Experiments

Well I just couldn't get Clyfford's watercolors out of my mind....so I woke up a couple weeks ago and made a trip to the local Hobby Lobby to update my art supplies and get some watercolor paper.

Bailey Harberg, Untitled (Abstract 2.12), 2012. Watercolor and oil pastel on paper.

     Let me just tell you that watercolor abstractions are harder than they look. Its pretty difficult not to end up with a big pile of muddiness in front of you; I've learned the trick is to make sure the paper is wet before and take your time. Let some colors dry before adding more. Playing with more than one medium is good too; it adds depth and makes it way more interesting. This one has some oil pastels mixed in. 

Still and the cosmos

Watercolor by Clyfford Still. (c) Clyfford Still Estate

Working at the newly opened Clyfford Still Museum has really had a profound effect on my understanding of the impact artists really can have on people, communities, and their understanding of life itself.  Right now we are inventorying all of Clyfford Still's works on paper; 95% of which have never been seen by the public.  Through the process I have realized just how intimate works on paper are. I feel as though I am truly getting to know Clyfford Still through his sketches, handwritten inscriptions, and stray marks. 


I found the watercolors posted here in a small photo album with other 2 x 4" / 3 x 5" scraps of paper. I found them incredibly beautiful in their simplicity and surprisingly powerful for such small works. The colors seem to hover on top of the paper and vibrate with an otherworldly sense of movement.

Mr. Still hoped that his works would connect his viewers with a sense of life and death and the infinite universe encompassing all things. These small works are so successful in that, that I almost feel outside of myself when exploring their quiet mystery. Its amazing how such genius can be found in a few dabs of color.

Watercolor by Clyfford Still. (c) Clyfford Still Estate