ARCHIVES: September 2010

inter-view: a few words between artists
Arcenio Martin Campos

Alexandria: What is your favorite color?
Martin: Blue. It’s the first color I reach for. Blue or orange.
• Any particular sort of blue?
• Watery blue. Cool blue.
• All blues are cool.
• Watery blue. The proximity of water, so you can feel how cool the water is. Water reflects the sky. Water is clear. It takes on the color of everything around it.
• And the flavor.

• In a nutshell, tell us about your current project.
• I did 12 paintings to interpret a tragedy.
• What sort of tragedy?
• A 17th century play by John Webster, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, called The Duchess of Malfi. Here are a few lines from the statement I wrote for the exhibit:

These works express the artist’s thoughts on the central character; the Duchess herself, as she is moving through modes of thought. The main figure moves through these elements; floating, walking, passing through, while the other characters within the play are represented by darkness, harsh shapes and shadows.

• What are your thoughts about working with a theater group again?
• I would love to do it. I paint figures and it gives me a good springboard to create narratives. The storyline of the play gives me more ideas, more context for the figures I am compelled to paint. The collaboration is exciting for me, watching how my figures react and create their own stories.

The painting detail to the upper right is from Ship Lady, ©Arcenio Martin Campos, 2010. To see more of Martin’s work click here.

posted September 26, 2010

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wyfp
Arts edition

I love Daily Kos. I spend a lot of time over there getting seriously educated on the issues of the day. But even better, they have these community diaries on everything from trains to recipes to health issues to pets. One of my absolute favorites is the Saturday evening complaint fest called "What's Your F#%king Problem?". How can you lose with a title like that?

Last night I guest-hosted, and called it; WYFP - Arts Edition. I wrote the main diary in three sections subtitled; My Stupid Art Career, The Art World is Stupid and Being an Artist is Not Stupid. What a wild and cathartic ride! I may repeat and/or expand on some of the content here at some point, but for now you can click here to read the diary and comments. If you ever want to know how NOT alone you really are, this is the way to go.

posted September 19, 2010

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well, almost
Working a brand new medium

A long time ago, way back in the days when I was significantly younger, and before I discovered painting, I was heavily into crafts, almost any kind of crafts. I loved all different kinds of materials and textures and colors, and my earliest daydreams revolved around having my own crafts boutique and selling the things I made. This was in the 1970s when such things were still possible. When I was about 12 years old, I made things to sell at a local store in downtown New Brunswick. The only thing I clearly remember making were these little rectangular creatures fashioned out of felt. They were two-tone, front and back, with a pair of googly eyes where eyes generally belong. That was it, very minimalistic.

Except for sewing about a dozen fish-shaped catnip cat toys, those rectangular things were all I had ever done in terms of creating stuffed creatures all these years. And me with my deep love and slight obsession with stuffed critters. That is, until yesterday.

I have been thinking about sewing my own painting props for awhile. This summer I began collecting fabric scraps and ideas, and then my sewing machine died. So I bought some cheap felt at the local fabric store the other day, found I already had embroidery floss, buttons and stuffing, and yesterday decided there was no time like the present. Here are the hand-sewn results. One pink cat and one blue and green garlic bulb. The bulb was going to be a pear, but I randomly cut without a pattern and it came out garlic.

The other thing I told myself — That it’s okay if these things I am sewing are not so great at first. I suspect I will need to make at least ten or more until I begin to find my way with them. It may be a whole year before I really find my voice with these things. Today I am imagining unfamiliar creatures to sew next. I am also thinking ahead for when I am able to work with good quality wool felt. This really is just the very beginning.

posted September 12, 2010

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creative fun from almost nothing
Triangles and triangular paths

Triangles are three-sided, three-angled enclosed shapes, with all sides being straight lines. Triangles are a classic form of composition and can create a visual path. Triangles can be implied by the use of color, contrast, edges and line. A triangle can be the large triangular shape of the main subject or object, or a triangle shape made by a few main objects that are overlapping each other. They can also be represented by three similar objects or colors placed on a triangular path that can lead the eye around the whole of the composition. In a two-dimensional composition you might see three distinct areas of a light yellow-green color; a slice of lime in one corner, a chartreuse silk scarf on another side and a branch of new spring buds out the window in another corner. Or you might see three sources of light being portrayed; a lightbulb, a lit candle and the crescent moon. In an abstract piece you might see two patches of red, and then another patch of orange-red in a composition that is predominantly made of cooler colors.

Any kind of triangle will do, depending on the individual piece; equilateral, isosceles, scalene, acute, equilangular, obtuse or right triangle. A tiny little triangle alone in one corner will not cut it when it comes to making a compositional path. Neither will any form of triangulation that is located completely over to one side. It must cover the space to the extent that the eye is enticed to travel the course of the picture plane. Of course, you may use triangles however you like. Just be aware of which ones are useful as paths.

Triangular things to do:

• Using your cardboard composition window (see August 4th entry) take note of the triangles that you see, whether by complete shape or by trios of visually alike objects. Move your window around until you see all kinds of triangles. Use one or more sets of the triangles that you have observed in a new composition of your own.
• Do an abstract piece based on actual triangles and trios that you have seen.
• Use triangular shaped objects or forms in a three-dimensional piece.
• Portray a single object, subject or color three times as triangle angle-points in a two-dimensional composition. Do another one where the same three items are placed in new locations on the picture plane, to make a different sort of triangle path.
• Arrange a figure into a large trianglular shape, or combine a few overlapping figures for the same effect.
• Just look - Look at other artwork, especially 2-dimensional work in any medium. Look for the triangles. The better compositions will have them; whether by color, distinctive contrast, object, shape, path or linear elements within the whole composition.

 

Excerpted and paraphrased from the book;
Creatively Unblocking Creative Blocks
Author: Alexandria Levin
ISBN: 0-9743267-1-2
Published by Painted Jay Publishing
www.paintedjay.com

posted September 3, 2010

All images and content ©2009-2010 Alexandria Levin