size: variable
media: digital using Inspire Pro for ipad.
This is a painting over a photograph, which I then printed to transfer paper and fixed the image to a piece of canvas to be stretched over a small frame (approx 10 x 10 inches). The printed colours on the canvas are much brighter/more vibrant than seen here. I'm pretty pleased with the experiment; even though it looks like mass-produced "art" you'd find in Ikea (I sort of expected that result).
The mass-produced feel of this painting is still OK with me after seeing the finished piece...it's a "legitimate" painting in my view, even if I haven't used old-fashioned paint to create it. In this digital age, I fully anticipate digital artwork to be recognised as... well... artwork in its own right.
Sometimes with art, it's the IDEA that's important...art is not just about HOW you materialised that idea (see: Andy Warhol). i.e., Just because my painting was done on a computer doesn't make it something other than a painting... look past the screen print to see and think about the IMAGE, COLOUR, COMPOSITION and the FEELING/RESPONSE to see the ART. :)
Friday, 6 May 2011
face #7 (2011)
Monday, 11 April 2011
more practice with the iPad
Size: variable
Media: digital (using Painting Pad for iPad)
Comparing Painting Pad vs Inspire Pro:
Painting Pad has quite a variety of mark-making implements (pencil, paint, felt-tip pen, marker, stickers) as well as different background papers.
Inspire Pro has only "paint" (no pencil or other marks) BUT you can change the size of the "brush", and can define the colour quite precisely on a colour wheel.
On both apps, you can select an image (e.g., jpg) to paint on (as a background).
Given the variety of marks, Painting Pad app is a bit more difficult to "paint" with than Inspire Pro...there is no blending feature in PP as there is in IP, so the painting feature really looks really "digital" and "singular". With IP the painting and the blending both are a little more painterly, while in PP the painting and drawing both are simply marks over top of another.
So for "painting", I prefer Inspire Pro and for "drawing" I prefer Painting Pad.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Digital. Art?
a. Monet, National Gallery #2 (2011), a photo by kelise72 on Flickr.
Yesterday I plonked myself in front of Monet's "water lillies" (Room 43, National Gallery, London), iPad and Nomad brush in hand, and had a go at copying a couple of the paintings...
First a word on the experience of painting with an electronic device -- not as easy as one might think to "get it just right". I mean, the app I used (inspire pro for iPad) *was* quite simple and easy to use...but it took a few tries to get the knack of desired mark-making, blending, loading the brush with colour, etc.
So above is my first try... I think it's not quite great, but then as with everything, painting with an iPad will just take practice.
The best thing about the afternoon though was the FUN of it, and the FUN of sharing this experience with the other museum-goers. More than one kid (and adult alike) paused to watch what I was doing, comment to each other and even ask questions (about the iPad, the app, the Nomad brush).
I think Apple might be missing out on a marketing/sponsorship opportunity here? ;) Especially since there's an Apple store in Covent Garden... hmm...
Anyway... I'm further convinced that technology is firmly a part of my art practice... either within the source material/images, the sketchbook work, or the finished piece...
Using technology to assist the artist...
Here is a painting (from a set of 5) that is slated for my year-end assessment. (60 x 60 cm, oil on canvas).
For all the readings that can be made of this piece (it's about emotion, colour, faces, self-portrait or what-have-you), I think there's something just a little more that can be said... and it's about HOW the painting arrived to THIS particular point that interests me the most...
First of all, it *is* a self-portrait, of sorts. I took a photo of my own face as seen pressed up against a pane of glass... then I worked out the shapes and colours I wanted in my sketchbook... and finally sketched the shapes on a primed canvas, mixed up oil colours, applied paint to canvas with various brushes. And away I went, pretty normal stuff so far.
But after a couple of days, something wasn't quite working with the colours yet I felt near to the "done"...
I wasn't sure what to do next so I stepped back and I took a photo of the progress of the painting with the same camera phone as used for the original source photo, loaded up the photo in a little phone app called "Scribble" and tried various combinations of colours and lines... until I found something that WORKED.
Back to the canvas, mix up the new colour and in one more session I was DONE.
I think I found a new way of working that really WORKS when I'm "stuck". The final piece will be more-or-less "traditional" painting on canvas but getting there with a technological short-cut or two.
Hooray for Sony Ericsson Satio and Scribble! Thanks for the helping hand!
