It's fun - and sometimes appalling, too - when you look back at old work you've done. The next several posts will be earlier works which I liked when I did them. Now I see changes, VAST CHANGES, that would improve each painting. I remember one instructor wisely saying that an artist's work should always be changing. To paint what we're good at may be comfortable, but to push ahead and discover new ways to paint and express ourselves is absolutely crucial for a thriving artistic journey.
Painting on the slick YUPO surface challenged me for several years, then I quit painting on it altogether, wanting other challenges. Much later, I did a class demo on YUPO. WOW! I'd forgotten the joy, the excitement, and spontaneity that painting on YUPO gives me. Now I'm challenging myself in other ways on YUPO, other than just knowing how to control the paint. Pushing ahead ..... how are you pushing the edges of your artistic journey?
Each new year, I select what I think is my weakest area in art, then focus on improving it. This year I chose 'expressing specific concepts' in my paintings. (I'd written 'conceptual art' earlier but changed the wording to more accurately define where I want to go - see comments below.) I'm hoping to rely on the versatility of YUPO to help me pursue the concepts that I want to convey in my art.
"BOY, OH BUOY!" Transparent Watercolor on YUPO 17 x 12"
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6 comments:
I like your idea of a goal for the year. Please give us your definition of "conceptual art".
Hi Myrna,
Conceptual art is really a huge topic, but here's my focus for this year --- I want to develop an idea or concept onto a flat piece of paper, making the concept the most important part of what the painting is about. My concept might be the importance of relationships, so my paintngs might or might not be of recognizable subject matter, but would convey something that I think is important about relationships.
I sense that it's too easy as an artist to get caught up in the 'things' around me to paint. . . the next great photo, etc. We'll see where this thinking takes me. (It's certainly not the broad definition of conceptual art - don' think I'll ever go there.)
I'd like to know what year you painted this, Sandy. I see a difference in your work now - mainly, a more luscious use of colors in your darks than I see in this painting (but it could be that the variety of darks isn't showing in the photo).
Rhonda,
Thanks for the comments. This was painted about 14 years ago. It's amazing how much our painting style changes/improves according to the amount of brush time we put in.
Hi RHONDA -
This one was painted about 7 years ago, and the eagle was 14 yrs ago. This one was one of the first more successful YUPOS I'd done up to that point, and it won Honorable Mention at the Fitton's Spring Show.
Hi Sandy,
I got caught up today for the last few posts. Lovely eagle, and the way the derby hat came into being is wonderful. your older work of the buoys is perfect even if you did it years ago. Your art is bold, and original. like a breath of fresh air.
I am going to add you to my blog list, hope that will be ok.
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