Is it Abstract or Nonrepresentational? What’s the Difference?

I know a lot of you already know this but many people don/t so I thought a little lesson might be in order.

Almost all of both of these are generally referred to as Abstract art but some of it isn’t.  I think it's okay to call it all Abstract, after all Nonrepresentational is a mouthfull; however, we should know the difference.

There is an easy distinction, Abstract is always connected to something visual from the real world.  Flowers, landscapes, even people are often subjects in abstracts.

Nonrepresentational art is exactly that -- it doesn't represent anything.  It actually takes skill to produce and I’m working at developing that skill. It ain’t easy!  

An easy way to tell the difference, if it begins to look like something it's abstract.  Think about these two famous artists; Picasso’s work is Abstract, Jackson Pollock’s is Nonrepresentational.

Here are a couple examples from my own work.  These two paintings are Abstract –

And this one which was intended to be Nonrepresentational but it became an Abstract Seascape —

These two are Nonrepresentational –

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

    

Back From My Annual Art Retreat

 

My annual Artist’s Retreat at Spider Lake is almost always in August.  This year it was the middle of the month and I worked on sketchbooks, some in the zone pieces and a series of what I think will become a series of 4 pieces.  I think this one is finished but not sure.  What do you think?  The others are still in proccess and I'll begin working on them once I'm unpacked,

“Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? That’s a question Wallace J. Nichols asks in Blue Mind. He writes about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water.  Enhanced creativity is one benefit that he mentions.  I know that works for me.

I’m paraphrasing something Nichols wrote as it applies to my life. -- It has been a series of encounters with various bodies of water. Time spent in, on, under or near water mixed with thinking of various ways of getting in, on or near water are vital to my well-being.  Good thing I live near Lake Michigan and can drive by it every day. 

That’s a long way of saying my annual art retreat at Spider Lake is always soothing to my soul.  It’s a time to make art and to be in, on and near water.  This is my view every morning as I sit at a bar made of old waterskies, drink my coffee, write in my journal and do a quick sketch to start my day.

 It’s a soothing way to start the day.

More Than Just Clearing The Clutter

Sometimes good things happen if I just use the scraps of paper that are laying on my table.

Right now my focus is on a major overhaul of my studio and office. It’s been a busy couple of months and I’m not done but I’m feeling so good because finally I am making things go away.  Using some of the paper scraps for a quick collage in my journal is a bonus.

In the past dealing with the clutter has been sorting and finding new places to hide things.  I finally ran out of hiding places. Dealing with this has meant putting any art making on hold; however, I still manage to do one small thing in the morning before I start my day. No finished art, just experimenting like the collage above or doing a quick sketch before I start my day in the studio.

And one day I just took a break to spend time doing something I love as much as making art.

A couple of old salts enjoying that we can just ride along while the capable hands 

\of these two do all the work

And now I'm back to sorting and purging.