Thinking in Abstract

So...as you may know, I will be the featured artist at Local Colors this month (mid-July through mid-August). Usually, there are two 2D and one 3D artist featured each month, but as it turns out, I am doing a "solo" show. I have been busy working on some new paintings to hang for the show, and wanted to work in series of three. I will have nine new paintings for sure, but hoping to maybe get 12 done by the time I hang my show next Tues evening. :)

I also decided to create a few new acrylic abstracts for the show. I can't seem to wrap my brain around abstract watercolor paintings, but acrylic affords me the license to do that a bit more. I like the three dimensional effect I can create with acrylic paint. For me, the abstract is about texture as well as pattern. I created these paintings with an underpainting done with diluted paint and a brush. Once the underpainting was dried, I created the top layer using only a palette knife and un-diluted acrylic paint.

My show is titled "One Fine Artist" (a title that was chosen for me by lovely Jane Autry - another one of the Local Colors artists...awww, thanks Jane!). Artist Reception will be on Friday night, July 15th at Local Colors 6-9pm in conjunction with the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll.  (535 S. 700 E. Salt Lake City, UT)

I decided to scan my paintings so I could post them here on my blog and discovered that my scanner is not quite large enough to get the entire 10" x 10" canvas. LOL  :)  But, I managed to get most of each painting in the scans. Here they are. They are titled "Blue Palette" "Red Palette" and "White Palette"

Do you ever do abstracts? Do you have any tips you or techniques you especially like?