Confusion Soup helped me break free of painting the same old way I always had – realistic, detailed, and slowly. For this painting, I broke all of my internalized art rules. I splattered paint, let paint drip, used large globs of paint, let the colors mix on the canvas, and turned the painting upside down and all around as I worked. I had no plan. I started with a turquoise green and then I flipped through my phone camera roll until I found an image that I liked. Then I painted it on, without caring about composition or if it looked good. It was very freeing to throw paint around and not worry about making a “perfect” painting. I also discovered that I really enjoy working like this – going into the painting with no preconceived notions as to the end product.
As for the title, during the critique, my professor said she was very confused by the painting (but in a good way, I think), and later she said the painting reminded her of soup. Hence, the title “Confusion Soup” was created.
Ever since painting this back in November of 2018, I have become a lot more brave with my art. I used to worry about wasting paint and messing up the canvas, but now I feel more free to explore, experiment, and create.
Annika Marthinuss 