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In May this year, I was very excited to join Yvonne Langshaw in a two day workshop at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre in Roseville, NSW. The studio was light and airy with plenty of room for everyone to work comfortably. Tables and easels were all set up and ready for the workshop participants.

Abstract art is sometimes thought of as quite childish, and while parents in art galleries are sometimes heard to say 'my child could do that!'. Painting in an abstract form is surprisingly difficult. It requires a real understanding of colour, tone and line to be able to create the beautiful abstract art works that Yvonne Langshaw consistently produces.

Yvonne was generous with her knowledge over the weekend and started the workshop with an overview of abstraction. Yvonne talked about the different mark making used by abstract artists such as gestural – Klee, geometric – Mondrian, texture and action painting – Pollock. In the end abstraction enables you the freedom to paint whatever you like!

Yvonne provided us with some easy starting points to get us painting quickly without too much mental anguish. The method we first used to get started and create interesting compositions was to quickly paint one large painting, without thinking too much. We then cut this painting into small rectangles and pasted them into a concertina book – each little rectangle could later be used as a sketch for a larger painting.

Another way that Yvonne suggested to start was to create a small collage and then use this collage as your sketch for a larger painting. For example, you can use pictures from a magazine, cut these up and re-arrange them on your page.

Yvonne also demonstrated her painting style. I always love to watch a master artist at work as you can glean a great deal from the way they approach their work.

Yvonne started by breaking up the canvas with line, eg you could use a still life object or landscape as a starting point. Represent the objects – do not copy them realistically! And make sure you break up the edge of the canvas. Yvonne then proceeded to add layers to her painting, using mixed media and oil pastels into the wet acrylic paint. Yvonne continued adding layers of colour to the canvas while also watching how the composition was developing making alterations as she worked.

Yvonne’s artist statement clearly conveys the motivation and essence of her art.

“I work mainly in acrylic, and sometimes use oil, gouache, watercolour and mixed media. Botanical and ecological studies have lead to a profound love of the world of nature in all its forms, and my travels in many parts of Australia and overseas give me the pleasure of working in the field.

Colour, shape and pattern are some of the elements of painting that concern me. From my beginnings as a landscape painter, I have become drawn to still life and interiors sometimes with figures, subjects that are an excuse for colour.

Often reality is subjugated to capturing the spirit of the picture with loose and free methods of working towards a more abstract result. My works seek to convey my own experiences and vision using the language of paint and materials—a journey into both mind and place.”

As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words so I’ll just provide you with some beautiful images created by Yvonne herself and the workshop participants over the weekend. Enjoy – I certainly did!

by Stephanie Champion

Artwork by Yvonne Langshaw