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
study (light painting)
I made all these "scribbles" with a light pen, and then cut them up and here's the collage I made with them.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
winter light - 2010
This used to be "gray nude" or somesuch - that was before I expressed myself all over it with Payne's Grey... I thought "noisy" was much better than the very quietly deliberate previous version. However, my tutor deemed it immediately "a disaster" - and in an assessment, too - with 4 other people present.
I didn't take it badly (in fact, I only laughed) - I *did* state before showing it that the Autumn term for me was all about "experimentation" (so it's OK with me if some of my experiments fail horribly).
The only thing is - now I am looking more carefully at this image as I'm cropping it for Flickr... and I wonder to myself, *what* exactly makes this "a disaster"? My tutor has never said anything of the kind in the 4 tutorial sessions, and has only seemed to be encouraging and mentoring during the session - but then he's never given me REAL feedback during the tutorials - instead he has done two things: 1) point out what he thinks is "my way of working/thinking" and 2) suggests artists for me to look at and off I go to the internet or library to try and glean something useful by looking at someone else's artwork.
He's never ONCE said by looking at my projects and any of the 4 times we've met, "This works" or "that doesn't work" (for me, my way of working, for what I'm trying to do, etc.)
So, he's deemed my "expressive brush strokes don't work" (for me) and now I'm a little uncertain about experimenting further, doing things "out of character" (like trying to be LESS controlled, LESS planned, MORE spontaneous etc.) - because I sense he wants me to explore, go deeper in the analytical, logical side of me.
And frankly, I quit the IT biz because I'm *SICK* to death of analysing, being logical and planning ahead.
Hopefully, it's not too late for me, hopefully I can find a balance (and soon!) of free creativity alongside balanced and thoughtful work.
I didn't take it badly (in fact, I only laughed) - I *did* state before showing it that the Autumn term for me was all about "experimentation" (so it's OK with me if some of my experiments fail horribly).
The only thing is - now I am looking more carefully at this image as I'm cropping it for Flickr... and I wonder to myself, *what* exactly makes this "a disaster"? My tutor has never said anything of the kind in the 4 tutorial sessions, and has only seemed to be encouraging and mentoring during the session - but then he's never given me REAL feedback during the tutorials - instead he has done two things: 1) point out what he thinks is "my way of working/thinking" and 2) suggests artists for me to look at and off I go to the internet or library to try and glean something useful by looking at someone else's artwork.
He's never ONCE said by looking at my projects and any of the 4 times we've met, "This works" or "that doesn't work" (for me, my way of working, for what I'm trying to do, etc.)
So, he's deemed my "expressive brush strokes don't work" (for me) and now I'm a little uncertain about experimenting further, doing things "out of character" (like trying to be LESS controlled, LESS planned, MORE spontaneous etc.) - because I sense he wants me to explore, go deeper in the analytical, logical side of me.
And frankly, I quit the IT biz because I'm *SICK* to death of analysing, being logical and planning ahead.
Hopefully, it's not too late for me, hopefully I can find a balance (and soon!) of free creativity alongside balanced and thoughtful work.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
halfway through year 1
I survived my first formal assessment... even when my tutor (one of two in the room) took the session as a learning opportunity for me, confusing "tutorial" with "assessment" missing the point of the session entirely.
Not that feedback is a bad thing, I just felt under the microscope a bit while at the same time, sensing that I was Missing Something Important. There were two other students undergoing assessment at the same time, and so when my "turn" was up it was somewhat of a relief. Then he kept coming back to me with direct and significant comments, so the relief was short-lived.
E.g., the pieces that seemed to "hit the mark" artistically speaking were not paintings at all (a film and a fabric/quilt-y thing) while the painting experiments were deemed a "disaster" (his words, not mine), particularly awful apparently is the one where I tried large, expressive brush marks...
Yet what I *really* want is to be a painter... I don't see myself as a photographer, or a film maker or even one who makes installations... I am stubborn and I want to paint...
So the one helpful thing I took way from the assessment was the comment that the work that *worked* were pieces that I really analysed and followed through logically, maybe even methodically... i.e., made up some kind of *system* (can I say rules maybe?) and then followed the system....
I have to think more about this later, when the builders next door have stopped using loud machines :( :(
Not that feedback is a bad thing, I just felt under the microscope a bit while at the same time, sensing that I was Missing Something Important. There were two other students undergoing assessment at the same time, and so when my "turn" was up it was somewhat of a relief. Then he kept coming back to me with direct and significant comments, so the relief was short-lived.
