Every Day

I try new things.

You can really see how hectic my thoughts have been lately from these drawings.
Still,
Kind of surreal how much they reflect a journal.

                 
                     7/18 and 7/19

7/20 and 7/21

 
7/22 and 7/23

Glazes

Sometimes, I too feel like I have a glaze over me.
A shield.
But also a barrier.
Protective of what surrounds me.
Yet transparent,
Exposing what's underneath.



I'm running out of wood panels.

One Thing

Why do we have to choose just one thing?
One job.
One career.
One style.
One relationship.

Society has molded us,
Sculpted our life paths.
Told us what is "right" and what is "wrong."

But what if I want to test those limitations?
What if,
I want to grab a handful,
Instead of just that one?

Today, I am an abstractionist.
And today, I am a realist.

 

New Found Necessity

On Day 10,
I almost forgot to do a drawing.
Being super busy,
Driving through multiple states,
It slipped my mind.
Once remembered,
I was without my supplies.
So I improvised.

It's not the appearance that's important.
It's the consistency.

Earth Songs

Neil Anderson is flowing down the same wave that I am.
His description for how his paintings are made:
"After the initial drawing, the emerging colors, textures and shapes are all improvised."
Maybe he feels the same pull to "art" that I do.
Or at least similarly.
Here's some of my favorites:
1st

 2nd

 3rd

He is one of Bridgette Mayer Gallery's artists.
I've been to this Philly-based gallery before.
I thought,
"Some of these paintings are truly silly."
But then again,
You find that quite often in a city like Philly.

I'm going to let Neil Anderson influence my daily draw for today.
He has an amazing color palette.

Here's one of my favorite stories in his biography:
"One of the joys in making a small painting is the memory it provokes. I am reminded of an event that occurred over fifty years ago but remains real today. When I was very young and living in our apartment on the north side of Chicago, one evening I stood next to my father who was seated at a telephone table painting an illuminated letter using a small brush. The letter he painted was about an inch tall, based on an old English typeface. He was painting the letter the most brilliant blue with tiny yellow spots. He was bent over the small desk, his work barely illuminated by a small desk lamp. It was then I first imagined a future where I could aspire to make such a perfect thing."

Hope

I hope to accomplish being an artist,
Not from others points of view,
But from my own hindsight.

Steve Hanks knows he's an artist.
He had time to reflect,
Develop,
Embellish,
And interpret.
He had years.
And now he is considered "one of the best watercolor artists working today."
For good reason.

 “If I hadn’t spent so much time perfecting my drawing skills, I would not be the painter I am today.”
But where is our time?
Where is my time?
For the first time in my life, I have taken some time for myself.
And yet,
I do not feel at peace.
Stresses of living are starting to overwhelm me.

If only Painter could be a profession again,
Like it used to be.

But for now,
This is my moment.
I am relaxed,
Admiring true talent.

This one is called "The Sound of Tiny Fingers."
How restful.

Subtlety

I was told recently that I am not a subtle person.

That most things I do in my life,

I do forcefully.

So I tried experimenting with subtlety through my art.

One thing I can control.

Day 6: Janet

Day 7: Vito

Just Try

The simplest suggestion,
And yet
One of the hardest things for the majority of the human race to do.

Push yourself out of the funk....
For "the funk" is only in your head.

Day 4: 7/10

Day 5: 7/11

Today was inspired by an artist named Jay Walker.
A local, Philly artist,
Just doing what he loves.
http://www.jaywalkerstudio.com/
This one,
To me,
Is most captivating.

Daily Draw

Challenge?
Accepted.

Day 1: 7/07

Day 2: 7/08

Day 3: 7/09

Walking Melting Pots

Do you ever linger on an idea?
Captivated by the thoughts associated with it.

Samuel Rodriguez captured my attention,
Not only visually,
but deeper below the surface.
"His painted dissections of the human face are intended to further emphasize and explore the idea of people as walking “melting pots.” The work playfully juxtaposes several visual cues that we use in order to process information about those around us."

Elegance.
http://samrodriguezart.com/

Stumbling

Why is it so bad to stumble?
Sometimes a scrape on the knee can be a good thing.
It's humorous, almost always with me.
Tells a story if it bruises or scars.
And is a reminder of a moment in time.
I thrive on reminders
And memories.
A stumble is just a rockier path to moving forward.

A stumble can also lead you to things you normally wouldn't have noticed,
If indeed, you did not stumble upon them.
Today I stumbled onto an artist.
I was researching Christine D'Epiro Abbott.
I love her work. http://www.christinedepiroabbott.com/
It reminds me so much of mine
And what I hope to acquire.
Especially after my last blog entry;
She connects flatness with fluidity.

 More representational.

 Linear, bright interiors.

And my favorite, her collages.

While drooling over her images online, I happened upon an artist named Benjamin Cohen.
From London,
Which I always admire, being British and all.
His work immediately reminded me of Jenny Saville,
One of my favorite modern painters.
Same color, speed, and gory associations. http://www.benjamincohenstudio.com/recent-work/#prettyPhoto
But my favorites
Are his compilations of people.

Sterile, earthy colors.
Drips.
Figures.
This is what I am about.
Finally,
One more.
I think this is my favorite of the day.

I want this painting.
So today's stumbling
Has been inspiring.

Experimentation

Isn't life always about experimenting?
Diving into a relationship or a new painting,
It's all the same sensation.
You have to make mistakes,
Acknowledge those mistakes,
And work towards improving or changing the outcome.
You have to experience multiple elements,
Decipher the pros and cons
The dos and don't
And move, move, move.
If you stay still for too long,
You might miss out on something.
As they say,
A body in motion stays in motion.
Keep experiencing,
So you can keep experimenting.

I want to somehow combine the flat,erotic patches of color in Justin Kim's landscapes

With the sweeping, fluidity of paint in Anna Bocek's portraits.

Today is 7/07. And it's time for me to experiment.