So today was beautiful folks, I had to get out and take advantage, I hope everyone was able to enjoy as well! I absolutely love to be outdoors and take walks by the river when I can. This afternoon, I was scoping out the drift wood situation during a walk (I am thinking of doing a sculpture project) and it happened to be low tide, in my favor. However, the shore was a unusually ominous and quite swampy- so I will postpone the collection when I am better prepared with my goulashes!
I was noticing the tall sea grasses and murky soil that seems to pile up at changing of tides, a blue heron was perched on a crumbling seawall ( I am thinking about adding him into the painting later- I always see him at low tide and have grown quite found of my feathered companion). Instantly, Jenn comes to my mind after viewing her “endangered bird species” canvases at our MFA summer show! I even tried to incorporate the “spray painted method” Jenn had showed me, although I was unsuccessful… perhaps I need more water. I’m not sure how I feel about the gold spray paint in this painting either- But I have been on a gold kick since I watched the “Woman in Gold” about the lost Klimt painting- very good flick by the way…I wanted to play with a palette knife and change the time of day. I chose to use acrylic paint and incorporate gold spray paint in random areas. This painting took about an hour and a half- but I really want to re-vist it later on.
I have always been a big advocate for the river, being a local river resident my entire life. I was witness to the damage and devastating the aftermaths Sandy and Irene reeked upon our residents and communities ( not to mention hurricanes way back when I was a little girl- I can remember our house half underwater). Our two local marinas were slammed by destruction and are still being re-built. I think current events always surface in my studio work- with all the current news and reports of Hurricane Matthew, I am brought back to my own experiences with dramatic weather. I wanted to represent some of my feelings with chaotic, thick brushstroke and uncertainty, also moody colors. And although I love the almighty Hudson, I wanted to represent her in a different perspective. I was very disturbed to hear of the proposed anchorage for barges along our shorelines this past summer- which will increase water traffic and also can be catastrophic to our ecosystems if a spill were to occur. I saw myself gravitating to painting old sea vessels, barges and tug boats- but not in a good light, decayed, worn and rusted. Outside influences that affect me personally always seem to seep out into my artwork as seen in this current work.
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/02/396789932/lost-art-is-reclaimed-in-woman-in-gold
Nice work Brette! I’m interested in seeing what you do with drift wood. I used to paint on drift wood so I’m all about it! Also, I like how even though you’re using the same technique as Jenn and a similar inspiration, it looks very different from hers! For me, that’s what I love about the art making process. We can all be given the same materials but each of our pieces would look so different in the end. Oh and I also love that you did this on a vertical panel, I get bored always seeing landscapes on a horizontal background.
Lindsay- thanks! Quick question, did you prime the drift wood prior to painting? Sanding? Im sort of new to this process.. And thanks for the kudos- I wanted to switch things up a bit, your right, viewing landscapes horizontally always seems typical! I wanted to switch it up a bit..
I really like how this piece turned out Brette! The colors, style, and composition are very dynamic and draw me in to look at the painting. At first glance, it reminds me a lot of van Gogh’s Starry Night with the use of colors (blue, black, white, and gold), as well as with the thick paint put down. I also want to say right now I loved the “Woman in Gold” movie. Perhaps if you were interested, you could also try getting gold foil/gold leaf and utilizing it somehow in the work, whether on top of the paint or painted on top of.
Golf leaf! Yes Lindsay, what a great idea!! I wanted to get some over the summer for our MFA show, but it simply slipped my mind! Thanks for the reminder! And yes- awesome movie right!!!!
I love this, and I love how Lindsay B mentioned that although we find inspiration in similar ideas, our work is so different. This reminds me of ansel kiefer, and I know you loved his work at mass moca. Great Job!
Yes, Jenn, I do love Ansel Kiefer! Thinking of tying him into a joint lesson with our history teacher, Ill let you know how it goes!