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Schmiertafel – pictorial signs between order and loss of control
A smiley. A flower. A tree. Everyone knows these shapes. They are among the first images we draw and among the simplest symbols in our visual world.
In the series Schmiertafel, these familiar pictorial signs take centre stage. The shapes are unambiguous, clearly outlined and instantly recognisable. Yet their execution slips out of balance.
Paint is applied, painted over, blurred, and corrected. What initially seems simple develops its own dynamic. One mistake leads to the next, decisions remain visible, perfection is abandoned.
This is how paintings emerge between playful lightness and controlled failure.
When simple pictures suddenly become complicated
The works in this series are not concerned with searching for a motif. The smiley remains a smiley, the flower a flower.
What is far more interesting is the question of what happens when something seemingly simple no longer succeeds perfectly.
The pictures show traces of uncertainty, speed and improvisation. It is precisely this that gives the familiar forms a new vitality. They appear at once familiar and strange, clear and vulnerable.
Contemporary art with symbols and signs
Schmiertafel combines elements of abstract art with a reduced, symbolic visual language.
The paintings move between drawing, painting and spontaneous gesture. Clear lines meet expressive colour fields. Familiar signs become starting points for experiments with colour, rhythm and perception.
Every work is an original painting and part of an ongoing series.
Original paintings from the series Schmiertafel
The works shown here are unique pieces created in the studio of Mark Hellbusch. The series is continuously expanded and includes a range of formats, motifs and variations.
Anyone who appreciates modern art, experimental painting and unusual pictorial ideas will find in the series Schmiertafel an independent combination of symbol, colour and process.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
How are shipping and delivery handled?
Shipping within Germany is free of charge and usually takes place within three working days.
Customers within roughly a 50-kilometer radius of Wiesbaden can also have their painting delivered in person by arrangement.
For larger orders with a total value of 5,000 euros or more, personal delivery within Germany is also possible. In this case, please contact me directly.
What is the Schmiertafel series about?
The series deals with widely known symbols and their meaning. I am interested in how familiar signs change when uncertainty, corrections, overpainting and new decisions remain visible. The works oscillate between recognisability and dissolution.
Are the motifs abstract or representational?
The paintings combine both areas. The motifs usually remain recognisable, while free painting also plays an important role. This gives rise to works that hover between figuration, symbolism and abstraction.
Why do the paintings look deliberately imperfect?
The works are not intended to appear perfect or flawless. I am more interested in a state in which familiar signs seem slightly “battered”. Corrections, uncertainties and visible decisions remain part of the image. As a result, the motifs lose some of their self-evidence while simultaneously gaining openness and expressive power.
Which motifs appear in the series?
The series includes, among others, smileys, flowers, trees, cloverleaves, and figures. All motifs are based on simple pictograms that almost everyone knows and whose meaning initially seems unambiguous.
In addition, new motifs are created on an ongoing basis. Maps, diagrams, flags, or other symbolic representations are already being planned. The series does not see itself as a collection of specific motifs, but as an exploration of widely known signs and their meanings.
At the centre is the question of what happens when familiar symbols lose their self-evidence and new ways of reading them open up.
What materials are used to create the paintings?
All works in the series Smear board are created as original oil paintings on canvas. The picture surface is often prepared in advance with acrylic paints, markers or other drawn elements.
These early traces remain partly visible and are later integrated into the painting process. This creates multi-layered surfaces in which drawing, symbol and oil painting enter into dialogue.
Do the paintings need a frame?
No. All paintings can be hung without an additional frame. The canvases are stretched on wooden stretcher frames and the sides are finished in white.
Whether a frame makes sense depends primarily on the effect of the individual painting and on the space. As a general rule: the calmer and clearer a painting appears, the more easily it can stand on its own without a frame. For very lively, detailed or colour-intensive works, a frame can help to visually contain the image and lend it more calm.
Many collectors initially opt for frameless presentation and only add a frame later, once the work has found its final place.
Can I hang the painting immediately?
Yes. The canvas is stretched on a sturdy wooden stretcher frame and can be hung directly. Due to the comparatively low weight, two nails or screws are usually sufficient, protruding about 1 to 1.5 centimetres from the wall at the same height.
Do the paintings need a varnish?
Anyone wishing to provide additional protection for the surface or to increase its long-term durability can have a varnish applied. Since the works are created with oil paint, the paint should be completely dry beforehand. For this reason, I recommend contacting me before having a varnish applied.
However, when stored and displayed correctly, oil paintings can also be preserved over very long periods without varnish.
Is each painting unique?
Yes. All works are unique pieces and are offered exclusively as original paintings.
Do you accept commissions?
Yes. On request, format, colours and symbol can be agreed upon together. As a rule, two paintings are created, from which one work is then selected. This leaves sufficient space for the creative process while still allowing personal preferences to be taken into account.
Can the paintings be viewed in the studio?
Yes. The works can be viewed by appointment at Atelier Hellbusch in Wiesbaden.
What connects the different motifs?
Whether smiley, flower, tree or figure – all works explore how simple and seemingly unambiguous signs can lose their self-evidence and develop new meanings.
