Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New Obsessions

So I was looking up some artists while we were at the Tappan Library, and cam across a website that introduced me to Ad Reinhardt. Collin has mentioned him to me before but I never looked him up. I just looked him up and found this amazing video and am super intrigued by his use of black as not pure black but as colors that emerge upon closer examination, which is something I'm working towards with my paintings. I kind of enjoy the matte material of his work, but probably can never stray away from my glossy aesthetic in my paintings (too much love for it). I found this video that explains his process, and found it very interesting, something to possibly think about doing in my free time, or as a study one of these days.

Here's the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSGGHmTXA3o

Mark Rothko has really started intriguing me as well because of his use of layering, and vibration due to color relationships. I also love his soft way in which he treats the paint. I also watched a video about him from the MOMA that explained how much Rothko wanted his viewers to experience his work and have an emotional attachment almost break down at his work. He wanted them to experience what he experienced as he was painting the works. I want my work to express the way in which I work close up to it, then pull back, and repeat this movement through out my process.

Here's the URL to look back on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSiu8qzHV6c&feature=relmfu

Here is the Larry Poons URL that shows the painting changing and allowing the ovals to go from one color to disappearing: http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/poons.html

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Large paintings have begun!!

So yesterday I began two new larger paintings (30x40, and 36X48). I started a blue pthalo one, and a larger version of the brown small scale one I worked on last week. I'm pretty excited to work on them. They dried over night, so I'm off to the studios this evening to put down the second layer. I also had coupons for Michael's, and got two more canvas's that are 36X48 for 15 dollars each!! Pretty pumped to start those as well. I mixed up some crimson-violet and will be painting one of these in those tones. I'm really working on pushing luminosity into these works from here on out. Megan O'Neil came into my studio today and checked out what I had been working on and suggested trying to place the glossy like forms that were darker hues on the bright areas and vise versa. I'm going to try that on a study and see how I feel about it. I've never tried it before, but I'm up for anything. I also talked to Peter this week about my resume and about what I am thinking about doing after school which I've decided to look into working for Admissions. I ideally would love to do this back home in Missouri, but would not be apposed what so ever in working here in Michigan. I also would love to work for an Art and Design School, rather than general education, but it all depends where the job can take me. I thought about becoming a teacher for a while, but decided that I would much rather work at the University level, and am not sure how I feel about going back and getting my MFA, not to mention I think I would be pretty good at talking to prospective students as a career because I already do it as a Student Ambassador for the school now. Well that's all I have so far, I really need to start posting some more photographs of work in progress, so I'll TRY and do that this evening.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

People for thought

So this week I have really been focusing on finding new people for inspiration. I found a few new influences and think that their ideas are not only amazing, but sort of seeking in what I am looking for. I spent about 4 hours this week researching and about 3 hours of actual painting time. I hope in the future to get much more painting time in, but I was out of town this weekend up in Northern Michigan (mackinaw and harbor springs area). I also felt extremely influenced by the colors of the trees up in this area. Fall has always been my favorite season, and I think has a lot if not all to do with the color transformation the trees take. I have grown up in about 6 different states, but the one that has always stuck out the most for me was New Hampshire. I never understood why until this weekend when I was pulled back to memories of my childhood due to the colors of the trees and the land itself. The beautiful yellows, oranges, and vibrant reds were spectacular. I guess I've always known I enjoy color, but it took on a new meaning this weekend, it actually took my breath away, and made everything go silent in it's awe. I will post pictures on here as soon as I upload them from my camera. Here is one of my new influences: Charles Clay:


I enjoy his use of not only color, but creation of depth due to cutting out these topographical like forms in the canvas and creating layers. His other work also intrigues me because of his use of space on the wall, and creation of multifaceted layers not just in his work, but created by the light creating shadows on the wall.