I’ve been eye deep in excel this week, so no art, so I decided to make a a video of 2021 art. digitalart #art #kunst #peinture #artwork #cryptoart #cryptoartist from 2021. Themes include #empowerment #fragility & #beauty of #life #nature #selfworth #struggle #acceptance #women #war #dnd #fantasy #scifiart the #psyche etc.
YouTube because somehow the video wouldn’t upload here. It will open in a separate tab.
So I throw all these words out to explain my #art but really, it comes down to mood as the #artwork progresses. This was first focused on #hair – I am not apologetic for objectifying luscious locks – then it moved into the #goth #vampire realm ( #notsorry ) and then setting back into #nature (which I love) – I’ll let you figure out how vampires are #victims and apply that to the damage humans are doing to our madre de #nature. I really shouldn’t even bother with trying to explain it, but for my three fans I will sacrifice :). I mean, it’s not like an influencer like Waagen is going to come along in 250 years and hawk my stuff to wealthy Parisians, while calling it emblematic of the American Golden Age to make a buck. But I digress. Hope you enjoy it.
A triptych as my last digital artwork. I’ve run out of ideas and must find something else. The three paintings explore nothing, and maybe have some intrinsic meaning, but in my current state, I got nothing. I think the most fun part was exploring camera techniques, playing with blades, lens thickness and f/stop. Anywho, without further ado….
It’s a triptych, there is no part four 🙂
This started as on of the typical full gymnast / ballerina poses to try and box the photo. I then realized I needed another dancer to do that. That worked but it was boring. Then as I was going through the color coordination of the outfits, I was, like, “what if I took the floor away? No one has gotten that shot before.” So I did, and did. Then I was reminded of the scene from ‘Scott Pilgrim Verses the World’ where Wallace is telling Scott that if he really wants the girl, he has to give into the ‘L-word’, to which Scott answers “Lesbian?” and Wallace says “It’s ‘Love’, I wasn’t trying to trick you.” So, I may have incorporated that into the scene. Lastly, I worked on the camera focus, aperture blades and whatnot. So, that’s the process, kind of ho-hum. The result is two interpretative dancers practicing for the stage in the future.
If you didn’t know by now, a lot of my art is inspired by, and moves with, changes in music playlists. I never start with an idea in mind, I just create. I was listening to the 1980’s power-house, Michael Jackson, and my art skewed towards the decade of glam. Who was arguably the most iconic artist of the decade and my first favorite artist? Patrick Nagel. I channeled him and created a “what’s old is new again” composition. The difference? This is 3D. I accomplished the background with a bunch of primitive shapes. So, taking this month out in classic eighties style, I give you Billie Jean.
I’m truly sorry I’ve not done anything in the last couple of days. I’m working through proposals at work (to pay for my art!) and skin cancer to boot, but last night at 3ish, I made this video of recent art (going back to October (ish). I’ll get creative again soon! I kind of want to do a full length video of all the artwork I’ve done, but it would be significantly longer than 2 minutes – more along the lines of an hour. Maybe over the holiday weekend.
Remember when you were a kid, and you pretended you were on a rocket ship or airplane as you tried to swing higher and higher? That’s the feeling I’m going for with this. Whether or not I’ve achieved it is up to you, as that is the purpose of art. It’s a fantasy piece, to end a not so great year and bring in a new one full of hope, happiness, and dreams. I could explain the piece but I’m hoping you get it without that bit of tediousness. Happy New Year.
Well, November is over. I came in at just under 21 pieces of artwork, or 70% efficiency. For those who may have missed one or two, I’ve collected all of November below. The last piece I did was technically published in the wee hours of December 1, so I have to include it there.
Why do I keep track? Art is what I do instead of playing video games (lots of time lost there in the past) or binge watching TV (also lots of time lost in the past) – but no ‘regerts’, as the meme with the misspelled tattoo suggests.
In all seriousness, keeping track helps me to realize the value of time, since, as an artist going for fame and glory three-hundred years from now, there is precious little of it. Time is the one irreplaceable thing we have, so I want to make the most of it.
Without further ado, I give you November.
Note: there are some closeups, so there are 24 photos in all.
So what was November about? I think my themes were generally the power and beauty of woman, irony (as always throughout my work) and hope. Thoughts? What did you see in the artwork? Commentary welcome!
