Blog assignment #4: part 3

Technique and Process:

My process was similar for both of these paintings ("Stairs at Bodega" and "Swirly Kelp at Point Lobos") in the sense that I built up the surfaces in layers, and erased layers. I attempt to stay in a state flexibility and detachment so that I can completely change things when necessary (this is hard to do and I am still getting comfortable with it). I also am trying to experiment with new techniques when painting different elements so that the painting process is a changing experience.

One of the riskier moves I made in "Stairs" was deciding to paint the stairs over the figure. Originally I felt that the figure walking down the stairs was key to the image, and then realized that it was unnecessary--even distracting. Another struggle area was in the ocean. First I decided to draw in the water, which was time consuming and unsuccessful. This was risky because I was not sure how it would work and I knew it would take time. I eventually washed over it (another risk) and ended up painting the wave back in. The least risky areas were in the rocks. I had more confidence with how I wanted them to appear and took a more traditional (for me) approach of blocking out shapes. The other risky, or better yet, hasty move was adding the light flowers in the foreground. I experimented with a transfer type process, but they still just look painted on in a more un-intriguing way.

"Kelp": [this painting kicked my butt] I went through a bunch of different approaches while painting "Kelp". I started very quickly and intuitively, which was not risky, and I let myself embrace a more familiar gestural way of painting. I then proceeded to "destroy" the piece as a I explored different approaches. I went tighter and drew in water shapes and blocked out specific shapes of negative space until the whole thing dissolved into a chaotic pattern. I then had to bring back space and perspective. Since I spent a lot of time drawing in detail pattern and shapes, any move I made after that was a risk as I had to let go of the time spent before and move on. I went deeper with certain techniques, including: taping out very specific shapes to create branches, light patterns, the skeleton of the lantern, etc... I also experimented with crinkling plastic on the wet paint and letting it dry than taking it off to get a crackly effect. The scariest decision I made was to paint in the lantern. The painting was without the lantern most of the time, and I went back and forth between whether it was needed or not, and in the end, I added it.

Material:

I have chosen to work in Acrylic. I like how fast it dries, which aids in the speed in which I can layer and change the painting. Although I do put a lot of thought in my choices, this allows me to make more drastic choices more quickly, without thinking myself out of it. Altogether, acrylics allow me to work the way I want to while staying both thoughtful and intuitive. I also like the opaque/matte quality of acrylic color and I feel like it enhances the soft and dreamlike mood I wish to capture.

For these specific landscape paintings, any smaller would hinder the experience. In fact, they might be more successful if they were even larger. I want to create a space in which the viewer can enter and feels enveloped in. Also, if they were smaller, I would not be able to use the same techniques in more detailed areas. For example: when it is larger, layering and sanding and drawing can all come together to create a single leaf, where as in a smaller painting there is less room for this kind of mixing of techniques. If anything, I should begin to explore how I can make bigger paintings.

Content and Meaning:

My process is a struggle/journey. Since I don't plan how I want my paintings to end, I am forced to figure it out as I go and be sensitive to the way the choices I make while painting effect previous/future choices, etc... I attempt to stay detached and flexible while painting, so that I can be willing to correct mistakes, even if it means completely painting/sanding out something. I work intuitively--allowing myself to paint what I know, and also analytically, criticizing the decisions I make and trying to find new ways of approaching problems. These processes directly relate to my experience in these specific places (the ones depicted in the paintings) and the spiritual journey that they became personally symbolic of. It was in these places that I had "awe" moments where I was inspired by the setting to confront my spiritual beliefs and path. These internal moments can be a struggle between embracing a spiritual unknown and confronting doubt in spiritual truths I have been confident in. It is through these paintings that I re-visit these places, and in a sense, reenact the internal spiritual experience through the painting process.

I attempt to give a sense of this experience by the mood that is created in the painting through color and mark-making. The imagery of the painting is also intentional in creating a sense of place for the viewer. I do not think that my message is spelled out and I feel like it leaves room for the viewer to experience if for themselves and inspires questions.

