ARTIST: MARK NEWTON

Structure and form.

Regardless of where I have got my idea for a painting from, be it life or imagination, the structure and form of the painting is considered before and during the painting process.

It’s sometimes a question of balance: The different aspects of the structure and form have to “work”.

Key aspects: Size, Shape and how many elements to include.

Some of the considerations are closely linked to choices made with colors used. I always look for ways to create contrasts within the design, like:-

Small/large soft/hard edges square/round edges dark/light

During the consideration stages of contrasts, I will always look at the ratio value of one to the other, for example:-

RATIO = 5/3, meaning 5 small shapes to 3 large shapes, or it could be 5 square shapes to 3 “round” shapes. With this in mind, the greater the distance between the numbers the greater the element(s) of the lesser value will stand out “from the crowd”? With a ratio of 5/1, the element of the value of 1 will stand out as it is in the minority. I will sometimes use the Fibonacci number sequence to determine the ratio values, like 3/5 or 5/8, etc. The reason for this is the fact that the fib. number sequence is linked to the laws of nature and it’s growth sequences.

Whichever contrasting elements are used, I will always work out the painting design for the different shapes and forms in conjunction with color, for contrasts in colors used will strengthen the balance/imbalance I wish to achieve in the overall painting.

I always find the amount of thought that goes into the painting, before and during the painting process surprising. I do believe it is important to give deep thought to the different shape elements and their position on the canvas, as the meaning and the feeling you wish to achieve can change or even be lost if put in the wrong place or of the wrong ratio. Even though great thought is put into the design, I will also allow the accidental, intuitive and inspirational marks which come about during the painting process to help me decide in which direction the painting should go .

Why should I give so much consideration and thought to the work when it’s primarily abstract based? Well, consider this…to me shapes that have round or soft edges are “gentle”, “feminine” or based on elements found in nature (shapes that can be found in the natural world); shapes with hard or square edges, to me, are “aggressive“, “masculine” or based on elements taken from the man-made world (how many elements in nature have straight edges?). So, if I want to create a work that I wish to convey a certain feeling, say a “gentle” work with soft colors, then I would be wrong to choose or make shapes with hard/square edges?

What is right, what is wrong?

I suppose when doing abstract work, there is no right or wrong? Yet, there are some occasions that the characteristics of the shapes and forms may have to follow certain rules. Why? Well, I always struggle to find answers but lets consider this…even when doing a pure abstract work , you can always sense that something is going right or wrong. So, I believe there must be some buried, primal instincts in humankind that resurface when we bath ourselves in the art of creation. One of the first (root) thoughts I have before I begin to paint is, should the work be based on nature or of man-made elements found in our world, or perhaps a mixture of the two (which is when I will look at the ratio of one to the other).

I will use the different contrasting elements and the different ratio values to help me make my choice in regard to what type of painting I wish to create, like, do I want to create a peaceful work or one which gives the feeling of chaos (something that you find unsettling). You can always find examples in the real world to help you make these choices. For example, a landscape of rolling hills and water seems peaceful - put a skyscraper in the middle of it, and it seems wrong, unsettling. Being in a city surrounded by skyscrapers seems “right”, expected - for it’s a city. Now put a pond in the middle of the road and it becomes unnatural. In short, a painting dominated with soft, round shapes would be considered natural, based on nature. A painting dominated by shapes with hard and squares edges would be considered unnatural.

When these considerations are used alongside the considerations given to color choices, you end up with an endless database of information that can be applied or left out of the work to create original works of art. Remember, although an element in nature may be of a certain color, it does not mean you have to use that color to represent the natural element in your work. By changing the colors you can create an unnerving/unnatural painting, although it’s based on elements taken from the natural world.

We are only limited by our ability to make choices, being willing to break the rules of nature and embrace the accidental/inspirational feelings that runs through our bodies during the painting process.