when completed isn't finished

Moon Garden

acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Here are what were to be the final three paintings in my Mountains Abstracted series. They are all painted with acrylic on 12 inch square canvases using the same limited palette of yellow ochre, teal, purple, and white.

Come Together

acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

The square format introduced new compositional challenges, but it is one I often return to for its simplicity. And I believe that with this series the square enhances the abstract quality of the composition.

Moon Song

acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

And yes, I did believe that with the completion of these three paintings (making a total of twelve in the series) that I would have exhausted my interest and would be ready for something else, a new subject to paint. Except that I wasn't. It seems that there are more questions for me to answer with this theme and more paintings to make.

Listen

Listen

acrylic on cradled panel

16 x 20 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

This painting is the largest in my Mountains Abstracted series. There is a challenge in moving up in scale. With this painting it was the realization that I could actually have too many small shapes, which I resolved by combining shapes to create a few larger areas that were more in keepeing with the overall size of the piece. Now, 16 x 20 inches really isn't all that big and I would like to do even larger paintings. Just as soon as I work out how to do that in my small work space.

Riverside

Riverside

acrylic on panel

12 x 16 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Here is the next painting in my mountains abstracted series. It is one of my favorites yet proved to be the most difficult to get a good photographic image of, for some reason. This one was as close as I could manage. I have been really enjoying painting this series, exploring my limited color palette, and playing with shapes in these compositions. I had forgotten how much fun painting with acrylic can be. And yes, I still adore painting on these cradled wood panels.

High Road

acrylic on panel

12 x 16 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

And here I am reposting this painting because this image is a much more accurate representation of its color than the one I posted last time.

High Road

High Road

acrylic on wood panel

12 x 16 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

I am starting this new year by contuining the theme of abstracted mountain imagery that I began towards the end of 2016 with acrylic paint on paint paper. Out of curiousity I purchased a couple of cradled wood panels and am over the moon with painting on this surface. They are available unfinished or already gessoed and I got the unfunished ones because we always have gesso at our house (doesn't everyone?) so I just gessoed them myself.

I am keeping to my limited palette, mostly, as I continue with this series. That palette is yellow ochre, purple, teal, and white. I am enjoying the wide range of mixes possible with just these hues including the rich grays and muted greens. These paintings have become as much about the interaction of color as they are a subject to be explored. I have a goal to complete 12 altogether. I don't know why 12 exactly, but with 6 on paper it sounded good to me to also have 6 on canvas or panels. I am already up to the 11th painting but getting good photos is proving more difficult that I anticipated. I am hoping for a sunny day to come along soon so I can get these paintings properly photographed. I'd love to hear if anyone has any tips on successfully photographing paintings.