Here’s an Oddity from me.
But first a quick announcement; The Canadian postal service is on a nation wide strike as of today! So we’ll be temporarily closing out our ETSY shop. I’ll let you know when things are back up and running. Thanks!
So yes;
I call this one “Face Blindness” (40×40″ Acrylic on Canvas) < Kind of a new media for me! I’ve been using the acrylics for colored grounds underneath oils, so this is a next logical step. It certainly has its advantages when you’re on a deadline :)
This one is my (successful!) submission for this year’s Society of Canadian Artists elected members show, which will open December 14 (6pm) at the Viva Vida gallery here in Montreal. (Well, in Beaconsfield, out west island way).
I’m not sure if this is finished; this is the kind of work you can keep rolling on. And that’s something that acrylics seem to be made for. Instant revisions! But it’s in a state where I like it, and if I go back into it in the future it just becomes a new thing.
So yes, typically I work from life; or from a photo, which I don’t see any differently than life.
I often see myself as a broken camera. My eye-brain-hand link can take great pictures of anything I can see, but they don’t come out very accurately :) They come out artistically :) It’s kind of a game to see, and re-interpret the world in my own way.
At the same time, I’m always a contrarian. If I do something for a while, I’ll get an uncontrollable urge to do the opposite.
The idea here was to make something entirely out of my head, without looking at anything.
It’s a form of doodling – which might sound like down playing the artistic aspect, but I think doodling is a direct access to the subconscious. Just allow the hand to make things, and it may turn out the mind is thinking about something under the radar.
And, in truth, this piece came from some actual doodles.
I was at a lecture, which, while interesting, was the kind of thing I can listen to and draw at the same time. I sometimes think it’s rude to sketch at a lecture or a performance, but on the other hand, it’s the only way I can sit still and listen :) So I have to take it how it comes.
And yes! Once again I’m cheating. I say I’m not looking at anything for reference, but I did revisit this sketchbook frequently. So in a way I’m working from a bunch of thumbnails.
In any case, I enjoyed the experience. It’s well worth it to paint something radically different from your usual style. Even if you don’t stick with it, the exploration will go back into your day to day work.
Take care and we’ll talk to you soon.
~m
