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Article published in Winter 2001
issue of "Watercolor", an American Artist Publication.
Nan Griffin has grown to love,
appreciate and better understand abstract painting.
"I don't remember how the change happened," she says.
"I attended a couple of fascinating workshops, and then it
just seemed to be a natural progression for me. Reaction
to a work has always fascinated me, and if abstract painting is
anything, it is reactive, for the painter and ultimately
for the viewer."
Working abstractly, where the
outcome is always unknown gives the artist a sense of delight
and accomplishment that, for her, realism lacks. She
describes abstracted subjects and nonrepresentational painting
as "joyfully addictive to someone who seeks excitement and
a degree of difficulty. The process of painting is the
best part — not the finished product." As she
proceeds with a painting, Griffin feels most energized not
knowing exactly where the work may go, but enjoying the journey
it takes. "A technically perfect realistic watercolor
painting can be very boring to paint, as well as to view,"
she contends. "How an artist achieves a goal should
be the real wonder and discovery."
Although Griffin readily admits to
enjoying the challenge of facing an abstract canvas, she did find
it difficult to adjust to her new painting style.
"When all you have are shapes and colors, the challenge to
complete a work can be a bit intimidating," she admits.
"However, I quickly discovered that eventually, intuition
overrides, and the painting almost paints itself."
Summing up her approach to the
genre, Griffin feels that abstract painting must go beyond a
reliance on rules and technique. Acknowledging the
importance of basics, such as learning to draw or how to craft a
powerful composition, she feels that it is only after mastering
those fundamentals that an artist should experiment with
abstract or nonrepresentational work. Painting in the
abstract considers basics, "then taps the artistic soul a
notch deeper," says Griffin, "and the result is often
overwhelming — certainly for the artist and, hopefully, for the
viewer as well."
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