E.g., the pieces that seemed to "hit the mark" artistically speaking were not paintings at all (a film and a fabric/quilt-y thing) while the painting experiments were deemed a "disaster" (his words, not mine), particularly awful apparently is the one where I tried large, expressive brush marks...
Yet what I *really* want is to be a painter... I don't see myself as a photographer, or a film maker or even one who makes installations... I am stubborn and I want to paint...
So the one helpful thing I took way from the assessment was the comment that the work that *worked* were pieces that I really analysed and followed through logically, maybe even methodically... i.e., made up some kind of *system* (can I say rules maybe?) and then followed the system....
I have to think more about this later, when the builders next door have stopped using loud machines :( :(
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
city map (2010)
60 x 90 cm
cotton duck (canvas), cotton cord, hemp, and silk
This piece is one that I submitted for a critique in the final weeks of the term.
I suppose it might make more sense with some of the other pieces I've also done recently and if I'd taken a better photo (which when I do, it will replace this one).
What I was going for here was the idea of representing a connection or relationship between city and rural (or nature) only not so directly.
With that in mind, I've sketched a city, often composed itself of concrete and steel but in this case, I've alluded to bridges and roads with "natural" materials - hemp knots, and cotton cord, respectively, all stitched onto a cotton canvas fabric. The river then is expressed in silk, a sort of "flowing" fabric that fits the idea of a river - another kind of opposite - where a river is a naturally-occuring thing, silk fabric is a manufactured thing.
In the whole piece there are layers of conflict and tension - the clean, calm, soft "natural" feel of the materials against the idea of a dirty, busy, polluted city... the well-known profile of the river against the anonymous roads... the bridges so distinctive in real-life repeated in the their right locations on the river but with a meaningless sameness (so you could know what each bridge is named though it looks the same as all the others)... the city made to look much like a slice of something quite organic as perhaps skin stiched together and forming a scar...
It may take a moment or two to recognise this map, but once you see what is familiar, you will ALWAYS see it.
It is this idea, this little bit of subterfuge, that I plan to incorporate in the next piece or two... I might be on to something!
cotton duck (canvas), cotton cord, hemp, and silk
This piece is one that I submitted for a critique in the final weeks of the term.
I suppose it might make more sense with some of the other pieces I've also done recently and if I'd taken a better photo (which when I do, it will replace this one).
What I was going for here was the idea of representing a connection or relationship between city and rural (or nature) only not so directly.
With that in mind, I've sketched a city, often composed itself of concrete and steel but in this case, I've alluded to bridges and roads with "natural" materials - hemp knots, and cotton cord, respectively, all stitched onto a cotton canvas fabric. The river then is expressed in silk, a sort of "flowing" fabric that fits the idea of a river - another kind of opposite - where a river is a naturally-occuring thing, silk fabric is a manufactured thing.
In the whole piece there are layers of conflict and tension - the clean, calm, soft "natural" feel of the materials against the idea of a dirty, busy, polluted city... the well-known profile of the river against the anonymous roads... the bridges so distinctive in real-life repeated in the their right locations on the river but with a meaningless sameness (so you could know what each bridge is named though it looks the same as all the others)... the city made to look much like a slice of something quite organic as perhaps skin stiched together and forming a scar...
It may take a moment or two to recognise this map, but once you see what is familiar, you will ALWAYS see it.
It is this idea, this little bit of subterfuge, that I plan to incorporate in the next piece or two... I might be on to something!
Sunday, 7 November 2010
bridges/water: 1990, 2003, 2010 (2010)
ink, paper (metal and plastic frame)
6 feet x 6 feet x 6 feet (approx.)
2010
I've had my first group critique...errrm... I mean, crit (why does it bug me that people call it "crit", like they're trying to sound hip and with it but instead sound like something else...)
ANYWAY... So I've had my first crit, and somehow, I feel like I've done something not-quite-right but I can't quite put my finger on it... until I figure it out though, I won't worry about it.
In a nutshell, here is how I presented this piece:
This piece is about getting to know my new city, my first glimpses as a tourist, then settling in as a new resident. In the beginning, I am an outsider, capturing only brief moments of London, struggling to find my way around… an exciting city, it can also be dizzying, overwhelming, confusing…
It’s about getting lost and learning to find the way with the aid of familiar landmarks. It’s also about never being lost when you can see the Thames from here.
