My work has been mostly abstract for a while now. It’s still my primary focus, but over time, I keep trying to explore a slightly different approach with abstract portraits that are still loosely tied to my core theme, the ocean. Faces, presence, suggestion. Not realism. Not narrative. Just enough structure to feel human, without losing the openness, freedom, and expression that I enjoy.

Abstraction removes friction for me. I get into the work faster. I find “flow” quicker. And I almost always end up with something I genuinely enjoy looking at. It’s about producing a “vibe”. It’s about chasing and seeing a feeling. That’s the only challenge. There’s very little resistance when the goal is simply to follow a feeling and see where it goes.

At the same time, something in me wants to be a little more grounded in subject matter. A little more real. The portrait work has been a way to explore that pull. The pieces I’ve been working on are all collage, painted paper, and layered materials. I really love the end result. It’s deeply satisfying. But it’s also slower. More meticulous. Every decision matters more. There’s no rushing it. Instead of finishing a painting in two or three sessions, it tends to take me a month or more to finalize something. This “slowness” is a challenge for me because it’s deep within my nature to want to finish things quickly and move on.

To tackle this challenge, I’ve been moving between pieces. I’ll work on a portrait until I feel resistance creep in, then I’ll step away and move to something more abstract that has no structure. That shift gives me momentum instead of slowing my enthusiasm. When I come back to the portrait later, I see it more clearly and enjoy the process again.

This connects directly to the doodling I’ve been sharing recently. Those drawings are completely abstract, but I’m still quietly tying them back to my core subject, the ocean. Movement, rhythm, color, vibe. They’re loose and freeing, but they also satisfy my love of detail once I start refining lines and shapes.

What I’m realizing is that I don’t have to choose between any of these approaches. I can have them all. Exploration and structure. Flow and patience. Fast, intuitive marks and slow, careful decisions. Balancing those modes feels good, and there’s something for every mood and situation. It keeps the work progressing, keeps me showing up daily, and keeps the process enjoyable. And right now, that balance feels like exactly where I’m supposed to be, and on track to whatever I’ll become as an artist in the future.

Below are some examples of abstract portraits that I’ve produced over the years. The first one below is a work in progress. It’s simply a woman by the sea, and it’s got some great vibes at the moment.