Abstract Dahlia Demo In Acrylics

Discovering your inner child when painting.

Hello, all! I hope you're having a fantastic week. A warm welcome to anyone new to this paint-splattered corner of Substack. 

I had a lovely surprise this week—Substack put me on their 'Recommended' page! At first, I honestly thought I'd been hacked. There was a sudden surge of free subscribers, and I couldn't fathom my good fortune or how I'd been recommended. All was eventually revealed, and needless to say, it's lovely to meet you.

Presently, the studio is bursting with dahlias, thanks to my very generous friend and grower, Elizabeth over at Stillpoint Flowers. Every surface is covered in half-baked paintings as I try to capture these pom-pom beauties as fast as possible before they grow weary of me. :)

These lovely blooms have become the muse for this week's letter to you! I'd been away from my paints for a while, and so the inevitable 'glue' was upon me. It's not exactly fear of starting something new, so I call it glue because it's easy to find oneself stuck for hours at a time. I'll find anything to do around the studio other than actually start a painting when I'm mentally sticky. Over the years, I've learned a few ways to loosen up: starting on cheap paper, blind painting, working over old pieces, and making abstract marks to test my color palette are just a few.

This week's demo has a similar purpose: to loosen up and embrace our inner child. Maybe we'll produce a finished piece of art, or maybe we won't—and that's perfectly okay! I'm using acrylics, but honestly, these techniques can be applied to any paint medium. If you feel like mixing a few together, even better!

So, grab your paints, and let's get delightfully messy together!

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Paints I used:

Cadmium Red Medium

Cadmium Yellow Medium

Alizarin Crimson

Ultramarine Blur

Phthalo Blue Red

Light Magenta

Titanium White

Brushes:

Natural Filbert bristle brush

Long Handle Bright

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