From days of yore

I've been digging through all the pictures of my old work, and I came across this one. It's acrylic paint, not oil, and I painted it in '01, before entering the art department at Western Washington University where I was exposed to concerns of concept, composition, depth: all those issues that now shroud my ability to simply not care.

At the time I was enrolled in a couple classes at the Pratt Art Institute in Seattle. One was centered around freeing up ones personal style by scribbling on newsprint with crayons and then throwing it in the trash (etc.), and the other was all about abstract acrylic painting. It was the first time I was able to keep the inner critic at bay and simply let the brush move across the canvas, but back then I wasn't completely happy with the work I was creating, including this piece. Now I find myself reminiscing about those days before I new what else I had in me, before my styles and motifs began multiplying, before I felt like every piece needs to be a keeper... because I'm a GRADUATE now...

I find this piece relevant today because lately I've been trying to achieve the looseness I used to have such a grasp on in my abstract works. This piece is getting a good example. I remember that when I was painting it, I didn't care about anything, and I enjoyed the process so much.

Yesterday, I tried to paint freely, but instead I felt trapped. I was too concerned with making it look "good." I think it's time to experiment some more without trying to make each piece I touch turn to gold. Creating garbage once in a while is healthy.

Art is hard.

Tree Painting Revised

On September 28th, I published a post entitled "Wide Load" featuring a picture of a large painting that I removed from it's displayed location and took it back to my studio for another layer of paint. I never felt it was finished, and though it was tremendously scary adding more paint onto the surface, I am much more happy with the look of the piece now that I've worked on it more. It may not be apparent from this photo below, but the layers emanate a glow of light, and the dark tones and red hues are more intense and rich.

I think I'm going to call this piece, "In the thick of it." The idea of the piece is to give the viewer the feeling of being surrounded by a thick stand of trees just before dusk. I've always loved forests and tall tree trunks. It's astounding to stand amongst living things that are so much larger than us humans. The tops of the trunks are darker to because they are silhouetted against the bright sky, which gives them an intimidating feel. The dark of night is just around the corner and anything could happen. It is still and quiet. Only the trees are watching you from above. You're protected and surrounded, but it's a little scary.

I'm not sure if I completely conveyed this concept, but the goal of this piece for me was to portray a juxtaposition that I feel so commonly in my life: I'm in awe, I'm scared, I'm cozy, I'm alone, I'm in the company of amazing beings larger than myself, I'm witnessing astounding beauty..... It's hard to describe. I guess that's why I paint.

I finished the portrait!

As many of you know, I was given the wonderful opportunity to paint a friend's portrait when he offered to pay me to do so. In the process I tapped into a creative realm and skill set that I didn't know I had in me. However, the pressure of a commission nearly ruined me, as I felt obligated to work on it whenever I picked up a paintbrush. So what did I do? I avoided picking up a paintbrush. Even though I love the piece, it was hard to FINISH it for some reason. But now, after an entire year passed since I started the piece, it is finally done! Check it out! (click the pic to view a larger image.)

This is Jeremy Bang. He's originally from Austin, TX and lives in Seattle now where I met him at a restaurant I used to work at. Jeremy is one of my favorite people. Peacefulness emanates from him, and he's just about the most unlikely person to commission of portrait of himself, but his depth of character gave me plenty to draw upon. We worked together on the concepts and layout of the piece, so every image and symbol is somehow linked to him personally. I will publish a list of the symbolic meanings soon...

Jeremy has the piece now (yay!), and I don't have to look at his quizzical expression lurking around in my studio anymore. He was watching me.... Now he's watching Jeremy. Hahaha.

I love the piece and I'm proud that I completed something I never thought I could accomplish, but now I am free to paint whatever the heck I want to. A great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Let's see what I've got in me now.... I'm excited. The flood gates have been flung wide open and a year's worth of inspiration and ideas has begun to flow.