Portfolio 2015

I have been experimenting with oil paints and also acrylic paints. For the project I started just a few days ago I chose to use acrylic paint. The colors are more vibrant and blending the paints was not a concern for this piece so fast drying paint has been more helpful so far. I have been mixing my own colors like suggested by my peers and I am really enjoying how this piece is coning along. Once again, I have no set plan or final product in mind. Whatever I feel, I do, and I do not put much thought into it at all. Listening to music really helps me when I am working. It helps keep my flow natural and unpredictable, which I really enjoy. I am excited for the finished product and I hope the class enjoys it as well.

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Yesterday I went to Harvard Square. When I came up to the street from the T stop I was taken in by artwork lined up on the street. Next to the work was a man who was in the process of spray-painting a new piece. People were gathered all around him taking pictures and videos. I have seen many videos of artists creating small landscapes and galaxy paintings with spray-paint and a few cheap tools. The work is done in front of an audience. The live performance is amazing to watch. The artist worked very fast and creates beautiful work. Without the live performance, I do not think his work would get as much attention as it does. I don’t believe this to be the case because his work isn’t good, because it is! I believe he would not sell as many pieces with preforming to the crowd because it is the connection people look for. They see him create the work and they become a part of it. They feel as if they need that piece of work because it is part of a memory. I have seen videos of other artists creating work like this but seeing it done live in front of you is a great experience. Feeling the energy of the artist and the amazement of the crowd when the artist finishes a piece and turns it around for the viewers to appreciate is a heartwarming feeling. As an artist, it is one thing to be able to do what you love and be happy doing it and it is another thing to do what you love and have others appreciate it as well. Seeing this artist preform on the street not only brought him happiness and profit, but it provided viewers with happiness and memories as well. I create work because it makes me happy but seeing that it brings joy to other people as well is a rewarding feeling.

In my last critique I showed a three-panel painting piece. The painting was abstract and really a display of my emotions and state of mind. I really enjoyed the feedback I received from the class and I appreciate everyone’s opinions and suggestions about my work. Some people mentioned that the work felt like night and day fighting. They felt as if it was telling a narrative, or a story. They could see movement and chaos unified as one. The three canvases made them think of three elements, a natural disaster or interactions with energies. They were appreciative of the black at the bottom of the painting because it was a constant throughout the three canvases, unifying them and calming the painting and the viewer. They could see the process in the work and they could tell through my work that my thinking and state of mind has changed from what it used to be in the past. The class suggested I try using oil paint in my next works because it dries slower and can allow me to blend colors more easily. They also suggested I mix my own colors prior to putting them on the canvas. I have taken both of these suggestions to heart and I am currently using oil paint in my new works. I am continuing my interest in abstract art for my Phase III proposal and I am excited to see what these new materials and techniques can help bring to my work. Without the great communication from the class I would not be able to be as confident as I am in the work I am creating. Their suggestions and support really influence me and keep me motivate to follow my instincts and create what feels right.

I have been exploring new concepts for my work and re-familiarizing myself with oil paints. The acrylic paint I used for my last project was drying before I was able to blend colors together. Oil paints are fun for me as well and might be a better medium choice for the look I am trying to achieve in my work. In my critique last class, someone mentioned that they would like to see me mixing my own colors more than I did. Using oil paint will force me to mix my own colors and be able to blend colors more affectively. For phase III I plan to continue working with abstract art. I am excited to see where my new ideas and new medium choice might take me.

Since my last weekly post I have been finishing up my abstract art painting and learning more about my creative process. I am still inspired by Michael Grab and Andy Goldsworthy. Another artist I have been researching is Jaison Cianelli. These artists inspire me in one way or another and motivated the work I will be presenting this Thursday. I look forward to doing more abstract art paintings for Phase III. The more I look at this recent piece, however, the more I dislike parts of it. I am not mad or upset with the parts I dislike because at the time of creation it felt right. I choose to believe that if it felt right then, it’s not a regret now. Visually, I do not like the look of the first panel because of the green and yellow background design. All together I like the work and I am satisfied with it as my first abstract art piece this year.

