john hoyland abstract painter

[ethandron]

this chap has recently died. i'd never heard of him until i happened to read his obituary and then decided to find out more about him. i just love his work, so colourful and vibrant, and wish my paintings were half as good as his. it's made me wonder where painters like this get their inspiration from, it's not a case of just sitting down in front of a canvas and splashing paint about, although abstracts can look as if that's the case.
anyone paint abstracts? what sets you off on a painting?
here's a link to some of his work:
http://www.google.co....QsAQ&biw=1028&bih=572

[Old_Geezer]

In fairness, that is exactly how I consider abstracts to be. "Just sitting down in front of a canvas and splashing paint about". I'm not saying one can not come up with some interesting patterns that way, but it's not like painting real life scenes, or still life, or portraits is it.

[ethandron]

well, no, of course it's not the same, but sometimes i sit in front of a canvas and just don't even begin to know where to start, although sometimes something - a photo, a plant, whatever - will give me an initial idea and the painting just developes from there.
maybe abstract art is like marmite - love it or hate it. or maybe it's a case of you get it, or you just don't. friends of mine look at my work and try to find something in it to liken it to - 'oh yes, it's a bit like a blah blah'- but for me, that's just not the point.
do you paint old geezer?

[Old_Geezer]

I did as a youth, even won a certificate at one point. I'd like to paint again sometime. When I finally retire I guess. Too many other things I ought to be doing until then.

[Khandro]

A Hoyland on the wall would certainly brighten up the place, as they do in many a board room, but I don't feel they go far bayond being decoration - nothing wrong in that, do I hear you say? OK, but abstract art goes on and on (for a century actually,) and doesn't really advance in any way. I think art should be related to life; it should be ABOUT something.

[wellasanonuevo]

Well, I'm not an artist but I can really appreciate abstract artworks. Though abstracts are a bit hard to understand, such arts are amazing when applied to some designing works like wall arts, back drops, t-shirt printing, etc. I'm more on to digital designing. :)