thirty.four

This is acrylic that has barely been watered down. It's not the traditional "watermedia" that I usually post, but allowing myself to work with the thicker paint provided needed variety.

I enjoyed the devotional aspect of painting this piece. The sacred heart of Christ - what a profound and precious mystery...incredible. The imagery also reminds me of an excerpt from The Pursuit of God by Tozer: "To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart."

thirty.three

I think non-traditional surfaces are my favorite.
This is an old hymnal titled "Songs for Pilgrims". The painting was inspired by Grandma Moses… her rustic style seemed fitting for both the title and the contents of the hymnbook.

thirty.two

Painting on an old hymnal titled "Spiritual Power".
The somewhat cheesy title reminded me of a comic book, so I played up that theme by emphasizing "POW"... and reinforced this idea by using comic book colors. The letters were accentuated by scratching the yellow paint off to reveal what was beneath.
I think it would be interesting to paint inside on the hymns and continue with the comic- book theme. Irreverent? Offensive? Thought-Provoking? Humorous?

thirty.one

How does one capture light? The illumination may not be entirely successful, but it's a start...

thirty

The wonderful, whimsical cake that only exists on paper...
in honor of my roommate's golden birthday (2.22)

twenty.nine

Theodore. I suppose the focus of this "family" set has been more on the drawing than the painting, but I did enjoy enhancing the ink with water and a touch of color. I'd like to work with pen/ink and watercolor more in the future because the interaction between the two is exciting to me.

twenty.eight

Adelaide. Inspiration this week/my entire life = edward gorey. history. tim burton. grey and decay.

twenty.seven

Cecil wearing a cravat. When using color over top of pen, the ink bleeds into the wash and dulls the color... I like how that fading contributes to the antique look of the illustration.

twenty.six

Harold. I enjoy using water on top of pen because of the way the water interferes with the pen's harsh stroke... the water softens edges and produces a beautiful grey from the dark ink.

twenty.five

This is Victoria, a pen drawing with added watercolor
on tea-stained paper.

This past week = senior show deadline... recital hearing... little sleep... life has been hectic. I will post all six paintings for this past week right now and be caught up. Sorry for the delay!

twenty.four

Further exploration on a non-traditional surface..
yesterday's church bulletin.
I believe the print is William Blake.

i am for art.

I am for an art that
provokes + confuses
art that is hidden
found by few
golden flecks of an apple skin
golden freckles of human skin
glisten of rain
shadows on a wall
transient
invisible

I am for an art that
is uncomfortable + unexpected
art that silently screams
art that compels you to see
as if you'd never seen before
art that makes a portrait
not a person but a story
art that turns a shape into
an idea and a color into
a fairy-tale

I am for an art that
makes you sigh + reflect
art that roams the countryside
purposeless ambivalent
yet full of meaning
redeemed and saved
from destruction
given life and a new voice
art that whispers the thoughts
we didn't know we had

I am for art.

twenty.three

Happy Valentine's Day

twenty.two

Waltz in E minor (Chopin) - one of my favorite pieces to play.
The paint billowing toward the top of the page is a visual representation of the opening measures. This eerie sound has always reminded me of ominous clouds rapidly moving... or a dark ocean racing toward the shore... wisps of smoke disappearing...

Layering on thin sheet music is not easy, so in the future I'd like to experiment with different ways to build layers.

twenty.one

Variations on a theme...

twenty

My "non-traditional" surface for today. I enjoy the 3dimensional aspect of this piece. It was a unique (messy) experience working with drippy watercolor on a curved surface. Originally I had planned on drawing human figures on top of the watercolor, but I later realized that any pen & ink drawing would detract from the interaction of the paint on the curved surface.
This sort of work ultimately raises questions...What is formal "art"? Does the paint on the Starbucks cup merely act as a decorative effect - something that Starbucks would release as part of a Spring promotion - or does the paint transform the cup from a common object
to a piece of art?

nineteen

This one is probably my favorite of the cell series so far...
I like the blend of colors and the way in which
the objects flow toward a focal point.

I think that I'm all caught up in posts now...
sorry again for the neglect!

eighteen

This virus can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Who knew it was so graceful-looking?

seventeen

just fun, albeit a little boring perhaps

sixteen

some sort of cell thing...

fifteen

This week I've found my inspiration on the microscopic level - I've been painting images of single-celled organisms, viruses, bacteria... random bio book images. It's amazing to see how beautiful the shapes and textures are even when they're so tiny.

fourteen

I apologize for being so negligent in posting...
I have been painting but just haven't gotten around
to posting anything til now.

thirteen

I wanted to use rubbing alcohol to create background texture but didn't have any on hand... so perfume was the next best thing. Unfortunately it sprayed out evenly, so the resulting effect isn't mottled enough.
At least my entire room smells nice though : )

twelve

The Dream Keeper
my favorite poem by Langston Hughes in honor of his birthday (2/1)

eleven

ten

Not really a fan of this one. Colors don't blend well or something.