Daydreaming invites you to lie back and look up—right from the tangled base of a blooming cherry blossom. The perspective flips the traditional view of flowering trees, pulling you into the roots and letting the blossoms bloom upward like thoughts rising through a spring-warmed mind. Painted in layered acrylics with thick impasto texture and scattered … Read more
It’s about spring, bees and their interaction with glasses that contain sweet drinks. It’s a baby step back into production after having a mind block for a month.
The Bluebell is a tree that blooms only once in a 1000 years, it’s bioluminescent flowers both fragrant and beautiful. The sentient tree is shy, however, and pulls its azure petals in tightly when gazed upon, so one must trick it by using a mirror or camera to view it.
Close up of Winter’s Odium, Looking Head-onI’m being told that, as an artist, I need to explain my work and process more. This bit of advice comes from a source that I came across when trying to figure out how to break into the big leagues of the art world – besides spending tens of thousands on a BFA/MFA which will get me connections. I’ve never liked networking, which explains job-hunting difficulties in the past. Plus, a degree in the arts isn’t my cup of tea. I’d rather draw exclusively on the creativity inside and discover things on my own – like the measurements involved in the human face, or the structure of leaves.
Winter’s OdiumBut I digress. About my latest work, at first glance, it looks like a kid had a tantrum while holding paint. Yet there is a lot more going on in the work than initially presents itself.
Like an onion, but not an ogre, this painting has layers. The overall theme of the work is the transition from winter to spring.
Initially, the painting was inspired by a cherry tree I saw when coming off the escalator at Federal Center SW, in DC. It was way too early, and the tree’s blossoms were interacting with a nearby streetlight in an awesome way. Yes, it’s the little things in life.
Winter’s Odium, Side Angle, Close UpMy idea was to paint the tree / light combo as if I were a passenger in a car speeding by. I’m still going to do another work based on this idea, but for this one, a shiny object was thrown in my way early in the process.
If you know me, I have a morbid side. I’ll wait for the eye rolls and statements of strenuous affirmation to stop…. Okay, I love crime shows (‘Dexter’ anyone?, ‘Forensic Files’?) and horror movies.
How It Looks on a Wall, Left AngleSo I was watching ‘Midnight Meat Train’, a slasher flick that made its way back onto Netflix after years of being absent. The movie is about a butcher harvesting humans on late night trains in NYC for a group of primordial monsters.
What does this have to do with the painting? I’m getting there 🙂 There is this part in the movie where this girl is being dragged along the bloody floor of the train. A thought occurred to me, so I paused the movie. I looked at the scene, and then looked at my painting. I cocked my head sideways, and then rotated the painting 90 degrees. I had it! I would paint the death of winter in the colors of spring.
How It Looks on a Wall, Right AngleThere’s another part of the movie that talks about art, which resonated with me, but I don’t want to stray off topic too much. So this girl is being dragged along the bloody floor, I thought to myself that it looks like winter being dragged off by spring. The hands were the trees, while the floor was time. You can see the result under the layers of color; look for the red and bone colors.
The next day, as my depression was at a momentary winter of its discontent, I thought maybe I should brighten up the scene, turn it to spring – but in an abstract sense. I broke out the colors, et voila. Greens and pinks symbolize the blooming of spring.
Head-on Shot with Overhead LightOver the succeeding days, I added light; which I’m infatuated with. You can see the sunlight reflected in the yellows and the flashes of white. The white was inspired by what happens when you’re riding (hopefully not driving) in a car with your eyes closed and the Sun is flashing through the trees.
So that is it in a nutshell. I really don’t pre-plan my work – beyond thinking about how something should go in my head. Once the paint starts flying, as in this case literally all over the room (security deposit revoked), I go where my instincts tell me to go.
Winter’s Odium, March 2017, 18″ x 24″. Acrylic on canvas. The variety of angles shows how it could look on your wall. For Sale, $600 (I need to make up that security deposit).
It’s not my worst, there’s a couple I haven’t shown anyone. Still, I’m putting this one aside. I can’t think of how I can make it work, so I’m moving on. On the positive side, I have done something for March; which has not been the greatest month for me.
About it? It started as a concept called Fruit Fly. I was going to do oranges with gossamer wings – don’t ask, sometimes I don’t know where my ideas come from. I eventually abandoned that, and went with Butterflies, since it’s Spring. The title evolved from the original fruit (sliced oranges), the wine-like background, and the beverage I was drinking at the time.
Deep in the night as the vernal equinox reaches its apex; while the moon blankets the land in cold light; the sleeping children of Nature stir. The trees begin the dance of awakening, twisting and undulating in reverent celebration. Their movement coaxes the Earth Mother to coalescence; like the creation of a galaxy, swirling, spinning, concentrating the forces of life against those of decay. The first buds begin to bloom, a supernova of light their birth cry – Spring has arrived.
That was the thought. I’m fascinated with the pagan past of humanity, wrapped in rich mysticism which is completely the opposite of the modern fascination with the cold facts of science. This interest is reflected in this painting.
P.S. There are no people in the painting.
The painting itself is a mix of spray paint and acrylic brushwork. It is flawed, at least I see the big flaw, but until I figure out how to fix it without destroying the composition, I guess its finished. The dimensions are 18 x 24. It’s for sale at $200 plus shipping (should be about $20, I’ll pick up anything above that).
