Frank O'Cain: Creating a square abstract acrylic painting from a soft beginning with three colors.

Frank O'Cain's demonstration at the Art Students League of NY on May 12, 2026 provides a demonstration of how to build up slowly to create an abstract painting in acrylic, often working wet on wet.. O'Cain uses a square canvas, one of the most difficult formats. By using a limited palette and playing with the saturation of colors, he creates a work with both feeling and light. This demo also shows how the interaction with the canvas can be both a challenge and a game. 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