Coming up with concepts and themes for art is one of the most satisfying aspects of the art process.  The ideas behind the art are the foundation of the piece.  Without a strong foundation the entire piece might fall apart.

One of the easiest ways to develop a concept for an abstract painting is to begin with a simple word, phrase, or idea.  Keeping a list, journal, or sketchbook full of prompts is a great way to remember themes you are interested in exploring. Having these ideas set aside will not only make the conceptualization process easier, it comes in very handy when you experience artist's block.

(To learn more tricks to banish artist's block check out my post, "A Sketch A Day Keeps Artist's Block Away" , for brainstorming tips check out, "42 Abstract Art Concepts to Paint") 

Below are a list of words that will prompt your creativity!

Below are 30 words and their definitions to get you started on your next abstract art concept.  To see the art I've created that was inspired by these ideas just click on the word! (The light grey titles indicate a link)  I haven't explored every concept yet, but as I do I will link the final piece to the word in this list.

Challenge yourself and have fun!

(All definitions were found in Webster's Dictionary)

"Solace"  
To cheer in grief or under calamity.  To comfort.  To relieve in affliction.  To console.  An easing of grief, loneliness, discomfort.

"Tender"
To present for acceptance.  To offer in payment or satisfaction of an obligation.  A formal offer, as of marriage, contractual terms, etc.  One who attends or takes care of something.  Easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured.  Very sensitive.  Weak of constitution or physique.  Requires careful handling.  Weak, immature, young.  That has or expresses affection, love, consideration.  Impressionable.  Sensitive to others feelings, sympathetic, compassionate.  Careful, considerate, gentle, mild.  Of soft or delicate quality.

"Circus"
In ancient Rome, an oval or oblong arena with tiers of seats around it, used for games, chariot races, etc.  A similar arena, usually enclosed in a tent, for a show of acrobats, wild animals, clowns, etc.  Any riotously entertaining person, thing, etc.

"Trust"
Confidence.  A reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship, or the sound principle of another person or thing.  Responsibility or obligation resulting from this.  To rely on.  To allow to do something without fear of consequences.  To depend on.

"Polite"
Smooth, lustrous, glossy.  Polished, cultured, elegant, correct, or refined in behavior.  Courteous, having good manners.

"Sleek"
Smooth and shiny.  Glossy, as a highly polished surface.  Well-groomed appearance.  Polished in speech and behavior, especially in a way that does not seem genuine.  Unctuous, oily.  With ease and dexterity.

"Journey"
Travel from one place to another.  Passage through life.

"Messenger"
A harbinger, a forerunner.  One who or that which foreshows.  One who delivers communication.

"Development"
A step or stage in growth, advancement, etc.  An event or happening.  The elaboration of a theme.

"Anticipate"
To take or act before another, so as to forestall him.  To take first possession of.  To take up before the proper time.  To foresee.  To consider beforehand.  To prevent by acting beforehand.  To do in advance.

"Suggestion"
The process through which an idea is brought to the mind because of its connection or association with an idea already in the mind.  A faint hint or indication.  A small amount, a trace.  The inducing of an idea, decision, etc., by means of a verbal or other stimulus, in another individual, who accepts it uncritically.

"Extension"
Stretching out in any direction.  To expand or dilate in size.  To stretch or reach forth.  To enlarge or widen.  To continue or prolong.

"Wisdom"
The faculty of making the best use of knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.  Good judgement, sagacity.  Learning, erudition, knowledge.

"Cooperation"
The act of working together or operating together to one end.  Concurrent effort or labor.

"Blockage"
Any obstruction or cause of obstruction.  Hinderance, obstacle.  A sudden interruption of passage, causing conflict.  To impede the passage or progress of.

"Communication"
The act of imparting, conferring, or delivering, from on to another.  Intercourse by words, letters, or messages.  Interchange of thoughts or opinions, by conference or other means.  Information or intelligence imparted by word or writing.

"Link"
Any of the series of rings or loops making up a chain or chain armor.  A section of something resembling a chain.  A point or stage in a series of circumstances.  Anything serving to connect or tie.  To unite by something intervening.  To be or become connected, to join.

"Precognition"
Previous knowledge.  Antecedent examination.

