Next idea

Regarding that almost pitiful painting guidelines list I threw together the other, I am considering how to actually apply those generic little rules. I'm thinking of a portrait, and since I've been finding difficulty capturing the depth that skin actually has, I'll follow those stipulations I put in place. I'll be able to create a lot of depth using thin layers of medium. I certainly enjoy things being thick and opaque but it does a disservice to some objects since not everything is completely solid and creamy. I'm excited to capture the translucency that can be seen in blood vessels, pores, and even skin stretched thin regardless of which part of the body its on. This post will mark my official exploration of this, since I'm an amateur and fool, haha.

The Ale House

Garden State Ale House to be precise. Though I remember it being called the George Street Ale House previously? Either way. It's a nice place to grab some surprisingly gourmet food with good drinks, as I imagine most of us are aware. I'm new to the bar experience so it's probably old news, but I enjoy going there after class and reflecting on the day. It's usually when I'm not interested in staying in the building but I'm not quite ready to head home either. This is a crude sketch chronicling the spot I always happen to choose, the tables closest to the entrance on the right hand side. I'm still too self-conscious to claim one of the higher tables or the counter, maybe with a friend.

Just remember:  Dogfish Head "Fort"

Sad portrait

Granted, this is only a small sketch, but the more I look at it the more I question why I even bothered? Why does this drawing upset me so much? On that particular day I drew it to distract myself from a conversation I did not particularly like in class that day. I was becoming incredibly anxious and I was already quite tired so I started scratching this unassuming guy sitting down, looking solemn or aloof. It's not particularly good and it made me realize how awful I am at foreshortening as well as perspective since that weird thing at the bottom is supposed to be a coffee mug. I should be able to draw when I want but it seems my mood altered what little ability I have significantly, never again (eh, just kidding).

Thesis Proposal

It feels slightly embarrassing to post this but I know no one is looking... ha.

As a person that is extremely self-conscious and concerned with my own personal comfort, I think about my surroundings and my body extensively. That being said, I often observe other people as well, usually those that are close to me. Eventually, having time to myself, this coalesces into a blurring between imaginative spaces and reality after I’ve had time to digest what I’ve seen. I have a hypersensitivity towards what I see before me but that exacerbates into what I cannot see or what I wish I could see. From the micro to the macro, to reality and fantasy. It’s odd and a bit naive but I shift between wanting to paint the quiet (or sometimes not so quiet) scenes in front of me to dreaming up intensely complex landscapes and organisms that could not possibly exist in reality. It’s as if I’m piecing together a film in my mind, each frame being its own scene and painting, though ultimately there is no real conclusion that I can foresee. It comes across as a sort of attention deficit, but there is too much I want to explore to simply narrow it down to the “body” and “slice of life” as I have done in the past. Despite the disparity between the things I choose to render I feel they all aim to create a compelling or at the very least interesting psychological space. Ideas or moods that have affected me, vaguely remembered details from a previous day, or how my skin felt during a particular night. I realize this is broad and unkempt, but to pare it down in artistic language, it’s my personal narrative reflecting the multiple mindsets I may have at one time.

Here is an excerpt from a book that I hold dear, And Then by Natsume Soseki.

“Of particular interest to Daisuke was the decorative painting around the transom, the result of lengthy discussion with a certain artist acquaintance. Daisuke stood up and examined the colors unfolding like a picture scroll, and was pained to discover that they were not nearly as pleasing as the last time he had seen the painting. Disturbed, he began to scrutinize each section when suddenly… After some time, the colors no longer seemed to be painted upon the wall at all, but were leaping from his pupils and flying out to the wall, where they became glued. Soon, by controlling the colors that flew from his eyes, Daisuke was able to correct all the places that had displeased him, and finally, having achieved the most beautiful hues that his imagination could conjure, he sat in a state of rapture” (Soseki, 30-33).

The protagonist, Daisuke, is an extremely sensitive young man that takes his personal comfort very seriously, more so than the pressing matters that exist in his life that could easily upset his well-being. During this excerpt he is casually listening to his sister-in-law press him about getting married, but rather than paying full attention to her he gazes at a painting on a wall, adjusting and editing it in his mind until it no longer offends him. A petal being out of place could render him unable to summon the will to leave his home for the day.

I share this anxiety and unnecessary fixation, with a small detail out of place capable of crippling me for extended periods of time. That feels foolish to admit but I look to reflect or even “solve” these issues in the works I create. Beyond that, I aim to provide a view or perspective not normally obtainable to extract some excitement and wonder from.

Little organic friend

A gooey and veiny critter of the deep. Setting the tone for these next set of paintings.

Painting Guielines

Some extremely minor notes for these last two weeks of painting.

1. Use galkyd

2. Let it dry

3. Use large brushes

4. Try to create depth

5. 10 Layers??? or more

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6. Gesso over bad square

As I stated previously, minor.