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In a galaxy far, far away ...(March, 2009)
No, this isn't yet another Star Wars spoof. I won't pretend to have the chops to follow in the hilarious footsteps of the Seths' of our time. My subject of today's post is, oddly enough, the result of a trip to the hardware store. That's where my inspiration for this piece was ignited. While my husband was picking up a gallon of paint for his office, I was amusing myself by exploring the various tools for the expert craftsman. To my delight, I encountered a number of things that I decided would be great to use in my next art experiment. Who knew that the very instruments professionals and amateurs alike use for taking down wall paper and cleaning their paint brushes could be so exciting?! The colours I used, silvers, coppers and browns, were also inspired by my adventures down aisles one through ten. The end result, however, was more cosmic than handy; and hardly reminiscent of the fixtures, fasteners and furnishings that motivated me. But perhaps that's because there's something celestial about craftsmanship. After all, Jesus was a carpenter, and Lord Viswakarma designed the Universe ... 
All in a Family (Christmas 2008)
The original name of this painting was "Standing Tall", because I felt like the flowers were, well, standing tall; almost at attention. But for some reason when I started typing, my fingers tapped out "All in a Family". And it fits. Maybe it's because I painted this for a close friend who's like family, or because of the way that the tall, adult flowers seem to protect the small, baby one. Either way, I can absolutely confirm that it has nothing to do with Archie Bunker. 
It's been a long time since I've painted. Most of my work posted in the library is from eons ago - with the exception of a massive painting for my now-husband, back when we were in the "courting stage". I definitely feel rusty, but I'm confident painting is like riding a bike ... and like the nasty spill I took last summer, I'm sure I'll produce some 'mha' pieces. Nevertheless I'm really enjoying experimenting with texture and technique - even if I'm not sure whether these are real techniques. In this case I layered on a thick background in which I drew the paintings subjects, pulling off the excess paint. When the paint dried I was left with the outlines of flowers; recessed canvases awaiting the slightly metalic paints. When all was said and done, I enjoyed the results. It's a small, simple painting - but it gave me the confidence to take the training wheels off, and hit the road with my brushes.
No, this isn't yet another Star Wars spoof. I won't pretend to have the chops to follow in the hilarious footsteps of the Seths' of our time. My subject of today's post is, oddly enough, the result of a trip to the hardware store. That's where my inspiration for this piece was ignited. While my husband was picking up a gallon of paint for his office, I was amusing myself by exploring the various tools for the expert craftsman. To my delight, I encountered a number of things that I decided would be great to use in my next art experiment. Who knew that the very instruments professionals and amateurs alike use for taking down wall paper and cleaning their paint brushes could be so exciting?! The colours I used, silvers, coppers and browns, were also inspired by my adventures down aisles one through ten. The end result, however, was more cosmic than handy; and hardly reminiscent of the fixtures, fasteners and furnishings that motivated me. But perhaps that's because there's something celestial about craftsmanship. After all, Jesus was a carpenter, and Lord Viswakarma designed the Universe ... 
