I’m Tickled Abstract ©

My wife really loves it whenever I massage her hands and/or feet. While a good massage can help to improve circulation, reduce stress, and ease pain by targeting pressure points, bone, and muscle tension, it also just feels good! Unfortunately, because of her severe tickling habit, she is simply incapable of reciprocating. However, I can imagine that, from her point of view, she does reciprocate in her own emotional language. For example, whenever she has spotted me relaxing and distracted with my shoeless feet placed on a footstool, that sight triggers an irresistible opportunity for her to perform a kamikaze-style tickling attack. Likewise, when greeting any of her toddler or preschool grandchildren, she will often tickle them briefly to elicit laughter and a playful connection. While suddenly being jolted by an unexpected tickle spasm can be (somewhat) annoying, I have learned over time that, for her, tickling is also a way to express delight, intimacy, and affection.

As humans, we have a built-in tickling reflex, that can produce laughter and the release of endorphins, our bodies (natural) “feel good” chemicals. Other emotional reflexes and triggers include our physical triggers (eating tasty food, being tired), our sensory triggers (bad smells, good sights), our insecurity triggers (feeling helpless, vulnerable) and so on. As for our sensory triggers, we have a built-in emotional response to certain colors, patterns, and visual images. So, as a visual artist, the keystone to my artistic expression is the activation of an intended emotional trigger within the viewer.

For example, rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, high humidity, the presence of moisture-dependent vegetation, and the absence of wildfires. And tropical rainforests have been called the “world’s largest pharmacy”, because over one quarter of all natural western medicines have been discovered there. And these rainforests are rapidly disappearing throughout the world. Therefore, to elicit an emotional distress response triggered by the loss of a treasured resource,  I created the abstract (oil on canvas) painting entitled Mother Rainforest ©. To transform the rainforest into a maternal presence, and shift the viewer’s relationship from observation to an emotional attachment, I used a palate knife to apply the purple hues, deep greens, blues, red, violet, crimson, and white in flowing strokes to depict the reflection of a forest as long dense strands of a mother’s hair. The face of the mother is presented as an opening in this dense forest, and the life-giving water is depicted as the mother’s bosom. The dark presentation symbolizes the loss of that valuable resource.

Idioms are phrases (or expressions) whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of its words. These figurative expressions, such as “break a leg” (good luck) or “under the weather” (feeling ill), are essential to fluent, natural communication and often reflect cultural, historical, or metaphorical ideas. And to be “tickled pink” means to be extremely pleased, delighted, or amused by something. It describes a state of being incredibly happy or thrilled, often used when someone is honored or pleasantly surprised.

Now, following the “tickled pink” idiom, I have created abstract paintings designed to elicit a pleasing, delightful, and happy response within the viewer. I refer to that emotional response as being “Tickled Abstract.”

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Now, just as humor, touch, scent, music, or memory can trigger involuntary emotional reactions, my “Tickled Abstract” paintings are created to trigger pleasure through visual stimulus.

Reflective Waters, a diptych oil on canvas abstract painting presents a serene woodland pond reflection of a bright sunny sky featuring complementary “feel good” soft autumn colors – that appear to quiver – to the viewer. It incorporates vibrant chromatic harmonies, energetic movement, and rhythmic composition to trigger a delightful subconscious association within the viewer.

Tangled Runners (acrylic on canvas) makes use of vibrant red, yellow, green, and pink colors organized in playful balloon-style textures, for rhythmic composition and sensory surprise. It presents a light and lively abstract scene to uplift the spirit of the viewer.

Village By the River (acrylic on canvas) incorporates vibrant green, magenta, violet, blue, and orange tones, energetic movement, and rhythmic composition to present a swirling rural scene. This abstract was created by following a technique that mimics the batik process for hand-dyed fabrics. The canvas is covered with a thick layer of white paint that is allowed to partially dry for three to four days. Thereafter, portions of the canvas are covered with a thick coating of colors using multiple pallet knives and blended with by a single dry pallet knife using bold strokes. These actions ensure some of the white will remain visible to provide the desired effect of soft and intense color tones side-by-side throughout the painting.

Abstract art has historically explored anxiety, fragmentation, alienation, chaos, or existential tension. In contrast, my “Tickled Abstract” paintings are oriented toward emotional uplift, sensory pleasure, and psychological delight. And I hope you agree that we need more of those feelings in our lives.