Seven years have gone by, and I’m pretty comfortable in my city now.
Time and experience give me an insider’s view… I’m not the one getting lost anymore; it must be that I’ve gained confidence - these days, strangers are asking ME for directions!
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Three weeks in...
For my first drawing project, I started with the idea of bridges linking two halves of a city and meant to do a sort of quilt where the bridges (knots) sort of stitch the city together again...
and then I ended up somewhere altogether different with a sort of drawing that you have to get INTO to really see it...
Basically, it's a long piece of paper (12 feet/360 cm long) that is fashioned in a ring and attached to circular frame (made of wire), and suspended from above. On the inside of the ring is a drawing of London's bridges, end-to-end (so that it looks like one continuous bridge). On the outside of the ring is just blank paper - so, like I said, you have to get INSIDE from underneath to see the drawing properly - and because the ring is only 4 feet in diameter, you are forced to look at the drawing from a very close distance.
Hanging on the wall behind the ring is a 12 foot drawing of one continuous line starting at one end to the other, all squiggly-like - which sort of could pass for a pattern of moving water.
(when my phone is charged up again, I'll add a photo)
As for what it all MEANS... well... I have to think a bit more about that, because right now I'm so tired that I might just go to bed early (at 7:15PM!?)
For now though, I'll just throw a couple of words/phrases out, things I was thinking of as I was working through the project:
* time/timeline
* continuity/infinity
* bridges normally convey people/machines from one side to the next, but this one you can see but you can't get on or off - instead it just hangs there in space, a surreal and impossible bridge
* frustration/impossible, doesn't make any sense (an incomprehensible communication)
* interaction with the piece is different from the outside looking in, vs the inside looking out
* there is a definite and controlled way of viewing the piece, particularly when on the inside of it
I'm sure I could come up with more ideas but I'll stop for now...
p.s., I am utterly LOVING the course!
and then I ended up somewhere altogether different with a sort of drawing that you have to get INTO to really see it...
Basically, it's a long piece of paper (12 feet/360 cm long) that is fashioned in a ring and attached to circular frame (made of wire), and suspended from above. On the inside of the ring is a drawing of London's bridges, end-to-end (so that it looks like one continuous bridge). On the outside of the ring is just blank paper - so, like I said, you have to get INSIDE from underneath to see the drawing properly - and because the ring is only 4 feet in diameter, you are forced to look at the drawing from a very close distance.
Hanging on the wall behind the ring is a 12 foot drawing of one continuous line starting at one end to the other, all squiggly-like - which sort of could pass for a pattern of moving water.
(when my phone is charged up again, I'll add a photo)
As for what it all MEANS... well... I have to think a bit more about that, because right now I'm so tired that I might just go to bed early (at 7:15PM!?)
For now though, I'll just throw a couple of words/phrases out, things I was thinking of as I was working through the project:
* time/timeline
* continuity/infinity
* bridges normally convey people/machines from one side to the next, but this one you can see but you can't get on or off - instead it just hangs there in space, a surreal and impossible bridge
* frustration/impossible, doesn't make any sense (an incomprehensible communication)
* interaction with the piece is different from the outside looking in, vs the inside looking out
* there is a definite and controlled way of viewing the piece, particularly when on the inside of it
I'm sure I could come up with more ideas but I'll stop for now...
p.s., I am utterly LOVING the course!
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
self (2010)
16x20 inches, acrylic on canvas
Using the same limited palette as in the previous still life, I attempted a portrait with a similar “calming” effect, selecting a composition I thought would suit the limited palette, something simple and serene.
I used the same palette as in the still life:
- Titanium White
- Dioxide Purple
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
(two complementary colours)
- Payne's Gray
(all Liquitex Heavy Body)
I think this painting was successful generally as a painting goes; however, I’m not convinced that the “calming” effect was achieved as intended. On the one hand, the pose of the figure is one of quiet solitude, perhaps even she is expressing some kind of love or acceptance or self-esteem (so in that sense, the painting achieves a certain serenity...)
On the other hand, because a human figure is often dynamic by nature, and because the figure’s arms are crossed, giving diagonal (and dynamic) lines, there is still a sense of movement to the painting. Also, the strong lighting, and dark shadows against her pale skin gives a sense of drama (that was unintended but it works).