I think my work remains personal as long as I remain sincere in my process. If I am really involved in the process (that was explained above) than the marks become unique and directly related to the image and the moment. If I start to become lost in a system that "works" then I lose my involvement and I lose my sincerity, and the painting begins to look generic. I am still working on this.

[How do stay simultaneously detatched and involved?]

Context:

The artists that have been most influencial to me include Piazoni, Luc Tuymans, Diebenkorn (and other Bay Area Figurative artists including David Park, Wayne Thiebaud, etc...), 17th cent. Japanese artists inlcuding Koran, Sotatsu, Hiroshige... And my more recent influences include Christopher Russell, Chris Brown, Tom McGrath, Lisa Sanditz, Narangkar Glover, Tom Uttech...

All of these are artists have influenced my current work in one way or another, and some have very obviously and directly influenced my work. I have been looking at Christopher Russell a lot lately and have been very intrigued by how he handles trees and branches--I tried to imitate some of his approaches in my most recent painting (see the branches). Piazoni has hugely influenced the way I look at landscapes and break up the shapes and use more toned, matte, softer colors. Also, Piazoni has encouraged my love of the Northern California landscapes. I use Dibenkorn's simplification of form, flattening of the picture plane, and layering of color. I imitate 17th cent. Japanese line work and composition techniques. I have especially been very influenced by Chris Brown's approach to process as he constantly changes and reworks things. Lisa Sanditz's conceptual and modern dealings with the sublime have been inspiring to me. I have attempted to learn from McGraths fluid use of the paint and how he deals with light and ambiguity. I tried to imitate Uttech's mist like atmosphere. I was very intrigued by Glover's rocks and stairs (compare her stairs in "Shangri-la school girls" to mine in "stairs at bodega"). [The more I analyze how I have been influenced by these artists the more I see the direct examples of where I "borrow" from them.]

When trying to think of an art movement or school to compare to, I normally think of the Bay Area Figurative movement, mainly because I have been influenced by the paintings that came out of this movement. I feel like I maintain some of the basic language that the Bay Area Figurative Movement developed, mainly the dialogue and balance between abstraction and representationalism, the focus on color, and other more formal aspects (line, shape, composition).

The other group that I would associate with would be those that are interested in the

"Sublime". This philosophical concept is in no way limited to the last 40 years, but it is somewhat

timeless, and is still being explored by artists today (Lisa Sanditz, Tom Uttech, etc...).

My work is relevant today in the sense that the concept is timeless. I am still learning and

developing my work and trying to find more ways to make it uniquely relevant. One of the concepts

that has been hugely influential to me is Ellaine Scarry's idea that seeing beauty inspires the viewer

to replicate it and create more beauty, and then in turn trains the viewer and the creator (the painter) to

see beauty more easily and appreciate it in everything--which in turn breeds justice. (that was the

very shortened and paraphrased version). I feel like the idea of beauty creating justice is necessary

today, considering all the injustices, and it is never irrelevant (although it is not always popular).

Blog assignment #4: part 2

"Swirly Kelp at Point Lobos"; Acrylic on Panel; ~3'x4'

Blog assignment #4: part 1

"Stairs at Bodega"; Acrylic on Panel; ~3'x4'

Blogging assignment #2: Part 3

Christopher Russell

"Arena"
"pink mountain top"
"networking"
"fade to black"

I am intrigued by Russell's work and find that we have some similarities in process. He uses his paintings as a meditation of place and nature and is continually exploring and experimenting while he paints. He is less concerned with directly depicting the natural landscapes and more concerned with getting closer to his connection with it. This is how I feel about my paintings. Russell allows his process to be visible in his paintings as he layers, erasers, and explores color, shape, and composition, instead of having that all planned out ahead of time. This is obviously apparent in the painting "arena" shown above, where Russell paints over entire areas, allowing history lines to show through. I see similarities in our work through the use of form and shape simplification. As seen in "pink mountain top" and "fade to black", Russell blocks out areas to be represented as geometrically patterned shapes/colors, where the line-work is created by edges. I could greatly improve my paintings by imitating some of Russell's technique: his use of light, formal understanding of composition, handling of the figure, assertive decisions in mark, creation of space, and when and where to use line.

