New Work: Dream State

Dream State
12" x 16" acrylic and painted papers on wc paper

The inspiration for the above piece comes from several sources: my reading and some recent videos that I have been watching as well as some recent news events. California is a complicated state both literally and figuratively. We are excessive in so many ways, running amok since our inception as a state. I had aquifers and the transportation of water in mind as well as what might happen in the event of an earthquake.

It's hard to say if things are getting easier or getting more difficult. This last piece took me about a week, give or take. I was gone several days during that time but still. 

Each time I do one of these pieces I feel like I learn a lot. It's sometimes mentally painful though! I can remember being in school (college-the second time when I managed to finally graduate) and having to write a report or a paper. I loved getting organized, preparing and doing. Step-by-step was how I did things. I was good at it but oh, it hurt! Cost me a lot of mental energy. The way I am working now is very similar. And the process really causes me to think. The picture below of Matisse reminds me of how I feel. Sometimes I do hold my head in my hands and sort of just try to squeeze out the right answers! He looks a little cranky doesn't he?

I frequently feel like this!
henrimatisse.org

What did I learn this time? I learned that there is no right answer and there actually is one right answer! There are probably hundreds of design solutions to whatever questions I am posing. I wait though to see which solution feels like there couldn't be any other solution other than that one. Then I think that yes, there was only one answer all along. The best moments come though when I see something I did and say to myself, "I sure didn't see that one coming!" There is no way that I could have planned for some of the outcomes in my work. There is no serendipity though because honestly, as I said above, every previous move leads to the next move. It's at these moments that I feel most creative. And this just takes time.

I'll say too that I paid much more attention to negative space this time around. All shapes come from somewhere, whether they are representational or not, and looking at the negative spaces created by my other shapes is one such place to draw inspiration. 

The second thing that happened came about from putting my painted papers up on the wall to examine chroma and value prior to cutting and gluing. This worked well. I think it's analogous to trying out colors on your canvas and correcting as you paint.  For the most part it worked well. I didn't catch however how bright two of the colors were that I had originally chosen. I thought they would work but when I got them on the final piece, not so much. So, I abandoned that idea.

The last thing that happened is something that always seems to happen. I have a tendency to add small pieces and details too soon. It comes about if my larger shapes aren't working and it's always a desperate fix. I tried to catch myself this time early on. I really like the idea that every piece is there for a reason and could be a piece all by itself.

OK, I have some ideas brewing about how I use color. I am also starting another piece which is a continuation of this last piece. It's actually a rendition of my original sketch. The above piece deviated quite a bit from my source sketch and so I want to get back to that first idea. Anyway.

Hope the week is off to a good start. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby