INSPIRED!

They are painting the outside of our house today and the paint smell was giving me a headache, so I stayed away for much of the day. I was anxious to start painting after being inspired by all that great art in New York, so I came back in the afternoon and started work on this little abstract. I have posted the original photo I shot from the window of the Museum of Modern Art. They were doing some reconstruction on a building across the street and I thought it might make an interesting abstract painting. When you are in the MoMA everything starts looking like a potential abstract painting! I normally do not attempt this type of painting as I never know when I am finished. I plan to add some lines to this and maybe lift out some additional light shapes. I might collage some small pieces into it. Sometimes you have to let an image marinate for awhile and then go back and work on it. So far I like what is happening.

Tonight I went with a friend who was speaking to a college class studying interior design about her business of Art Representation. She works with local designers in placing art work in client's homes and businesses. I talked a little about the latest innovations in watercolor and how it can be put on canvas without glass. It made for a long day, so I didn't get my slide show of interesting people of New York made. Hopefully, I will get it done tomorrow.

POPCORN BY ANY OTHER NAME.....

I have finished my popcorn drawing. I worked on a light gray pastel paper with powdered charcoal, vine charcoal and a pressed stick of charcoal for the darkest tone. I used white conte crayon and white hard pastel for the lightest tones and a kneaded eraser for blending and lifting. It is an interesting challenge to recreate all the values. "Is this area lighter or darker than that area?" "How much lighter or darker" These are the kinds of questions one begins to focus on. I stuck the popcorn down on the drawing board with double stick tape so it wouldn't move around. Now the problem is to find an image in these shapes. I photographed the drawing and then duplicated the photograph 3 times so I could see it in all 4 directions. Nothing much except flower shapes is coming to mind. I don't want to do flowers because that is too easy and seems like a cop out. I will stare at these photos for awhile until something jumps out at me. I think it will be like those "magic" images that were popular a few years ago. If you stared at it long enough a 3-d image showed up. This is turning out to be more difficult than I thought it would be. Feel free to contribute any ideas you have regarding hidden images in this drawing. It's all part of the fun.

ABSTRACT INSPIRATIONS FROM NATURE

I should have been working on my taxes or painting today, but instead I agreed to help out a friend who wanted my "artist's eye for color" to help her select some granite for her bathroom remodel. Friendships are important so I spent the afternoon looking at tons (literally) of marble and granite slabs. I had never done this before, so I was in awe of Mother Nature's variety and beauty. The different colors and patterns were amazing. I had my camera with me thinking I might see some interesting people but what I found was a treasure trove of inspiration for future paintings !!! I don't know how much help I was to my friend because I became lost in my own little world, photographing like mad. I wound up with 141 shots and have put 41 of them into a slide show to inspire you to find inspiration in unlikely places (and always have your camera or sketch book with you). There was one slab that was a fabricated piece...a composite of gemstone like pieces in a mosaic. I don't know how they did it but the slab was priced at $20,000. I could have photographed sections of this piece for days. Some of the images in the slide show come from this piece and some from different natural slabs of stone. I have "enhanced" all of them in Photoshop Elements so the colors are more intense and the values are exaggerated.
Tomorrow I am DEFINITELY going to work on my taxes and paint!