Full of Crap

Gladiolus by jKolva

I drove to Publix for my flu shot and third COVID booster. As usual, I was covered with paint.

The technician said, “You must be an artist.”

“Yes, Ma’am”

“What kind of art do you do?” she asked.

“I paint large, colorful, bold abstracts,” I said.

She shoved the first needle into my arm and said, “Abstracts, huh? Abstracts are ridiculous.”

She shoved the second needle into my arm and added, “You might as well stick a toilet in the middle of the room and call it art. Both are full of crap.”

With that she slapped on my band aids, said, “Done!” and walked away.

No Thank you for shopping at Publix, where shopping is a pleasure.

No Enjoy the rest of your day.

Not even a Goodbye.

Just, “Done!”

Granted abstract art is not for everybody. No art is for everybody. But abstract art can get a bad rap from people who think they are full of crap.

The foundation for good abstract art—art that viewers admire—is (usually) created by following the Principle of Contrast.

The Principle of Contrast proposes four “rules.”   

1.      Contrast in composition—different shapes will make a painting more interesting: large and small shapes; wavy lines; sharp, thick, and thin lines; blurred and sharp edges.

2.      Contrast in tone—placing different tones (color values) next to each other will make a painting more interesting. Values range from darkest-dark to lightest-light and somewhere in between.  

3.      Contrast in saturation or intensity—placing saturated and desaturated colors next to each other will make a painting more interesting. (A saturated color is a pure color; a desaturated color is created by adding black or white to a pure color.) Desaturated colors feel peaceful and calm. Saturated colors shout, “Look at me!” They add ZING to a painting.

4.      Contrast in temperature—placing warm and cool colors next to each other will make a painting more interesting. Cool colors are blue, purple, green; Warm colors are red, yellow, and orange.

So, there you have it. Creating powerful abstract paintings is hard work. Even though abstract art might not be your thing, it isn’t full of crap. Really.