Browsing through my idea archive, I see that I have a thing for spots, splotches, and paint spatters. There is Spencer Finch‘s 8456 Shades of Blue (After Hume), which on close inspection, are various kinds of watery spots on papers arrayed on a wall..

Spencer Finch 8456 Shades of Blue (After Hume), 2008

Jackson Pollock‘s process was as exciting as his paintings…

Suitcase by Eric Timothy Carlson, covered with Dalmation spots, sparks the idea of spotting/splattering/Dalmationizing utilitarian items as well as walls and floors…

Eric Timothy Carlson

liveitloveitmakeit.com

Fran Parente

Livet Hemma

…(We’re especially smitten with this wallpaper made of fat, diluted splotches of green paint…)

Livet Hemma

Artful splotches, spots, drips and splatters are easier said than done.

(They can look purposeful, or just…a big mistake.)

We love Ronda Palazzari’s brilliant Paint Splatter Tutorial that affords useful insights and inspiration to explore the process, like this bit that may give a clue into how Spencer Finch achieved his beautiful water colory dots:

I almost always add water to my paints when splattering, more to the tube acrylics and less to the liquid acrylics. You want the paint to be fluid enough to move, almost milky in texture. By adding a lot more water, you can make a watercolor-like splatter.

Ronda Palazzari / The Crate Paper Blog

Dalmation spots can be done freehand or with a stencil.

The Vault Files

…There are all sorts of dot vision possibilities in between

Richard Rutledge, The Merce Cunningham Trust

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

2 replies on “Splotches, Spots and Spatters for Art and Personal Decoration

  1. And, you should check out the film, Paterson.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *