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.

You Said, I Said

You say indecisive, I say proactive.
You say greedy, I say daring.
You say irresponsible, I say imaginative.
You say worries, I say opportunities.
You say lost, I say new direction.


Leaving my job was my decision to make.
You may shake your head and tighten your mouth into a thin line in response.
But I see this as an opportunity to not only grow.
But to explore those ideas and hopes I had for my future,
Before I knew how to spell my last name,
And before I could successfully parallel park.
Before I got tied down to a retail job.
I don't expect you to approve,
Or to even understand.
I just want you to open your mind,
And have faith in me.
That I might find a better way,
To live how I want to live.
And for now,
I want to live through my art.
So just sit back,
And enjoy the colors.

Connections

It doesn't take much for me to feel connected to someone.
It can be a small coincidence.
Or a similar trait.
Whatever the reasoning, I find it.
And I hold on to it.
Almost as if I yearn to be connected to people.
In as intimate a way as I can.

Today, I connected to Chintia Kirana.
She is only three years older than me, and yet I find myself looking up to her strengths as I read through her artist statement and biography.
http://www.chintiakirana.com/
One paragraph distinctly reached out to me:
"I am fascinated with memories and experiences, through those I am who I am today. Through “Sentiments” I have discovered “Origin”- the beginning or place where something begin, arises, or derived. I am interested in a minimal form of beginning, a dot. As my research evolves toward spiritual aspects of life, my dot transformed into circle then manifest as orbs. A circle is a flat geometric shape, where an orb contained volume. In that sense an orb is associated with spiritual energy."
You can see her orbs here: http://www.chintiakirana.com/#!__master-page-2-home-copy1/portfolio

But THIS painting is what I connected to.

My work is migrating towards this style presently.
Perhaps it's the confusion and lack of stability of my mid-20s being conveyed through my art.
Whatever the reason, it's still simply a part of me.

I just took down my paintings from my Harrisburg show.
Now, I start anew.