How to Start and When to Finish

I have been using the same melamine boards to support my watercolor papers for years. A while ago I looked at the surface and was fasciated by the pattern on the white top of the board that had developed  over time.

Shapes are all over the place, but this one spoke to me saying, "create something from my wear and tear."

Of course I have mulled it over and over in my mind for a few weeks and finally decided to create an abstract piece of art based on the pattern. From there I had to determine what skills to pull out of my creative painter's tool box. 

Step One: Copy the pattern onto a piece of paper and cut it out. 

Step Two: Attach the shape onto a piece of Watercolor Paper and use my mouth atomizer to spray a background. I chose to use gray and black paints for the spraying process.

Tracing paper was not the best choice to use as the original cut out.  The tracing paper curled up around the edges and allowed a bit of sprayed paint to soften the edges. 

Step Three:  Choose a color palette and plan for the saved paper. I decided to go to my comfortable way to create, black and white and red. Then on with pattern making.

Step Four:  Add the red, but where? Slowly I began adding the reds here and there. I took my time, stepping back, and moving forward to paint one small shape, then repeat. 

I was not channeling Mondrian intentionally, but as I finished (or is it?) I certainly saw a connection.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.