Not being able to show my work for the past 18 months has been very disappointing, after all what’s the point of having a studio full of paintings if there is no way of exhibiting them or having people see them. The world now is more virtual than ever and trying to keep up with all things online is both exciting and exhausting.
However (drum roll please….) I am so excited to show you my first online art exhibition – a collection of 14 abstract paintings created during lockdown.
I would like you to experience this as if you were visiting an art gallery but from your sofa with a glass of wine or Cava. To begin – click the link below and hover over the arrow which says ‘start the guided tour’ and the tour will begin – then sit back and meander through the exhibition. As you automatically stop at each painting a voice over (me !) will explain the painting to you and then it will move on to the next painting. This is a slow experience, not to be rushed so maybe two glasses of wine will be needed! If you want more information about a painting, double click on the actual painting for dimensions and price which include delivery and message me if interested on steffi@steffisartwork.com
I hope you enjoy having a look around my first online exhibition and please let me have any feedback. I plan to create more, so any suggestions would be very useful.
Thank you for taking the time to visit ‘Escape Into Abstraction 2021’
2020 left me with quite a few small paintings which never managed to find their forever homes and I have created a slideshow with the work I have available.
Each painting is an original one off piece of small art painted by me and I have indicated a reduced price next to each painting plus the postage costs to wherever you are in the world. If you are interested in any of my work send me an email to steffi@steffisartwork.com or fill in the contact form below and we can discuss the piece in more detail or I can forward more photos of the painting to you. Your painting will be signed, securely packaged with tracked postage to you along with a Certificate of Authenticity.
This is a great opportunity to buy an original piece of small art, great as a gift or just for YOU !
This highly textured painting has gold and lots of gorgeousness. Part wax part paint, it has been created on canvas and measures 30 x 30 cms. Priced at £/Euros 90 as it is the last in the series to find its forever home.
Bubble Gum pink and Bougeanvillea create this exciting abstract. Painted on canvas and measuring 30 x 30 cms is priced at £/Euros 80 and works well with Bougeanvillea 2
Bubble Gum pink and Bougeanvillea create this exciting abstract. Painted on canvas and measuring 30 x 30 cms is priced at £/Euros 80 and works well with Bougeanvillea 1
Bubble Gum pink and Bougeanvillea create this exciting abstract diptych. Each one is painted on canvas and measures 30 x 30 cms. Priced at £/Euros 150 if bought as a pair or 80 Euros each plus postage
An exotic naked dancer peeks through the golden lillies. She is painted on board and will need framing. Measuring 30 x 40 cms and is priced at £/Euros 80 plus packing
A calmness is felt as you look at this small still life painting. Mixed media on canvas and measuring 30 x 30 cms and is priced at £/Euros 90 plus postage
Actual autumn vine leaves have been used in this encaustic wax painting. The textures and vibrant autumn colours make this a standout painting and measures 30 x 30 cms. It is painted on canvas and is ready to hang on your wall. Priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage
Lots of textures and mixed media have been used to create this beauty. She measures 24 x 28 cms and is painted on board. She is priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage and needs framing.
An abstract painting on paper, part of a series of 4. This painting measures 40 x 40 and is reduced to £/Euros 80 plus postage.
It would look great individually, as a pair or why not buy all 4 to make a stunning display !
An abstract painting on paper, part of a series of 4. This painting measures 40 x 40 and is reduced to £/Euros 80 plus postage.
It would look great individually, as a pair or why not buy all 4 to make a stunning display !
An abstract painting on paper, part of a series of 4. This painting measures 40 x 40 and is reduced to £/Euros 80 plus postage.
It would look great individually, as a pair or why not buy all 4 to make a stunning display !
An abstract painting on paper, part of a series of 4. This painting measures 40 x 40 and is reduced to £/Euros 80 plus postage.
It would look great individually, as a pair or why not buy all 4 to make a stunning display !
This bunch of spring tulips have been painting on canvas with textures and bright spring colours. Measuring 30 x 30 cms and priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage
Bold abstract painting on paper using acrylics and textures. This painting needs to be frame and is reduced to £/Euros 50 plus postage. It measures 25 x 30 cms and would look great as a pair with After the Storm 2
Bold abstract painting on paper using acrylics and textures. This painting needs to be frame and is reduced to £/Euros 50 plus postage. It measures 25 x 30 cms and would look great as a pair with After the Storm 1
Another heart art painting – it has been created using mixed media, inks and glazes. It is on canvas and measures 30 x 30 cms. Maybe a Valentine Gift ? Priced at £/Euros 75 plus postage
A mixed media abstract painting on wooden frame and is finished with some silver leaf. This painting is reduced to £/Euros 90 plus postage and would look great with What Lies Beneath Number 2. It measures 30 x 30 cms
A mixed media abstract painting on wooden frame and is finished with some silver leaf. This painting is reduced to £/Euros 90 plus postage and would look great with What Lies Beneath Number 2. It measures 30 x 30 cms
This beautiful small piece of heart art has been created using encaustic wax and gold. It is on a wooden frame and measures 25 x 25 cms. Maybe a Valentine Gift ? Priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage – how can you refuse ?
