Inspired by Kandinsky

If you're ever in Powell's Books in downtown Portland, you may find me perusing books in the bountiful art section.  Last year, I found this wonderful 1979 book on Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944).  Recognized as the father of abstract art, Kandinsky's works have inspired artists and admirers for the past 100 years.  Kandinsky has been a favorite artist of mine since I surveyed his works in an art history class 20 years ago.

I have always been a fan of this particular watercolor and ink painting, which art historians identify as being the first nonobjective art work.  Kandinsky painted this piece in 1910, yet it still maintains such a contemporary impression.  I truly love all the loose line strokes and the impulsive placement of vibrant, pure colors.  My work tends to be very structured, so I find this work to be so freeing.

I rarely "doodle" in my sketchbook, and I realized recently that I needed to allow myself to play around more with color and line. So, I started working on some pieces that were less representational and more spontaneous in design.

I like how this sketch turned out. It eventually became a study for a new piece called Daydream.

Daydream is a compilation of design elements that I've been using in my art the past year.  So, when looking at the work, it's like looking at memory bits.

Daydream is one of the pieces that will be part of next month's art show, which I will write more about tomorrow.