Elemental Conflicts

One of the ongoing conundrums in my painting (and painting in general) is the separation between the subjects implied narrative elements and the more formal painting elements. The essence of the story and reason for the picture wants to be the primary interest, but the pure abstraction is often what engages me while i'm making the piece.

A current example: trying to find the right balance between two blues in relation to two greens. The 'story' (as i see it) is about the scattering and isolation of elements- perhaps a drifting apart, or (hopefully) a coming together. or maybe it is stages of a journey? Some would push for leaving out the 'narrative subject stuff' and only have the abstraction, but that isn't enough to hold my interest. In the end, I'll enjoy the curious, veiled id expression and the open koan nature of relationships between symbols. In the meantime, it's about feathery vs. flat, blue and blue to green and green etc.

so it goes.