So in the final version of the painting, there is a play of dark and light, intensity and calm, joy and sadness, yet I think what the viewer may leave with is mostly light, calm and joy. The woman in the painting has come out of a dark place, perhaps a scary or unloved place, and yet has found peace, love and acceptance – in herself.
Using the same limited palette as in the previous still life, I attempted a portrait with a similar “calming” effect, selecting a composition I thought would suit the limited palette, something simple and serene.
I used the same palette as in the still life:
- Titanium White
- Dioxide Purple
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
(two complementary colours)
- Payne's Gray
(all Liquitex Heavy Body)
I think this painting was successful generally as a painting goes; however, I’m not convinced that the “calming” effect was achieved as intended. On the one hand, the pose of the figure is one of quiet solitude, perhaps even she is expressing some kind of love or acceptance or self-esteem (so in that sense, the painting achieves a certain serenity...)
On the other hand, because a human figure is often dynamic by nature, and because the figure’s arms are crossed, giving diagonal (and dynamic) lines, there is still a sense of movement to the painting. Also, the strong lighting, and dark shadows against her pale skin gives a sense of drama (that was unintended but it works).
So in the final version of the painting, there is a play of dark and light, intensity and calm, joy and sadness, yet I think what the viewer may leave with is mostly light, calm and joy. The woman in the painting has come out of a dark place, perhaps a scary or unloved place, and yet has found peace, love and acceptance – in herself.
Friday, 30 July 2010
still life (2010) - bowl, chopper, mortar-and-pestle
16x24 inches, acrylic on canvas
This is one is now version 2.0 (after feedback from my tutor who makes some very good points).
Basically, the "problems" with the original (see previous blog) were
- the composition that included strong diagonals was a bit too "dynamic" for the soft palette chosen
- the mortar-and-pestle was "floating" - because the shadows were inaccurate, and seemed to be a different shape than the object throwing the shadow. Also the shadow was not really "connected" to the object, giving the appearing of floating
- The bright colour of the mortar-and-pestle caused the object to be out of place, ie., it didn't "fit" in the picture - seemed to be from a different palette maybe.
All in all, I'm happy(er) with the painting after the changes... the little jar in the front isn't "floating" anymore (having been firmly anchored to the countertop by the shadow) and also, the colour/tone of it seems to fit better with the whole composition.
I worked on the mortar/pestle, and the shadows a bit, however, hestitated to change the diagonals (as I really wasn't sure then how changing diagonals would affect the shadows?) So in the end, I merely softened the diagonals with lighter grays/taupes, and I think it worked out OK.
I like this 2nd attempt MUCH better now, so it is saved from the bin :)
This is one is now version 2.0 (after feedback from my tutor who makes some very good points).
Basically, the "problems" with the original (see previous blog) were
- the composition that included strong diagonals was a bit too "dynamic" for the soft palette chosen
- the mortar-and-pestle was "floating" - because the shadows were inaccurate, and seemed to be a different shape than the object throwing the shadow. Also the shadow was not really "connected" to the object, giving the appearing of floating
- The bright colour of the mortar-and-pestle caused the object to be out of place, ie., it didn't "fit" in the picture - seemed to be from a different palette maybe.
All in all, I'm happy(er) with the painting after the changes... the little jar in the front isn't "floating" anymore (having been firmly anchored to the countertop by the shadow) and also, the colour/tone of it seems to fit better with the whole composition.
I worked on the mortar/pestle, and the shadows a bit, however, hestitated to change the diagonals (as I really wasn't sure then how changing diagonals would affect the shadows?) So in the end, I merely softened the diagonals with lighter grays/taupes, and I think it worked out OK.
I like this 2nd attempt MUCH better now, so it is saved from the bin :)
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
still life - bowl, chopper, mortar-and-pestle (2010)
This is one is attempting to imitate Morandi's style, using a limited palette to paint still-life objects (bottles, bowls, jugs and such). heh, I just said "jugs"...
I like the softness of this painting very much; it has quite a soothing quality which is a bit unexpected for a painting of a collection of simple kitchen implements... makes me think of the sleepy shuffle to the kitchen to make the morning coffee...
