Leaping Lagomorphs! These past 11 days have found me swamped with much more than I expected, but in a good way. I received my order of supplies for the line of chain maille jewelry I’ll be creating, I submitted four prints to the Jenkins Arboretum 2012 Members’ Photography Exhibit, I’ve contacted a few locations about submitting work to be displayed, visited an art center where I may teach classes in the future, I’ve begun looking for studio space, and I designed and ordered new business cards. I’m enthused for all the opportunities fast approaching and to once again be working with chain maille! Unfortunately all these wonderfully exciting happenings have caused quite a few delays in online updates. I’m even a few days behind in the February Art-A-Day Challenge, but I’m hoping to get caught up again in the next couple days.
Since week two’s entries are all posted, I’ll continue in last week’s vein by posting a few favorites, starting with Day Eight’s entry for the theme “Sun”:
“On A Bright Note” was a fun piece to create. It’s painted with acrylics in my journal. As seems to be the pattern for many of my favorite pieces, I started in with a completely different idea, but when the paint didn’t do what I wanted, I glopped more onto the page and let it carry me where it wanted, and got a better result for it. I had a lot of fun playing around with the textures of different brushes. I’ve painted very flat in the past, so now I’m trying to incorporate more texture and impasto into my work. I have since painted more another piece in the same vein and I think I will continue with the galatic theme and do a series on canvas and see where it goes.
This piece also made me appreciate the difference between viewing a painting in life versus looking at a photograph of it. It took quite a while to get a photograph that came close to accurately representing the texture and colors of the orginal and even now it still leaves much to be desired. It really makes me look forward to the Van Gogh exhibition I will be visiting next month.
Next is a self portrait of sorts.
“Bits & Pieces” is Day Ten’s entry. Since I decided against a more typical self portrait since I often use myself as a model for other themes, I thought I would try my hand at the idea of photographing a group of items that represent me. It was definitely hard to choose what items to use and it’s far from a complete representation, but it was fun to put everything together. Some items contradict each other, and some are probably hard to figure out what they are, but I think that adds to the representation since I’m made up of quite a few contradictions! I would like to do this again in the future when I can spend more time gathering different items.
This week’s last favorite is a digital painting for Day Thirteen’s theme “Blue”
“Pipsqueaks” was born of my love of painting and drawing goldfish and koi and the idea of the two meeting in a pond. This was my first time drawing any digitally. I really enjoyed drawing the fins, but trying to get the fishies to look like they are in any way underwater was quite the challenge. I could have fiddle with this painting for days and days, but thanks to this challenge I’m learning when to say “Okay that’s enough for now. I can always revisit it later or paint it again in the future.” Since I am quite fond of the little orange goldfish in this piece I’m sure I will draw him again.
I’ll be sure to share week three’s favorites, once I’m caught up!
Have a wonderful evening
-Jullese
