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Friday, October 05, 2007

Landscape at Dusk--
Here's a cropped image of the largest oil painting that I've done. Again, I apologize for the quality of the photo. I'll need to work on that.
In this painting, I played with color a bit.. and I do mean played. This painting was a lot of fun to do. First, I underpainted the entire canvas in blue.. the same as the sky. When doing the grass and flowers, I allowed some of the blue to remain visible.What would I change? There are more orange tones than I would like. I may go back and adjust that. But, that's merely a personal judgement of the final result.
Should I be concerned about what my painting looks like in the end? Not so much. That may surprise you. After all, isn't the goal of art to end up with a work of art that is everything you want it to be? I don't think so. I think that the process of creating is much more important. Art keeps me sane. It's not the paintings hanging on my walls that soothes my soul, although it is nice to be surrounded by art. What's important to me is to take the time to allow myself to create- whether it be in the form of a painting, poetry, or a story. When I create, I am free.. free to purge my thoughts and feelings on paper, canvas, or the computer screen. If I am focused on the end result, I'll be censoring my efforts through the entire creative process, which would not be helpful at all.
Freeing yourself to create without boundaries or expectations is a way of accepting yourself without judgment.


Monday, October 01, 2007

Abstract Self-Portrait


I realize that I haven't previously posted any of my artwork, which is a real shame. This painting is my abstract self-portrait. This picture is slightly dark. (I never claim to be a photographer, although I have worked as one.) The painting is somewhat lighter. This acrylic painting is an image that reflects on my struggle with bipolar disorder. I treasure it, and it is currently hanging above my bed. Basically, it is an abstract blue flower flowing on lava. It's much different than my usual works.. which lean towards post impressionism. I'll be posting some more of my paintings and theory on art soon.