"Attitude"
The posture or position of a person showing or meant to show a mental state, emotion, or mood.  The manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one's disposition, opinion, etc.  The posture, disposition, or action in which a figure is placed.

by Courtney Hatcher

Below you will find a list of all of my current Blog posts​.  Just click on a title to see more.

by Courtney Hatcher

BURST
"To break open, apart, or into pieces usually from impact or from pressure from within.  A sudden outbreak.  A sudden intense effort."

CASCADE
"Something arranged or occurring in a series, or in a succession of stages, so that each stage derives from, or acts upon, the product of the proceeding."

CATHARSIS
"Purification or purgation of the emotions."

CONSCIOUS
"Awake.  Controlled thought or observation."

CONVERSION
"Change or transformation from one state or condition to another."

COSMOS
​"Universe."

DICHOTOMY
"Something with seemingly contradictory qualities."

DISCREET
"Careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret."

DRIFT
"To move or float smoothly and effortlessly.  To move in a random or casual way."

EMERGE
"To become manifest.  To rise from an obscure or inferior condition."

FALLEN
"To suffer ruin, defeat or failure.  To commit an immoral act.  To pass suddenly into a new state or condition."

FLASH
"To appear suddenly.  A sudden burst of light."

FLUX
"A continued flow.  Constant change."

GROWTH
"Progressive development.  Evolution."

HARVEST
​"The product or reward of exertion."

LISTEN
"To hear with thoughtful attention."

LONELY
"Producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation."

PIERCED
"Forcing a way into or through something."

POISON
"A substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures or impairs an organism."

PRESSURE
"The burden of physical or mental distress."

RADIATE
"To spread abroad or around as if from a center."

RELEASE
"To set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude."

RHYTHM
"Movement or fluctuation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements."
​

SPIRAL
"A continuously spreading and accelerating increase or decrease."

SUSPENSION
"The act of hanging.  The temporary prevention of something from continuing or being in force or effect."

SYNTHESIS
"The composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole."

TANGLE
"A complicated or confused state or condition.  To involve so as to hamper, obstruct, or embarrass."

VISION
"The act or power of seeing.  A manifestation to the senses of something immaterial."

VORTEX
"A mass of air or water that spins around very fast and pulls objects into its empty center."

Not sure you want to jump right into making a big piece of art take a look at my Importance of Sketching series for some tips on getting started!

​General Disclaimer:  All information provided on this website is intended for informational and entertainment use only.  Information contained in this website is not intended to be advice.  By accessing, viewing or using this website you are agreeing that I am not liable or responsible for your business or personal results, or any other results that you may have as a result of information presented to you through this website.  You accept and agree that you are solely responsible for your results and that I provide no express or implied guarantees or promises to you.  This blog is about the process and inspiration of the artist, Courtney Hatcher.  I reserve the right to change the focus or content of this blog at any time.

by Courtney Hatcher

Artist's Block is an obstacle that every artist faces at one point or another.

It doesn't matter what kind of art you make (painting, drawing, music, choreography, sculpture, poetry, etc).  All artists deal with it.  It is a problem.

It doesn't matter what phase of your career you are in or the frequency with which you create art.  Artist's Block is something that we all deal with.  It happens and it sucks but there are things we can do to help alleviate and lessen the occurrence of Artist's Block.

One of the most important tools an artist has at their disposal during bouts of Artist's Block is their sketchbook.

When you are feeling blocked taking a little time to sketch or doodle can be the most effective way to get back on track.

Artist's Block doesn't just happen when you are coming up with ideas, it can happen at any point throughout the creative process.  There are three points during my process that I notice I am plagued with Artist's Block more so than any other times.  Right smack in the middle of a project, during my conceptualization process, and before I've even decided to start the new project.

Sketching is one of the best techniques I've encountered to fight Artist's Block whenever it may strike.

Simple as that.

Whether the composition is off or I'm not feeling the theme come through in the colors or textures.  Something just isn't clicking.  I know if I keep working on it when I'm in this blocked mindset that I'll just make it worse.  And there's nothing I hate more than wasting paint by creating layers that I know I'm just going to hide later.

Unfortunately, living in Michigan that is not always an option.

