Experiments

You know how Picasso had his 'Blue Period'? Well I am entering my 'Retro Period' hehehe. Well at least I hope I am. I recently found some images from an old calender that Bob's mum had kept for whatever reason. They were all of retro rooms and the main feature was the (ugly) wallpaper. Well that just set off my imagination. The last few months I have been playing around (in my head) with the idea of retro paintings featuring the (ugly) wallpaper. I've had work to finish for competitions and then travelling to Melbourne so I've not had time to physically do anything towards my 'retro period'. I have had a lot of time to think. I do a lot of thinking before any painting actually begins. When I was in art school we had to put all our ideas down in a journal. I always had trouble with that. I prefer to think and as the ideas develop I do little experiments like a mad scientist mwa-ha-ha. Yesterday was experiment day. And very tiring using my brain that much hehehe. I need to create a 'wallpaper' pattern without actually recreating it (if that makes sense). No point actually recreating it. If that was the case I might as well just paint on wallpaper. I wanted to hint at a pattern and create a certain mood rather than reproducing the wallpaper exactly. I thought for a long time that stamping would be the way to go and I thought those foam craft sheets for kids might make good stamps.

These all fit inside each other so each hippie circle can be a different colour. A little bit of tape for a handle so I don't get paint everywhere. The next thing is I wanted to extend my use of text. Text is an important part of my work as you know and its where most of my work starts. Years ago on my old computer I played around with layering text on Photoshop. I used the manual and followed the tutorial step by step. I don't remember how its done but I thought I could give it a try again. Trouble is my manual is for Photoshop 6 and my version now is CS4. I did give it a try but its changed too much for a computer illiterate like me to cope with, sigh. Brain started ticking over. I will just have to do it another way. I use the gel medium image transfer method quite a bit. Why can't I do different fonts, sizes and tones to create the text layering? I printed out some smaller text in black and then some larger in mid grey all in reverse so the text comes out the right way when you do the transfer. Bob was going to the hardware shop so I got him to do some photocopies while he was out (ink jet prints don't work).
Now remember this is a quick experiment and I didn't wait for the gel medium to dry properly so its a bit rough and all the paper bloom wasn't removed properly etc. What it revealed is the smaller black text shows through the larger mid grey text which was transferred on top woohoo!!! Dance of joy!!!
This is my stamping experiment using the new foam stamps I made. It gives the shape without it being a perfect application. I have a lot more fears and worries to work through. The catch word being 'resolve resolve resolve'. Fingers crossed I can get this all to work for a new body of work. What do you think of the colours??? Aren't they just deliciously ugly??? hehehe

Art, Text and Dilapidated Buildings

My Mum always told me the older you get the quicker time goes. I remember when I was a child and my birthdays took so long to come around and Christmas felt like it came every two years instead of one. Now in my fifties whoosh another day flies by and whoosh another month, another year. So far this year has been a year of caring for others and not much time for art.

Things have to change. There are art ideas bubbling up inside me and they will explode out the top of my head if I don't get some paint on canvas soon. I did go and buy a large canvas. I have never painted one this big before. Its nearly as tall as me reaching to just under my nose from the ground 152.4x101.6cm (60"x40"). I only have a little car so getting it home was amusing. I'm still on the abandoned or run down building theme so a dilapidated door, peeling paint, padlock, keep out signs could be on the cards, watch this space hehehe.

Along with my dilapidated building series I will also continue with developing my skills in the art of portraiture. I went to an exhibition and was inspired by a portrait I saw there. Up close you could see the paint daubs that depicted the features. The shapes and light and shade that all together formed the image of a person's face. That's what I'm aspiring to. Looser shapes and experimenting with different colours and of course text, I always like to add text. I am very hopeful that we will have some cooler days in the coming week so I can spend time in my otherwise too hot studio. That big canvas is calling me .....