Technically speaking, this painting wasn't very difficult as I spent about half the time (about 4 hours overall) just to set the initial drawing (using graphite pencil). Drawing well to start makes the rest of the piece easier to accomplish. Interestingly, the first layer of paint sort of blended with the graphite and moved around the canvas, helping the shadows to appear. (I'm thinking to do something similar with charcoal as the underlayer with just water or maybe watery white paint to move the charcoal around ... hmmmm....)
As it was, I used the following Liquitex colours in this painting:
- Titanium White
- Dioxide Purple
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
(two complementary colours)
- Payne's Gray
It seems that the composition is quite strong too, in that the diagonal lines move the eye around the picture quite easily - without the strong diagonals (of the countertop, the shadows), I think the composition would be weakened.
If I'm to make one criticism, the yellow stone mortar/pestle seems to "float" a bit, almost seems to hover over the countertop but as I'm now bored with the thing, I won't bother to make any changes. And the "floaty" mortar/pestle is less apparent in the real painting anyway.
Other than that, I'm pretty pleased with this one!
Next up: a portrait using the same limited palette, it will be interesting to see how that turns out!
I like the softness of this painting very much; it has quite a soothing quality which is a bit unexpected for a painting of a collection of simple kitchen implements... makes me think of the sleepy shuffle to the kitchen to make the morning coffee...
Technically speaking, this painting wasn't very difficult as I spent about half the time (about 4 hours overall) just to set the initial drawing (using graphite pencil). Drawing well to start makes the rest of the piece easier to accomplish. Interestingly, the first layer of paint sort of blended with the graphite and moved around the canvas, helping the shadows to appear. (I'm thinking to do something similar with charcoal as the underlayer with just water or maybe watery white paint to move the charcoal around ... hmmmm....)
As it was, I used the following Liquitex colours in this painting:
- Titanium White
- Dioxide Purple
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
(two complementary colours)
- Payne's Gray
It seems that the composition is quite strong too, in that the diagonal lines move the eye around the picture quite easily - without the strong diagonals (of the countertop, the shadows), I think the composition would be weakened.
If I'm to make one criticism, the yellow stone mortar/pestle seems to "float" a bit, almost seems to hover over the countertop but as I'm now bored with the thing, I won't bother to make any changes. And the "floaty" mortar/pestle is less apparent in the real painting anyway.
Other than that, I'm pretty pleased with this one!
Next up: a portrait using the same limited palette, it will be interesting to see how that turns out!
Saturday, 3 July 2010
fur elise (2010)
I’ve had this painting in mind for a couple of years – I’ve got a book of vintage nude photography (from 1880’s and forward), and the photo this painting is from is one by Brassai, 1932. Of course the actual photo is black and white, so I had to take artistic liberties and paint her in colour.
I rather liked the expression on the model’s face – sort of like Mona Lisa, enigmatic, is she smiling or is she sad. In the photo, the model looks a bit “hard”, maybe jaded, but somehow, in my painting she’s ended up looking confident maybe even happy, not at all ashamed of her situation. Maybe she’s even proud to have such control over men, and over her own body (as I kind of assumed by the photo, she’s a hooker or even some kind of 1930’s “porn star”). Her stance seems to scream out, yeah, I can do whatever I please and who are you to tell ME what to do with my own body?
Although the model is not me, I feel she still aptly represents me in the sense she conveys my own personal attitude, one of self-confidence in any situation - even one where I might be vulnerable and seemingly constrained by a “mask” (e.g., the “mask” of someone else’s expectations, or the “mask” that society/culture expects you to be a certain way); In fact, I’m quite OK in a situation where somebody might ask me to be something other than I’m not – I still find a way to express the real me even if some of who I am is disguised in order to “fit in”.
You may notice that she’s standing in front of a mirror, so that a slight reflection of her back is apparent. This is representative of the idea that sometimes (for me) I’m only outwardly exhibiting the APPEARANCE of confidence – sometimes ACTING confidently is easier than actually FEELING it. So overall, the viewer can’t be sure if the model is ACTING or FEELING.
I am quite pleased with the resulting painting – I feel there’s a lot of depth to it, even though it’s quite simply done. I tried to be as “accurate” again with the tones of the model but purposely chose a garish yellow wallpaper (she is a hooker, after all, so I thought it was fitting to have wildly yellow wallpaper that’s so bright so as to not encourage hangers-on, I guess. A mirror, too, is essential decor!)
