New To You

Have you ever worked on something in where it's new to you?  For me, it's self-portraits.  I'm not a person who can draw or paint people all that easily, so I've avoided trying as I get the perspective all wrong.  However, last year, while  I was stuck for something new to paint, one of my friends suggested that I try out doing my first self-portrait.  

It was a great success.

A lot of people didn't think it looked like me though.  However a self-portrait is what you look like to you; nobody else.  And your first one never looks all that great... just like your first painting never looks great.

This year, I've begun working on another self-portrait and it's from a different perspective completely, one where I needed some assistance from one of artist friends.  He needed me to model for him for a new line of work he's doing; and I needed a new lot of photos to work from with my self-portrait.  So, we killed two birds with one stone and I modelled for both of our ideas last week.

I picked out a half-lotus pose where I'm meditating for two of my Chacras and he's picked out another of a reclining pose.  Both are coming along quite well.  however, I'm not going to reveal anything just yet; unlike my other pieces, this one will be kept a secret until it's completely finished.  There's a lot of work to be done on it and I'm very excited about it... and so far it does look very promising.

So do tell, where in your art life have you needed a change - wanted it - and didn't know how to go about it?  And when you did change and work on it, did it work out?  Did you try something new or take something old and turn it on its ear?  Did everything work out?  Leave a comment and let us know, love to know what you're all working now now.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Art Books

Besides working on art, attending workshops and walking through galleries full of the work of arts from all over the world (or just around my area), I have a nice little collection of books about art.  One of the first books I remember picking up is a little, thick book on Vincent Van Gogh.  This artist is one of the reasons why I took up painting and also why I keep going with it.  He had the worse medical problems around; and to make things worse, he didn't just have one problem, he had a few.  There was Manic Depression, Epilepsy and Bi-Polar; all of which really screwed with how he lived.  But could he paint!  His brother had a similar condition, but he had it under control; unlike poor Vincent.

The only other book I have on one other artist is 'Michael Whelan's Works of Wonders'.  It's a collection of his cover art; of what it looked like as a book cover and what it looked like before it became a book cover with his description of how he came up with it to start with.  This is a book I stumbled upon in a Life Line where it was hiding from the world on the top of a bookcase and it only cost me $4.00.  When I got it home, I looked it up on the net and found out that it's out of print and worth so very much more!  Now, it's one of my most prized possessions in more ways than one.

Other books I have collected are about how to get my brain to work the right way to be an artist.  I know this sounds strange, but 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron and 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards are two such books that have helped me in the past.  Even though I rarely use them now, it's always good to know they are here in my bookcase just in case I need them - or somebody in my family does.  

The most interesting books about art I receive are always from my Mum.  She bought me 'Essential Impressionists' by Antonia Cunningham.  This book covers a wide range of Impressionists from all over the artistic arena who changed the art world.  Some of them I like; some I don't.  But they are all there in this wonderfully large, heavy book to see; in full colour!  Another book Mum bought me - and I love delving into just to exercise my brain a little - is 'Incredible Visual Illusions' by Al Seckal.  This is a book full of the most brilliant visual illusions that by the end you'll have a headache, but it's always fun to look at some of them; especially if you wish to put something like them in your paintings or sculptures.  This kind of book can give you great ideas.

The last set of books are something I bought on a whim; and didn't think much of until recently.  They are 3-volume set of home decorators books from the 1940's.  The first book shows you how to paint a house... from peeling the paint, choosing your colours, brush size, primer to the the final coat.  The other two volumes work on the inside of the house; showing you how to wallpaper, choose wood panelling, shades, curtains and how to get your house looking very modern.  These kinds of books don't exist in these sets anymore; so I picked this set up very cheaply at a charity store and kept them as I find this is another type of art form in itself of interior design.

So, what kinds of art books do you own in your bookcases?  Are they up-to-date and modern, of your favourite artists lives or do they date back centuries?  Or are they all to do with the other side of the arts - the learning side of it all - where you delve into the studies of the arts?  Love to know which books you guys own.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Not All Black and White

I have to tell the truth:  I got stuck with the Melting Flowers painting.  My detailing brushes are stuffed and the ones I received for Christmas aren't the ones I was hoping for.  So, I have to put that painting on hold until I can get my hands on new detailing brushes to replace my old ones.

So, I pulled out another piece of canvasboard that had been painted over and painted it green (which, for some reason, helps me with new work) and started painting a black and white painting.  About a week ago, I was talking one of my friends and said that I'd love to do a painting completely in black and white; and the shades of grey in between.  It would be a real challenge.  However, as I started out, I realised this one wouldn't be completely like this.  It's going to have some colour in the middle; showing there is colour in the world of black'n'white.  I only started it today.  What do you think so far?

The World Loses Dorothea Tanning

This afternoon - just now in fact - I was perusing the ninemsn.com.au site for some news (as I hate watching the news on television; it's all so depressing when it comes from there) and I found out that Dorothea Tanning passed away a couple of days ago; aged 101.  
I don't know much about this artist, however, I have found her home site on Google where her passing has been announced by The Dorothea Tanning Foundation.


Dorothea Tanning

On this site, it tells more of her life than I ever could.

Melting Flowers Update

This painting is coming along in leaps and bounds.  As with most of my other paintings, music usually helps me focus; and this is no exception.  I do love to paint, however my paintings take so long because I like to have the colours at such a vibrancy they look as good dry as they do wet...

Knit, Knit, Knitting!

It's been such a long time since I got into knitting a scarf... and the way I'm knitting one is a fun way of doing it.  The one thing is that I didn't know it would grow so fast; or look so nice.  The colours I've used all work well with each other and - even though they are so very different from each other - they are just beautiful.  here are the photos of the scarf currently.  I'll get a full measurement of the scarf once I'm close to finishing it.  

