can be found here on Saatchi Online Gallery.

The featured painting is available for your collection and may be purchased online here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Serafina-iii/499285/9100277/view

'I Am in Such A Good Mood' Original Abstract Painting Just Sold

This multi-layered one of a kind unique original abstract mixed media on paper was just sold to Mr. J. Hunt in Novia Scotia, Canada. Thank you for your enthusiasm for this uplifting, fun, gestural, playful art piece. Its hues of blue, pink, magenta and etchings were created using acrylics, pastels and pencil crayons.

The energy of the painting is pure joy, exuberance and playfulness - hence the title. The magenta purple colours are known to uplift the spirit and encourages creativity. Purple is also known for promoting understanding and connection to divinity, supporting feelings of understanding and emotional balance.

The colour blue represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence. The colour blue is known to have positive affects on the mind and the body.

The original is sold and prints on fine art paper and canvas (giclees) are available at Saatchi Online Gallery Deb Chaney. You can click here to purchase your ‘ I Am In Such A Good Mood’ abstract mixed media painting reproduction here: https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-I-Am-In-Such-A-Good-Mood/499285/8480788/view

'Little Touch of Heaven' Painting Reproductions Purchased by Ramada Hotel

I’d like to thank the interior designers who chose to purchase over thirty painting reproductions of my dyptic paintings; ‘Little Touch of Heaven I and II' . These pieces were created using gold, yellow, ochre and turquoise colours, stained tissue paper for texture. They are original one of a kind mixed media abstract contemporary modern paintings each with many layers and etchings showing under layers. These paintings were created as a diptych using acrylic paints, tissue paper, pencil and gold leaf on board.

Little Touch of Heaven I and II paintings were painted using the dominant earthy yellow colour which is known to instil optimism, enthusiasm, joy, wisdom, and intellect. Yellow is also thought to support our will, concentration, logic, and memory. The secondary colour chosen for these pieces was turquoise which is noted to support spiritual grounding, tranquility, patience, and intuition.

The original paintings are available for your collection at the date of this post! Each are 10” x !0” Mixed Media on board.

Click Here to Purchase the original ‘Little Touch of Heaven II’

Click Here to Purchase the original ‘Little Touch of Heaven i’

Choose your own custom size print reproduction of Little Touch of Heaven II to add beauty and tranquility to your home or office. You can click here to purchase: https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Little-Touch-of-Heaven-II/499285/6369225/view?sku=P240-U499285-A6369225-T2

'Integration' Large Original Mixed Media Abstract Painting JUST SOLD

A big thank you to my newest art collector Mr. J. Hudson of Victoria, BC, Canada who just purchased the unique one of a kind original painting entitled ‘Integration’ . This multi layered blue, burnt orange, and gold 48” x 48” x 1.5” canvas painting took many months and many layers to create. It consists of the highest artist quality acrylic paints, as well as sand, gold leaf and other polymer mediums. Giclee and paper prints are currently available for this painting here: https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Integration/499285/4147767/view. As well other large format original abstract mixed media paintings of this variety can be found for sale and available here: https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Pure-Abstraction-Medium-Sized-Paintings-24-x-36/499285/66162/view. Until its sale, this original one of a kind painting was on exhibit at the Van Gogh Furniture Design Show Room in White Rock, BC where other beautiful paintings are available for view and purchase.

The artist I admire the most

IBHF (inspired by helen frakenthaler)

(c) deb chaney 2008

mixed media, sand, acrylics on canvas

original available , inquire debchaney@live.com

prints at www.cafepress.com/debchaney

Helen Frakenthaler known for creating the technique of staining raw canvas, a pioneer in the color field painting movment, former wife to Robert Motherwell and a key player in the abstract exrpessionist movement is bar none the artist I admire the most.

Helen Frankenthaler was born in New York City on December 28, 1928, daughter to justice of the New York Supreme Court. She attended the exclusive Brearley School in Manhattan and the Dalton School where her art teacher was Rufino Tamayo.

More than any other known established artist, Ms. Frakenthaler's art rocks my world. I love so many of her pieces. I love her style. I love her work beacause its bold and confident and bursting with color. I love that very seldom you see brush marks...this intrigues me and something I aim to emulate in much of my work.

In an interview pubished in the new york times, she says about her painting process : ''With any picture, on paper or on canvas, the main idea is: does it work? Is it beautiful?'' Which resonates with me and answers questions about my own work and process. Honestly, I hadn't come out and said it so clealry and sycinctly, but this is what is going on for me also when I paint: is the piece working? is it beautiful?

I also think its very cool that in a time when most of her contemporaries were men - Clement Greenberg Hans Hofmann, Jackson Pollock - She, a Woman, was making strides, making great art.

TOday, yup last time I checked Helen's very well alive and painting in NY, she paints very similarly to me in that she paints in acrylics, painting laying flat and on waist high table tops. Cool.

Here here are some links to some of her work that I adore... Enjoy!

Helen Frankenthaler, Grand Tour, 1983, acrylics on canvas 97 x 124 inches (Can't find it online but this image can be found on page 123 in abstract painting concepts and technique by vicky perry)

Helen Frankenthaler, Seeing the Moon on a hot summer day, 1987, private collection.

Helen Frankenthaler, Southern Exposure, 37 x 34 in, Lincoln Center Institute

Helen Frankenthaler, The Bay, 1963 Acrylic on Canvas

Helen Frankenthaler, Nadar Rising.

Helen Frankenthaler, After Mountains and Sea , New York : Guggenheim Museum 1956-1959.