#6 Abstract Painting Meets Realism: How to paint on the edge of both styles
In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history of abstract painting and realism, exploring what these styles have meant throughout art history and how artists continue to redefine them today.
We discuss:
🎨 How can thinking abstractly can transform your painting practice, opening up new creative possibilities even if you usually work in a realistic style. 🎨 What is “real” in art?
🎨 And why do we keep circling back to the tug of war between realism and abstraction?
To push ourselves, we set a painting challenge: create a work that sits right on the edge of realism and abstraction — predominantly abstract, but still recognizable. The result? A creative experiment that forced us to blur the line between clarity and imagination.
Watch along to see our paintings unfold. Whether you’re an artist, art student, art collector or just curious about how abstraction and realism shape the way we see the world, this conversation is packed with art history insights, painting tips, and creative inspiration. Do you prefer to work abstractly or realistically? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments (or use #smerdontoast when posting to social media) as we’d love to hear your thoughts. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more episodes on painting, art history, and creative challenges.
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🖌️ About Smerdon Toast: Smerdon Toast is a YouTube and podcast series created by award-winning Australian painters Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast. Each episode, we challenge each other with a different art challenge designed to push our painting skills and stretch our creative muscles. From painting competitions and timed painting sessions to unusual art topics, we invite you to join us for a deep dive into the world of contemporary art-making. 🖼️ Shop the artworks from each episode:
👉 www.annesmerdon.com
👉 www.seabastiontoast.com
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Key topics from this episode: Abstract painting techniques, Realism in art history, Realism vs abstraction debate, Painting challenges for artists, How to think abstractly as a painter, Finding your balance between realism and abstraction
