Excavations: The artist's early abstract period

Recalling artist-mentor Edward Betts in my previous post led me to dig deeper into a studio corner and pull out two paintings that I've saved from the mid-1980s. I was just starting to paint then and was experimenting with his abstract approach and some of his methods like layering paints and acrylic medium over texturized surfaces.

The first is "Warmfront" (copyright 1986) in which I contrasted warm and cool colours for the effect of something warm and fluid breaking into something cool and geometric.

The second is "The Inspiration of Wings" (copyright 1986):

I can still remember almost holding my breath through both of these paintings as layer by layer, interesting colours and effects developed. (Archaeologists, take note: Beneath this section of "Warmfront" are dried coffee grounds, now almost 30 years old.)

I have a fondness still for these paintings and like to pull them out from time to time. But now consider the following Exhibit A:

...and Exhibit B:


The colours and movements are rather exciting. In fact, as I look carefully, I think Exhibit A and Exhibit B just might make better paintings than "Warmfront" and "The Inspiration of Wings." And these two Exhibits are sections of my dried palette in its most recent state!

Maybe this explains why I moved quickly through my abstract period -- asking myself if I really wanted to spend my energy producing something that was likely to be upstaged by the accidental splashings of paint.