More Bleach Drawings

Word for the day....

   Autogenous -  self-generated,  from the Greek autos "self" + genes "formation, creation"

 In looking for something to draw in bleach I took inspiration from the bleach bottle right in front of me.  That is when I found I was fascinated with the circular idea of something that is made from itself.  It might be interesting to do a series of artwork where the representation of the subject is produced from itself.

   As far as the other subject goes--
For those who haven't heard of coral bleaching disease  & want to learn a little, here is my short explanation....

Healthy corals form a symbiotic relationship with algae which live within their cells.  The coral "breathes" out CO2 to feed the algae and the algae "leak" out sugars which feeds the coral.  Coral bleaching occurs when the coral expels the pigmented algae from its cells and turns white.  No one seems to know for sure why this occurs but it is thought to be linked to stressors in the environment like increase in temperature (global warming) and pollution which effect this fragile relationship.  Eventually the coral dies (and then only the white skeleton is left).

   Some sources predict loss of our reefs in the next 100 years.  Aside from the their beauty, corals have also been found to contain some substances which may be potential chemotherapy agents.
I hope my drawing disappears long before we loose our coral reefs if either are destined to fade away.

Playing with Photoshop again

Photos of subjects I collected from nature at rest.
(For some reason to me there is nothing sadder than a dead bee, don't you agree?)

Harry Harlow's experiment in the 21st century

graphite on paper 24" x 30"

   In our future, I hope we are not moving towards a social world which exchanges technology for direct human contact (...this I state as I ironically sit by myself at the computer and type up this post).  But if it is a choice of text message or nothing I suppose most would opt for the text.

   This scene might look slightly familiar to anyone who took a science or psychology class.  I would venture to say that those textbook photos evoke a reaction in most readers.  You can find some info on the 1950s Harry Harlow's experiments with baby rhesus monkeys & social isolation here (Harry Harlow).  I am not sure what definitive info was gained in doing them but it is clear that the costs upon its monkey participants were great.  From what I have read, these experiments led to questioning the ethics involved in the treatment of laboratory animals.  I don't think that such experiments would be permitted today, so thankfully this drawing is entirely fictional.

   On a side track, in regards to the subject of captive primates and social isolation, there is a recent documentary called Project Nim (http://www.project-nim.com/) which follows the life of a signing chimp named Nim and the effects that the human world had upon him.  Evidently not every signing primate has a life story like Koko the gorilla. 

Drawing with Bleach



"Bleached Black Sheep"

   Yes, your mother probably told you not to play with bleach when you were little but despite the hazards it can produce some interesting effects on black paper.  Above is the result of my experimenting with drawing with straight household bleach (in a well ventilated area of course) using wooden toothpicks or chopsticks to apply it to the paper.  I found this new "media" to be very unpredictable when trying to produce lighter or darker lines (more bleach doesn't always create a lighter line--- I think probably that the air exposure/chemical reaction upon the dye in the paper has more influence...should look this up).  Different types of black paper also give different results; anything from browns to coppers, to yellows to faded bluish colors.  The paper used above is Strathmore's Artagain brand.

   Of course this type of art is very impermanent.  Eventually when the whole paper fades your lines will disappear into the bleached void like disappearing ink--it has a definite lifespan.  I like the idea of mixing this concept with the idea/subject matter of the drawing involved.  One of the things I try to consider when thinking about and looking at art is the media chosen.....what is its significance to the work, how would the work change if another material was used.

Rodent Skull

A paper-weight "800 lb Gorilla"

 This is an older "big" drawing I started about a year back I decided to work on again.  

In regards to the subject, I was pondering whether the need for a religious explanation of the world only comes from awareness of self.  When we were little what was it like before any idea (not necessarily belief) of "god" exists in our mind or was it always there?  What is external or internal?  (Also...not so deep, just thought it would be "cool" to draw a really big gorilla.)  

In something I was reading recently I came across the animal metaphor/phrase about the 800 lb gorilla which refers to an entity so powerful it can do whatever it pleases (I guess most gorillas weigh less than 800 lbs).  I thought that this put an interesting spin on the picture.
Although to some there might be more satisfaction with one definite statement it seems better if art can act as a catalyst for further thought.
Need to work on anatomy some more---too bad there aren't many gorilla models about to pose.

Getting tired of this one yet?

