Here I am pleased to be interviewing the prolific artist D.K.Osorio from Northern California. D. K. works primarily in pen and ink drawings and oil paintings, but has been branching out recently into photography. Her black and white abstract and surrealist pieces are the most extensive part of her current body of artwork.

Pendulum Swing  © D.K. Osorio,
A keeper of time where there is none except you.

How long have you considered yourself an artist?

Ever since I was a little girl, drawing Snoopy cartoons.

Tell me about your first experience creating in your current medium:

My first experience in my current medium in pen drawing was around Halloween of 2012. There is for me a constantly present evolving need to create something challenging the metaphysical. And one creative source that I had yet to tap was my dark neurosis that I felt was too disturbing to express to a public forum. However, Halloween presented itself as a golden opportunity to expose this part of my creativity with some comfort.

What results are you looking for in response to your art?

To draw the viewer to experience an emotion that makes he or she react, no matter how positively or negatively. As long as they feel passionately for an artwork that I created then there becomes a strong connection, a link between them and my creative soul.

And She Was © D.K. Osorio,
Joining the world of missing persons. 
Missing enough to feel alright.

What does your art mean to you?

What it conveys is an extension of what I am feeling at the time. What I am experiencing in my day-to-day life will show up in my work.

What is the most annoying remark made to you about your art?

Someone once told me that they liked my art so much that they were going to make copies of it, and put it on their wall.

Do you have any regrets in your life as an artist?

The one regret I have is not having complete confidence in myself as an artist. It is always a constant battle in my head. Especially when I create an artwork that I feel is not up to the standards of others. I am my own worst critic.

What plans do you have for the future of your art?

The plans for my drawings are to one day publish them in a book, possibly in coffee book format telling a story behind each one or interconnect them into one story.

Do you have any advice for emerging artists?

Never stop marketing!

 A Shed Tear For You © D.K. Osorio,

A lot of emotion behind one small drop of water.

How to find D.K. Osorio online….

• Website
• Twitter: @dkosorioartist

In The Hall  © D.K. Osorio,

 A tribal urge among broken glass.

light grafiti © Sarah Klockars-Clauser

A fairly liberal and impulsive approach to photography, somewhere in between painting and classic photography, abstract photography is a versatile form of art.  As with most creative activities, you will apply your imagination using the camera to evoke images from within the environment.  Wherever you may go, wherever you may look you might just find an image to take a shot of and turn into abstract by a process of enhancement.  Use of zoom lenses, filters and different digital settings can give you a real opportunity to play with the image you have captured.  You may also want to manipulate the photo in a photo editor like Photoshop or Instagram, or just leave it the way that it is.


Many abstract photographers hold to the idea that macro hides inside micro and use their camera lens to focus on the details creating a new subject from out of the larger whole.  What may be a small part becomes epic in scale in the photograph. With the focus literally upon it looking closely enough you can find some things that immediately catch the eye or are easily recognized familiar concepts.  Sometimes it is the items with the least attractive surfaces, with their complex forms and patterns, which often produce the most striking images. It is a matter of removing the context and drawing out the particular qualities you want to highlight. In this manner, partial shots of rusty metal, rubbish bins, old walls with peeling paint and cracked tiles– any kind of surface and texture usually ignored – suddenly become subject matter for abstract photos.

Waves of Rust © Einarspetz

To create photo abstractions you can use both digital and analog cameras.  You can apply the rule of thirds, The Golden Ratio, or break all the rules and do as you please.  In the arena of abstract art, this is all fair game.  The first objective should be to react with your environment, see what draws you in deeper.  Instead of backing up and spanning around for a panoramic photo, this is a time for finding the details that might seem hidden in plain sight.  Or alternately, it may be you have to go inside or to the bottom of larger objects to find what it may hold inside.  This is much like a treasure hunt, the hunt for artistic photographs.  And here I feel I have introduced a topic which can very easily be a fun activity for anyone to try, especially if you have a digital camera handy, try composing your own abstract art photos. See if you can find something interesting or maybe even spectacular to the point that you wish to hang it in your home.  Here is one I did with my smartphone and added a “watercolor” effect in my photo editing program.   Hope you have learned something and perhaps have found a fun new art activity.

An ordinary object zoomed in close.

© Rebecca H Knight, images used are © their respective owners. All rights reserved.

How to get started creating your own abstract art work with these 4 basic tips. The inherent simplicity is what makes these tips as opposed to rules. As an abstract artist you can create whatever you like, there are no guidelines to follow. As the painting composition should be liberal, in abstract art there is no right or wrong. 