Now, remember to put in your posts for how long you think it'll be to win my patchwork scarf... or scrap scarf.  I'll be adding in tassels and making it look good too.  If it doesn't get raffled off, I'll be keeping it as a part of my wardrobe. 

Afternoon Knitting Session

In the afternoons, I've been getting into my knitting again.  Usually at this time of the year, I don't as it's too hot; but here in Queensland, we've been having a very cool Summer, so I've picked up my needles again and been able to knit.

Recently, I have found that I have a lot of leftover wool from finished scarves.  So, I thought to make a long, skinny scarf out of the wool and see how long I can make it - just for the fun of it.  Right now, it's a little over a metre long and I've gone through three colours; with more being found as I hunt through my two knitting bags.  

If you'd like to lay bets on how long this scarf is going to be once it's finished, I'll finish it up with tassels and post it off to you when I finish it up.  And seeing how fast it's taking shape, it shouldn't take that long to do.  I'll keep you all posted about how it's doing over the next week or so... keep your lengths coming.  

I'm working with size 4mm needles, it's 17 stitches wide and I'm using a Moss Stitch; so it'll be nice and cosy when you wear it anywhere in the world.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Whatever Gets You Through The Night!

I love that Beatles song... it's so full of energy and power.  I love it.  I have it on vinyl and play it when I need to get rid of excess energy and need to get to sleep at night; true story.  However, I also play music to help me paint.  

Whether it's at the very beginning or to finish off the detailing, I play a series of vinyls to help me focus on my work.  And it's been proven by scientists that certain composers are fantastic in assisting students with their studies; there are certain musicians that can also help artists with their work as well.

When I watched the show on Jean-Michel Basquiat, they interviewed some of his friends who said that they noticed he couldn't focus without a lot of noise around him - he even worked when he was hosting a noisy party with people milling around him.  Mainly, though he'd have on Ravel's Bolero all day; driving some of his neighbours nuts as that's all he'd play.  He'd also have the television on at the same time and books open that he be reading while he walked past to get something to eat at the kitchen.  He had to keep his mind extremely active while he was working on his art.  I found this fascinating; but I would have found all of this very distracting if it was me.  I guess we all have our own ways of working.

I like to work in the afternoons - as the light is at its best then in my house.  I usually pick out fast music if I'm starting a piece - like The Red Hot Chili Peppers - and all my music is usually on vinyl as the digital affects on music dulls what I like about it.  I love the old-fashioned style of vinyls as I was brought up around them when I was young and it's what I love to collect as well; and this gives me a chance to play them as well.

If I'm doing a background, I love to play anything live by Santana.  The solo drum mixes usually get me into a focused trance and they are brilliant up loud; along with the roar of the audience.  By the time the song is over, I'm on my feet walking around my piece with the brush in one hand and the palate in the other.  It's great... my feet are sore and I've gotten further along than I usually would without the music otherwise.

When I'm doing detailing work, I usually just listen to the radio... or my iTouch and pick out Lenny Kravitz... he's got a great voice and guitar riffs that really calm down my brush strokes.  Besides, he's a hot guy... what can I say, he's got a beautiful voice and - visually - gets better with age.  This is the only time I don't use a vinyl.  Or if I do, I put on some Mozart; a piano concerto or two and I finish up my work.  Now, as I mentioned earlier, scientists have proven that some composers have proven to help with focusing with students.  Mozart, Beethoven and Bach are the three main ones who assist with this.  These three composers are also the main three who brought in a new section in the orchestras:  Woodwind.  This section used to be better known as Percussion (which was bigger than it is now).  

So, who helps you focus on your work?  Is it a musician or a comedian?  Do you have the television going or a dvd going?  Do you work in complete silence?  Let us know, and until my next post, keep creating.

Melting Flowers Revamp

Since I've handed in my application for an exhibition at the Logan Art Gallery, I've been on pins and needles waiting for a reply; which I'll most probably hear about next month.  How nerve-raking!  

However, that doesn't mean I just sit around and do nothing in the artistic side of things.  I keep working on my work that will go into the exhibition I want to get in there.  And this is the painting which will be going into the exhibition - and next to the two drooping flowers further down the page.  This is the original painting which sparked off my thoughts for the retrospective of these flowers in the first place.

I have been kinda stuck with the close-up of these flowers; so I though to start fixing up this painting today.  I grabbed some music and turned it up loud.  In this heat, it was great to listen to 'Moonflower' by Santana on vinyl.  All that drumming was brilliant for my concentration... and the background looks fantastic, don't you think?

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Genius Child

Tonight, I was perusing the television times for something - anything - to watch during this very boring time of the year of school holidays when I happened upon an art program about this wonderful late artist from the 1980's.  

Jean-Michel's very name brought back the memory of my older brother bringing home a video of the movie 'Basquait' about his life of art, growing up on the streets and his brilliantly busy and colourful career of art, galleries and arty friends; such as Andy Warhole.

This recent television review of his life covered the full spectrum of his friends, art curators, people he went to school with, past girlfriends and anyone he socialised with.  It was a very interesting show that covered a lot more than the movie did (as I remember it because it's been over a decade since I last saw it).  

I found this hour and a half show a great tribute to a great artist who interpreted his world - and other artist's works from our past - in the most wonderful and colourful ways.  I do recommend you find this show on dvd or youtube.  Otherwise, go and google his name and check out his work; it's brilliant, colourful and fantastic.  It's something we should all be aiming for... our own style.  I've also just put his official website on the sidebar; it's well worth checking out.  Until my next post, keep creating!