Blogging assignment #2: Part 2

Lisa Sanditz

"Wooden Toy Town"
"Miami of China"
"Behind the Borgata"

I feel like Sandtiz's work resembles mine in a couple of areas. The first thing that stood out to me was her use of ambiguous space, which can be seen in all three of the above pieces. She allows what could be sky, water, road, grass, etc... (the natural areas) to remain not fully defined. It is her color and brushstrokes that create the space, and the viewer is allowed to relate it to the surroundings for themselves. I attempted to do this in my last piece, letting the space above the stairs to remain ambiguous. I also relate to her use of color being a major tool in the depiction of space, light, and mood. Her concept in similar to mine in the exploration of the "sublime"--the broader, transcending experience that can occur in a place. Where we differ is Sanditz purposeful exploration of the role of the commercial in the sublime. Although I am not opposed to featuring a commercial area, it is not a political question I am currently interested in exploring. Although, I am interested in figuring out the role and balance that human activity/evidence of human activity plays in these experiences. Our process is similar in some ways, we both: initially work from photographs, use acrylic paint, layer color, explore markmaking, balance representational elements with abstract ones, and allow the painting process to become an exploration of the subject matter.

I could greatly benefit by following Sanditz's example of mark variety. She uses many different ways of applying the paint, each way is important to the object/area of the painting. For example: in "wooden toy town" she uses large, transparent blotches for the cotton candy like factory smoke, but then uses short, flat gestural lines for the "wooden" buildings. Her mark and subject are directly connected--I hope to get closer to this purpose and connection in my paintings. Also, the clarity of her concept. She is exploring an idea that is deeply interesting to me--the sublime, but she has made it more specific and relevant by connecting it to our modern landscapes and commercial surroundings. How can I make this idea and exploration of the sublime personal and unique to me?

Blogging assignment #2: Part 1

Lisa Sanditz

• Image: cityscapes, buildings, commercial signs, commercial goods (socks, pearls, shoes...), mountains, ambiguous void, water, sky, tree...
• Process: A mix of gesture, abstraction, and representation; layered and densely painted; a variety of mark making, including smaller patterned strokes and large painterly blotches; flattened picture plane; vibrant color; surface tactility
• Concept: Sanditz is approaching the concept of the “sublime landscape” from the relevant vantage point of incorporating the commercial with the natural, seeing the two as a whole, and balancing images of “the marketplace and the wilderness” (crggallery.com). She accepts today’s landscapes as how they are now and says that she is “equally engaged by what is the beautiful and what is the degraded” (smithsonianmag.com).

Tomory Dodge

• Image: “exploding” images, displaced landscape, the American West, the Arctic, trees, trash and debris
• Process: Starts with “more recognizable imagery” and then abstracts it, using the original image and the action of painting as a “guide” (acme). Mark-making and “suspension” of mark; rendering the allusion of gesture; thinking of brushstrokes as “types or ideas of brushstrokes” (Dodge);

“Before, the brushstrokes constructed the image...now the brushstrokes are the image” [Dodge], and in doing so calls greater attention to the placement of forms, the representation of gesture, and the color interactions; the very activity, decisions, and energy that have brought the painting into the world are not only there to be seen, but become, in effect, part of the painting’s subject matter. Where previously the subject of a painting would be, for example, a nocturne in which a tree is illuminated with strands of colored lights, the subject now, in many ways, is painting itself... (Nickas).

• Concept: Site depicted as “non-site”; havoc and inevitable destruction; collapse; the remains of a “human presence” (Luke); “...the association with catastrophe and disaster with redemption and transcendence.” (Dodge); seduction vs. threat

Tom McGrath

• Image: Contemporary landscapes, carports, cars, trees, buildings, roads/roadsides, headlights/light from headlights...
• Process: Works from photo/photo collages; paints wet into wet--thick wet paint; scraping, drips, definition of mark; large gestural brush strokes.
• Concept: McGrath is exploring the nature of perception by depicting the contemporary landscapes through a car window. He is interested in movement and how most people really see the world while driving. He is also, similarly to Sanditz, interested in finding the balance between the man-made and the natural and discovering if “an increasingly threatened space consumed by urban sprawl [can] still provide a romantic, transcendental experience?” (saatchi).