When the weather is nice here it is breathtaking!  On the flip side the weather in Michigan spends a lot of time being super cold, rainy and gloomy.  When it's 40° and raining a walk isn't the best option.  I've had pneumonia enough times to know better!

At times like these (December through April!), when I can't go for a walk, the best way to find some new inspiration and to work through my Artist's Block is to sketch.

Sitting down somewhere quiet with my sketchbook and pencils always works.  It doesn't matter what I draw, or how long I spend doing it.  It always clears my head.

Walking and sketching do the same thing for me.  They clear my head, pushing all the millions of little things I have to do out of the way and let me live in the moment.

With my art I express the depth of an individual's emotional journey while also reflecting a greater universal connection.  The micro sensation I am exploring can make demonstrating the larger connection more difficult.

Sometimes, when I get too tangled up in my theme, or I can't decide the best way to marry it to a composition or colors, I get completely stuck.

When this happens I have to go back to, or reconnect with, my initial inspiration, which is usually something simple.  For instance, the texture of bark on a particularly old tree I saw while on a walk in the park, the movement of a reflection beneath the surface of recently disturbed water, or even the person who cut me off in traffic experiencing instant karma by being immediately stopped at a red light.  These sorts of simple, often mundane, experiences almost always act as the starting point of my thought process.

From there I begin to analyze what it is about that simple experience or observation that reflects a heightened abstract emotion or sensation and how it relates to whatever I may be going through at the time.

Other times it might take working through multiple pages in my sketchbook before I'm pleased with my thought process.

Either way, utilizing sketching when I'm blocked always helps me work out my concept if I find myself experiencing Artist's Block.

The last, and most frustrating, point in my process where I experience Artist's Block is before I even decide to begin a new project.

Sometimes I feel blocked before I have a new concept in mind.

As an artist there should be nothing more enjoyable than getting my supplies out and making art.

The ugly truth is, sometimes it feels hard to do that much.

There are times in my life, usually when I'm exhausted on some level or overwhelmed by stress, that making art seems like the hardest thing in the world.  Even though it's the one thing that would probably help alleviate the stress and exhaustion the most.

When this happens to me I start to feel extremely guilty and ashamed of myself.  I'm an artist.  What's wrong with me that I don't feel like making art?  Shouldn't it be easy and fun all the time?

The answer is no.

It's not always easy.  Sometimes showing up and being creative is hard.  In life we always want things to be simple and pleasant.  The reality is that some of the most rewarding things in life are difficult and take hard work to achieve.  Art is no different.

When I can't find the energy or the inspiration to drag myself into the studio to start a painting I know I can grab my sketchbook, sit in a comfy chair, and draw for a little while.  The more I convince myself to sketch the more I let go of all the mental blocks that are holding me back from my bigger projects.

Sometimes beginning is the hardest part.  

Maintaining a habit of sketching will help jump-start you and lead you into the bigger projects. 

As an artist it is important to create new art, to experiment and grow.

Unfortunately, life often gets in the way of studio time.  It is not always possible to create a masterpiece everyday.  That is why sketching is so important in the routine of an artist.

The amount of time you can spend sketching everyday is not as important as the act itself.  Sketch for an hour or two if you get lost in the moment, but even five minutes of drawing will have a huge impact on your art, your career and your day to day life.

Maybe you can't take the time in the morning or the evening to sit down and just sketch, that's ok.  Keep a little sketchbook or notebook in your car or purse and you can sketch on the go!  (I don't recommend sketching while driving but if you have one in your car it will be available to you during your downtime.)  If you take public transportation to work you can sketch on the way, during your lunch break, while the kids are napping, sitting in the waiting room at the doctor, etc,.

Some of my best doodles can be found in the margins of my Algebra 101 notebook.

​Inspiration is everywhere after all.

• The Light Switch

Sketching everyday is like flipping the creativity light switch from off to on.

It's visual brainstorming.  Exploring your feelings and thoughts through color, line and form can open up avenues of thought that may have felt blocked.

Just the other day my sister was telling me that her and her co-workers had been having a hard time coming up with ideas for a project they had been working on all week.  Then at the end of the week during her break she doodled to get her mind off of it and something fantastic happened!  When she went back to the project she just seemed to have one idea after another and her newfound creativity inspired her co-workers as well.  By the end of the day they had the project wrapped up.

