Frank O'Cain: How to use paper collage to investigate color combinations for an abstract painting.

Frank O'Cain's demonstration at the Art Students League of NY on January 7, 2026 shows ways of using collage to quickly and inexpensively investigate color combinations for an abstract painting. For the demo, collage is addressed not as a finished art work, but rather an exploration about how a potential color palette works. Many different ways of working can be seen. By using collage, the artist can build develop an idea before moving to oil or acrylic paint. After finishing one collage, O'Cain turns the board over and does another one, using a different approach, on the back. The second starts about 33 minutes into the video. Frank O'Cain is an important instructor at the Art Students League of New York, introducing generations of students to the basic principles of Abstract Painting developed by Cezanne and Hans Hofmann. Currently, he teaches both on-line and in studio classes. Recorded and edited by Stephen Durkee