Rainbow Hatching, psychedelic doodle © Sarah Klockars-Clauser 

1. Prepare to create your art work with a subject or theme in mind. Even though this is abstract art, it is important for the artist to have a clear idea of what the finished piece will mean to them personally. You can start out with a literal object portrayal and then work on blurring the vision of that object. Or, you can create an abstract concept from the beginning and work towards making a slightly more obvious representation. The first step is to know the general direction so you have a true starting point.

2. When it comes to supplies used, the decision is also completely up to you. You may choose to paint in vibrant colors or without color altogether. When first beginning as a painter a modest paint set and using paper is a good way to start without having to invest much money. If you choose to embrace this endeavor further, having higher quality and more varied selection of paints and brushes, perhaps even committing to use of canvas or other more expensive supplies would then be sensible.


3. The technique in creating an abstract painting is generally spontaneous and natural as opposed to mechanical. Freehand is the typical fashion of an abstract painter. If you choose to start out with a sketched foundation, try not to over-detail or create a drawing that represents the subject too methodically. Remember if you draw first it is only a framework and not to be the actual artwork itself. 

4. Relax and have fun - the ultimate goal in artistic expression is to let the imagination loose and create a work of art that you feel connected to and enjoy. The act of creating in abstract may provide an outlet for feelings that are indescribable in words. Also the sense of achievement in producing your very own painted artwork, customized to your own sensitivities is a gift in itself.

Since this is painting in abstract, keep in mind everyone will likely see something different in the painting. Try not to take this as criticism or a challenge to your intended subject matter. This is actually part of the value in abstract where it is many things to many people. As an artist you will develop your own style and with it convey your own perspectives with abstract imagery. If you find yourself looking for inspiration, further reading Abstract Painting Ideas may help you along.

Abstract art could be referred to as a creative method of illustrating an artist's view of the world not just the physical but also the ethereal. 

Fugue / Fuga,Wassily Kandinsky  1914
image courtesy of Beyeler Foundation

In contrast to other art forms, abstract art emphasizes ideas or imagination, expressed on canvas or other mediums. It is these ideas in their native abstract state that are not transformed into set-in-stone representation. It is very tricky to be able to create something in an actual substantive format with intangible characteristics. For starters, the artist must be in touch with their emotions enough to know exactly what feeling they want to convey.

Art that is abstract is created when an artist gives their thoughts and imagination a physical manifestation. These are then painted on canvas, drawn or shaped into the form of abstract art. Such types of art must depict stimulating images for other people to interplay in their minds and connect to in some specific way. It is just then that the art's true purpose is served. By using simple or complex shapes, colors and forms, it becomes possible for an abstract artist to create a piece of art for the purpose intended.

With so many people facing so much stress in today's frenzied world, abstract art can be a great means to vent out one's unexpressed emotions and to express oneself on canvas successfully in place of using sentences or words. You may wish to approach abstract art as a therapeutic type of hobby. There are 4 basic components to abstract art: sketching or drawing, perspective, color theory, and tools and procedures. These play a vital role in this particular form of art. Generally considered to be a very liberal form of modern art, abstract art does not emphasize the techniques or expertise that artists use of to create representative art but it does not exclude it either.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is the use of colors. Combining the colors to give the artwork the right intensity is a significant aspect to be remembered while creating abstract art. This is not to say that one cannot produce fine abstract imagery with only black and white, but again that is a matter of mastery. If you are just starting out colors are great for evoking feeling and are very important in giving the art the right impact. An important though typically not assumed fact is the effect that fine art training can have on an abstract artist's abilities. For instance, basic still life and portrait theories which are required classes for many art students may seem unnecessary to an artist already into creating in the abstract style. One such artist, Elisa Gomez ,tells me about her experience: 

"The teacher was a successful and very talented abstract artist and someone I felt I could be straight with. I asked him at the beginning of the semester (we had a history of classes at that point and he knew my style) if he felt it was truly necessary for me to take this class. He adamantly told me yes- yes, you need to know color theory, triangulation and many other elements to make a good still life. They are tools that can be manipulated in abstraction for a deeper more meaningful work. He was absurdly correct. What I am trying to say is while traditional techniques seem far and away from abstract art- those very tools help me to take my work from interesting to captivating." 

The emphasis in abstract art is focused on the artist's perspective of how they see the world. The feelings of the artist along with the knowledge of the aforementioned basic components should be enough for producing some form of abstract art. The more ideas and emotions stirred up in others upon viewing your work is a good gauge of how well your efforts turn out.  For some tips to getting started read 4 Tips for Painting Abstracts.