Abstract Distraction

I am currently working on a commission portrait of an elderly couple.  This type of painting can become rather tense at times, at least for me.  I am so particular.  I paint and I think about the people I am painting... often I say a little prayer for them.  Somehow this makes me feel more in touch with who they are and not just what they look like physically.  But there are times when I just have to take a break from the commission and work on something totally unrelated.  Sometimes I work on another painting (I always have several at different stages somewhere in this room!... don't you?) sometimes I draw, sometimes I do exercises (NOT the kind where you perspire!!) to improve some aspect of my painting, and yes, often I play Angry Birds.  Today I decided to paint a small abstract since that is so far removed from what I normally do.  Several days ago I had taken a view finder and gone through a magazine looking for abstract ideas that I might want to paint.  I drew around the rectangular shape of the viewfinder and cut out the shapes.

I picked one out, not being very particular as to my choice.  I had some small scraps of paper and I used the grid method to get the proportionately correct size and draw the design on the paper.

Using the grid system makes drawing the design simple and fast.  All that is left is to paint the shapes.

I thought the large red shape on the right would balance the yellow shapes, but now that it is painted I think it needs a small yellow shape on the right that is on top of the red.  That would also give me an odd number of yellow shapes which would be much better.  What do you think?  It certainly is different from what I normally do and a "learning distraction".

Be Still My Art,

Kay