I've been trying my hand at painting abstracts. I'm not good, but I've fallen in love with mark making and letting myself paint however I please without judgment or pre-planning. I've been a perfectionist for as long as I can remember, and this type of painting forces me to release any expectation of how my work "should" look. It forces me to roll with the punches, and to redirect or restructure things that I don't like. It's a really self-affirming way to work to be honest. It reminds me that I can always start again or change direction and that it will be okay.

Above is my first attempt at using oil pastel and acrylics. I absolutely loved working with these materials! I was highly inspired by Cathy Mevik on YouTube. I love her work, and if you have any interest in trying your hand at abstract painting, I can't recommend her videos enough. I really like the way that she uses all sorts of tools - including the handle end of her brush and her palette knife - to make marks and scratches in the paint as she moves along. 

I'm actually pretty happy with how this first attempt turned out and I'm looking forward to trying out more in the future. But even more than the final product, it makes me happy to engage mindfully and joyfully in the creation of something, and to remind myself that imperfection is beautiful in its own way.