Have to admit I have been working on some other projects too....I definitely have artist attention deficit disorder (AADD).

big board update

Contemplating Nothing & Spring Break

The empty shell of these crawdad claws somehow reminded me of the picture done by Durer of hands praying.  Their position seems to be folded in peaceful thought yet the thinking parts above are missing.  Thinking about "contemplating nothing" resulted in this drawing.  Since the concept seems to be the opposite of an exclamation I placed the items in an upsidedown exclamation mark......perhaps too much thinking on my part......?   Not sure I like the result since it seems so plain but maybe that is the point of the subject.

Looking forward to working on some more art during the break. 

Upon Reflection

Sometimes reflection is the more interesting view....which pair do you see life thru?

(Colors in the reflection were actually caught by the camera...not created by photoshop)

What if Georgia O'Keeffe had Photoshop..........

 

I've been taking a class in photoshop recently.  The above is from an old photo I took of a peony.  I don't know too much yet but it is fun to play around with the filters.  If you can't afford the software there are many similar image editing programs out there to get creative with for free.  One that comes to mind is GIMP--- here is a link to download http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Hope to keep it going during classes.....

Big Board continued

Had to take a break on the background... was getting pulled down by the undertow.

Missing work with charcoal

Seems like there are many paradoxical tasks we set for ourselves.

  Remember to Forget (or, if you'd rather...forget to remember).

  

With charcoal it seems that the type of paper/ground you work on often determines the effect of the results more than the medium itself.  I like working with it but I have yet to figure out how to get great detail on a smaller scale.  It usually erases easily so you can create highlights by "carving away" at it...but the one thing I dislike is how sometimes the oil from your fingers etc. (I think) will cause spots where the charcoal "stains" the paper and can't be removed. (Might be obvious but don't sneeze on your paper and expect to get great blending results.)

When your subject makes a house-call

 

I first noticed this visitor in a tree outside my window on my b-day (hopefully not a ominous sign) and since then it appears he/she has decided to roost there for the nights off and on.  Not a great photo but it is the best my camera can do at a distance.  Despite their social stigma they really are graceful birds.  Love to watch them fly, plus they recycle.

It makes me wonder if could solicit a free critique of the pic from my last post by taking it outside and placing it by the tree?.....

Looking for beauty......or past it.

"Ugliness is in a way superior to beauty because it lasts." 

-(Serge Gainsbourg)

  I like this quote although I can't say I completely agree with it because not much of anything lasts.  It might seem like "ugly" lasts because for whatever reasons many of us don't spend too much time observing it.

Here is a project I started a little while back.  It may not be a favorable subject for some.  Here is the progression.

 

This unfortunate road crosser happened to end up along the side of the road in some debris where he/she went unnoticed for burial for a few weeks.  After getting used to encountering him/her along many a walk you could sense a presence (of the absence) of the critter that once was.  Although perhaps more sanitary, it was a little sad when someone finally removed him/her.....kinda like he/she died again.

Probably going to add a little more to this a little later on.   

Big Board cont.

A little more work done.....experimenting with gold.

What do broke artists paint?





Adding to the board

Design & Style......creating a stylized version of something is usually on the edge of my comfort zone.

Looking at many of the old Indian Court paintings I'd like to incorporate a background utilizing patterns and designs (without too much distraction from the subject).  I attempted to create some of my own simple patterns to add to the board.  Simple done well always seems complex.

 

Trying out colors with a little water mixable oils (a media oxymoron).

Going to take a long time to cover....

A Really Big Blank Board

     I bought this ampersand gesso board 36" x 48" a few years back (when $$$ was more plentiful) and although I had a project idea in mind then I put off working on it (...esp. since lately mistakes & materials are more expensive for the budget than they used to be).  Well knowing me, instead of finishing some of my other projects I find interest in restarting this one.

I have to admit I envy the clean, white, blank state of this board---on those insomnia-full nights I wish I could exchange the sleep-depriving contents of my mind for such but I digress.

       Although the board comes with a gesso surface, I sprayed a few coats of Krylon Spray Gesso which seems to help grip and absorb the first few layers of paint a little better.  Next I trace some of my drawings (I worked on previously) and use these to come up with an arrangement to transfer to the board.

   And thus a beginning.  Now to figure out how to obtain enough paint to cover.  In case there is any future curiosity about my subject choices I took inspiration from a marble soda, 16th-19th century Indian Court paintings, the pelican, & Shiva's self-sacrifice in the Samudra Manthan (you can read about the latter here if interested Samudra Manthan ).

More to come.....

In Memoriam--2011 Figurative Artists

     Like many others, I was saddened earlier this year to hear of the loss of the figurative artist Lucian Freud.  You always wonder about that last work in progress that may have gone unfinished, where it ends up, and if anyone was privy to knowing the artist's thoughts about it before his/her departure.

