Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Two elements
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Subliminal influence?
Here's another experimental sketch I worked on this week. I had a bunch of interesting green elements leftover from a number of previous projects. I thought I would just try something a little different, for me -- more abstract than surreal or narrative. I really like the different greens together. And I always like a slash of contrast (the red, in this case). Interestingly, when I got into my office the following day, I was struck by the similarity between my sketch and the cover of the textbook I use for my statistics class (I will provide the name of the cover art artist as a edit to this post). I had no intention of trying to emulate the cover of my stats book with the sketch. And I am not even convince that it influenced me explicitly. But maybe deep-down in my subconscious, the image influenced my sketch. Or perhaps, it was a "great minds think alike" kind of a thing (although I would consider it more of a "artists think alike" phenomenon). It does raise an interesting issue regarding the influence of a lifetime of exposure to visual stimuli. Do all of these experiences get "stored" somewhere in memory? Do all of these experiences have the potential to influence artistic exploration and production? I think that perhaps more likely, is that the total accumulation of life sensorial experiences help shape our potential to create new, integrative, synthetic compositions/images. This "coincidence" I found particularly noteworthy.
Saturday, September 21, 2024
new sketch
I have been working on finishing-up some sketches (i.e., completing the composition) and on some new sketches. Here's a new one from last night. The saturated colors in this vintage artwork of a motor I find quite compelling. I think the sculptural elements fits well (I need to do more micro-cutting, of course). What I am "struggling with", at this point, is what to do with the textual part of the background element. If I leave it as it is, I think the balance of the overall composition will need some work (i.e., adding other small elements)... I think. I was also contemplating leaving the overall composition a bit "unbalanced" to create interest/tension (i.e., "does a composition always need to be 'balance'"?). I could also obscure the writing/text with another element. The element shown here is certainly too big; it is just an example. Of course, that creates its own balance issues for the overall composition. I will continue to enjoy experimenting with elements and the overall composition, and of course, will eventually post the finished piece.
Shadow and light
At one point while I was working on sketches in the studio last night, I noticed a weird effect within my shadow. This has GOT to be one of the weirdest photos I have ever taken! It's a "selfie" of my shadow. BUT... it is disrupted by the light that refracted through the lens of my glasses. This image is "raw"; that is, there is no manipulation. Weird.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
"Venn: Creative Intersections" at Kirkland Arts Center (Clinton, NY)
Saturday, August 31, 2024
backside
As part of my activities last night in the studio, I was microcutting this element and at one point turned it over. It's an interesting look. Something all collagists should consider (i.e., "what does the back side of this element look like"). Especially with such an identifiable image.
sketch variations
After teaching two classes, putting up the labels on the artwork for the Venn exhibit, and golfing yesterday, I spent some quality time in the studio last night. I worked on a couple variations of a sketch, and thought these constituted a good example of how somewhat subtle changes in compositional elements can result in quite a different "feel" for a composition. Here are three variations of the sketch from last night. I'm still not sure which I prefer; although I'm leaning toward the one with both the red curtain and the green "valance". I think it gives more "stability" (balance) to the overall composition, and gives it a theatrical look.