“The painting reveals itself only after I stop Trying to control it” — Michael John Valentine
In Pastel Abstract Number 43, Michael John Valentine invites us into a space of surrender and discovery — a rare dialogue between artist and medium in which meaning emerges not through force, but through patience and presence. This evocative maxim, placed at the heart of the work, isn’t just a clever tagline; it is a philosophical gateway into Valentine’s creative process and artistic ethos. In Pastel Abstract Number 43, we are reminded that true art transcends intention, revealing its deepest secrets only when we relinquish rigidity and open ourselves to flow.
A Visionary in Abstract Expression
Michael John Valentine is a seasoned fine art creator whose work embodies over fifty‑five years of artistic exploration and refinement. Based in Cornelius on Lake Norman, North Carolina, Valentine holds a Bachelor of Fine and Professional Arts from Kent State University and has spent decades honing a practice rooted in intuitive creation, experimentation, and visual storytelling. His art — spanning abstract modern pieces, landscapes, cityscapes, and thematic collections like cigar and bourbon art — represents a lifetime of evolving craftsmanship and aesthetic inquiry.
Valentine’s abstract paintings — of which Pastel Abstract Number 43 is a compelling example — do not simply decorate a wall; they act as catalysts for perceptual engagement. His abstract oeuvre navigates the interplay between color, form, texture, and emotion, creating works that resonate with viewers on both personal and contemplative levels.
Understanding Pastel Abstract Number 43
At first glance, Pastel Abstract Number 43 may appear as a dance of hues and layers — fields of color meeting and melding in a rhythm that seems spontaneous yet deeply considered. But this piece’s true subject is not what we see at first; rather, it is what unfolds as we spend time with it. The title’s declaration — that the painting reveals itself only after letting go of control — is a philosophical nod to the essence of abstract art itself: a departure from literal representation and an embrace of emotional truth, ambiguity, and inner reflection.
Physically, the work comes in a range of formats from decals and prints to signed canvas editions — each choice offering a different scale and presence within a space. In the original canvas versions, Valentine applies acrylic overpainting selectively, creating areas of texture and depth that suggest both motion and stillness. A glossy protective seal enhances the vibrancy of pigment and protects this layered nuance for years to come, while the canvas arrives unstretched, allowing collectors to choose custom framing that best enhances the piece in its intended environment.
Surrender as a Creative Principle
To understand Pastel Abstract Number 43, one must first appreciate Valentine’s philosophical approach to making art. His work is born not from compulsion but from interaction — a dynamic exchange between the artist’s intention and the unpredictable language of color, form, and material. The assertion that the painting “reveals itself only after I stop trying to control it” speaks to the essence of creative surrender. It suggests that Valentine does not impose a preconceived outcome upon the canvas; rather, he entices the composition to reveal its inherent logic and poetry.
This approach aligns Pastel Abstract Number 43 with a long tradition in abstract expression and modernist practice, where intuition and responsiveness to medium take precedence over narrative or representation. But Valentine’s work stands apart in its groundedness: he begins with original photographs — moments captured in lived experience — and transforms them through layered acrylics and glaze into compositions that contain both visual intuition and cultivated intention.
The result is not chaos, but a controlled freedom — a balance between what can be directed and what must be allowed to emerge. The painting doesn’t show itself all at once. It reveals shapes, tensions, harmonies, and emotional resonances in response to the viewer’s attentive gaze, inviting an experience that is as psychological as it is aesthetic.
A Dialogue with the Viewer
Pastel Abstract Number 43 does not simply hang on a wall; it converses with its audience. At first, the viewer may see only surface — color fields, movement, contrast. But as one allows the painting to breathe within their field of vision, deeper sensibilities surface: subtle transitions of tone, unexpected spatial relationships, moments where abstraction feels almost figurative before dissolving back into pure sensation.
This is the power of abstract work that is both generous and enigmatic. Valentine’s choice to let go of control in the creative process becomes a mirror for the viewer’s own inner experience. Each viewing becomes participatory: the painting is not fixed but alive — revealing new insights and emotional resonances as time passes.
Craftsmanship and Collectibility
Collectors of Valentine’s work — whether first‑time enthusiasts or seasoned connoisseurs — appreciate both the tactile quality and conceptual depth of his pieces. Original canvases are unique, one‑of‑a‑kind creations, each accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Prints, posters, and decals offer accessible ways to engage with the artist’s vision while maintaining high standards of quality and fidelity to the emotional essence of the original compositions.
More than mere decorative objects, pieces like Pastel Abstract Number 43 elevate interiors with a sense of contemplative energy. They encourage moments of pause, introspection, and emotional openness — a rare and profound offering in the realm of contemporary abstract art.
An Invitation to Presence
In the end, Pastel Abstract Number 43 is not about control at all — it is a meditation on presence. The painting invites viewers to release expectation, to slow down, and to witness emergence itself. In surrendering control — both in the act of creation and in the act of viewing — the artwork unfolds its poetic resonance. It hints at larger truths about perception: that deeper understanding rarely comes from force, but from attentive release, patience, and receptivity.
Through this work, Michael John Valentine offers more than a visual experience; he offers a framework for encountering art — and perhaps life — with curiosity, openness, and quiet wonder.
