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| Holding Back the Drought? Speech of the Era? Encore? |
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| Descent? Hydrus Watercolors on Aquaboard, 12x12 |
I played with these watercolors--dripping, scrubbing, painting over, spraying with water, etc., until I had an underwater scene.
I can't pinpoint the source for the remainder of this painting: I watched a Lakefest Idol contest at our local Fine Arts Center (my old elementary school), I was mesmorized by President Clinton's speech at the Democratic Convention, and my brother has a wonderful 4' tall wide-armed blue man sculpture whose eyes watch everything. All of the above. When I walked out of my studio a few minutes ago, I saw long hair instead of shadow in this and glimpsed Mona Lisa--made me laugh.
I've been AWOL from painting and blogging, and was gambling in Atlantic City last week (once every five years can't be considered a habit). I picked my lucky machine at Trump's Taj Mahal and sat down to either spend my money or win a $500,000 progressive jackpot. I was winning when a stage nearby opened their show. LOUD music--I tried sticking my finger in my left ear and playing max with my right hand. After an hour of deafening music and machines, I cashed out (at a profit) and went up to my room, read Vanity Fair on my iPad. I overslept the following morning so no time for gambling--I brought most of my money back home; I guess that's a win. I saw the Atlantic, the Boardwalk, and lots of Jonathan Livingston Seagulls. During the 800-mile roundtrip, I saw Richmond, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and Amish country in southern Maryland. My studio is now looking very inviting.
I can't pinpoint the source for the remainder of this painting: I watched a Lakefest Idol contest at our local Fine Arts Center (my old elementary school), I was mesmorized by President Clinton's speech at the Democratic Convention, and my brother has a wonderful 4' tall wide-armed blue man sculpture whose eyes watch everything. All of the above. When I walked out of my studio a few minutes ago, I saw long hair instead of shadow in this and glimpsed Mona Lisa--made me laugh.
I've been AWOL from painting and blogging, and was gambling in Atlantic City last week (once every five years can't be considered a habit). I picked my lucky machine at Trump's Taj Mahal and sat down to either spend my money or win a $500,000 progressive jackpot. I was winning when a stage nearby opened their show. LOUD music--I tried sticking my finger in my left ear and playing max with my right hand. After an hour of deafening music and machines, I cashed out (at a profit) and went up to my room, read Vanity Fair on my iPad. I overslept the following morning so no time for gambling--I brought most of my money back home; I guess that's a win. I saw the Atlantic, the Boardwalk, and lots of Jonathan Livingston Seagulls. During the 800-mile roundtrip, I saw Richmond, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and Amish country in southern Maryland. My studio is now looking very inviting.
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Welcome back! Glad you made a profit--that is awesome..also very happy to learn that your studio looks inviting. Do you still have the giant box? If that were my giant box I would be tempted to sleep in it --! Your "long haired" person is amazing. She has a zombie quality and that's so topical, don't you think! (Really, she is quite the visual treat).
ReplyDeleteHi Celeste. Now that you mention it--I think I've been an angry zombie for the past few months. I pitched the box; if I still had it, there'd probably be a few bodies in it by now. This was actually a he but the shadow where the curtain parts makes it look like long hair. Maybe I should add some boobs.
DeleteSo glad you posted, Hallie! I've honestly been thinking about you and worrying if all was well. Descent...? I will say that that one makes me think. It also looks like he is emerging from a womb that way. Descent with those bits of "licking flames" is rather scary, no?
ReplyDeleteHi CrimsonLeaves. Descent is a bit scary--a dive into hell, I guess. This is probably a throwaway; I played with it at my Thursdays at the Y art group. I lost that joy in painting for a while--it shows.
Deletep.s. your blue person has no feet? There is probably some deep profound reason this person has no feet.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the winning...maybe you SHOULD go there a bit more often :-) There's a 'Frankenstein' feeling to this painting , interesting and a little scary, but also awesome and so very creative, you never miss it !
ReplyDeleteHi Jane. when we lived closer to Atlantic City, we made two trips a year--I always expect to win. I do like the idea of this painting, but it's sloppy. Thanks.
DeleteHi Celeste. My brother's blue man sculpture has elephant-like feet--it's a wonderful sculpture but I don't know the artist's name (my painting is not an actual likeness, more like a memory of it).
ReplyDeleteI am most curious about the little figure in the corner reaching up toward the big blue person. Welcome back, you know what they say... going on vacation is great and it makes coming home even better.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin. The little figure at the bottom (which actually began as the top) emerged when I was playing with the scrubbing brush. I had read that aquaboard could be taken back to white; I was checking it out. There were more figures swimming but were covered by blue man.
