Pan – An Abstract Panel Painting

The reason this painting is called Pan is because I hoped it would pan out.  

Not all titles are equal.

Pan is an acrylic and ink painting on heavy white board size 12 inches long by 3 and 1/4th inches wide. 

Today in therapy I was asked why I do more abstract paintings than before. My only explanation was that sometimes there are no figures, symbols, flowers or shapes to express emotion. But to push and pull colors across the page, to strike at them, stamp them here and there is a language all its own. For me its like saying, there’s so much to say I don’t know where to start. I’m so anxious, sad, confused, what have you, that I don’t even know where to begin or what symbols to draw to express how I feel.  I don’t know how to form my words but here is what I can do, I can show you in color how I feel. And so we have more abstract paintings because sometimes my ‘art words’ escape me. Sometimes I’m unable to narrow down figures and objects to express myself through expressionism, cubism and the like.

Now for the painting itself. I used handmade stamps which I have come to enjoy making. The handmade stamps were either rubbed with ink pads or I painted them with acrylic paints. In some cases I wet the heavy white board first so that the paint would run once the stamp was applied. I layered stamps, added wet acrylic paint to wet board, added more stamps, smeared here, dabbed there and brought it to a conclusion with a flicks of white ink. Three stamps were used for this piece. The primary colors are green, blue and black but the red stands out bold and the yellow demands to be seen.

What I like best about this painting is that it can be any direction at all. It is currently framed on my wall vertically as shown in the entry. The horizontal position is shown in the gallery view.

Inked –

Art Title: Pan – available in my Etsy shop. See sidebar for Etsy link. 
Art by Faith Magdalene Austin

On making your own stamps with a wood burning set

I take a simple eraser and draw a design on it then I use my wood burning set to etch out the stamp. Four inch stamps can be purchased from your local dollar store. They will not be as long lasting as stamping equipment purchased from Hobby Lobby, but they do the job. Take the eraser, draw the design, carefully burn away the eraser part that you don’t want. Please remember that fumes will be present and that the eraser fragments will be hot. I say that because I was so in to making the abstract stamps that I automatically used my hand to wipe clear the shavings. Ouch! My sight is sometimes dim so I had it closer to my face than perhaps others would. That’s when I noticed the fumes, which may be harmful with prolonged exposure. Just remember you’re working with heat and rubber. Common sense says its going to be hot and there will be fumes, but I was so into the process that I forgot and got burned. I knew it was hot but ya know, it happens. I figure, why not tell others to be watchful of these things?

Here is an awesome link to how to create do it yourself stamps. Foam stamps You Tube.  Rubber stamps created with tools YouTube.

Faith