Sometimes the best ideas start with a doodle.

I like to make sketching one of the first things I do every morning.  When I begin my day with a creative task it seems like that creative momentum follows me and pushes me throughout the rest of my day.

The habit of sketching not only improves my mindset it helps me to be a better artist.  Which in itself makes my personal world a more positive place.  Sketching everyday allows me to practice and hone my skills as an artist.  Committing to this challenge everyday pushes me to evolve artistically and to grow as a person.

Activating your creativity is one of the most important things you can do.  Working on your art and creating beneficial habits is always a good thing.  Sketching is a tool that you can use to live a more creative life.  

Look for Part Two of my 'Importance of Sketching' series coming in the beginning of May 2019!

Every painting has its own story.

As an artist, where I'm at emotionally drives the subject matter of my art.

Every aspect of my artwork is a choice based on what I feel best represents my emotional journey.  It is a choice based on what I believe will encourage an emotional response from my viewer.

The technical aspects of a painting are the first thing the viewer sees.

Technique is the first impression.

In an abstract painting the technical concerns are just as important as the concept behind the piece.

I want you to take a second and really look at the piece.

What do you see?  What do you feel?  What does the imagery remind you of?  What memories are stirred?  Ask yourself how the image affects you.  

What imagery do you see in the paint?  Do you see a figure?  Or multiple figures?  Male or female?  Androgynous?

Maybe it's not a figure at all.  Maybe it's a mountain range or a sunset on the beach.  Maybe it's a field of flowers viewed from far above.

This is my favorite thing about abstract art.  Every viewer sees something different.  Every individual has a unique experience that cannot be replicated.

Now that you've established what the painting means to you I want to tell you what it means to me.

I titled this piece "Spiral".  The title is the minimalist label that I use to represent the theme behind the emotion I was feeling when I created the piece.

In my work every emotion is double sided.  On one side it is positive.  On the other side, negative.  When conceptualizing, if I'm feeling the negative aspects of an emotion I analyze how that emotion could be flipped and transformed into its opposite.  I begin with one and let myself gradually flow into the other.  

Now, when I paint I transfer all of that onto the canvas.  As I progress through the piece I can start to feel relief and see how to turn those negative thoughts into positive thoughts.

The continuous momentum I was feeling doesn't have to be downward motion.  I can decide to pull myself up instead.  The spiraling events in my life can be an opportunity.  I can choose to embrace the negative or I can use those experiences to grow and evolve.

It's all about my perspective.  How I choose to view my situation.  Is the figure in the painting falling?  Or is she pushing herself up?

Painting, for me, is therapeutic and meditative.

I attack an emotion from every angle, until I find balance.  When I feel balanced I know the painting is finished.

What did you see, feel, think, when you first saw my painting?  Share your perspective!  I would love to know your experience with my work.

As an artist the materials you choose to use will be one of the most important choices that you make when creating a piece of art.

The materials you use to bring your vision to life will determine how your creation will actually look.

The choices in this modern age are endless!  You are only limited by your own imagination.  Sometimes there is such a wide range of materials to pick from that it becomes difficult to make up your mind!  Do I paint on Canvas?  Board?  Paper?  Fabric?  Should I use brushes?  Palette knives?  My fingers?  Should I even paint at all?  Maybe I should draw.  With pencil?  Ink?  Chalk?  Should I work in black and white or color? 

​There are unlimited choices.  But the materials you choose will ultimately affect the final outcome of your work.

Every artist has their own preferences, materials that flow better for you than others.  I like to experiment with whatever materials I can get my hands on!  But my go to material, the one I enjoy working with the most is Acrylic Paint.  It works for me.  Me and Acrylic Paint, we vibe.

Clearly, I could ramble on and on about art supplies forever.  But, I won't!  I'll jump right to my point.

As an artist I want to use the highest quality paint that I can, but yikes! it can get expensive.  A little 2 oz. tube of artist quality paint can cost between 10 and 20+ dollars!  I know, crazy.  Sometimes I have heart palpitations just thinking about it.  But what's an artist to do?