Another artist George Tooker, one of my favorites (who may not have been known as well as Freud) also passed on at the beginning of the year.  Tooker worked almost entirely with egg tempera paint and is probably best known for his paintings done during the 1950s which depict a Kafka-like modern social environment.  They do a good job of expressing that alone in a crowd feeling; human disconnection resulting from a system designed for the masses that overlooks the individual.

     However, Tooker's work is not limited to this subject---he has many other works showing the warmer side of human emotion.  He seems to have a unique way of rendering an expressive face.  I also like the use of perspective in many of his works.  It is interesting to see the pencil studies of these.

Here is one of his works from the Whitney Museum of Art collection, The Subway (1950).  The link to the museum and work is referenced below.

http://www.whitney.org/Collection/GeorgeTooker  

Creativity & Vik Muniz

Older but worth watching--here's an interesting talk with artist Vik Muniz

This video among lots of interesting others can be found at the TED website  http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/art. 
If you are curious what kind of art can be made with chocolate syrup, diamonds, and thread check out the artist's own website here http://www.vikmuniz.net/ ( Vik Muniz's oscar nominated documentary Waste Land is also noteworthy.  I love it when art is mixed with social issues and collaborative effort.  On the same topic Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds is another project that comes to mind.)

Pen Sketches & Devils of the Tasmanian type

Here are a few pen sketches of possible subject matter for a new project.  I have a tendency to avoid working with mediums that aren't easily fixable when you make mistakes....gotta get over this.

Interesting fact about Tasmanian devils--they are on the decline due to something called (DFTD) Devil Facial Tumor Disease, a transmissible cancer, meaning that it is contagious among the species.  Transmissible cancer is rare in humans.  It spreads from one "devil" to another "devil" by bite wounds that occur when fighting.  Devils with the disease develop tumors on the face and mouth, are eventually unable to eat, and starve to death---a horrible way to go.

 Just naive speculation on my part,  but it is interesting that individuals who fight less may be more likely to survive and pass on their peaceful(?) genes.  Typically Nature seems to be unconcerned with moral goals but here might be a case where peace is favored.  Ironically the devils may be evolving into angels after a few Darwinian generations...?

By the way, if you ever listen to a recording of the noise a tasmanian devil makes will understand why they've been given their unfortunate name.

Traffic

My experiment in posting a video.

(may take a while to come up)

A video for the truely bored.  Only using one lane--- but they stay inside the lines pretty well. 

Ostriches, wrinkles, and large scale drawings

Here is the progress of my attempts at rendering a life-size ostrich with mixed media on a large Fredrix "watercolor" canvas started earlier this year.  I find that drawing things on a larger scale is almost another art form.  It also becomes a task requiring more physical activity (which is probably good for you too).  I've only drawn on this scale few times before working on this project.  Without thinking, I started with a pencil sketch and painted a background on the un-stretched canvas with a dilute ink mixture which caused some serious buckling.  After many an hour of ironing it to a flat state I started painting/drawing with ink, gouache, and pastel.  I looked at what seemed like a million images of ostriches before drawing the first smaller version. (Without having a live ostrich to pose it can be tricky to come up with a novel natural looking stance.)  Not sure if it is coincidence, but usually after starting any project I always find that your subject pops up in life somehow.  In this case the HP tablet commercial with Russell Brand and the ostrich seemed to be all over the place--all I could think is forget the tablet, that lucky guy, he has the real thing running around his place!  Honestly, I started the project before seeing the commercial. 

I want to darken things up (I always tend to go too light) and add a sky but wasn't sure yet of how to display an un-stretched canvas which is where I've left off.  I may sew a piece of canvas across the top and put some eyelet holes from which it could hang. (I'm thinking kind of like the Leon Golub canvases.  Speaking of which here is a link if you haven't seen any of his work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0IiAYeHKBc )

Welcome to my blog

In keeping this blog I hope to motivate myself to finish some of the projects I start that have gone to the waiting place (sometimes never to be revived).  I hope that this space can provide others with links and media to inspire or be useful in some way.  There is so much I have learned simply by seeing the process of how others go about creating art. I am grateful to those who share their methods.  I don't consider myself a writer so bear with me thru awkward text.

Art can be a new way of seeing, thinking, or using your senses to experience the world.  I love the feeling of allowing your world to expand when you see the same ole same ole in a new way.  Possibility is freedom.