Expressive Abstract Art Process!

Expressive abstract art is something I’ve done as sort of art therapy ever since I was a kid, long before I knew what it was an actual term in the dictionary. How to do art therapy is a little different for everyone. For me, spontaneous and free-flowing abstract painting with no planning helps bring equilibrium to my overall life balance. The combination of physical movement, listening to music, and the hand-eye coordination of making marks on a surface all combine into a kind of art therapy that really works for me. I believe that it improves cognitive functions, helps to decrease anxiety, promotes emotional regulation, and allows you to process subconscious thoughts into a piece of tangible art. It’s a release that clears your thoughts sort of like dreaming does. Because there is no pressure or obligation to create anything that’s recognizable, you don’t have to be a trained artist to benefit from this or get amazing results. It’s simply self-expression through making marks one at a time, and before you know it an entire composition presents itself! When the world went into pandemic lockdown in March of 2020, it caused some anxiety and isolation for many of us which is a terrible feeling. So I painted even more than normal which took my focus into something fun and positive, instead of agonizing over the news. Since I’m also a videographer, I filmed my painting process and experimented with adding different camera angles, green-screen effects, and various techniques in Premiere Pro. When you’re locked down with loads of art supplies, too much energy, video gear, and you can't go anywhere anyway...well it was a fun and all-encompassing art therapy project! As it turns out, the video editing part of this project unexpectedly became an extension of the expression. I spliced in random clips from my pre-pandemic life and the activities that I missed. It was quite cathartic, and while it didn’t change the world around me, it gave me a fun and positive art activity. I hope this brings you creative inspiration to be unapologetically expressive and come up with your own art therapy techniques when you need a creative outlet. For me a super fun part of this was smashing up my tv…with an art easel no less…(at the end of the video). Nothing was harmed, except for the tv. :) 🗽 Angie Durbin is a New York-based artist, calligrapher, instructor, and creative director. ................................ 📰 Subscribe to Angie's newsletter here for freebies and creative inspiration: https://www.angiedurbinart.com/contact ................................ 👋🏼📱 SOCIALS 🔴 Website: http://www.angiedurbinart.com/​ 🟠 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angie_durbin/​ 🔵 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angiedurbinart/​ 🟢 Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngieDurbin ................................ ✅ Subscribe to Angie's channel for more videos like this! https://www.youtube.com/@AngieDurbinArt?sub_confirmation=1 ................................ Credits: HUGE thanks to Reem Alothman for filming the feather boa scenes and me shoving that big tv through Manhattan in 2017. www.reem-films.com, www.instagram.com/reemfilms Music by NGordy, license purchased from Pond5: www.pond5.com/royalty-free-music/item/93703191-minimal-synthetic-techno NYC Times Square time lapse video by Caleb Oquendo from Pexels: www.pexels.com/video/the-busy-and-historic-times-square-in-new-york-city-3029469/ Subway in train station video by Olam Musicali on from Pexels: www.pexels.com/video/a-subway-train-leaving-a-station-3773322/ Disco ball video by Engin Akyurt from Pexels: www.pexels.com/video/ball-and-light-in-a-disco-hall-2487916/ #artherapy #selfexpression #abstractartprocess