There was a time when abstract art felt completely mysterious to me. I would look at a painting and wonder how an artist knew what mark to make next. It almost looked random.
Working through these two studies changed that.
As I painted, I started to realize there really is a rhythm to abstract art. There are layers, different types of marks, and a balance that slowly develops over time. It’s not about making random brushstrokes. Every new layer changes what comes next.
One of the biggest surprises was how much paint disappeared. I’d spend time creating a layer only to completely cover most of it with the next one. At first that felt wrong, but I learned those hidden layers still mattered. They added depth and influenced the painting, even when they weren’t fully visible anymore.
Once I stopped worrying about every individual mark, the process became a lot more enjoyable. It felt freeing to experiment, cover things up, and see where the painting wanted to go.
These studies taught me to trust the process instead of trying to control every step. They also reminded me that sometimes the work happening underneath the surface is just as important as what you finally see.
This is definitely something I want to come back to. I feel like I only scratched the surface, and I’m excited to keep exploring where abstract painting can lead.