The composition (bend of her arm and bend of her torso etc) really leads your eye around the painting I find, and I’m hoping that the reflected image in the mirror is not immediately apparent. Sometimes I do that with my paintings, I don’t “give it away all at once”, leaving something for the viewer to find later.
I rather liked the expression on the model’s face – sort of like Mona Lisa, enigmatic, is she smiling or is she sad. In the photo, the model looks a bit “hard”, maybe jaded, but somehow, in my painting she’s ended up looking confident maybe even happy, not at all ashamed of her situation. Maybe she’s even proud to have such control over men, and over her own body (as I kind of assumed by the photo, she’s a hooker or even some kind of 1930’s “porn star”). Her stance seems to scream out, yeah, I can do whatever I please and who are you to tell ME what to do with my own body?
Although the model is not me, I feel she still aptly represents me in the sense she conveys my own personal attitude, one of self-confidence in any situation - even one where I might be vulnerable and seemingly constrained by a “mask” (e.g., the “mask” of someone else’s expectations, or the “mask” that society/culture expects you to be a certain way); In fact, I’m quite OK in a situation where somebody might ask me to be something other than I’m not – I still find a way to express the real me even if some of who I am is disguised in order to “fit in”.
You may notice that she’s standing in front of a mirror, so that a slight reflection of her back is apparent. This is representative of the idea that sometimes (for me) I’m only outwardly exhibiting the APPEARANCE of confidence – sometimes ACTING confidently is easier than actually FEELING it. So overall, the viewer can’t be sure if the model is ACTING or FEELING.
I am quite pleased with the resulting painting – I feel there’s a lot of depth to it, even though it’s quite simply done. I tried to be as “accurate” again with the tones of the model but purposely chose a garish yellow wallpaper (she is a hooker, after all, so I thought it was fitting to have wildly yellow wallpaper that’s so bright so as to not encourage hangers-on, I guess. A mirror, too, is essential decor!)
The composition (bend of her arm and bend of her torso etc) really leads your eye around the painting I find, and I’m hoping that the reflected image in the mirror is not immediately apparent. Sometimes I do that with my paintings, I don’t “give it away all at once”, leaving something for the viewer to find later.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
precious (2010)
16x20 inches, acrylic on canvas
I started this painting with the idea about expressing the bottles not just as an arrangement of coloured glass but rather an arrangement of precious objects, and then when I turned the spotlight on the arrangement the play of light shining through and on the bottles instantly made me think of coloured jewels: sapphire, black pearl, aquamarine, topaz and emerald.
What I’m really trying to do here is say something about how precious these bottles can be; the blue one on the left most precious of all, particularly valuable as it once held water. I actually liberated (stole?) it from a restaurant many years ago. If it was worth “stealing” then it must be worth something. (I thought it was unusual and pretty and worth taking it off the table without permission as a perfect addition to my collection of other unusual bottles).
As for the other objects, well, some can become addicted to the alcohol they contain, which is some kind of irony that something so pretty can be so harmful, (not only to the drinkers but sometimes to the victims of drinkers who’ve never touched a drop.)
So there’s a touch of melancholy in this painting, with the empty wine bottle tipped to one side (as if it in itself is drunk) and with the shadows and refracted light turning out in same colours of day-old bruises.
I started this painting with the idea about expressing the bottles not just as an arrangement of coloured glass but rather an arrangement of precious objects, and then when I turned the spotlight on the arrangement the play of light shining through and on the bottles instantly made me think of coloured jewels: sapphire, black pearl, aquamarine, topaz and emerald.
What I’m really trying to do here is say something about how precious these bottles can be; the blue one on the left most precious of all, particularly valuable as it once held water. I actually liberated (stole?) it from a restaurant many years ago. If it was worth “stealing” then it must be worth something. (I thought it was unusual and pretty and worth taking it off the table without permission as a perfect addition to my collection of other unusual bottles).
As for the other objects, well, some can become addicted to the alcohol they contain, which is some kind of irony that something so pretty can be so harmful, (not only to the drinkers but sometimes to the victims of drinkers who’ve never touched a drop.)
So there’s a touch of melancholy in this painting, with the empty wine bottle tipped to one side (as if it in itself is drunk) and with the shadows and refracted light turning out in same colours of day-old bruises.
