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