Hey ladies.. so, I was planning on doing some scratch board projects next week to teach a different type of engraving process. I am short on the pre-ordered boards but I have heard of people making their own by coating a piece of illustration board with layers of acrylic gesso, and sanding between the layers. Then , the last two layers are done with black india ink. Any thoughts?
Category Archives: Artwork
Continued Painting Studies
This week I wanted to try out a different way of using the paints, so I got rid of the brush and used my hands. Along with some smaller samples, I did a larger scale painting to experiment with seeing how the paint felt and how the colors work together. I kind of like it actually, it reminds me a bit of Gerhard Richter’s color-blended paintings.
After a couple of other experiments, I did one of my anxiety paintings. The process of physically using my body rather than a tool, such a brush, made me feel a lot more connected to the painting. I could physically exert all of my feelings onto the canvas. Below is the end result.
During my discussion this week also with Andrea, she mentioned looking back at the project I did over the summer. That project dealt with the idea of time and the permanence of memory. Upon thinking about it more over the week, I think I also want to try out eliminating the “permanence” of the image I created and paint over the painting daily. This plays with the idea of just how permanent the images that we make are. It also brings up the concept of the value that we as artists have in each artwork that we make and forces me to no longer remain connected to a single image, but continue moving forward.
Artwork
I know this might sound ridiculous, but I was consumed the last couple of weeks by Halloween. The other art teacher I work with is very big into costume design. It is her major art form, and every Halloween since I have worked with her we have dressed up for Halloween as artist and artwork. This year we were Leonardo Da Vinci and Mona Lisa. Although, I did not make the dress, I was experimenting with make-up and wigs. I give the utmost credit to costume designers. The work I put into finding a wig that would work under my budget was crazy. I also tried to use make-up to reproduce my face in a realistic manner to the painting of Mona Lisa. That was difificult to do, and I ended up just wearing normal makeup. I have grown to respect the artform more and more as the year passes. So, for this post about our artwork, I am posting about the costume used for school. Although, it was not supposed to be work for school, I was consumed by trying to make it life like these past two weeks. So, here is the picture to display the results.
pumpkin party!
We are making a display for our main lobby, this was a one day thing- I had pre- cut the fabric though. A few burns from hot glue but other wise a successful mini activity. Baby pumpkins were cheap, a dollar at shoprite!
Finished Series
I completed my paintings for this week and really like how they turned out. It was a great experience to reflect on my feelings and how I can depict them. It also leads to some interesting questions of how the viewer can interpret the image. For example, when looking at the red painting from Wednesday, one of my friends asked if I was angry while a family member said that I was energetic/passionate.
One thing I really like is how I had the black ebb out on the grey painting (Thursday). Perhaps I will create the more with this method- it more properly shows how the feeling of anxiety creeps in.
New Artwork
I painted this self portrait Friday night. Friday morning while driving to school, I saw a bunch of leaves trailing behind a truck as it was driving. Immediately this entire painting came to mind and I couldn’t wait to paint it when I got home! It was a lot of fun painting this and one of the skills I’ve been focused on lately is looking at details closer to achieve a more realistic image. I’m not all the way there yet, but almost!
New Work
A self portrait, acrylic, spray paint, and ink on canvas. Feeling a little distressed lately, looking to express some emotions with brush strokes and paint. More to come…
The beginning of a soft pastel drawing in which I will be removing areas. I am going to place two images next to each other–two part piece. I am still hoping to explore visual material culture and place.
Response to Lindsay W’s new work
Immediately upon viewing this painting Lindsay, I felt your frustrations being released in the paint! I think there is also a prevalent sense of anxiety in the work…… I think as teachers we face hardships of systematic failures, difficult students, lack of resources and unfair situations in general at our schools. You have inspired me, to focus my own studio work more towards releasing the struggles of my own journey of teaching. Your painting made me think of artist Cai Guo Qiang and his explosions with gun powder. Somehow, your painting also ignites the uncontrollable escape we all yearn for in life when things are becoming unmanageable and hectic.. you are awesome! I would love to see you take these further somehow, like maybe a mini series!?
Progress work
I’m glad I was able to get outside while it was still warm. Its getting to a temperature that looks nice from inside but is pretty unpleasant when you really walk out into it. I also added some red into my painting, which I enjoyed. Over the weekend I asked my mom to bring me my paints and turpentine so I could paint while I was away, which spilled all over my car and gave us both a headache. So I finally went to Michaels, bought new turpentine and my favorite color, alizarin crimson, after a year without it. Alizarin crimson gives me the most beautiful, warm reds and oranges, but also the deepest black. (I don’t ever use black.)
