Abbey’s figurative works are not restricted to a single period; examples date from 1962 through 1983 and include two- and three-dimensional figures in various media. During her career, Abbey worked on several projects simultaneously, extensively experimenting with materials and techniques. In the Early Figurative Series, 1962–1967, she created portraits and imaginative figures in landscapes using oil paint, oil pastel, ink, graphite, and charcoal. Her figurative work reveals her anatomy study and life-long experience of drawing from the model. 

Abbey actively pursued numerous disciplines in the arts throughout her career. In 1967, she used acrylic paint for the first time and experimented with different methods of applying it to canvas. Investigation of the human figure continued from 1972 to 1974 when she mixed such materials as sand and sawdust with acrylic paint to create textured surfaces.

Series Highlights