"Sprites" original abstract painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/sprites.htm

Title: "Sprites"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high, 48" wide, 1½" extra deep gallery wrapped canvas. The sides are painted black.

Also there are lots more pictures on my website.

"Just Outside" Geometric original painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/just-outside.htm

Title: "Garden Variety"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas. Lots and lots of texture, a luscious surface. Very blossomy and colorful and springy.

Dimensions: 24" high x 36" wide, 1.5" deep.
The sides are painted black.

LOTS more pictures on my website.

"Attraction" original abstract painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/attraction.htm
"Attraction"
24x36"

"Dirty Snow" Original Abstract Painting by Sally Trace

"Dirty Snow" original abstract painting by Sally Trace
Buy this painting from the artists studio, if still available.
http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/dirty-snow.htm
24x24 inches square

Detail:

"Maize" Original Abstract Painting by Sally Trace

"Maize"
36x24x.75"
http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/maize.htm
Click the link above to see more pictures and to buy this painting if it is still available.

"Convection" Original Abstract Painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/convection.htm
"Convection"
24x48x1.5 inches
Click the link above to see more pictures and to purchase if it's still available.

"Day into Night" original abstract painting by Sally Trace

Detail:

24x36x1.5" original painting
http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/day-into-night.htm

"Ancient Wisdom"

"Ancient Wisdom"

40x30x1.5" Acrylic on canvas

Click to see more pictures and to buy this painting, if it is still available:
http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/ancient-wisdom.htm

2011 Untitled Series #2, original abstract painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/2011%20Untitled%20Series/2.htm
Click the link above to see more pictures and to buy this painting if it is still avalable.
Title: "2011 Untitled Series #2"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas.
Dimensions: 10" high x 20" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted brown.

2011 Untitled Series #4

Title: "2011 Untitled Series #4"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 10" high, 20" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted black.
Finished with a gloss varnish.

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/2011%20Untitled%20Series/4.htm
Click the link above to see more pictures and to buy if it's still available

2011 Untitled Series #3, original painting by Sally Trace

http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/2011%20Untitled%20Series/3.htm
Click the link above to see more pictures and to buy if it's still available

2011 Untitled Series #5

Title: "2011 Untitled Series #5"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 10" high, 20" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted black.

Beautiful Morning

"Beautiful Morning"
10x20 inches
http://www.sallytrace.com/2011/beautiful-morning.htm

How do I title my paintings?

One of my collectors just commissioned me to create a painting. In an email he asked me:

"You're amazing. This should be fun.

How do you name them?
Thank you Jesse :)"

Below is the answer. I thought it might be interesting to post my little essay for other viewers and buyers of my paintings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well usually the names come to me as I'm painting them. As you're painting, part of the mind is really focused and other parts of the mind just wander freely around like in meditation. Thoughts and associations float in and out. Then you see something in the painting that is very evocative of a memory, or something you've learned about life or something that is going on in your life and relationships. It runs the whole spectrum of emotions. For instance "the Next Chapter" was about my Mom in the nursing home and the transitions that she is experiencing. That is very personal for me, but for the viewers and buyers of the paintings, a title like that can also mean something very personal for them. And I hope it does. So I don't usually explain the title unless it's something overt like scientific and cosmic phenomena.

Or in the case of "A Thousand Beautiful Things", I just was so immersed in that song as I painted that there just was no other title that would do.

And then others are almost purely visual like "Fugue in Plaid". I just love the humor and the mind-bending aspect in the juxtaposition of those 2 seemingly disparate elements of music and visual pattern.

And then sometimes no name comes so I have to gaze at it for awhile and look for an association. My husband Chet has helped...he named one for me "Rose Meridian" which I think is an excellent name. Often the titles are about juxtaposition like that.

Now that I wrote all of this, I think I will put it in the blog. Thanks for inspiring me to explain the process.

XO Sally

Spiral Galaxy, original painting by Sally Trace

Title: "Spiral Galaxy" Medium: Acrylic on canvas. Dimensions: 30" high, 40" wide, ¾" deep. Four 30x10" canvases. The sides are painted black.