Personally, I like to use either Liquitex or Golden brand acrylics.  I like the high quality of the paint and they are easy to find at art supply stores and online, especially where I live.  For example, my favorite purple color, Dioxazine Purple, is roughly $12 a tube for acrylic but $17 a tube for oil.  And let me tell you, five dollars a tube adds up!  Since I do not believe that oil paints are of a higher quality than acrylics I can't justify paying more when the finished product is of equal caliber. 

In any given painting I use at least a dozen different tubes of paint.  While I don't use up the whole tube for each painting that still gets price-y when it comes time to replace all those colors.

In a perfect world price wouldn't be a consideration when it came to creating art.  But the world we live in  happens to be a beautifully imperfect place.  Which is a good thing, too, otherwise what inspiration would I find to make art about?  Anyway...
​

On top of acrylic paint being inherently less expensive than oils you don't have to add a bunch of chemical type liquids to them.  Acrylic's good to go!

So not only am I saving on the paint itself, I'm saving by not having to buy mineral spirits, varnish, linseed oil, turpentine or any other additive.  Don't get me wrong, oil paint can produce some truly spectacular images.  Especially if a focus of your art is blending.  I'm just happy that my aesthetic and the style I have developed is best supported by acrylics.

Price Is Important!

While I would never sacrifice quality in the materials that I use or the art that I create, price is definitely something that has to be considered when purchasing materials.

Acrylic paints dry quickly!  Turbo speed!

My art is a lot about layers, conceptually and literally.  I layer color after color until I create an image that has depth.  So many layers you feel like you could get lost in the image.  

I like to work quickly, I don't want to wait for paint to dry before I can add another layer.  The sooner one layer dries the sooner I can begin on the next layer of my artwork.

Other painting media, oils in particular, can take hours, days, even weeks to fully dry.  Whereas acrylics take, at most, an hour or so.  I know it works for some artists, but I can't wait days to put the next layer into my piece.  If I wait too long my creative brain has already moved on to the next project.
​

The materials keep me focused on the piece that's in front of me.  Allows the colors and textures, in the moment, to influence the piece.

Working quickly I don't have the time to over-think my choices or to second guess myself.  I can allow myself to be spontaneous and to make split-second decisions right then and there.  I exercise my ability to improvise and problem solve in order to get the layer finished before the paint dries.  

It's liberating and completely therapeutic.

In between layers I can take the time to step back and contemplate the theme and the ideas I meticulously brainstormed before I started painting.  I find areas that don't work, that will need more attention with the next layer of paint.

More often than not I discover that I've pushed my theme further than I ever would have if I tried too hard to control every brushstroke.  By allowing myself to be spontaneous I tap into wells of creativity inside of myself that make me who I am as an artist.

I can find spontaneity with other materials.  I've had fabulous outcomes with pastels, mixed media collage, colored pencils, ink and oil paints.  But nothing is quite like acrylic paint.  I like the acrylics because they don't give me a choice.

They insist on living in the moment.
​

A quick dry time makes storage and clean up so much easier.

I don't have a traditional studio right now.  I dedicate a portion of a room to my art.  But I still share the majority of my space with other people and pets.  The almost non-existent wait for acrylics to dry means that I don't have to leave wet paintings out for days (or weeks!) where a person, or a pet, can schmear it everywhere.

All I have to do is wait an hour(ish), so by the time I clean up the rest of my painting space, I can bubble wrap the piece and put it safely into storage.

In the past I thought I would try my hand at oil paints.  Using them was a pleasant experience and I love the pieces that came out of that experimentation.

However, a 9"x12" piece took over a week to dry to the touch.  I was working out of my living room at the time and being used to acrylics drying lickety-split I left the piece unsupervised to dry and my cat stepped in it and tracked it everywhere!

Luckily, by the time I found all her little footprints the paint was still wet enough to clean.  So it worked out.  But living with other people and animals makes it difficult for me to leave a wet painting out to dry.  Not to mention every time anyone walked by it they had bright red paint permanently attached to their clothes!  I still hear about that!  ​One of my favorite sweaters officially became a painting sweater after my foray into oils.

Acrylic paint is incredibly versatile.

It doesn't require you to add anything to it to get beautiful imagery.  Squeeze it right out of the tube and slap it on the canvas!  If that's not your style there are tons of other options.

