On Allowing
Theory and intuition have always existed side by side in my practice.
When I paint, I need freedom. I cannot allow theory to dictate a brushstroke or determine a decision in the studio. The work itself has to emerge through observation, intuition, experimentation, and trust. Yet at the same time, I have a strong need to continuously reflect on my work, to place it within broader art historical conversations, and to engage with artists whose practices continue to inspire and challenge me.
For many years, I have returned again and again to Helen Frankenthaler. Her paintings, her interviews, and the obstacles she faced as a woman artist working in the 1950s continue to fascinate me. The freedom she brought to the canvas remains remarkable. There is still so much we can learn from artists of her generation—and I want to keep learning.
Even after more than thirty years of painting, I remain fascinated by the relationship between material and surface: how a particular mixture of paint behaves on a particular canvas, how textures interact, where boundaries emerge, and where they begin to dissolve.
This painting grew out of that ongoing curiosity. It is rooted in observation, in allowing materials to respond to one another, and in paying attention to what happens when control loosens and something less predictable takes over.
I am quite happy with how this work resolved itself.
On Allowing
140 × 200 cm
Available
#HelenFrankenthaler #ContemporaryPainting #AbstractArt #PaintingProcess #MaterialityInArt
On Allowing
Theory and intuition have always existed side by side in my practice.
When I paint, I need freedom. I cannot allow theory to dictate a brushstroke or determine a decision in the studio. The work itself has to emerge through observation, intuition, experimentation, and trust. Yet at the same time, I have a strong need to continuously reflect on my work, to place it within broader art historical conversations, and to engage with artists whose practices continue to inspire and challenge me.
For many years, I have returned again and again to Helen Frankenthaler. Her paintings, her interviews, and the obstacles she faced as a woman artist working in the 1950s continue to fascinate me. The freedom she brought to the canvas remains remarkable. There is still so much we can learn from artists of her generation—and I want to keep learning.
Even after more than thirty years of painting, I remain fascinated by the relationship between material and surface: how a particular mixture of paint behaves on a particular canvas, how textures interact, where boundaries emerge, and where they begin to dissolve.
This painting grew out of that ongoing curiosity. It is rooted in observation, in allowing materials to respond to one another, and in paying attention to what happens when control loosens and something less predictable takes over.
I am quite happy with how this work resolved itself.
On Allowing
140 × 200 cm
Available
#HelenFrankenthaler #ContemporaryPainting #AbstractArt #PaintingProcess #MaterialityInArt
The hardest part was waiting.
Now the surface has settled, the layers have found their place, and the painting is finally dry.
Perhaps nothing more needs to be added.
Perhaps it is already complete.
#AbstractArt #BluePainting #ArtProcess #ASMRPainting #ContemporaryArtist
The hardest part was waiting.
Now the surface has settled, the layers have found their place, and the painting is finally dry.
Perhaps nothing more needs to be added.
Perhaps it is already complete.
#AbstractArt #BluePainting #ArtProcess #ASMRPainting #ContemporaryArtist
This is always the hardest part.⤵️
You’re excited about what happened in the studio. The painting feels alive. You’re tempted to keep going. Just one more mark. One more line. A little water here, a small gesture there.
But you know better.
Sometimes the most important decision is to stop.
Because every additional brushstroke carries a risk. The painting might open up even more—or it might lose exactly what made it special in the first place.
So you leave it. You walk away. You let it breathe.
And then comes the waiting. Looking at it again tomorrow. Or the day after. Trusting that distance will reveal what excitement cannot.
I still find this incredibly difficult.
Do you know that feeling?
#AbstractPainting #ArtistLife #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt #PaintingProcess
This is always the hardest part.⤵️
You’re excited about what happened in the studio. The painting feels alive. You’re tempted to keep going. Just one more mark. One more line. A little water here, a small gesture there.
But you know better.
Sometimes the most important decision is to stop.
Because every additional brushstroke carries a risk. The painting might open up even more—or it might lose exactly what made it special in the first place.
So you leave it. You walk away. You let it breathe.
And then comes the waiting. Looking at it again tomorrow. Or the day after. Trusting that distance will reveal what excitement cannot.
I still find this incredibly difficult.
Do you know that feeling?
#AbstractPainting #ArtistLife #StudioPractice #ContemporaryArt #PaintingProcess
MANOEUVRE
I often think of painting as a form of navigation.
Not because I know where I am going, but because every mark changes the route.
Black ink plays a central role in this work. It leaves a trace that cannot easily be taken back. Every gesture remains visible. Every decision becomes part of the painting’s history.
I work with a wide range of tools: fine fountain pens and delicate drawing instruments, but also sponges, scrapers and self-made tools that create unexpected marks. Some works develop on paper, others on canvas. What interests me is the dialogue with the material and the discoveries that happen along the way.
Ink responds to speed, pressure, surface and chance. It demands attention, but also trust. The moment a line appears, the painting shifts. New possibilities emerge while others disappear.
For me, painting is often less about composition than about navigation. One gesture leads to the next. A route appears, dissolves and re-emerges somewhere else.