The Birth of Stars

http://www.sallytrace.com/2010/thebirthofstars.htm

Title: The Birth of Stars

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 54" wide, ¾" deep. Three 24x18" canvases.
The sides are painted burnt umber (dark brown).

The Next Chapter

Title: "The Next Chapter"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 36" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted black.

"Biodiversity" Original Abstract Painting

Title: "Biodiversity"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas. Lush, rich, complex, textured.

Dimensions: 36" high x 24" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted Burnt Umber (dark brown).

"Music of the Spheres"

Title: "Music of the Spheres"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 20" high x 40" wide, ¾" deep. Two 16x20" canvases.
The sides are painted black.

Sold!

Heaven on Earth

Title: "Heaven on Earth"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 22" high x 48" wide, ¾" deep. Three 22x16" canvases.
The sides are painted brown.

Nebula

Title: "Nebula"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas. One of my Pours with lots of texture.

Dimensions: 24" high x 36" wide, ¾" deep. The sides are painted brown.

"Reason Enough"

Title: "Reason Enough"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 36" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted dark brown.

Three to Five

Title: "Three to Five"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas.
Dimensions: 24" high x 54" wide, ¾" deep. Three 24x18" canvases.
The sides are pain

Big Eruption

Title: "Big Eruption"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 36" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted dark brown.

Very organic forms and earthy colors suggest a volcano erupting. Lots of amazing tiny details that look like fractals....see the close up shots.

Sold

Tropical Wave

Title: "Tropical Wave"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 30" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted dark brown.

Ebb and Flow

Title: "Ebb and Flow"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 48" wide, 1.5" extra deep gallery wrapped canvas.

The sides are painted brown.

Jupiter's Moons

Title: "Jupiter's Moons"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 24" high x 48" wide, 1.5" extra deep gallery wrapped canvas.

The sides are painted gold.

This is a bit of a new direction for me. I did more blending and brushwork than I normally do in my pour painitngs. The colors are subtle and elegant.

Fugue in Plaid, Opus 2

I do try to conserve paint. But then this happens.

"Chaos Theory"

Title: "Chaos theory" Share on Facebook

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 25" high, 36" wide, ¾" deep. The sides are painted black.

"Leaning Softly Toward the Sun"

Title: "Leaning Softly Toward the Sun"

Soft brushwork in oil imparts a gentle feeling, like a sweet summer afternoon with a light breeze, lush greenery and the warm summer sun.

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Dimensions: 30" high, 40" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted black.

$325.00 free shipping to the contiguous 48 states.

"Some Fun Tonight"

Title: "Some Fun Tonight"

Wild and fun, full of kinetic energy, bright vibrant color and movement. Very textured.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 30" high, 40" wide, ¾" deep.
The sides are painted black.

$350.00 free shipping to the contiguous 48 states.

Original Painting

I'm putting this painting on sale.

I love the painting, but was never able to photograph it well enough to show it at it's best. Some paintings just need to be seen in person.

It is so rich with depth of color and movement, it's like music. Which is what it's all about.
Title: "Embryonic Journey"
Everybody loves this song, including me.
This painting just wanted to be named for that beautiful and passionate piece of music, with it's cellular shapes and outer (or inner) space feel.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Dimensions: 30" high, 72" wide, ¾" deep, three 24x30" canvases.

SOLD

Drawing or Painting?

This painting will be called "Plume" if it ever dries!

You might look at this image and answer, "painting for sure" and I would too.

I've been developing this new acrylic technique for a couple of years now. I use water and a few different tools to move the paint around the canvas.

When I first started doing this it was very liberating and fun and I always finished the paintings in one go-round. They were always Alla Prima paintings.

But as one might expect, an artists technique evolves. I spend a lot more time and use a lot more paint than I did when I began this adventure. And I've discovered so much about this kind of paint.

But tonight as I was working, it became a tussle between dark and light. Pushing one, then pushing the other. Suddenly I said to myself "you're drawing". Who would have thought?

It always comes back to drawing, the "essence of art". :)