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| Grouping of abstract art work, © Ruth Borges |
Abstract art's visual language of color, shape, form, and movement invites you to imagine and interpret. As you view abstract art, you may find it resonates with emotional and/or spiritual meaning. It may nudge you to slow down, contemplate, and respond as you consider interpretations influenced by your own experiences and preferences. Even if you can't relate to it at first, your mind may try, at least for a moment, to understand what it means or wonder what the artist is trying to evoke or convey.
On the practical side, I often create abstract art as an exercise to practice composition. I simply enjoy experimenting with color and movement. It allows me to improvise as I intuitively respond to spontaneous brushstrokes and mark making. It's also an exercise in design as I edit portions of an intuitive composition to fine tune a visual statement. Reviewing a piece of abstract art I’ve created is like revisiting a journal entry written days or weeks ago, revealing insights about the art making process or some techniques I could apply on future work. It may prompt me to change sections of the painting by adding collage, stenciling, stamping, marks, or all of the above. The piece may evolve into something completely different from where it started, into something I never could've planned or imagined. Yes, there are some compositions that bomb, but some are wonderful. While both outcomes are a vital part of the art making process, I have to say I learn far more from those that bomb! That's just how it is, right?
On the spiritual side, color, shape, and movement have helped me express something about God, about His nature, or about my relationship with Him, even if I'm not aware of it at first. While none of the paintings I've been writing about on this blog started out with the intention of expressing the nature of God in some way, I found layers of meaning being revealed as I reflected on the process and final result. Below are the themes for the previous six paintings posted on this blog:
"Heaven Knows" - redemption
"Waves and Wind" - spiritual formation
"Sunrise" - new beginnings
"Summer Duet" - God's love made complete
“Sunsets” - a glimpse of God’s glorious creativity
“Out of Deep Waters” - God’s faithful provision and protection
I don’t always recognize a God related story when I paint. I’m all caught up in the process of art making. When I’m creating solely to practice my skills, I’m not looking for layers of meaning. I’m mostly experimenting. I usually sense the art work has something God wants me to see and understand after a piece has been completed. I’ll take time to quietly sit and listen as I visit with Him through the painting. The layers of meaning may take some time to understand or they may immediately unfold. One thing I know, whether or not I’m able to discern and understand layers of meaning in my work, God is still present and pleased when I create. I reflect His nature when I do so, and that honors Him. It also equips me to share the blessing with others. Just knowing that He’s pleased when I create frees me from self imposed expectations. I just take that leap of faith and deep dive into a process that allows me to discover and learn more about color, composition, techniques, and more about myself and about God.
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