Manoeuvre reflects on movement, adjustment and the willingness to change course. It is about responding rather than controlling, and about embracing uncertainty as an essential part of the process.
#ManuelaKarinKnaut #ContemporaryArt #AbstractPainting #InkOnCanvas #ArtistStudio
This artwork is currently available for acquisition.
My team and I work with professional fine art shipping partners and arrange secure worldwide delivery.
If you would like to receive further information about this work, including pricing and details, or if you would like to view a portfolio of currently available works, please feel free to get in touch.
MANOEUVRE
I often think of painting as a form of navigation.
Not because I know where I am going, but because every mark changes the route.
Black ink plays a central role in this work. It leaves a trace that cannot easily be taken back. Every gesture remains visible. Every decision becomes part of the painting’s history.
I work with a wide range of tools: fine fountain pens and delicate drawing instruments, but also sponges, scrapers and self-made tools that create unexpected marks. Some works develop on paper, others on canvas. What interests me is the dialogue with the material and the discoveries that happen along the way.
Ink responds to speed, pressure, surface and chance. It demands attention, but also trust. The moment a line appears, the painting shifts. New possibilities emerge while others disappear.
For me, painting is often less about composition than about navigation. One gesture leads to the next. A route appears, dissolves and re-emerges somewhere else.
Manoeuvre reflects on movement, adjustment and the willingness to change course. It is about responding rather than controlling, and about embracing uncertainty as an essential part of the process.
#ManuelaKarinKnaut #ContemporaryArt #AbstractPainting #InkOnCanvas #ArtistStudio
This artwork is currently available for acquisition.
My team and I work with professional fine art shipping partners and arrange secure worldwide delivery.
If you would like to receive further information about this work, including pricing and details, or if you would like to view a portfolio of currently available works, please feel free to get in touch.
Longing for the South
Created shortly after my return from South Africa in 2019, this large-scale ink drawing carries traces of a place that shaped me profoundly.
The repetitive lines echo landscapes, distances, rhythms, and memories that remained long after the journey ended. Part map, part emotional archive, the work emerged from that curious space between departure and belonging.
Some places stay with us. They continue to surface in gestures, marks, and movements long after we have left them behind.
Longing for the South
Ink on paper
150 × 230 cm
2019
#manuelakarinknaut #inkdrawing #contemporarydrawing #worksonpaper #abstractart
Longing for the South
Created shortly after my return from South Africa in 2019, this large-scale ink drawing carries traces of a place that shaped me profoundly.
The repetitive lines echo landscapes, distances, rhythms, and memories that remained long after the journey ended. Part map, part emotional archive, the work emerged from that curious space between departure and belonging.
Some places stay with us. They continue to surface in gestures, marks, and movements long after we have left them behind.
Longing for the South
Ink on paper
150 × 230 cm
2019
#manuelakarinknaut #inkdrawing #contemporarydrawing #worksonpaper #abstractart
Room to Breathe
200 × 150 cm | Mixed Media on Canvas
Room to Breathe evolved through countless layers of paint, collage fragments, handwritten marks, and moments of revision. Built up and scraped back, each layer carries traces of what came before, creating a surface rich with history, tension, and discovery.
Words and fragments of writing move through the composition like unfinished thoughts—sometimes visible, sometimes buried beneath new gestures. The vibrant reds and magentas bring a sense of urgency and movement, while the open areas create moments of pause and reflection. Together, they form a dynamic balance between intensity and stillness.
Rather than illustrating a single narrative, Room to Breathe embraces the unpredictable nature of the creative process. It speaks of making space for intuition, allowing uncertainty to become part of the work, and trusting that meaning can emerge through accumulation, change, and time.
At 200 × 150 cm, the painting invites the viewer into an immersive visual experience, where every layer reveals a different rhythm, memory, or possibility. In a world that often demands clarity and control, this work is an invitation to pause, to let go, and to find room to breathe.
#AbstractArt #ContemporaryPainting #MixedMediaArt #LargeScaleArt #RoomToBreathe
Room to Breathe
200 × 150 cm | Mixed Media on Canvas
Room to Breathe evolved through countless layers of paint, collage fragments, handwritten marks, and moments of revision. Built up and scraped back, each layer carries traces of what came before, creating a surface rich with history, tension, and discovery.
Words and fragments of writing move through the composition like unfinished thoughts—sometimes visible, sometimes buried beneath new gestures. The vibrant reds and magentas bring a sense of urgency and movement, while the open areas create moments of pause and reflection. Together, they form a dynamic balance between intensity and stillness.
Rather than illustrating a single narrative, Room to Breathe embraces the unpredictable nature of the creative process. It speaks of making space for intuition, allowing uncertainty to become part of the work, and trusting that meaning can emerge through accumulation, change, and time.
At 200 × 150 cm, the painting invites the viewer into an immersive visual experience, where every layer reveals a different rhythm, memory, or possibility. In a world that often demands clarity and control, this work is an invitation to pause, to let go, and to find room to breathe.
#AbstractArt #ContemporaryPainting #MixedMediaArt #LargeScaleArt #RoomToBreathe