When we admire abstract art, anything can speak to us: colour, texture, shape. An abstract painting won’t depict a precise object, but a feeling. But when you want to capture happy feelings during these strange times, you can truly create a masterpiece that anyone can relate to. “Love and Laughter” by Jacqueline Taylor is our artwork of the week and we invite you to read more about the inspiration and the creative process for this painting.
Where did the inspiration come from for this piece?
Friends and family are important – and connection with loved ones even more so during the unforeseen events of 2020. The vibrant colours in ‘Love and Laughter’ reflect my appreciation of simple pleasures, such as hearing a friendly voice on the phone. I do love to laugh, and I’ve found that the warmth and fun that happens around me has kept me going. Even my little dog, with his quirky character and incessant joyful spirit, keeps me feeling bright – and inspired. I wanted to capture these feelings, to celebrate the happiness that these lovely people and animals bring to my life: and so I reached for the paints.
What is the creative process when creating your vibrant colourful art?
I love mixed media. It’s such a refreshing, unrestricted way to create. I always start with lots of expressive mark-making in graphite, which helps me to find a rhythm and an idea of form. I follow with many layers of acrylic paint and swirls of ink, adding in more pencil markings as I progress. I scrape away slivers of wet paint to reveal the colours underneath – something I absolutely love to do; it brings an added element of fun to the process. Towards the end, I introduce coloured pencil and soft pastel markings to give extra detail to my work. The next day, with fresh eyes, I might tweak the painting a little. Then, I sign it and give a couple of coats of protective varnish.
How long would this work have taken you?
This particular painting took about five hours for me to complete. But timings tend to vary depending upon the size and complexity of the work.
View Jaqueline’s gallery here.
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