A smiley. A flower. A tree. Everyone knows these shapes. They are among the first images we draw and among the simplest symbols in our visual world.
In the series Schmiertafel, these familiar pictorial signs take centre stage. The shapes are unambiguous, clearly outlined and instantly recognisable. Yet their execution slips out of balance.
Paint is applied, painted over, blurred, and corrected. What initially seems simple develops its own dynamic. One mistake leads to the next, decisions remain visible, perfection is abandoned.
This is how paintings emerge between playful lightness and controlled failure.
When simple pictures suddenly become complicated
The works in this series are not concerned with searching for a motif. The smiley remains a smiley, the flower a flower.
What is far more interesting is the question of what happens when something seemingly simple no longer succeeds perfectly.
The pictures show traces of uncertainty, speed and improvisation. It is precisely this that gives the familiar forms a new vitality. They appear at once familiar and strange, clear and vulnerable.
Contemporary art with symbols and signs
Schmiertafel combines elements of abstract art with a reduced, symbolic visual language.
The paintings move between drawing, painting and spontaneous gesture. Clear lines meet expressive colour fields. Familiar signs become starting points for experiments with colour, rhythm and perception.
Every work is an original painting and part of an ongoing series.
Original paintings from the series Schmiertafel
The works shown here are unique pieces created in the studio of Mark Hellbusch. The series is continuously expanded and includes a range of formats, motifs and variations.
Anyone who appreciates modern art, experimental painting and unusual pictorial ideas will find in the series Schmiertafel an independent combination of symbol, colour and process.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
How are shipping and delivery handled?
Shipping within Germany is free of charge and usually takes place within three working days.
Customers within roughly a 50-kilometer radius of Wiesbaden can also have their painting delivered in person by arrangement.
For larger orders with a total value of 5,000 euros or more, personal delivery within Germany is also possible. In this case, please contact me directly.
What is the Schmiertafel series about?
The series deals with widely known symbols and their meaning. I am interested in how familiar signs change when uncertainty, corrections, overpainting and new decisions remain visible. The works oscillate between recognisability and dissolution.
Are the motifs abstract or representational?
The paintings combine both areas. The motifs usually remain recognisable, while free painting also plays an important role. This gives rise to works that hover between figuration, symbolism and abstraction.
Why do the paintings look deliberately imperfect?
The works are not intended to appear perfect or flawless. I am more interested in a state in which familiar signs seem slightly “battered”. Corrections, uncertainties and visible decisions remain part of the image. As a result, the motifs lose some of their self-evidence while simultaneously gaining openness and expressive power.
Which motifs appear in the series?
The series includes, among others, smileys, flowers, trees, cloverleaves, and figures. All motifs are based on simple pictograms that almost everyone knows and whose meaning initially seems unambiguous.
In addition, new motifs are created on an ongoing basis. Maps, diagrams, flags, or other symbolic representations are already being planned. The series does not see itself as a collection of specific motifs, but as an exploration of widely known signs and their meanings.
At the centre is the question of what happens when familiar symbols lose their self-evidence and new ways of reading them open up.
What materials are used to create the paintings?
All works in the series Smear board are created as original oil paintings on canvas. The picture surface is often prepared in advance with acrylic paints, markers or other drawn elements.
These early traces remain partly visible and are later integrated into the painting process. This creates multi-layered surfaces in which drawing, symbol and oil painting enter into dialogue.
Do the paintings need a frame?
No. All paintings can be hung without an additional frame. The canvases are stretched on wooden stretcher frames and the sides are finished in white.
Whether a frame makes sense depends primarily on the effect of the individual painting and on the space. As a general rule: the calmer and clearer a painting appears, the more easily it can stand on its own without a frame. For very lively, detailed or colour-intensive works, a frame can help to visually contain the image and lend it more calm.
Many collectors initially opt for frameless presentation and only add a frame later, once the work has found its final place.
Can I hang the painting immediately?
Yes. The canvas is stretched on a sturdy wooden stretcher frame and can be hung directly. Due to the comparatively low weight, two nails or screws are usually sufficient, protruding about 1 to 1.5 centimetres from the wall at the same height.
Do the paintings need a varnish?
Anyone wishing to provide additional protection for the surface or to increase its long-term durability can have a varnish applied. Since the works are created with oil paint, the paint should be completely dry beforehand. For this reason, I recommend contacting me before having a varnish applied.
However, when stored and displayed correctly, oil paintings can also be preserved over very long periods without varnish.
Is each painting unique?
Yes. All works are unique pieces and are offered exclusively as original paintings.
Do you accept commissions?
Yes. On request, format, colours and symbol can be agreed upon together. As a rule, two paintings are created, from which one work is then selected. This leaves sufficient space for the creative process while still allowing personal preferences to be taken into account.
Can the paintings be viewed in the studio?
Yes. The works can be viewed by appointment at Atelier Hellbusch in Wiesbaden.
What connects the different motifs?
Whether smiley, flower, tree or figure – all works explore how simple and seemingly unambiguous signs can lose their self-evidence and develop new meanings.
