The Art of Getting Lost with Kerry Fletcher

​Kerry Fletcher, Contemporary Abstract Artist from Norwalk, Iowa, shares the creative process she uses to breathe life into her one-of-a-kind masterpieces. She also gives some insight into how she ended up with this creative process and the benefit of using it. If you’re feeling lifeless and burnt out, maybe “Getting Lost” is just what you need to bring creativity and excitement back into your life.  Jump in with us …

Midwest raised, self-proclaimed lifetime artist. Informed by life, and an innate exploratory nature.
Horses, ranch life and country views inspire Kerry Fletcher’s multimedia abstract landscapes.
 
A full-time artist since early retirement in 2016.  And while most work is self-represented, the Delirium Gallery in Winterset, Iowa currently showcases a major portrayal of her work.

Her current show features over 30 major works - landscapes and intuitive abstracts, all of which reflect an original, unique, and bold use of color and subject. Her landscapes give an unexpected, expansive view derived from her love of Madison County.
 
Work is primarily acrylics, and she often experiments with, and incorporates other interesting media such as custom collage, inks, and oil pastels among others.
 
The current work on display at the Delirium gallery in Winterset, Iowa is open to the public or shown by appointment. Come to the gallery to check it out! KerryFletcherart.com.

Getting Lost with intuitive abstract art

​Intuitive abstract. What’s that even mean? Bear with me while I try to articulate the weird and sometimes wild process called “intuitive abstract”.
 
Intuitive abstract …
 
Is like writing fiction, influenced by the memories of real life. Starting a story and not knowing where it ends—is it a romance, mystery, comedy, or action adventure?
 
It’s exploring a new place and taking random turns just to see what’s down that road.
 
Painting an intuitive abstract is a lot like intentionally getting lost. Casting fears aside, and feeling the excitement of traveling to an unknown destination. Living in the moment.
 
The journey of Getting lost reminds me of the feeling back when I was a kid and my Dad took us on country drives. Traveling on the back country roads, I’d repeatedly ask him…are we lost yet? When he’d finally say “yup, we’re lost” I’d squeal with delight! The thrill of not knowing, being the first or the only to discover new things, was scary fun to me.
 
Throughout the years I’ve come to realize that some of the most exciting art results come when I allow myself to get lost. No map, no Google. No plan, no prediction of an outcome. This in itself is challenging when the rules, habits, and ideas are fighting for attention in your head, distracting the exploration. 

​For me, color becomes the map and drives the direction of everything. Mixing and inventing new favorite, colors, placing them where they want to be.
Where they complement and dance, converse or debate with their other color friends.
 
Add to the developing plot-brush strokes and marks that feel congruent or completely in conflict with all else.
 
Or just doing what feels good.
 
Add, subtract, assess, adjust, add, subtract and repeat again. It’s a fun, exciting and good kind of scary ride. 

Intuition on a canvas

​Occasionally God enters in and something extraordinary happens. Like the time i was experimenting with new tools and colors and as I stepped back, saw the eye and nose of my best dog pal, a 150lb Great Pyrenees, in the painting. Initially I’m thinking “awwwwe”.
 
After studying further, it appears as though this sweet pup is knocking someone down! The subject literally looks knocked off her feet.
Que the doom music.
 
Two months later, while playing, she did just that. To me.
 
Looking back, I guess I can say that I “saw” it coming.  

​This magical “painting coming to life” is not the first time this has happened, but fortunately most are not so painful! There’s always a message, or dialogue-some only known by me but hopefully felt a bit by viewers. The story  unfolds as unintentionally as intended.
 
Getting lost is fun. There are no rules. There is no danger. Only new things to see and do.  Turn in any direction that seems right.
 
Every day, I show up. Take the turns and work on the next painting. It all comes out as a story.
 
My hope is that the story might take you exploring someplace you’ve never been before.
 
Life continuously changes all of our stories. It’s certainly visible to me in the art. When looking back, I can see the thread or the path and recall the related life events with some interesting perspective.
 
The path of creating art is like being a kid again and getting lost on a country drive with my Dad.
It’s letting the subconscious tell the story. Losing the map and letting the desire of exploration take over. Getting lost and feeling the sweaty, heart thumping thrill of discovery.
 
Time is no longer the focus.  Only the journey.