"Organic Silhouette in Blue, Magenta, and Gold" is acrylic on canvas, 30x24."  This is a personal commission.  My client requested a bright and dramatic pouring using those three colors.  I made sure she was okay with the wide range of secondary colors that could result from that combination.  She said go for it!

This pouring gave me unexpected results.  My intention was a "wet-into-wet" approach, or watered-down paints on a watered-down surface.  However, two factors took the painting in a different direction that day.  First, it was cold in my garage where I was doing this.  Second, the way that particular canvas was prepared by the manufacturer, it wasn't absorbing the water well.  The paint moved around on the canvas in tight rivulets with occasional bursts of feathering and blending.  I sprayed it with water to encourage the pigment to spread in a splattered fashion.  Then, as with all pourings, I had to walk away and come back the next morning! 

My next step was to start carving out my organic shape using a mask of neutral gray paint.  I let the shape of the pour guide me as I cut away around it. 

I then began experimenting with glazes, or thin layers of transparent paint, to rein the colors in.  I chose to eliminate the white because it was detracting from the soft glow of the pigments.  You may also notice the canvas has rotated 180 degrees at this point.  I try to turn abstract pieces regularly while working on them.  Changing the perspective helps me design and problem-solve.  The final orientation ended up being vertical because, well, it just felt right to me.  I also changed the background color to a warm brown instead of gray.