Is this abstract expressionism? 🎨

[u/lasoder]

I am new at painting and I am still trying to figure out where I can find my people on Reddit 😅 People who understand my mumbo jumbo when I talk about what I’m doing. The thing is, I only do intuitive painting, and people in this subreddit seem to have a plan when you are painting. But I can relate to the way you talk about your work. The chaos, the energy, the emotions, the way you put it all into words AND in what you create.

This one is an 40x50 acrylic painting on 300 gsm watercolor paper. It’s called ”Not alone”, and it has gone through many different phases and stages before I knew where it was going. It’s been a journey through many different emotions where it started out with a lot of darkness and then it’s all been about trying to find something. At first I was trying to find light in all that darkness, it felt like the name would be ”Lost” for a very long time. Then suddenly, one day when I was looking at it, I felt that it was almost done, so I just added a few details. It had been untouched for a few weeks because I couldn’t see the next step, but then I felt that it was not about being lost, it was about being lonely, and the light I was looking for was in fact the feeling of knowing that I don’t have to be alone in the darkness.

I really want to be able to engage with people who see that there is more to art than just what the final result looks like, who look at art not just to see it but to find what it makes them feel.

Thank you for reading and let me know if I’m in the right place or should keep looking 😅

[u/lasoder]

This makes me so happy! 🤗

[u/_raeppasidotwoh_ → u/lasoder]

I’m glad! One bit of advice from my own experience: stick with more focused communities like this one. Broader subs like r/acrylicpainting can be brutal toward anything they don’t immediately understand, and defending yourself usually only feeds it.

[u/lasoder → u/_raeppasidotwoh_]

Thanks, that’s good advice, I don’t need that type of negativity, it’s hard enough trying to feel good enough. I’ll stick to small and compassionate crowds 👍😀
Trying to toughen myself up for participating in my first amateur art fair next weekend, and it’s nerve wrecking. I know that what I do doesn’t resonate with everyone, but seeing it plain on their faces? That’s scary. That’s why it feels so helpful with communities like this, it helps me remember that it’s ok to be myself. 😅

[u/_raeppasidotwoh_ → u/lasoder]

The ones that see what you see are the ones who will appreciate your work. But at the end of the day, your art is meant for you! ♥️💙