Awhile back, I posted two watercolor paintings I did, "Titania and Oberon."
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=387148.0 I also posted them on my Facebook, and a local gallery and gift shop owner saw my work, and asked me to create a collection for October's Final Friday (it's an art gallery crawl every last Friday of the month)! I ended up having major oral surgery that kept me from painting for a good half of the time I had to prepare, so there were definitely a few scrambling all-nighters trying to get ready!
Anyway, the show came off brilliantly, and I sold four of my biggest pieces (and my showpiece, "Seasons") on the first night! There were well over 100 people there (considered a great turn out in this area), and I got tons of lovely comments in my guestbook, yay! This was such an awesome experience, because I'm not trained in art in any way- I'm a musician by day, and this is all just a hobby. I'm happy to know that people love my stuff!
All the pieces are generously matted in white mats with a black core, and framed in edgeless gallery frames. BTW, the variations in color of the paper are because some photos are scans, and some are photographs. All the paintings are on white watercolor paper. My artist's statement is at the end of the post, and goes into some detail about my inspiration and technique. On to the pics, enjoy!
This is my showpiece, "Seasons." It's about 26"x32." I love how the variations in the color look frosty! I really wish I could upload a huge pic of this- there is so much extreme detail in this that is completely lost in the compressed image. Boo... ETA: I decided to include some cropped pics of this one, so everyone can see the detail. The images follow this one.
Winter:
Spring:
Summer:
Fall:
This is "Titania" and "Oberon," the pieces that inspired the entire show! (These aren't the originals, because I didn't want to sell those. I re-painted them instead). 8.5"x11"
I did two more companion pieces to go with Titania and Oberon, called "Dandelion" and "Queen Anne's Lace." These were displayed in quad formation as well, and I realized that the series sort of depicted the seasons through color, with Titania being Winter, Dandelion being spring, Queen Anne's Lace being summer, and Oberon being fall. I liked that it was an unintentional cohesive thread, with the cyclic seasons thing.
These are the "Lady Mums," green and pink. 6"x12"
This is "Chandelier." All the detail of the chandelier was painted with the tip of a needle dipped in liquid latex, and for the chain, I painted the latex AROUND the chain, so that I could still use the drip method to organically blend the colors, and avoid brushstrokes. 8.5"x11"
This is "Love," which I, ahem, love.
I used a fountain pen filled with latex to write the script, and again, painted around the areas outside the circle. 8.5"x11"
I did a series of leet/text speak prints that ended up being really popular! This is "I Luv U!", 8.5"x11"
"OMG" and "LOL," both 5.5"x8.5"
"Whatever," 26"x32" inspired by the fight for marriage equality (as in, "whatever, why should it even matter?").
This is a series of small sparrows that I did in a range of colors. They hang as a set in quad formation, 4"x6"
This one is "Wheat," like my amber waves of grain of the tall grass prairie that I call home. I go to grad school at Wichita State University, whose mascot is the Wheat Shock (or "Shocker." Yes, I know...) and colors of black and gold, so I made a companion piece called "Shocker Pride."
The next two are companion pieces, 12"x12." "Wisteria" and "Purple Cone Flower"
And of course, some pics of me at the gallery opening, and all my paintings in action!
So much food and booze!
And just because this post isn't nearly long enough, here is my artist's statement, so you can get an idea of the inspiration and the technique I used. Enjoy!
"I’ve been told that I’m a study in contrasts. I can be both fluid and stubborn, I get hot when it’s cold out, and I like salty and sweet foods together. I’m a musician by trade, and consider it to be the ultimate in contrast; expend tremendous effort and skill to create the illusion of effortless beauty, in an endless cycle of preparation and performance. My watercolor paintings are influenced by these elements; I endeavor to create subjects defined by sharp juxtaposition and the cyclical nature of life.
In this collection, I've used a liquid latex mask to create reverse silhouettes. To ensure the most contrast with the sharp, masked lines, I never use brushstrokes. Instead, I drip the color onto the paper from a foot or more up, so that the liquid can flow, blend, and spread in the most organic way possible. The result is something that is both defined and undefined.
I use the circle as a recurring element, because it is something that is completely both with and without limitation; given an environment free of restriction, a liquid will always form a sphere, yet it remains perfect and defined. The circle is also representative of the continual life, death, and rebirth of everything that keeps us human.
The works are vibrant and alive, using vivid colors and imagery, much of which was found within my own garden. I love the juxtaposition of hard and soft, organic and inorganic, and light and dark, and use these stark contrasts to bring the subject to life in an unexpected manner."
