Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Grumpy Me

There has been a lot of personal stuff still taking up my time. That means less time in the studio and less time in the studio makes for one grumpy me, ROAR!!!!! Being a Leo I feel I'm entitled to let out a 'roar' now and again hehehe. I left the story last time with a big new canvas 152.4x101.6cm (60"x40") sitting on my easel. Well its still there all blank and white. I haven't been able to get in the studio but I have however been working on the planning stages of a couple of paintings. I have been researching dilapidated buildings and have acquired a passion for ghost signs. I found some great sites that deal with documenting old hand painted signs on buildings before they are lost forever. The layers and textures are divine and I want to try to re-create these effects on my dilapidated buildings series. Its always about layers, textures and text with me. I think the layers are like history with people's personal lives and stories being added to each layer. This of course causes change with some things being covered while others are revealed thus creating a new story. And every viewer adds their own story or connotations to it so its forever evolving and changing. Gee I'm not sure I understand what I just said hehehe, but I know what I mean even if I can't put it into words. So while all this is going on inside my head I am also still trying to improve my skills with portraiture. I know in my mind what I want to achieve but the hands are a bit slow in understanding and tend to do their own thing. It will get better in time. I just have to keep going.

5 comments:

Suz said...

you said it beautifully\I often notice ghost sign paintings on the side of old buildings in the city
"Grovehill Hardware"...but it's now a cell phone store....
great minds think alike...
hang in there the canvas won't walk off

Uta said...

Thanks Suz, Its art day today so I should make a start with the encouragement of my art buddy :)

Suz said...

Just have fun
and throw some paint around...then it will kick in

Doris said...

I wish somebody photoed it, my great grandparents had a restaurant/shop near Union Station in Chicago. There was a full wall mural for Lein cigars... never got to see it.

Elena said...

Sounds like an exciting project. Also love the old signs; peeks into yesteryears.