One of the types of art I’ve enjoyed creating is the juxtaposition of adrenaline charged high fantasy, with the cold mundane-ness of reality. I’ve done a few creations to this end. Let’s explore:
The first is, “A Warrior Walks into a Bar.” I created this from multiple angles, because there is a lot more going on than just another portrait.
I did a second take to focus more on the server and her reaction to the impossibility of someone bringing their horse into the bar – which has been done in cinema.
Another cool thing about alternate angles is that it can showcase other players in the scene and what they are really doing, for example, the bartender saying to the Warrior that horses are definitely not allowed in the bar.
Finally, there’s the boredom that any gamer feels when having to ‘adult.’ In this case, our hero can’t wait to get out and slay the dragon, but she has to do the TPS report first.
I just looked at my site and saw my last article was published in April of 2018, almost a year ago. For those that held on, thank you!
Where did I go? The short answer is ‘nowhere’; which is both true and ironic. I’ve been working a lot. Since being mortal is part of the human condition, I had to eat, pay rent, etc., and as we all know, art doesn’t a living make, unless you know people, have rich parents, or are talented enough to rise above the noise of the global art market – a billion artists souls vying for your eyeball time.
I haven’t been painting on canvas, per se. Like her musical sister in 2013, that Muse packed her bags and left me for brighter pigments. I’ve had a canvas on by easel since April, but all I’ve managed to do is hit it now and then with a duster and compressed air.
I have been exploring the other arts, like digital illustration, writing, and painting miniatures (which I did as a teenager). I’ve also been taking the aforesaid miniatures and composing photographic scenes, which is fun in itself.
Here’s some of the work I’ve been doing. I usually post to Instagram first, but since I’m paying for this site, I might as well use it, eh?
So, have I been productive? That depends on what one considers art. I’ll leave that for you to decide. Some day, canvas muse may come back, or rekindle as the musical muse did briefly, but I’ll always be doing something creative.
I may add some highlights to the Roses, but I’m bored, and as Rey found out when turning over her scavenged goods on Jakku, what was worth four rations yesterday, is only worth 1/2 today.
About the painting:
The idea stems from an audial affair I had with an old friend, Concrete Blonde. Concrete Blonde, for those wondering, is an 80’s band fronted by still smoking hot bassist Johnette Napolitano. Her gothic voice, driving rythym, and intense lyrics sucked me right back in as I was navigating my music collection.
I was listening to the song ‘Caroline’ a lot, especially on my many recent road trips. One day, curious, I pulled up the video…
…And I sort of became inspired. So, the rocker in the painting is Johnette, although I’m horrible at 1:1 realism, and she’s wearing the dress from the video. I took artistic license with the guitar, sue me. Here’s a still:
The roses? The song ‘Caroline’ is from the album ‘Bloodlettng’, which is chock full of roses. It’s been remastered for its 20th anniversary, by the way:
So that is the story. I guess you could call it fan art? Really, it’s stream of consciousness painting to good music.
As for the title? Nature does rock. It fits and I’m a fan.
“Everyone knew the war would one day end. It had raged for eons since Lucifer decided he would rather own his house than pay rent. The sides of light and darkness had fought themselves to a standstill. “If only God’s pets could see the ethereal ruin that lay in between their Starbucks and obsession with the Kardashians,” most angels mused to themselves as the conflict went on.
What no one expected, was for the war to end today. No one foresaw that the strongest of the Angels would exercise her free will, just as Lucifer had at the beginning of time. She had grown weary of the routine, the constant pressure of vigilance, of maintaining the balance, and had decided to do something about it. She would become what God loved most – human.
As her wings relented under the blade, tremors shook the ethereal, summoning Lucifer to her side. He loved her, this angel, his greatest threat. He had held her in greater esteem than those braggarts Michael and Gabriel. She, who had fought him to an aeons-long standstill, had earned his respect, and worse, corrupted the purity of his hate with love, however selfish.
She had chosen to become mortal, a contemptible, imperfect, creature that had what all angels desired. Now, the balance had shifted. He had loathed the favorites of God, he had achieved self-actualization through his torment of them – and now she was one of them! Could he go on destroying them? His heart sank at the only conclusion he could reach. The war was over.”