In my creative space
My name is Aatika Rehman and I am a modern abstract painter. In my paintings, I explore the relationship between art and healing. My work is currently fueled by the energy I feel in vibrant and luscious pigments. My work takes advantage of the tendency of the mind to find patterns in chaotic scenes. My intention with the art I make is to create an emotional stimulation which emits calming, healing, and joyful play.
I believe that every color radiates strength and energy that can be felt by the viewer. The concept of freedom never leaves my mind while creating: the freedom to use the color hues my heart desires, to create busy and chaotic brush marks on some parts of the canvas and then make some quiet and calming spaces on the same canvas, and the freedom to use any size brush my hand can reach out to.
Living in beautiful Colorado is one of the major sources of inspiration behind my abstract. My process starts from scribbling lines, then moving on to mark-making with acrylic paint. I keep rotating the canvas until I find the composition that makes me smile and sparks wonder. My abstracts have many layers, each one building depth and harmony among the colors.
I want the viewer to experience a sense of wonder and to question why they are drawn to particular areas of the artwork. The paintings are an extension of myself, going in depth, reflecting and asking the questions that lead to discovery, healing and rest. As my work evolves, I look forward to how I can bring more curative/therapeutic joy through the process of abstraction and vibrant color play.
Photo Credit: Erik Cooper Photography.
Process
My process is built on different stages. Most of the time blank canvases are primed by my little ones, curious minds that have no fear of blank canvas in front of them. You can see it here and here. Sometimes my daughters play along with me during different layers of paintings, drawing lines and shapes. Then I move to mark making, with acrylic paint. I start painting with the colors that I am feeling energetically inclined towards at the time. I keep rotating the canvas to find a nice composition. My abstracts contain many layers, each layer building depth and harmony among them. All of my work is intuitive, so when starting a canvas, I have no idea how it’s going to end up. And that excites me so much. Every blank canvas feels like an adventure, a playground but with no rules to follow. Really, who likes to play by the rules anyway? Not me!!!!