Finished My Selfy

My first portrait is finished. There's a lot that could be better but I will improve with more practice. I learnt a lot! I also know my concept works. I can't wait to start the next one and put in practice what I learnt from this one. With the holiday celebrations looming I'm not sure how much studio time I can fit in. My list is so long I really shouldn't be in the studio at all :(

the painting

the photograph

Self Portrait

With all your lovely comments I thought I'd better report on my progress of 'the selfy'. Been playing grandma all weekend so I didn't have any studio time till today. As portraiture is relatively new to me its very slow going. I still want to use text and I still want to do all my layering and of course it has to be BIG. I want to put text and stamping etc in the shapes made by shadows etc and this will be like my underpainting (if that makes sense) and then I will paint a more realistic (ha hopefully) portrait on top. Well today I played around with the shapes that fit together and make me look like me. Still not entirely happy with what I've got but its getting there. I haven't started on the canvas yet. Still experimenting and playing around. I will share more with you when I have something to share. Anyway I have made a start and its so exciting and fun and scary all at once. I just love making art **insert big cheesy grin here**

The Tablecloth Saga Continued

So here is my tablecloth painting nearly complete. I still want to add some real stitching where the hem and the trim is. I added more text to the background and a few more washes of paint, some subtle shadow to the tablecloth to really show the movement of the fabric and painted the peg and the clothesline. Its lost a lot of its power in this small image. The sheer size of it in real life adds something which is lost on the computer screen. It hasn't got a title yet either but that will come.

Next painting is in the planning stages. The theme was inspired by my friend April. Yes a cupcake painting, low cal of course hehehe.

The Tablecloth Saga

The tablecloth and the peg painting is going well. I should really call it a construction not a painting. Not much painting going on but lots and lots of tedious cutting and gluing. Very tedious cutting and gluing. Did I mention it was tedious ugh! The results however are quite pleasing to my artist's heart so it keeps me going.

I prepared some altered and stained newspapers before I started as these were to form the checks of the tablecloth. So I needed two types of red and a white.

I started with a bit of text stamping but I lost most of it as I continued to paint in the background. This still needs to be resolved with more text I think but I will worry about it later.

I started cutting and gluing the checks of the tablecloth. Each 'square' is such a different shape and I have to pay careful attention to this to get the movement of the tablecloth right. The wind was moving it ever so slightly as I took the photo and I want to capture that. The colours are a little richer in real life as I took these photos inside with a flash. I looks a little like a patchwork quilt rather than a tablecloth but I don't mind that. Like I've said before, the canvas is on the large side 101.6x76.2cm (40"x30") with the peg measuring 35cm (14"). Still a bit to go and I still need to resolve that background so I'd better get to it.

Work in Progress

Last Wednesday I was guest speaker at the local RSL (Returned Serviceman's League). I took along a few of my artworks (always good to have visuals). I thought it would be good experience for me to stand up in front of a group of people and talk about my work, my techniques and accomplishments. As the time got near I began to get really nervous. I had to use a microphone and for anyone who knows me they know I have a fear of microphones, groan. My mouth went dry, my hands started to shake and I just wanted it to be over. Once I warmed up the nerves disappeared and the words flowed quite easily. I spoke for 45 minutes non-stop!!!!! I started by saying that I am not a public speaker but I was led to believe you start with a joke. I said "Standing here like this reminds me of AA meetings I've seen portrayed on tv so I will start by saying: Hello, my name is Uta and I'm an art-a-holic." Everyone laughed (thank goodness) and that broke the ice. I am happy to report there was a lot of interest in my work and my techniques with a lot of chatting and questions afterwards. The best thing is I even got paid!!! Wasn't expecting that.

Had a great art day yesterday. No interruptions and I was able to get into 'the zone' and not come out till it was time for me to cook dinner. I still need some text to go with this piece. It needs a little dialogue to start to tell the story I think. But as yet the right words haven't come to me. Maybe today. Any ideas will be appreciated. Today is the day I do those mundane duties, those necessities of life we call housework. While I'm entrenched in the everyday humdrum I will think longingly of my art and perhaps then the right words will come. How dramatic am I. Bit of a drama queen this morning hehehe. I quite enjoy the mundane humdrum of housework once I get started. It keeps me grounded and balanced as its an absolute contrast to my airy fairy art self.

not yet completed 60.9x60.9cm (24"x24")

Bliss

Well I did get to spend the whole day doing my artwork yesterday YAY! The big white scary canvas is nearly done and I'm really happy with it. Will post a pic as soon as its finished. I love using text in my work and I'm having trouble fitting all the words in that I want to use. I will keep trying to resolve it because the words add another element and tell the story. Off to gym and then more art!