Description
Abstract Mixed Media Painting ~ Be Yourself
Be Yourself is an original 14×11″ abstract mixed media painting created on canvas panel during my Artist in Residency program at The Art Center in Dover, New Hampshire.
This work belongs to the residency body of work Attending To Light where I explored light as something interior ~ something that lives within us rather than something that simply reflects from outside sources.
Because of this exploration, the paintings developed through intuition, layering, and response. Color, texture, and gesture slowly revealed the direction of the abstract mixed media painting.
In Be Yourself, a vibrant band of mixed media color moves diagonally across the painting like a path of light. Saturated oranges, blues, greens, and magentas gather together, creating a lively spectrum that feels both energetic and deeply personal.
Meanwhile, the surrounding field of pale color creates a quiet atmosphere where the movement can breathe.
Independent and Connected
This non-representational abstract painting suggests the idea that each person carries their own unique individual light.
The vivid colors gathered along the diagonal ridge feel like a rainbow of personality moving forward through life. Every hue holds its own presence, yet together they form a unified rhythm.
Because of this balance, the painting feels both independent and connected. Each color speaks for itself, yet the entire composition moves in harmony.
In this way, Be Yourself reflects how every individual follows their own path while still contributing to the beauty of the larger whole.
Painterly Structure
The surface of the painting reveals many layers of mark making and mixed media.
Thick passages of paint create a tactile ridge of color that catches the light. Beneath these passages, softer blended layers of mixed media build atmosphere and depth.
Small gestures, scratches, and subtle color shifts move across the surface. As a result, the painting changes as the viewer spends time with it and the light shifts.
Some areas feel energetic and spontaneous, while others feel quiet and reflective. Together, these contrasts create a sense of discovery and mixed media movement.
With this painterly structure, I invite you to follow the path of color and notice how the light unfolds.
Authentic Presence ~ Your Rainbow of Light
Be Yourself was titled because it reflects a simple but powerful abstract idea regarding our authentic presence.
Each of us carries a unique combination of experiences, personality, curiosity, and creativity. These qualities form a kind of inner spectrum ~ a rainbow of light that makes every individual beautifully distinct, like the abstract painting.
Rather than blending into sameness, I invite you to celebrate the richness of your own authenticity.
Just as the colors in the painting maintain their own character while moving together, people bring their own unique authentic presence to the world.
That individuality becomes the light we share with others.
Title: Be Yourself
Medium: Acrylic and mixed media
Substrate: canvas panel
Size: 14 × 11 inches
Series: Attending To Light residency series
Signature: Hand-signed by the artist
Framing: Ready for framing