Created using encaustic wax, oil bars and gold and is on a wooden frame. This small piece of art measures 25 x 25 cms and could be part of a diptych or triptych with Unconscious Feelings 2 or 3. Priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage
Created using encaustic wax, oil bars and gold and is on a wooden frame. This small piece of art measures 25 x 25 cms and could be part of a diptych or triptych with Unconscious Feelings 1 or 3. Priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage
Created using encaustic wax, oil bars and gold and is on a wooden frame. This small piece of art measures 25 x 25 cms and could be part of a diptych or triptych with Unconscious Feelings 1 or 2. Priced at £/Euros 80 plus postage
Abstract painting on paper and framed. Overall measurement 43 x 48 cms. Priced at £/Euros 125 plus postage
Abstract painting on paper and framed. Overall measurement 43 x 48 cms. Priced at £/Euros 125 plus postage
A painting on canvas recently came into my possession by the artist Michael Bray Falslev of two men hugging and the tenderness touched me so much I felt inspired to do my own version. I can’t take any credit for the composition but after drawing the image onto paper I made it my own by making it the characters feminine and adding more colour.
The Hug
It is such a sensitive image with so much narrative, the compassion and care which can be seen between the two individuals is very powerful and I think it is how we are all feeling during these uncertain times – after all everyone needs a hug especially now as we go into 2021 still unsure what lies ahead.
My website www.steffisartwork.com is where you will find my portfolio of current work available.
I admit it!! I am a total art addict!! Not only do I love the experience of painting I also love studying the work of other artists and spend most of my day either immersed in the practice itself or looking at the work of others. The genre of abstract art has always facsinated me and has become one of my greatest loves but also one of my biggest challenges to paint with a satisfactory outcome. But when that final paint stroke or mark is made it can be the most delicious feeling as I stand back and look at the balance and harmony I have created between colour, form and emotion.
I discovered the painting ‘The Talisman’ by Paul Serusier back in 2002. It was painted in 1888 under the guidance of Paul Gauguin and totally captured me. We don’t think of abstract art as being so old, but this painting became an iconic painting for a group of young painters who called themselves The Nabis and it inspired me in the same way as it did them. I couldn’t wait to copy it.
THE TALISMAN BY PAUL SERUSIER, 1888
THE TALISMAN IN MY GARDEN BY STEFFI GODDARD, 2002
Gauguin instructed Serusier to paint what he saw straight from the tube whether it be a colour or a shape. It was painted on wood, a small cigar box in fact, with oil paints and is the only painting Serusier is really credited for as he was better known for his writing. However this painting spring-boarded the Nabis into action. I painted mine in the same way although on a much larger canvas, looking at my garden as I did so. It was a great lesson in abstraction and from then my love affair with the genre began.
As I continued to study the abstract artists, painters like Rothko and Pollock mesmerized me, Kandinsky and Miro excited me, Mondrian baffled me and de Kooning made me shudder. So many emotions would be stirred in me with each particular style. O’Keefe has brought me to tears with her beauty and sensitivity. Hodgkin being one of my absolute all time favourites with the deep simplicity of his brush strokes makes me cheer. Oh! there are so many – too many to mention, in fact.
I then began a quest to ‘chase art’ making it a continual pursuit to find out where these famous paintings where hung, go and see them no matter where they are in the world and to sit with them, allowing myself to dissolve into them to see how they made me feel. It was a great basis for my understanding of what makes a great abstract painting.
Abstract art is hugely based on feelings and emotions, not only that of the artist but also of the viewer and is very personal experience for both. So when I paint in an abstract way you get all of me in a painting, literally blood, sweat and tears combined with joy and love. As the layers start to develop, the back stories, text and poetry are covered by more colour and texture until I finally add that last brush stroke and I know my work is done.
Under layers to my abstract paintings
When I accept a commission for an abstract painting there is also an element of the commissioner within the piece as we work together with preferred colour palettes and personal stories on the under layers and then I continue alone as I am immersed in the process through to completion.
So when you next see an abstract painting, spend a minimum of 15 minutes with it and lose yourself in the whole experience, see how you feel and what you see within the painting and within yourself.
I regularly paint abstract commissions to a particular size or colour palette and my work that is currently available can be seen at www.steffisartwork.com
A brilliant initiative called Portraits for NHS Heroes started by Artist Thomas Croft @tomcroftartist is an arts project where artists volunteer to offer to paint a portrait of an NHS worker. This began on April 4, 2020 during the Covid-19 outbreak when Tom put an offer on Instagram to paint a free portrait for the first NHS worker to reply to him. However, he received so many requests that he eventually put 500 NHS workers in touch with professional artists who volunteered to paint them. This offer really spoke to artists who wanted to lift the spirits of the key workers and snowballed into a massive project which now spans many countries worldwide and it is planned to have an exhibition of some of the portraits when the pandemic subsides.