Friday, 21 May 2010
still life (2010)
16 x 20 inch, acrylic on canvas
This one is a response to Cezanne’s “Still life with Basket of Apples” 1890-94. What I tried to do with this one was modernise the still-life study with a piece of ubiquitous technology, while making a dig at my husband’s ever-present iPhone. This gadget is a real bone of contention in our house, I don’t own one myself, so I figured if I can’t beat ‘im on the iPhone front, then might as well join ‘im and stick the iPhone in one of my paintings where it doesn’t necessarily belong but I’m going to ignore courtesy and put it there anyway.
This one is a response to Cezanne’s “Still life with Basket of Apples” 1890-94. What I tried to do with this one was modernise the still-life study with a piece of ubiquitous technology, while making a dig at my husband’s ever-present iPhone. This gadget is a real bone of contention in our house, I don’t own one myself, so I figured if I can’t beat ‘im on the iPhone front, then might as well join ‘im and stick the iPhone in one of my paintings where it doesn’t necessarily belong but I’m going to ignore courtesy and put it there anyway.
Monday, 26 April 2010
A bag of joy!!!
And in my bag of joy is a letter from the art school that rhymes with Dimblewon saying "we are pleased to offer you a place..." HOORAY!
Friday, 16 April 2010
Saatchi gallery
Jitish Kallat - Untitled (Eclipse) - 2007
I admit I felt a bit out of place at this exhibit, perhaps because I am not Indian/Asian, or perhaps more so because I am so out of touch with the concerns and issues confronting Asian society today... abject poverty, political corruption, limited (or no) access to basic resources. However, I felt I could definitely understand, even sympathise, with the artist's message. In some limited ways in my own life, I've had to do without, I've been treated unfairly, I've been taken advantage of. This is the beginning to my understanding, really seeing the world this artist has seen.
What I like about this piece in particular is the realisation that I have seen this before... well, no, I haven't been to Mumbai... but I have been to Cairo, Antalya, Phukhet... I've seen poor, oppressed but still smiling children in Palestine just "getting on with it" despite or perhaps because of the hard life on their heads. One can even see this London if you are really looking, trying to see.
Despite all the horrible things humans do to each other (or, don't bother themselves doing), there is still HOPE.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Second time's a charm....
FINALLY, I got the invitation letter from the second art school, interview is next week. SO EXCITED I might just pee my pants. And a little nervous... I have a few new things to share in my portfolio, and I feel I'm better prepared for the interview itself as I went back to my old faithful process for interview preparation. I haven't done this for about 10 years for business interviews, but this time is different. So I wrote down a bunch of possible interview questions (thank you, Internet!) and then wrote down some key points for each.
I figure when I write stuff down I'm liable to remember it.
Going a bit further, just in case they ask, I did some research on my "peers" (artists my age) and even found one woman in London (Susan Collis) who left her business career to start an art one - at age 37. She does some really cool stuff where she disguises gems and semi-precious stones (literally) in every-day objects (like a broom, where specks of paint are actually opals inlaid into the wood). I really like it when there's something else to a piece of work besides what you see on first glance; it teaches the viewer to take a second glance, give something another minute of attention, and then they'll be rewarded with something unexpected.
Anyway... I need to CHILL-AX about this interview! It's only my life we'll be talking about...
I figure when I write stuff down I'm liable to remember it.
Going a bit further, just in case they ask, I did some research on my "peers" (artists my age) and even found one woman in London (Susan Collis) who left her business career to start an art one - at age 37. She does some really cool stuff where she disguises gems and semi-precious stones (literally) in every-day objects (like a broom, where specks of paint are actually opals inlaid into the wood). I really like it when there's something else to a piece of work besides what you see on first glance; it teaches the viewer to take a second glance, give something another minute of attention, and then they'll be rewarded with something unexpected.
Anyway... I need to CHILL-AX about this interview! It's only my life we'll be talking about...
Friday, 2 April 2010
More Moore...
As promised, here is my drawing in an attempt to vaguely emulate Moore's style of drawing (e.g., his drawings in the 30's-40's of London's underground tunnels during WWII bombing campaigns)
This is my drawing of "Seated Woman" (1957) which was at Tate recently... I loved this sculpture, with its curves, shapes and shadows... the small and somewhat ridiculous tiny head has an "alien" feel about it... she is vulnerable, she doesn't belong here (or anywhere) and still she clutches her strength and maintains her dignity...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
