Featured Artist Mandy Budan

Using light, shape, color and the Canadian outdoors as inspiration, painter Mandy Budan composes abstracts by finding patterns within her subjects. Explore more of her art by visiting her website.

 

“Stormlight” Acrylic on Wood, 30” x 30” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Stormlight” Acrylic on Wood, 30” x 30”

 

Every year I get emails from students who have questions about my art for a project or school paper that they’re working on. Among the more standard questions which include what artists I admire, and the length of time it takes to complete a painting, is the question of what advice I can give to aspiring artists. I always give the same answer: perseverance and process. It really does take time to get good at something, so you’ve got to put in the hours; and because of that, you had better love the process you follow because you’ll be doing it a lot!

 

“Cascade” Acrylic on Wood, 18” x 24” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Cascade” Acrylic on Wood, 18” x 24”

 

I have only been painting seriously since 2000, so I know I have lot more hours to put in, but I love the road I’m on so much that time is just flying by! I have tried traditional realism, tonalism, non-objective abstract and figurative, before finally coming to rest at a sort of abstracted divisionism.

 

“Crescendo” Acrylic on Wood, 18” x 24” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Crescendo” Acrylic on Wood, 18” x 24”

 

I love the controlled placement of paint, working with light and colour, and teasing out the patterns that just seem to be waiting for me.

 

“Ebb and Flow” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Ebb and Flow” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30”

 

I am fascinated by the play of possibilities in taking apart the landscape and putting it back together as abstract form. My work has a more realist feel from a distance and is distinctly abstract up close.

 

“October Gold” Acrylic on Wood, 16” x 20” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“October Gold” Acrylic on Wood, 16” x 20”

 

I constantly strive for that perfect union of shape and colour that will result in a painting that both conveys the feel of a specific place and stands strong as a non-objective abstract.

 

“Standing Room Only” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Standing Room Only” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30”

 

I love the Canadian landscape and I can’t imagine painting anything else. I am very fortunate to have incredible green spaces, walking trails, waterfront and forests all around me. I love to go on road trips looking for inspiration—there is so much here, I’ll never capture it all.

 

“Summer In The Garden” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Summer In The Garden” Acrylic on Wood, 24” x 30”

 

Sometimes it’s the shapes of trees and rocks as the sun hits them through the mist of a fall lake. Sometimes it’s the light and shadow on a flower that pulls unexpected colours and patterns out of the petals.

 

“Summer Medley” Acrylic on Wood, 30” x 40” by artist Mandy Budan. See her portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

“Summer Medley” Acrylic on Wood, 30” x 40”

 

The reason I paint is to show that everything is made up of the same stuff. It’s just arranged differently for different things. Then I come along and arrange them in a slightly different way. I break things into shapes and arrange those shapes into patterns.

 

Artist Mandy Budan at work in her studio. See artist Mandy Budan's portfolio by visiting www.ArtsyShark.com

Artist Mandy Budan at work in her studio

 

I paint a tree, but it’s not a tree—it’s paint on panel. But it is a tree and it’s also abstract shapes. And the tree, the real tree outside is made up of things arranged into patterns too—big things like leaves and branches and tiny things like molecules and atoms and empty space.

 

Artist Mandy Budan invites you to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Comments

  1. Love your beautiful work and your thought process. To be able to see the ordinary in the most extraordinary way is what makes a great artist a genius.

  2. You have got a very interesting style. My favorite is Crescendo. It soars into the air.

  3. LOVE your work! The mixture of abstract & realism is so effective and your colors are vibrant without being bossy.

  4. Hello Mandy
    Am soo soo impressed with your art form !!
    How do you manage to create such precise tiny geometrical leaves and tree pattern ?
    Do you have a natural flair for symmetry and geometrical precision in painting tiny leaves etc ?
    What number fine paint brushes would you advice while doing the intricate paintings .
    Finally
    As a beginner such as myself , would you advise rough pencil sketching for precision
    Before I start using my brush dipped in paint to paint the awesome tiny details
    Am nervous I will mess it up ,
    Please advise
    Your ardent admirer from India !
    Love
    Kalpana

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