I do not consider myself a professional portrait painter but decided to volunteer anyway and put out an announcement via social media where I received 15 nominations. The names went into a hat – literally – and the first name was Jude McBride who had been nominated by a friend. It turned out that she was the perfect choice, being a complete warrior woman working on the frontline who had also had a bout of Covid-19 herself. She has worked for the South Central Ambulance Service for 18 years based in Southampton and The New Forest and is the Paramedic Team Leader, responding as a paramedic and also the on call Operational Commander for this area when on duty to provide a large scale leadership role for challenging incidents and also provide support to the team. She directly manages a team of 25 staff and has a great team. Jude says ‘I love my role and am very proud to work with the people I do, who are all just amazing’.
We chatted on Skype for the first time to get to know each other, initially Jude was not sure about having a portrait of herself hanging in her house, but decided to go with it and sent through some photos of herself for me to work with. I used a combination of 2 or 3 of the photos as I wanted to capture her strength as a woman working on the frontline managing a large team, but also to convey her warm, caring nature. Her portrait, I hope, shows her looking like she had given her all on one of, I am sure, many challenging days.
Fortunately Jude loves her portrait and I really enjoyed painting her and felt I had really got to know a very special lady.
A wonderful initiative how artists and art lovers can help artists called The Artist Support Pledge was created by Mathew Burrows who thought of a way of to help artists sell some paintings or creative pieces during lockdown using social media – in particular Instagram using the hashtag #artistsupportpledge
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, artists around the world have found themselves without work as galleries have had to close, teaching positions have come to a standstill as schools and colleges shut their doors and with exhibitions and art fairs having to be cancelled, sales have completely disappeared. Artists depend upon many different avenues to be able to sell and show their work and these closures mean that the online virtual world has become even more important as a way of getting work out into the eye of the art lover and collector.
Artists post a photo of a painting for sale for up to 200 £/Euros and when each artist has sold 1000 £/Euros of work, they pledge to buy another artists work – however in many cases artists do not wait to buy another’s work – we buy in advance as this is the way we are ! Artists support artists wherever they can.
Here are a few of my small works available all for under 200 £/Euros. Each painting is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, signed and safely packed ready for to post.
More detailed information can be found on my website page #artistsupportpledge and I will keep adding new work every week so keep checking or go to my Instagram page.
So if you feel like treating yourself to a small work of art for yourself or as a lifetime gift for someone special, now is a good time to buy small works of art from artists.
‘The Edge of the Table’, mixed media painting on canvas with gold leaf
After a very positive and creative start to the year, around the end of February my work began to change, my colour palette became darker, brushstrokes bolder, paintings were erased and restarted, my refinement lost its way. As I began to paint over each canvas, organically this collection of abstract work began to slowly emerge, brighter, lifted and with a positive energy from how they began. The text from a novel that had fallen apart created the title for each painting, the words being abstract in isolation leads you to consider the painting in more depth and the deeper meaning behind them. Painting in the abstract genre can be particularly challenging because to create an abstract painting the creative thought process is challenged the most. This series is based on how I was feeling using colour, shapes, brushstrokes, size and scale to explore that moment when the planet stopped to breathe.
Some of these works are part of the Artist Support Pledge @artistsupportpledge where paintings are sold for £/Euros 200 or less and can be seen on my Instagram account @steffi_goddard_artist. This is a project to help artists sell their work as exhibitions stop running, galleries close and teaching dries up. Message me for more info of what’s available and prices.
At the beginning of the year I was so lucky to have been given a joyous commission to paint a series of 3 canvases, one large and two smaller canvases for a beautiful home in the UK. After visiting my client I came away with photos and an idea for a bright colour palette – perfect ! The brief was for a wall in a large, bright conservatory and to bring the garden from the outside into the inside space. Fortunately it was sunny back in my studio in Spain and I was able to imagine the flowers and the bright sky without any problem at all. These are the three chosen from the series and are now very happy in their forever home. The large painting in the middle is the ‘Abundant Garden’, the painting to the left is ‘By Night’ and the painting to the right is ‘By Seasons’.
Found some very early orchids today, must be due to the very warm weather, namely a Serapsis Orchid, a Giant Barlia and the Dark Bee Orchid. Sunday 16 February 2020
A burst of sunshine in between a few rainy days inspired a walk up the hill behind my cortijo to see if any wild orchids had started to peek through. After half an hour of searching I was rewarded with a new find – a hybrid orchid was ready to reveal itself. I am sure I will find a few more over the next few weeks, but for now enjoy the slideshow of current and past discoveries.
Steffi's ART Blog 