Why Nature is Already Abstract

Wearing Color Like an Artist

“Autumn Flares” 5’ x 7” acrylic on unstretched canvas.

They said, "Express yourself boldly!" so now I’m standing in front of my easel looking like I dipped my hands straight into the sun. You ever have one of those moments where you step back from a painting and realize it’s practically shouting? That’s “Autumn Flares” It’s not a whisper of fall, it’s a full-on bonfire of color. “Autum Flares” available for purchase in my store at this link

People always talk about capturing a landscape as if it's a little thing that sits still. But landscapes are wild. Nature doesn’t pose politely when you are painting, It shifts, blazes, flares up in an instant. And if you blink, you miss it. That’s why this painting isn’t about leaves turning color. It’s about the heat of autumn. It’s about the way it rolls through the fields, igniting everything in gold, umber, and raw sienna.

Abstracting the Landscape: Because Nature is Already Abstract

Detail of “Autumn Flares” 5’ x 7” acrylic on unstretched canvas.

Some people think abstraction means making things up. But the truth? Nature is already abstract. You just have to know where to look. The fields in “Autumn Flares” aren’t perfectly plowed rows; they twist and churn, thick with movement. The sky isn’t a plain blue. it’s a storm brewing, clouds streaked with purple and slate, pushing against the wind.

There’s a great quote about not copying nature too much. If I wanted a perfect snapshot of a field, I’d take a picture. But art is about digging deeper, pulling out the fire and energy that a camera lens might miss.

Painting Without a Safety Net

You ever put down a brushstroke and immediately regret it? I do it all the time. But that’s that happens when you paint this way. When you put the paint on thick it is unpredictable and chaotic. A palette knife doesn’t let you fuss over details. It demands boldness. You can’t erase. You can’t blend endlessly. You just go for it.

It’s like the painting is painting itself sometimes. Layers of gold and deep ochre scraping over raw canvas, purples and blacks colliding in the sky. The trick isn’t controlling it. The trick is knowing when to stop trying to control it.

Why “Autumn Flares” is More Than Just a Fall Scene

This isn’t just a “fall painting.” It’s about change. About those in-between moments when summer’s warmth still lingers, but the air smells like something new. It’s about movement, about not staying in one place too long.