Get Your Paint On - Beyond Basics

I enjoy taking art classes (online or in real life) and I like the challenge of creating new work that I otherwise wouldn't do. The Get Your Paint On -Beyond Basics online class actually requires you to slow down and focus on the very act of painting, which is always a difficulty for me. I like to slap the paint on, then go back and fix the mistakes. This time, I'm still slapping the paint on, but I'm doing it in layers and taking my time. Here are progress shots:

I went from three paintings to focusing on just one. I'll probably come around to the other two surfaces later.

Inspiration!

I've signed up for Get Your Paint On: Beyond the Basics E-course and I'm totally stoked! Like I need ANOTHER thing on my plate, but hey, it'll be fun! This week we're all talking about inspiration, where to find it and what to do with it. 

Yesterday I drove up to Atlanta to see the Picasso to Warhol exhibit at the High Museum of Art. They were offering half off the price of admission because it was Picasso's birthday. I've seen the permanent collections many times, so I knew this trip would be short and sweet and I'd be back in time to get the kiddo from school. 

The first thing you see is Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a highly sensitive person and I can cry at the drop of a hat. Well, I have to admit, seeing this amazing Picasso painting brought me to tears. Thank goodness I went alone! The rest of his paintings were equally amazing. Then there was Matisse's Dance (1)! It's huge and magnificent and I'm trying my best not to type in ALL CAPS but seriously...OMG is all I can say. Matisse AND Picasso? Be still, my beating heart! 

The rest of the exhibit was just as beautiful and I couldn't believe I was seeing all this art in real life instead of in books and magazines. I made a pact with myself that I would bring Maz to this exhibit soon. 

I wanted to buy everything in the gift shop but only had a few bucks. So I added some postcards to my lovely collection. I drove home with my artistic soul filled and a smile on my face. I'm SO READY to get my paint on!

Are you as emotional as I am when it comes to art museums?

Get Your Paint On, Week Three

6" x 6" acrylic on canvas

This painting started out as something completely different. I painted and painted on Tuesday, then painted over everything on Wednesday. I liked the colors I was working with, just not the image. Then I figured, hey, just keep it simple, paint what you like, and here you go: I like foxes and I like portraits...so, baby fox portrait.

I started out with two layers of dark green. Added a layer of teal, then more dark green, and a layer of off-white. Then painted on the fox, added the dark gray lines, then painted the teal background. Then adding touch-ups here and there, and added more teal with a little hint of dark gray.

I was so excited about this adorable painting, and I couldn't wait to share it. I already see a few small (very small) things I'd like to change, and probably will after this weekend.

I've been wanting to paint animals lately and I'm so glad I finally had the chance to do so!

FYI: Totally late on posting this! I got caught up in the frenzy that is last minute preparation for the annual spring play. I'll get back to regular blog posting this week!

Get Your Paint On, Week Three Progress

This week's Get Your Paint On assignment involves mixing your own colors. I chose a few colors from my everyday life, and tried my best to mix the right shades. The green's like my car, the red is very much like my favorite lipgloss, the dark grey is from the hoodie I was wearing this morning. The off-white is, well, not matched to anything, but I felt I needed a lighter color in my palette, and white wasn't going to work at all. 
I painted for a little bit today, not as much as I wanted, though. The school called and said my girl wasn't feeling good and wanted to come home. We're enjoying the rest of the day on the couch and in front of the tv. 

Get Your Paint On, Week Two

24" x 12" Acrylic on Canvas.

I kept Week Two's painting simple because I only had one day to complete it due to my super-busy schedule. I still need to put a few coats of clear medium on it, and that's just going to be on my to-do list for a hot minute. Painting this brought me back to my college days (remember my inspiration post?) and I think I started missing how I used to paint back then. I feel like I used to experiment more with texture and layers (spraying water on wet acrylic, scrubbing the paintbrush on the canvas, etc.) and perhaps it was because I was trying to figure out my artistic voice.

This week is just as busy as last, and I'm worried I won't do as well as I should in this class. But! I shouldn't spend too much time worrying and more time just making art. I have some props to create for a play that's opening next week, as well as some tattoo designs to create, so my plate's pretty full.

Here's to being an artist! I wouldn't change it for the world!

Get Your Paint On, Week Two Progress

For week two of Get Your Paint On, I'm allowing myself to paint freely and without a specific plan. I started with a canvas that was mess from an unfinished project and painted thin layers of ivory over it. The Basquiat crowns were applied with a thick layer of Crimson acrylic and Soft Gel Medium. I'm waiting on the crowns to dry before adding a final touch. If this painting turns out half as good as the image in my head, I'll be happy. 

Inspiration

I graduated high school in 2000, and after a quick summer waiting tables, I started attending the nearby college. Classes were early, a little too early, and I found myself not caring about any of the courses besides Art. The introductory art class started at 8 a.m. and I had to get up much earlier to make the 30-45 minute drive. My professor was brilliant, calm, encouraging, and well, just wanted his students to do what they wanted. He'd give us a general direction and we'd make art.

