My art path - performing VS abstract art

I started learning painting purposefully when I started taking a weekly watercolor course. There I got a good basic lesson in watercolor painting, because it has always been close to my heart. I studied this technique under the guidance of a professional for a year and after that I continued practicing on my own. However, I was too critical of my own work, and I took a break from making watercolors.

I got interested in painting again and wanted to learn oil painting. I joined the Ylöjärvi working class course, which was led by the artist Yrjö Mustonen. I really learned a lot about the use of colors and he gave good tips for painting. It was wonderful that he guided everyone to paint their own handprint and did not try to fit into any particular mold. He found the good sides of each painting and gave tips on how to fix a part in the painting that annoys him. The best feedback for myself was that he thought my paintings were similar to Onni Ojan's. It undermined the novice painter's self-esteem and encouraged him to continue his hobby. I continued with the course for about 4 years in the middle of everyday life with a baby. The weekly painting course was a wonderful respite and a long-awaited moment of private time in the daily routine of babies and toddlers.

When I finished the course, oil painting took a back seat. I painted a few paintings called I was in my own home and I really needed a counselor. I wasn't sure enough about what I was doing. The painting work was left to the children's hobbies, and in between there were several years without paintings. 

I randomly made greeting cards with watercolors. 

Until... 

By chance, I saw a video about making abstract art using the Pouring art technique, and I was immediately hooked. I watched countless tutorials and videos about the pouring technique and tried to figure out what materials and tools were needed. I finally got all the necessary equipment, but the only problem was the workspace. 

The pouring technique is very messy and the board needs 3 days to dry horizontally. The board may not be moved anywhere during that time. I was working at the kitchen table on top of a large piece of cardboard. Nevertheless, a large part of the works was lost because the platform was slightly tilted in one direction and I saw how my lovely painting wandered off the canvas before my eyes. 

Little by little, I learned the technique better and even held an art exhibition where, to my surprise, half of the paintings were sold. I stated that the surprising nature of abstract art fascinates me and others as well. The end result is completely unpredictable and each person sees different things in them. 

Pouring painting was even more challenging due to the lack of suitable spaces, so I put it on hold for a while. I started using watercolors again because it was easier to paint with them. I had gained a little self-confidence in painting and the watercolors also started to turn out well.

I cautiously tried to make performance art by painting with a palette knife, because I didn't want to be too precise and critical of the end result. That's how this Savanni was born. 

So I took the next step and thought to try painting on canvas with acrylic colors. In the case of expressive painting, there had been a huge deadlock after oil painting stopped. To my surprise, I could now visualize the finished painting and the kind of atmosphere I wanted for it. As the painting process progressed, I came up with a technique to use the so-called faults and I can fix them. The problem before with oil painting was that I knew something was wrong on the board and I couldn't figure out what it was. This is really annoying. However, it's time to be blind to your own painting. Even that is still not enough. When painting performance art, you have to make it clear to yourself that I'm not painting a photo-accurate trace, that's what photographs are for. I want to capture a certain mood on the board and make it speak. Maybe said a bit funny. I like the kind of expressive technique where, looking closely, you can see rough brush marks and a mixed mess of colors, and then when you move further away from the canvas, its landscape and atmosphere only opens up. After a few expressive paintings, I'll probably switch to abstract work again. It seems to open some locks and bring a new kind of know-how and doing to performing art.

Right now, the colors of January are on the easel. Here, I was inspired by how not a single shade of white has been used in the white snow landscape. Pink, gold and different shades of blue-grey shine in the colors of January. I also wanted to try the extra difficult painting of the sun. I don't know why I haven't dared to even try before? I like to use gold in my paintings, and in both of these it can be found appropriately.

I think those two do not exclude each other, but help to develop in this path of art.