I apologize for not painting these past few days. I was traveling from school, back home. But I am finally here! So I will be painting again soon!

"Anonymous "

This is another weaving piece with two pieces of notebook paper. I once again sketched out a drawing prior to painting in watercolor. I find this really helpful as notebook paper is extremely unforgiving. Working off a sketch tightens and refines the paintings. I don't think I would use it in every instance, sometimes looser is better, but it is very useful nevertheless.

"Drowning"

In this piece is also a byproduct of Monday's painting. I made a color copy of the original piece and then brushed clean water over the paper. This caused the ink to bleed and soften. I then wove this together with a piece of notebook paper. I am really pleased with the way the text on the white paper becomes more texture than writing, and the way that in turn interacts with the image of the face. I also find it fascinating how many different things can result from one orginal piece.

"Boy in Gray, Orange, and Red"

The two pieces from my last two post seem even more intriguing when placed next each other as a diptych. So, I uploaded an images of the pieces next to each other as well.

"Boy in Orange and Red"

I made a simple black and white photocopy of yesterday's painting. This resulted in a completely different image. I then painted over it with watercolor to strengthen the grayscale image. It was a unsophisticated process, but the results surprised and delighted me.

"Boy in Gray"

This is another painting on yellow legal pad paper. This time I sketched a face out in pencil and then added the watercolor over top. This add a nice linear quality to contrast with the more organic brush strokes. The pencil also adds some detail--it makes the entire piece appear to be rendered more tightly, though the paint itself is less rendered. Originally I was going to cut this piece up, like I have been doing with my other pieces lately; but I founds this piece engaging enough on its own, and I did not want to loose that by cutting it up.

"I Told You So"

A watercolor painting on yellow legal pad paper, that I then cut into pieces. I really like the effect of the yellow paper. It is not as harsh a white paper, but light enough to still provide contrast. Overall, I am pleased with the way the person in this piece came out. The upper lip/ bottom of the nose area becomes a little muddled, and is thus aggravates me. It was only slightly off in the beginning, but then I kept playing with it and it just got worse and worse. And, as I have noted before, with this thin sort of paper it is nearly impossible to remove the paint once it is down, so there was no going back.

"Speak"

Another woven piece. Not my favorite so far. I did not paint on the magazine image, and it thus seems a little boring overall. The two missing pieces do and some interest however.

"Waves are Crashing"

Another woven piece. This time using a magazine photo painted with watercolor and watercolor paper painted with watercolor. I am especially pleased with the tumbling feel of the horizontal bars in this piece.

"Spot"

This piece started out completely different than what you see here. Originally this was a painted piece woven together with a photo I took a while back. I was really not pleased with the way it turned out. Then I flipped it over. The contrast between the the textured watercolor paper and the glossy photo paper intrigued me. There is also more spontaneity in the few multicolored speckled paint spots. It reminds me of how paintings evolve, and how messy the process is.

"Seasons are Changing"

This is another woven piece--part watercolor, part magazine image with acrylic paint. I am really pleased with the way the colors of the two parts work off each other, since they are essentially complimentary colors. I also experimented with trimming away portions of the magazine image, which I am pleased with--it adds interest, and makes the piece even less of the magazine images and more of my own image.

The lighting in this image does not totally do it justice. I may try to upload a better image later.

"Intertwined"

This concept of weaving images together is an idea I tried once, really liked, and then never tried again, for some odd reason. Inspired by the works of Curtis Mann, (http://www.curtismann.com/) who takes found photographs and alters them into his own fine art pieces, I came back to my old idea. For this piece I painted an abstract watercolor piece in yellows and oranges and wove in a page from a magazine, which I had painted on with acrylic paint and drawn on with marker. One piece of the photograph is simply glued on top, rather than woven in, to add contrast and give the piece a more obvious focal point.

This idea of collage or appropriation is something I have always enjoyed, and this has only rekindled my interest.

"Tissue"

I experimented with painting on tissue paper today. The paint really spreads and soaks into this paper, which I found frustrating--it made details impossible to really achieve. The effect that resulted was soft and ethereal, not really fitting for this piece--or at least what I had in mind for this piece--but it could certainly be nice for others.