This was ten years ago, I was 18 going on 19 going on the rest of my life, and I always knew I would create, maybe not for a living, but I'd still make stuff. I'd spent most of my childhood drawing (mostly copying cartoons and comics) and after a sudden move to the city, I did very well in High School Art classes.

Three (maybe two and a half? I started skipping a lot towards the end) semesters of Art class passed before I dropped out completely and moved on to just waiting tables and being pregnant, but one thing stayed with me: the love of art and the art-making process, and more specifically, the love of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

One of the finals in the Art class was to watch art-related movies and documentaries and write papers about them. The professor provided a long list of accepted movies and that's where I came across Basquiat. I rented it from BlockBuster (they had a very small number of the movies on the list) and watched it...and watched it over and over. I admit, Jean-Michel looked a lot like a friend from Middle School that I missed dearly so my attraction to him and his artwork felt sentimental.

On my table, a photo created using the Poladriod Project.

Basquiat's work appeals to me and continues to inspire me because it feels vulnerable, and in some ways innocent. Jean-Michel took his experiences and put them on paper or canvas for everyone to see. He told a story every time, whether or not you could see it directly.

I've never been one to ramble on and on about art, and in all honesty, if this were a real life conversation there would be plenty of hand gestures and sighing. Words fail me when describing important feelings and ideas, and perhaps that's why I paint, so to hear me talk about art would be like: "I feel *sigh* about this".

Cadmium by Jean-Michel Basquiat

I finally got to see one of Basquiat's original paintings at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta this past December. When I spotted it across the way, right after the elevator doors opened, I almost sprinted right to it. I was lost in this feeling of gratefulness, since in previous visits to the High I had been unable to find this painting. Finally, I've seen his work in person, not in some book or online gallery, in real life. *sigh*

This week's Get Your Paint On assignment includes finding work that inspires you. At first, I was overwhelmed about trying to find just one artist; I have a tendency to change my inspirations from week to week, but then I found out a new Basquiat documentary had been released and available to watch instantly on Netflix, so I sat down to watch it this morning and felt inspired to write this post. 
Jean-Michel Basquiat is an inspiration to me, and watching footage of him working makes me want to sit down and paint for hours. I cannot wait to get down to the studio.
Other inspiring DVDs in my collection: Frida, Pollock, How to Draw a Bunny, Exit Through the Gift Shop, & Beautiful Losers. What DVD do you watch when you're in need of some inspiration?

Get Your Paint On, Week One

8" x 10" Acrylic on Studio Panel

The first week of Get Your Paint On is going well. Yesterday I shared my progress, and here's the completed painting. The inspiration was the Quilts of Gee's Bend, and I thought I would keep my painting simple and neat.

Usually, for such a graphic painting like this, I would measure out exactly where each rectangle would go and tape off the lines so I could easily get perfect edges. Well, not for this painting. I sketched in the rectangles and started painting! I limited my palette to three colors, a teal, an ivory, and bright red. I spent plenty of time fretting over the lines until I thought, eh, just let go...just paint...enjoy the process. I listened to a few episodes of This American Life and focused on just the simple act of painting, something I haven't done in awhile.

Here are a few things I've learned:

• I need to upgrade my acrylic paints! I cannot keep painting with cheap paints! (living in a small town does have its drawbacks, I'll have to drive an hour to the nearest art store.)
• I love painting on these Artists Boards, I had one leftover from a project from last summer. (I want to buy more, but I vowed to not buy any more supplies for the rest of the month.)
• I really should sketch and think my projects through instead of just jumping right in to it. (But what's the fun in that?!)

I'm looking forward to seeing what the other students have painted! I'm enjoying this class so much! Especially since I can totally stay in my pajamas all morning. 

On My Desk Wednesday

My painting for the Get Your Paint On ecourse. I'm finished and I can't wait to share it!

Let's Be Honest

Ok, I admit, I feel like I've hit some sort of slump lately. I don't know if it's due to the weather (snowed in for three days last week, now two days of dreary, rainy skies), or just general laziness, but I just cannot get out from under my Snuggie to make some art. I've been running errands this morning, and sat down for a bit to read, but still no art-making. I have several things to do this evening so I know I won't be able to get down to the studio tonight. Perhaps, there's always tomorrow? And tomorrow? And tomorrow?

I've decided that I will enroll in an ecourse: Get Your Paint On: A Five Week Painting Class with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough from January 31 to March 4, 2011.

Click the link for more info!

I've adored Lisa Congdon's work for awhile, and have some of her prints around my station at the tattoo shop. After looking at Mati's work, I'm feeling inspired to paint again (just have to find the time!). I'm pretty sure this course will help get into the swing of things! I've actually deemed this year to be the year of Work, and by golly, I need to do some work! Artwork, that is!