I want an art allowance!

Small Collectors - wealthy kids buy fancy art

Collage play

This month's art projects are all about playing around. I don't really care what the final products look like - just so long as I experiment and enjoy it.

This collage is made up of images from college alumni magazines and Italian food magazines. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep working on it, or just move on to something else. That's part of the fun of playing - if I don't feel like finishing a project, I don't have to. Just the process has given me some ideas for future projects.

Just play

I've hit a big lull in my artistic production these days. It kind of feeds on itself, this lack of production, until it becomes really difficult to jump back in. So this month, I've decided to up my output by lowering my standards. It doesn't really matter what I create, as long as I'm creating. No pressure, just play.

As a start, I played around with some new water-soluble crayons this weekend. Next I think I'm going to cut up some magazines and make some silly collages.

Photo Friday: Unfinished

Unfortunately I have way too many 'unfinished' ones lying around.

Progress

I have taken much too long of a hiatus from my painting. I have four canvases in progress, all of which were started months ago. This one, Tomoko, which I was most afraid of ruining, is finally coming along. I basically destroyed the face and started it again, but without changing the layout. I am happy with the progress I'm making on it. I think it's time to leave it for a bit and move onto one of the other works in progress.

An interesting little tour of women in art

Work in Progress: Tomoko

I often reach a point in a painting where I really love something about it, even though I don't love it as a whole and I know it's not finished. I get kind of panicky at this point, because I'm afraid that if I work on the painting too much more, I'll ruin whatever it is that I love about it.

Take this demo done by another artist, for example. I like several of the early drafts of his work - how did he know to keep going? Perhaps because he had a clear image of the goal, perhaps because he was following a certain technique. I'm still experimenting with my techniques, and don't know what my finished paintings will look like when I start them. This painting has gone through many iterations already to get to where it is now.

Realism isn't the goal, although I do strive to make my subjects recognizable. I like it when paintings are a little rough around the edges, and I try to resist over-polishing my works. But I also don't want to quit before they're really done.

What I probably need to do is learn to get over it. Just plow ahead, and not be so afraid of ruining a half-finished painting. I can learn from mistakes. To take away this feeling of 'preciousness' that I start to associate with my works, I should start making more of them. Work on multiple canvases simultaneously, and hold myself to more of a schedule. It's too easy to put painting on the back burner when things get busy around here.

I'm going to be traveling for most of the next two weeks, but when I come back I will start a new painting schedule. Start at least one new painting each week. Also, at least one new art blog post per week, to help me reflect on my progress.

The Apple Escapes

30 x 30 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2007.

My dad asked if this was based on an actual escape attempt that occurred in my kitchen. Answer: nope, this scene is totally staged. Sorry to disappoint.

I am donating this painting to the silent auction that will be held as part of the Hands On Switzerland Valentine's Day Gala.

Apples and their reflections

30 x 45 cm, oil on canvas, 1992.

In high school I took two years of AP Art. One year my theme was portraits, and the other year it was fruit. I can't remember exactly why I chose fruit. Probably as much for its ease as anything. You don't need much space to set up a still life. Fruit offers an array of colors, textures, and shapes for the artist to play with. And except for the inevitable decomposition that occurs if you drag out the work too long, fruit proves to be a rather static and obedient subject matter.

This particular painting is the only piece of my early work that I have here in Zurich. For some reason it traveled here with me, stowed away in my portfolio case full of otherwise blank and unused art supplies. I'm not really sure why - this isn't my best painting from that time, or even my favorite.

I have started on another portrait, but I have also been looking around for another subject matter to try out. This painting reminded me of my earlier fruit period, and once again drawn in by the ease and simplicity of this subject matter, I decided to set up a new still life. I'll let you know if it proves fruitful. :)

Yoshiko

40 x 50 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006-2007.

I'm not sure this one is finished (which is how I feel about most of my paintings when I post them here). I do at least need a break from it - I've stared at it too much. I'm looking forward to starting something new. Perhaps this time I'll get several canvases going at once.

Katy

40 x 50 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.

This portrait was a new challenge for me, in that it is the first full portrait I've done recently of a person whom I've never met in the flesh. Not knowing the subject makes it difficult for me to improvise too much, and I found myself worrying much more about likeness than I usually do. Nonetheless it was a joy to paint, as I had several lovely photos to work from, and the client was a dream (providing information and photos, and leaving me plenty of artistic freedom). It was a commission done for Jeremy, who gave it to his wife Katy as a Christmas gift.

The artist speaks

Hi there. OK, this isn't really a big deal, since I blog all the time on my other two blogs. But I think I'm going to start writing on this one, too. I've found (with my vegetarian blog, for example), that when I write about something, it helps my thinking on the subject. And my artwork is something I have been thinking a lot about recently.

Basically, my back story goes like this: for my entire life up until my junior year of college, I lived and breathed art. I loved making it. I loved taking classes in it. I loved exhibiting and selling my work. I did a lot of all of this. I even started college intending to major in art.

And then I just stopped. I can give you a lot of reasons why I think this happened, but that would take all day and probably bore you to tears, so I won't.

With the exception of an occasional sketch here and there, I didn't make a single piece of art for ten years. I always thought I would start again sometime soon. I hauled my box of art supplies from apartment to apartment, and kept it with me through at least four intercontinental moves. I'll start painting again as soon as I have the time....

Well, now I have the time. About a year ago, I quit my job and decided to take a little time off. I was suddenly faced with more free time then I had ever had in my life. I had no more excuses, and slowly started painting again. At first it was terrifyingly intimidating, but I'm getting over that.

One of my goals for the coming year is to make a whole lot more art, and see where it can take me. I'm very excited about the possibilities.

Alison

30 x 40cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.

Bill

50 x 60 cm, acrylic on canvas board, 2006.

a couple charcoal sketches

Afternoon

60 x 50 cm, oil on paper, 2006.

Ali

40 x 50 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.

Saron

50 x 60 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.

Ute and Josef

60 x 50 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.

Self Portrait

30 x 30 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2006.