Joining the Crowd

So I haven’t had too much success getting into the few juried shows that I’ve submitted to. I’m not a fan of thinking that the world is out to get me and keep me down. I just think I must not be doing something right.

Since I moved down to Georgia, I haven’t been a part of any organized art community. Honestly, I thought artist organizations were only useful resources for production and critique. I’ve started to really wonder if I’m missing something, and I’m coming to terms with the fact that I can’t just send my images out into the world to speak for me. I have to put myself out there too.

The Contemporary and Eyedrum are two places that I’ve procrastinated on joining. I’m going to go visit them both this week, to see what they are all about. Getting a critique will be nice too, I really could use some feedback.

Simultaneous Contrast

I was painting these sections, in my portrait of Fang, the other day.

I started to really pay attention to how my perception of the browns changed from palette to canvas. Even though I had just mixed the brown, I was really noticing how when placed next to each other, the tones were pronounced. On the plate isolated it was not evident, but in comparison I was able to easily perceive the presence of more orange, green, yellow..etc. I wondered if it was just a mental thing, like a need to classify a color on viewing, or if it was an actual eye thing. I did a couple Google searches and came up with an answer.

Simultaneous Contrast is the term for the experience.
It’s actually an eye thing. Simplified: different wavelengths of light, when next to each other, cause the cones in your eye to become fatigued. This sways your perception of the color. It gets a little confusing when you start reading about light color vs. the color you see, because light color combines totally differently. Interesting?

Cumberland….

Sigh….How do I miss thee? Let me count the ways. It’s the most dismally poor and depressed little/big town in Western Maryland, the former home of factories and industry. But It’s nestled in the mountains, and surrounded by state parks with a university right next door. There is such a abnormally strong focus on the arts. I guess it makes sense though, artists are useful in revitalizing communities. If you look at what’s been happening in Baltimore, especially if you’re familiar with the B-more of yesteryear. http://www.creativealliance.org/ & Patterson Park

But back to Cumberland. I am jumping at the chance to enter this exhibition at the Saville Gallery. Some of my former professors I’m sure will be there, since some of the awards are sponsored by them. It will feel good having my art up there since I can’t be. Hopefully I get in.

Big Bad Mouse Eatin’ Bird

It’s an African Ground Hornbill.

We saw 2 of them at the Zoo Atlanta. It was feeding time and there were dozens of little mouse carcasses littering the enclosure. The birds were picking them up and running around strutting and looking at their own reflections. It was a little morbid I guess but more interesting than anything. I wonder if they see their reflections as themselves and if they were observing themselves holding the mice.

Step 3 Painting Process: Finito el Krumo

Krum is done. I documented the progress of painting the beastie. You can see the changes as it progresses.

It’s good to be flexible while you’re working. I realized pretty early that his rear leg was too low. It’s better to pay attention to positioning and not be afraid to just paint over stuff as you go.

Sketchbook Library

Art House Coop: Sketchbook Project Hey everyone!!!!! Please participate, this is such an awesome project.

Background/Foreground

So I thought maybe it would be interesting to show the background before it becomes semi-obscured with black lines. I complete, a non-representational composition.

I draw the cells on with chalk and then go over that with black paint. The chalk lines can be wiped off with a wet rag after everything’s dry. The right hand image is not quite finished, but once the composition is down it’s just about going over and over the lines. It needs to be really black in order to really create the visual impact that I want. There’s a push/pull between the background and foreground that’s really visually exciting to me.

Check out my current gallery for the other paintings in my self portrait series.

Printmaking 102.111111

Here’s a glimpse at a work in progress from a process in progress.

Alas, that I discovered how awesome printmaking was on my way out of college. I’m trying though. I wanted to see what a print would look like on
top of a hand rendered pattern. I ran 12 prints (and when I say ran I mean kneeling on my bathroom floor rubbing with a spoon). They were hurried and there wasn’t a great deal of thought put into the marks that I made in the backgrounds.

I like the effect but I think I can push it further. The monochromatic ones were more successful so I was thinking of creating a few lino blocks that have abstract patterns in them, getting a few more colors of ink and doing a multi-step printing process. If I use layered monochromatic pattern it should have a more polished look and be more efficient.

I still want to see what a collage would look like behind a print, so I’ll try that too. As long as the color scheme remains monochromatic I think I can push the patterning pretty far without making a complete fail-tastic mess.

Good Ol’ Gertrude

Moving on to the next exhibit. I entered the portrait of Lily that I did a few months ago and my newest painting in the Cellular Self Portrait series, Bacteria. My intention was to enter only enter paintings from the cellular series, however I didn’t finish in time for the deadline. Wish me luck!

Cellular Self-Portraits

In 2007 I made two self portrait relief prints. I wanted them to be about my natural historical self, in direct response to the never-ending debate over evolution. I am plant, animal, bacterial, viral, and single-celled at some point in my history and my history includes the beginning of the planet.

I decided to take up the theme and expand on the idea. I’ve redone the plant print as a painting and am going to do others like it to create a series.

Close-up

The prints are 30×40 carved in single blocks. The paintings will combine the colorful patterned backgrounds that I’ve been using with the overlay of the black line drawing of cells. I’ll try color lines to draw the cells as well, just to see what that looks like. Then finally once I get some more printing materials I can combine watercolor painting with the lino block.