The easiest thing to add to acrylic paint to change up the texture, or the look in general, is water.  Just plain ol' H2O.  So simple!

Just by adding water to the paint you can create thin washes of color.  You can even extend the drying time a tad, if you need to.  By adding water to acrylic paint you can essentially create watercolors.
​

There are tons of products out there that you can buy to mix with acrylic paints to create different textures or techniques. 

Mediums can extend the life of the paint and make each tube go much further.  You can get them in matte or glossy finishes.  *side note:  Acrylic mediums are a great substitute for glue.  They dry clear and the hold is super strong.  A gel medium can give your painting a thicker texture.  A liquid medium can be used to thin out the paint to make blending smoother and to keep the paint wet for a longer period of time.

Acrylic mediums can also be used to create acrylic lifts, which are great for collage and mixed media.  Basically, you paint the medium on top of a printed photograph and when it dries you soak it in water and then wipe the paper off the acrylic.  The image will have adhered to the acrylic and you now have a transparent image that can be added to your artwork.

There are so many products out there that work with acrylic paint it could take an artist years to experiment with all of them.

People say you can wash acrylic paint down the drain, but remember we're trying to be environmentally friendly.  So avoid dumping/rinsing wet acrylic paint directly into the drain.  A little is unavoidable.  That's why I say friendly(ish).  But for the most part acrylics can be disposed of without using the sink.

When acrylic paint dries it is safe to throw away.  Another reason quick dry time is a plus!

I'm no scientist, so I'm not gonna get too technical here, but it is my understanding that when acrylics dry the synthetic polymer that they are made from solidifies and encases any of the bad chemicals (like cadmium) and helps keep them from seeping into the groundwater.  Which is why you should wait for the paint to dry before throwing it away.

Once the little bit (if any) of left over paint on your palette has dried you can peel it right off and toss it.  Or you can use those acrylic peelings in a mixed media project.  I like to keep an extra canvas on hand to use any left over paint so I'm not wasting that liquid gold!

If you work with brushes and have a water cup on hand for cleaning during a painting session you can avoid putting that down the drain as well.  Just set it aside and let it evaporate (cover it partially and put it somewhere safe if you're afraid of a pet or a child drinking it!).  That way the water will evaporate leaving only the paint residue behind to be safely thrown away.  If you can't wait for it to evaporate that way, you can soak it up with a towel (or paper towels) and put the towel somewhere safe where it can dry and then be thrown away.

Brushes are easy clean up too.  All you need is soap and water.  Use your water cup to get most of the paint out of the brush, then wipe it as best you can on your towel.  That way you are putting as little paint as possible into the drain.  Work a little soap into the bristles and rinse until clean.

Simple clean up that, as far as art supplies go, is pretty easy on the environment. 

Acrylic is the media that suits me the best.  It satisfies my budget, simplifies my time with quick clean up, meshes well with my personal work habits and tests my spontaneity.

With art every choice is subjective.  Every artist is different.  It's a limitless world of possibilities.  To each their own.  What media and materials do you make your own?

​Sitting in a drawing class one day it just sorta hit me.  What's the one subject that would allow me to incorporate every other subject all at once?  ART!

It was a full on head slapper moment.  Duh, Courtney!  I wanted to learn a bit about everything and art was the perfect solution.  Literature, History, Psychology, Science and yes, even a little Math. 

I was able to take the concepts and ideas I learned in all of those other subjects and incorporate them into my art.

The more I learned the stronger and more fulfilling my art became.  (Which is still true, by the way).

Fast forward to my senior year at UM-Flint.  The year of electives!  I took an Intro to Theatre class and absolutely fell in love.

It was a side of art that I hadn't experienced since I was a kid.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

The professor was very encouraging, she even walked me right up to the call board and signed me up to audition and work backstage.

​​Needless to say, by the end of the semester I was dual majoring in Fine Arts and Theatre.

Theatre gave me a whole new perspective.  It taught me about collaboration.  Showed me a new side of human psychology.  A different way to experience empathy.  It taught me to live in the moment, be fearless and to embrace improvisation. 

Everything I learned gave me more confidence and helped me find my voice as an artist.

After graduation I struggled to find a 9 to 5 that was fulfilling.  I started to realize that working corporate/retail type jobs was draining my creativity and enthusiasm.