I have been thinking a lot about the work I am doing in relation to the topic I will be speaking about in class this Thursday, October 15^th. I plan to show a video about Michael Grab and what he calls “Gravity Glue”. A lot of his work and Andy Goldsworthy’s work play a large role in what is motivating my current work. I am not creating work like these artists are but their attitudes and mindsets are what motivate the work I am doing now. This week I have been doing a lot of research about these two artists while also creating work of my own. I am experimenting with acrylic paint and abstract art. This is something I am also doing in my other portfolio class and I had no intentions of overlapping themes and techniques of each class but rather wished to focus on different art practices for each class. The fact of the matter is that I need to be creating work that is purely from me and if I purposely try to limit myself for each class then I am afraid I will not be allowing myself to explore my ability to its fullest. I am working on abstract work for each class but the themes and concepts for the work do differ. I think that it is clear that my work for Phase II has completely changed since last week. I do not regret planning a project I never went through with because every little thing has gotten me to the track I am on now. I do not feel any connection to my last idea nor do I feel like I am abandoning a project in order to do the work I am doing now. Maybe later in life I will go back to my ideas for performance work but at this current moment in time I have moved on to work I feel I need to pursue. So far, the paintings I am doing are unfinished and untitled. They come from what I believe to be a clear state of mind. Clear of thought, clear of destination, and clear of worry about mistakes. They are pieces I am creating based on emotion and feeling. Whatever happens happens, and I am excited to see where this project takes me and what the final product turns out to look like.

Right after class on Thursday, I walked into my studio space where I had a canvas painting drying from the day before. The paint was drying before I could even blend the colors so I knew most of the painting would be set after drying overnight. The only color that was tacky and slow drying was my yellow. Not thinking about how I mixed red and yellow to make orange, I touched the orange part of the painting to make sure it was dry. Of course it was still sticky because of the yellow paint. Now, my fingerprint is forever imprinted into my painting. After making the mistake I was mad at myself for acting before thinking but now it is kind of funny to think about. It is also funny that I made this mistake right after leaving class where we ad just talked about making mistakes. I cannot fix that area of the painting because I would ruin the detail in the area so that was upsetting to realize. Now, however, I accept the mistake as part of the artwork. I see it as a secret addition of myself that most viewers will not notice.

Over the past week I have been exploring new artists that concentrate in kinesthetic art and performance art. I have had many new ideas about what to do for my next project but none of them feel right yet. When I find what sparks my interest the ideas will be free flowing and effortless. Although I am still searching for this breakthrough I must keep in mind that my topic should follow the guidelines for our Phase II project. The objective for Phase II is to focus on a non-western, non-traditional, or social justice topic. I think I am still a little confused on the limitations this topic might bring, as most things I think of doing are non-traditional to me, but could be traditional practices for others. I am moving from the idea of literal translation of body movements and gestures to an abstract form of capturing the body. Although traditional equipment may be used, the way in which they are used to express my concept may not be traditional. There is a lot more work to be done in testing the ideas I have but by next week I plan to have a solid idea and plan for my new project.

This week I went to the Harvard Art Museums. Here, I found many interesting pieces from many different artists. I enjoyed looking at the sculptures from ancient Greece and the paintings from decades ago. I enjoy how the museums are set up with different styles of art on the different levels of the galleries. One piece in the museum I really enjoyed was an etching by Jim Dine. This American artist created the piece, Five Paintbrushes (First State), in 1972. In the mid-1960’s, pop art and the depiction of products was extremely common. I like this piece because it is simple but it has a lot of detail at the same time. Paintbrushes are a simple tool and are commonly seen. Taking such a usual object and depicting it through etching is what makes this work so interesting to me. It is simple in concept but the detail captured in the print is extraordinary. Each hair of the brushes is defined and detectable from up close. The black print on the off-white paper accents the simplicity of the image while allowing the detail to be visible. I enjoy the set-up and location of the paintbrush based on their width and I can appreciate the negative space left between each brush. Overall, I am very attracted to this piece by Jim Dine and it inspires me to use the balance of simplicity and detail in my own work.

Last class was my first review. I really enjoyed the feedback I received from the class and the reactions I got to my work and my ideas for my next project. I have had a lot to think about this past week and I have been doing a lot of research about gesture drawings and gesture performance art. I am looking into new materials and new ways to express the movement of the human body. There will be a lot of experiments and failures before I reach a clear understanding of how to create my next project. I look forward to the process and the exploration. Even if I do not get to where I imagine the work to go, I do not believe that any time spent experimenting will be time lost. One thing builds off of another and even if I start this process and change my plan completely, it will be worth it because it is about the journey that leads to the destination. This is a photo of the work I displayed for my first review. I feel as if the door on this style work has been closed and I must now think outside of the box and be free with my actions and thoughts.