Thursday, June 30, 2016

June 2016 Wrap Up Post

1. Up in Arms
collage approx size 15" x 18"

2. Downtown
collage image size 15" x 18"

3. Whatever!
collage image size 15" x 18"

4. "Do You Remember?"image size 15" x 18"

Hot, hotter, and hottest! That is the weather report from my neck of the woods and so it must be almost July. Hope everyone has had a nice June. It's time to see what happened this month in my studio. Here goes!

1. Up in Arms: Many artists rely on imagery and ideas that they see every day. I certainly do and for this piece I drew on some of the things that are happening around me. One of our supervisors is embroiled in a recall effort. Our county is experiencing higher than normal traffic and we have had a rash of fires close to us in the last two weeks. Although the piece is personal, I am always interested to know what the viewer sees so don't let me sway you!

2. Downtown: The subject of "town and country" as being opposing places is always of interest to me. For this piece I relied on a sort of cityscape idea to give structure to the piece. The feeling of opposition was brought out in my use of the colors blue and orange, which are opposite colors on the color wheel. I added just a touch of green both for a surprise color and to suggest the idea of a strip of greenery such as a lawn.

3. Whatever!For this piece I experimented with the use of letter stencils. The abbreviations are what I think of as "filler" words; things that people say when they are trying to fluff up a conversation or when they may be at a loss for words. They are a sort of verbal shortcut. I again drew on the opposite colors of orange and blue but made them a little more subdued. Still vibrant but not as colorful as the preceding piece. The letter stencils are very fun to use. Look for them again in upcoming pieces!

4. Do You Remember?: Sometimes a work of art is just pure nostalgia for the artist! Such is the case with this last piece. I drew on my memories of growing up in the East Bay (San Leandro) and tried to make something childlike. Or maybe I should say reminiscent of my childhood! I used imagery that reminded me of board games, sidewalks, bushes, and rose colored glasses of course! As with all the pieces above, this one has a personal narrative involved. And while that is important to me, I also want to know what the viewer takes away. Both viewpoints exist together.

I hope everyone has some vacation time planned or something else fun to do during the upcoming summer months. I'll be doing plenty of hiking, walking and biking. Those activities help me to re charge my "creative batteries." Have to get out early though around here or head up to the mountains. Either way, I am looking forward to the activity. 

Thanks for reading my wrap up posts and if there is a special way that you "recharge", let me know by sending me an email or leaving a comment. Thanks again!
Libby


4 comments:

  1. Love all of these...my fav is "Whatever". I see it as life. Sometimes things are coming in all directions (XYZ) and everyone needs a bit of your time for a reason (etc) they must explain to you... and you just start wanting to say "Whatever".

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    1. Barbara,

      Aren't you clever? You got the whole piece into a kind of flowing narrative! Exactly what I wanted!

      It's one of my favorite pieces too. Using the letters was interesting-I don't normally like words with my art. This seemed to fit though and you got a story out of it. win-win!

      Thank you for the visit and comments. Hope all is well.
      Libby

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  2. Dear Libby - June was such a creative month for you. I love all the pieces but my favorite is Do You Remember? The colors are so bright and cheery and they make me think of picnics and summer fun. So glad you do a wrap up because it certainly showcases how versatile you are as an artist and how certain things trigger your lovely art. Hope you have a great week-end. Hugs!

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    1. Debbie,

      Thank you sso much for your kind words on both the wrap ups and the pieces. That last piece really does have a summery feel to it doesn't it? I wasn't as happy with it to begin with but it is gradually growing on me. Funny how that happens.

      Hope you have a lovely and relaxing weekend planned. Thank you again for your visit!
      Libby

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! I reply back in an email if you are signed in and I can see your address. Otherwise I will post the reply here under your comment. I tend to cut and paste my emails too so that others can experience the back and forth which I think is integral to blogging.
Libby