December 16, 2021 – Destroyed 2 Small 6×6’s I Was Liking and, Experimenting, Created Two I Like Better – #theAdjacentPossible?

Please note: tap any image in the Gallery row below to see at full screen 😊

It’s a little hard to tell in the smaller images above which ones I circled in red (unless you tap on the image & see full screen).

The one shot image below, with the two left paintings circled are what I did have; and the single shot image below it, with the two end paintings circled, are what they became!

That’s quite a story in itself, making such a drastic change for each one, and it basically has to do with my learning curve ability at this time, making the changes I felt were needed – plus – keeping the integrity of the individual painting as its own valid creation.

Once I made a change, layering on new colors to modify the existing ones, I at 1st felt they were better, and even not yet ruined. But when I continued correcting (adjusting?) the work, then something else was “off.”

I tried and tried to make “one more change” each time, but to no avail.

I really like these works too. But was unhappy with the heavy grey-ness on each.

Reluctantly, tired, but determined, I mixed a new batch of color into scoops of Light Molding Paste (related blog posts – https://felipeadanlerma.com/?s=Light+molding+paste), added small amounts of Zinc White (semi-transparent vs opaque), a scoop of matte gel, and got my palette knife back out.

In the process, the process happening to include the evolvement of a whole new image and, later, in the evening when I rummaged Amazon for some more interesting art books, they gave me a “you might like this” option to view, The Adjacent Possible by Nancy Hillis, and I immediately sent myself a preview sample via my Kindle library —

— found, reading part of the book sample that night, a description of exactly what I’d just been doing….

Part of the book description says —

…a revolutionary method influenced by groundbreaking research in biology and physics to guide you to embrace the unfolding of your art. Every brushstroke, every decision in your art, creates a set of possible paths that were not only invisible before, but didn’t exist before you made that creative move. This is the adjacent possible.

https://amzn.to/3F7bGtm

I thought, hmmmm, and decided to search Google and see what it said.

My search said that was part of an idea that surfaced back in 2002 – https://www.google.com/search?q=the+adjacent+possible – and had a whole slew of variations of the same basic idea via lots of other folks, some also in the arts, some in science, etc.

Well I gotta admit, the whole thing made me feel a lot better ’bout essentially destroying two relatively decent abstracts, yet ending up with two totally different variations I like even better ❤️

So, yes, it’s a pretty good bet I’ll be reading more of Nancy Hillis’ book ☺️

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Oh, and there is / was a 2nd problem with my little 6×6 experiments. I often filled the space so well, and it being so tiny, I couldn’t find a place to sign my name, lol!

I’d had a few ideas I’d tried before, but they weren’t working this time, and I spent the better part of another afternoon seeing what I could come up with. Hopefully I’ll have the post on that next 🤞

Stay well everyone! We desperately need to see family this holiday season, and we just as desperately need to remain healthy for ourselves and those around us, so balance best you can 🙏 😊

Adan

ps – I’m also still working out how to title these little squares; that should be fun, lol!

Direct link to my #ImpressionistAbstract blog post above 😊
December 11, 2021 – A Gift Horse? Maybe! An Experiment I Just Might Expand On – Yellow #ImpressionistAbstract 1

My Related Posts Here On My Blog

My Related Amazon Affiliate Search Products
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My Amazon search for “creativity” in books – https://amzn.to/3sa2el2

Direct Amazon link to, The Adjacent Possible: Evolve Your Art. From Blank Canvas To Prolific Artist – https://amzn.to/3yyNBsW

My Latest Posts On My Website!

• Follow-up blog post after my 1st blog post since August 2025 earlier this week – Definitely like starting new!December 20, 2025
  “The relinquishing of one’s art, my art, to myself, is sometimes more scary than gearing my productivity to outside expectations”
• My 1st blog post since August this year (2025) – Like starting new!December 18, 2025
  “My plan, my hope, is to keep this, my original layin, produce a new 2nd similar layin but add a content color layin; keep it; then repeat the steps with the two formative layers and see what finished product I might produce – 3 works total”
• Poetry and Art 2025 : 1st Wings 2025 8×10 – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊August 10, 2025
  Excerpt from my original poem for 1st Wings — “teasing smiles from her wide eyes as trembles  aches stretched sweet like taffy….” – Adan –
• Poetry and Art 2025 : Scratches Made Whole 11×14 2025 – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊June 28, 2025
  “she felt herself in pieces gathered her sharp edges slowly – – her smoother edge moments gingerly in a dance of yes and no” – Adan –
• Thrust 2025 11×14 Fearless, With Hope, Through the Chaos – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊May 17, 2025
  “Ancient earth tones touched her feet swam underneath her skirt brushed her skin with raw silk cells” – Adan –
• Poetry and Painting – Thrust 2025 24×36 Into the Void – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊April 27, 2025
  “Leaping thrusting herself into the void of life’s light” – Adan –
• Poetry and Painting – Thrust 2025 24×36 Whispering – by Adan – @SaatchiArt 😊March 30, 2025
  “Leaping thrusting herself into the void of life’s light” – Adan –

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Thanks again, everyone! 😊

Adan

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