DeleteHolding Back The Drought--or the deluge? That explains why he has no feet. He's ankle deep. I've missed you. I found you at Celeste's and now I'm wondering why this post didn't show up in my side bar? I'm glad you're back. It's easy to lose the joy of painting. There are so many more downs than ups. Maybe your blue man is wading through those downs? Keep this painting. It's curious and therefore interesting.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I like your "wading through the downs." That's exactly what I was doing. My interest in art just disappeared for a while (never happened before) so I forced myself to work on this for three Thursdays; that's why it kept changing. Thanks for commenting; I was following your Alla Prima period. I have that book, too--it's in the pile with all the other good books I've read.
DeleteDon't you DARE throw this away!!! It is fabulous. Lots of imagery to consider. I'm going to have to think about it awhile.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a wonderful vacation! I love those traveling trips where you get to see lots of things. And you made money gambling? Brilliant!!!
I'm glad you're back.
PAMO, I brought my money back home. I once won FIVE jackpots in a row--at five different slot machines; it was a bit unsettling. If I'm not winning I go to my room and read a book--I don't like losing.
ReplyDeleteI will keep the painting to remind me of this time in my life--don't know which way I'll hang it. Thank you.
You may not think you lead an adventurous life, but between your lucky machine at the Taj and this painting, you're a trip.
ReplyDeleteThanks, SamArtDog. I've never been much of a traveler--it requires too much work and planning; I'd never make it to Hawaii for the Big Waves. I like being home and I do gamble in the stock market (where I think it's getting close to cash-out time).
ReplyDeleteThis painting is growing on me--whatever it means. Today it looks a bit religious. I plan to visit the Munch exhibit in Raleigh next week--that should lift my spirits?
Ah the beauty of Aquaboard, you can scrub to your hearts content. The title "Holding Back the Drought?" hit home with me since I am losing a tree to drought and praying that the others survive...."Speech of the Era?". Indeed it was and may save us for another four years.
ReplyDeleteHi Ava. This aquaboard has been lying around for years--thought I'd give it a try. I think watercolors require patience that I don't have. I hope your trees survive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting - I like the blue stone man holding back/parting the curtains, coming out, showing us what is behind the curtain? Do we want to see? Well, it looks nice so far! ha ha Interesting and thought-provoking elements in this, worth a second and third look.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rhonda. I guess we don't know what's behind the curtain until it's too late. I'm glad you mentioned stone man--last year I thought of painting some boulder (bolder) women; you reminded me.
DeleteI think your blue guy needs some jets out of his trousers since he has no feet. It would help him hold back whatever he is holding back. It's a hoot any way you look at it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Davida. Working on this was a bit of a hoot.
Deleteif only you would lay down in another large cardboard box! Then my year would be complete!
ReplyDeleteHi Celeste. I no longer have the box. I have friends at the funeral home, though; maybe I can pose there while they take a photo.
DeleteAWOL in Atlantic City ... love it!! Well, i've been AWOL too, from blogging, but not from painting. Working my butt off in the few weeks left to write my Contextual Studies paper and finish my large oil triptych.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have this surrealist knack of conjuring images from the unconscious, Hallie. Yes, there seems to be some issue between the blue figure and orange tide, One wants to overwhelm the other. The other wants to hold one back. But they are mutually dependent, opposites locked in eternal embrace (well, they are complimentary colors, after all).
But it's the tiny figure at the bottom the really intrigues me. Praying in the corn field? Calling to its mother? Flying home? Love the way you get me imagining.
Holy crap, Harry Kent! Those three sentences in your second paragraph accurately describe my life--and my almost 50-year marriage. Now I suspect that little figure is me--watching from a distance, having directed it all. I hope it's not eternal.
DeleteI cannot believe you "saw" all this when I thought I was just playing with paint. You're actually a Tasmanian psychic, aren't you? Whatever your talents, you're a wonderful artist and I'm waiting for the triptych.
I read your comment early this morning; all day I debated about how to respond.
I've actually been here several times. But mostly with the phone where I have too many or too few words to say. So apparently I never commented. This is a great work - so interesting, and so firmly in the vein of the surrealists. It is endlessly interesting and very well done. I kind of like the upside-down version, but your signature prevents that. You should have signed on the side. :) If you ever figure out what it means, let us know.
ReplyDeleteHi Dan. I've always loved the surrealists (they might have actually known what they were painting) and German expressionists. Well, I like it all.
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually signed it yet; when I post something not quite finished I use the photo program to add the signature--I'm still undecided. Thanks for commenting; I know you've had a tough month.
Hallie, I would be curious which way you painted it, ascent or descent. In Ascent, I have the feeling the blue man is so strong. In the descent I have a great sense of relief, but I don't know why. Maybe acceptance? I love surrealism, though I seem quite incapable of creating it. You, on the other hand, are the master. Love it!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary. I painted this both ways. I began in Descent mode--I had a blurry photo of blue man sculpture on my iPad and always paint from photos upside-down. Then I flipped it and decided to add the stage curtain. I like your thoughts about strength vs acceptance.
Delete