Abstract and colour techniques in painting

Abstract art is an oft-misunderstood genre. Harrigan, a major Scottish artist, feels that many find the move into abstraction difficult because they lack the proper guidance. Here, she guides the artist through the composition and structure of abstract and semiabstract painting, covering a range of subjects, e.g., still lifes, flowers, buildings, figures, and landscapes. Her primary interest is the use of color in mixed media, i.e., combining acrylic, gouache, watercolor, oil, pastel, and collage. She shows the process of abstraction through the simplification, distortion, and exaggeration of a subject, and she takes a look at painting pure abstraction, without initial subject matter or inspiration. Recommended. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.