Keith Tyson

• Image: figures, dinosaurs, stars, geometric shapes, word/numbers/symbols, clouds, golf course, animals, flowers, cells, genomes---everything.
• Process: Tyson uses different sources outside of his control, such as mathematic equations, roulette, historical dates, among other things, to determine mark-making, repetition, image, color, etc... of his paintings. He explores a number of different media, including oil painting, sculpture, photography, bronze casting, assemblage... Through the diversity of approach he is able to capture the diversity and connectedness of “everything”.
• Concept: Everything. And how we make sense of it. Randomness, mathematics, history, nature, mythology, etc...

Eamon O’Kane

• Image: houses, architectural structures, nature (trees, lawn, foliage), wood, interior objects (tables, chairs, rugs, window panes...).
• Process: mixed media, oil painting, acrylic painting, drawing, installation.
• Concept: O’Kane uses his paintings and drawings as meditations on the convergence of architecture and nature “and the pursuit of a Utopian architectural space and its uneasy relationship with nature.” (Stevenson). He explores all aspects of these settings, including the interior design and depicts and idealistic setting where the two find harmony. His paintings are devoid of figures, but not necessarily devoid of human presence--the furniture and interior design seems to be a direct reflection of an individual’s personal style and evidence of their existence. Could the elimination of the figure be O’Kane’s commentary on the disfunctionality of a Utopia when people are involved?

Christopher Russell

• Image: people in nature, water, mountains, rocks, crystal, snow, ripples, “ribbon”, tree branches.
• Process: oil on un-gessoed canvas; layering; erasing; scraping; mark-making. Russell's paintings are a fluid exploration of the subject matter, constantly evolving. He is not as concerned with replication as he is about connecting and conveying that connection to the viewer.
• Concept: Russell is interested in the exploration of nature and our interactions with it. "He looks at the earth and cosmos as a source of mysticism, purpose, and wholeness that is within the realms of science rather than the supernatural" (chrisrussellart.blogspot.com). He explores natural cycles, geometry within nature, mysticism, wholeness/purpose within nature, outdoor lifestyle, and traditional nature-based spirituality.

Tim Eitel

• Image: figures, everyday situations, garbage, sidewalk curbs, pigeons
• Process: photo-realism; recognisable images in an abstracted space; flattened background; oil on canvas.
• Concept: Eitel is interested in presenting the “invisible” to the viewer--scenes from everyday life that might easily be overlooked. He allows the narrative to be ambiguous so that the viewer must create context and meaning from what they “know”. The images he uses are “fragments of images and memories” that he isolates from any sure environment, “but Eitel achieves this so undramatically, that the viewer merely has the sense of something intangible going on between the brushstrokes.”

Karla Wozniak

• Image: buildings, signs, advertisement, roadside, cityscape
• Process: Wozniak works from photos taken by herself on road-trips across the US. She collages images from multiple photographs together in their paintings to create an overall sense of place. She uses the tactility of the surface in different ways depending on the subject, and goes through a process of layering and scraping to achieve a sense of time and change that these places have undergone. She uses a mix of different media including oil, acrylic, collage, watercolor, graphite, etc...
• Concept: Wozniak is interested in urban and rural development and she specifically alludes to historic architects and urban planners in her work. She explores the concept of time, change, and sense of place, mainly through the depiction of the contemporary American landscape, focusing on signage and advertisements.

Melissa Cowper-Smith

• Image: household interiors, objects (cup, plant, lip gloss, lamp, dishes, etc..), chairs
• Process: different viewpoints in the same painting; painterly technique and mark-making; “strong playful palette”; collage, acrylic paint on canvas; digital prints.
• Concept: Melissa says that she is interested in “interested in the experience of memory, as it is constructed by interacting with objects, space and narrative.” She is exploring how objects and spaces become more then just things but gather sentimental significance and help define our memories and associations.

Found a new artist...

...and I think I'm in love...

...with Sofia Arnold.

http://sofia-arnold.com/index.html

P.S. she works in acrylics :)