"Envelope"

This is another experiment on a non-traditional paper--this time an envelope. The results are not bad, but there is not the clear focal point I would like in a painting. I also had to censor this piece, which makes it really difficult to post. The black bars are not on the actual piece, but I did not want personal addresses out on the internet.

"Death of a Photograph"

I added a the pieces of a photograph to this piece. I was afraid that the watercolor would not stay on the photo paper at all, but much to my delight, though the paint beaded up, it eventually soaked in a dried in an interesting speckled pattern. In addition, this watercolor is another cathartic painting. It is the pieces of a broken photograph becoming something new.

"Gray Face"

As stated in my earlier musings, art is cathartic to me. It is better than anything else I know. When stress begins to mount in my mind; when the darkness encroaches; when my thoughts race and I begin to believe that I really truly must be going insane, I paint. This is certainly not the only reason I paint--sometimes painting is light and fun for me--but this kind of painting is essential. I would be a different person entirely without the ability to release my fears, my joys, my pains, my hopes, my memories out on paper. This is one of those paintings, I don't know that it is the best example, but it is one nonetheless.

Some thoughts inspired by "I am for an art" by Claes Oldenburg:

I am for an art that expresses things that words cannot
I am for an art that touches something deeper
I am for thought provoking art
I am for an art that is fresh
I am for an art that stops you in your tracks
I am for an art that makes something inside your head click
I am for an art that seeps out of you pores
I am for messy art
I am for an art that leaves paint everywhere
I am for an art that is cathartic--better than the best psychiatrist in the world

I am for an art that bares the soul

"Face in Orange and Blue"

This piece is also on notebook paper and is in the same vein as "Face in Yellow and Blue." Overall, I really like the quality this piece has--the contrast between dark and light, warm and cool--I am undecided about the placement on the words, however. Sometimes I look at it and love it, then ten minutes later I look at it and hate it.

"Face in Blue and Yellow"

This is another painting on notebook paper, though it it difficult to tell from this photo. Overall I am pleased with the results. The notebook paper readily absorbs the pigments, probably because it is so thin, and it is thus impossible to lift and paint out after the fact . I found this aggravating at times, but I think that if I plan better next time it could be alright.

"Abstract 5"

This is my first experiment with non-traditional paper for watercolor and I am pleased with the results. I do not think that it would work for every project, but in this case it works. The quality that the lined paper gives is much more visceral--crude and rough. This is due in part to the rough edge of the paper, its flimsy nature, and the way it crinkles as it absorbs water. The lines also add a geometric contrast to the flowing, organic watercolor shapes.

"Abstract 4"

I have been continually working on "Flight" this weekend, but I still do not feel like it is done. As a result I decided to take a break to loosen up and do something more abstract. This is what resulted. I was inspired by the spring-like weather that we have been having in my color selections. I think this piece could use a little more contrast, but overall I am pleased.

Hands

These are four smalls studies of hands which I did today. They are not bad, but they could be better. I have never been the best at hands.

"Flight"

I think this is a wonderful start to a painting, but I am not convinced it is finished. Unfortunately I do not have the time or the energy to push it any further today. I hope tomorrow will will provide more opportunities to enhance this piece, because, conceptually, I do like it.

"Run"

Another dancer. I am not convinced that this one is very successful; the colors and shapes are just off somehow. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but I guess they cannot all be good. Maybe it is the composition that I do not like--too much contrast all in the middle and not enough gradation to make it more understandable.

"Desmond" -part 2

This is the updated version of "Desmond." I woke up this morning, looked at the piece with fresh eyes, and decided that, with a few tweaks, this might actually be a piece I was pleased with. I added more orange tones to cover up some of the yellow so it is not as distracting. I also lifted out pigment in some areas to clarify the piece a bit; and added more paint in the chest area to adjust and soften the shadows. It is much improved.

"Desmond"

I have moved on to full bodies! This is a slightly failed attempt to capture the strength and beauty of Desmond Richardson, the contemporary ballet dancer. I suppose I am somewhat happy with the results. I like the composition and the color contrast, but I am not convinced it captures everything that it could. I am also not sure I like the yellow at the top, it seems rather distracting. I will probably keep trying and see what comes out.

"Untitled 1"

This piece began as another watercolor of ballet feet. The washes were, however, too wet and ran into each other far too much. I could not seem to pull it all together after that. It is as slightly interesting abstract piece though--particularly the area in the upper left hand corner.