Robert Kushner: Artist

Flowers Inspired By Kushner

Last weekend I took a workshop all about Kushner flowers.

Robert Kushner is an American contemporary painter 

who is known especially for his involvement in Pattern and Decoration. 

He has been called "a founder" of that artistic movement.

I didn't know about Kushner before this workshop 

and was happy to learn about him and his style...it speaks to me!

Patterns + Paper + Paint

what's not to love?

I especially love the way his flowers are a simple outline,

usually done over printed paper or fabrics, 

often using paint to negatively block in colors.

I thought I'd give it a go and see what I'd come up with...

starting with a canvas from another painting done long ago.

I covered it with papers, sheet music, wallpaper, receipts and...

bits and pieces of a vintage love letter I bought in a bundle.

I then washed the complete canvas with a red glaze.

There is a show in February all about love...so I thought of this as the perfect warm up.

I negatively painted in blocks of color to create the shape of roses in a vase, 

then went back in and created interest within those shapes using 

stencils, scratch marks, woody pencils.

  The intended WOW factor in this piece is not the roses,

but the odd blue outlined flower that doesn't seem to go with the rest...

though fits in perfectly and holds the rest all together.

And I'm beginning to think it wouldn't be a painting of mine

without my signature lemons...

I love painting quick, fun, little lemons!

In the end...I suggest looking closely into someone eleses style.  

See what interests you...colors, shapes, technique.

Play around with it, explore how you can take 

bits and pieces into your own work...

learn from masters!

Above all else...

ENJOY!