'An Unfair Advantage' - 10"x10" - oil on canvas
'Do Not Stop On Tracks' - 10"x10" - oil on canvas
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in 2012. I chose to stay home for the first time in ages, cooked a roast, drank some bubbly, ate specialty chocolates and lazed on the couch in my pajamas watching movies until 1am. It was GRAND.
In more pertinent news, I spent December completing new paintings for exhibition submissions and also finished several small commissions for clients for the holiday.
Exhibition season is starting up again, and I've got several lined up to submit to in the coming months. Looking forward to the challenge. In fact, that's the reason I even write about these, most of which I don't get into. I like to challenge myself to try for new things, to stretch and grow and stick my neck out despite not having a guaranteed outcome. And I like to encourage others to do the same. There's always something good to be learned from each attempt, always something worth the effort regardless of whether or not you get in. So, now and then you'll see me post about submissions, my intent being to encourage fellow artists who read my blog to just go for it. :o)
Above are two submissions to a juried gallery exhibition titled 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles', which will be held in March of this year. They asked for submissions early on, in December, and I had a couple months advance notice to try to come up with something different.
I expected there to be quite a few direct approaches to the theme taken by other artists, and quite a few playful approaches as well. I knew I wanted to play, and I also knew I wanted to try my hand at the soft vs. hard focus look I had going with the Coca-Cola bottle paintings I did back in October.
My first thoughts were on Matchbox cars, and then while cleaning out one of my closets back in October, I found an old Monopoly board and playing pieces. One of my favorite games, and perfect for the 'train' theme. So, over the next few weeks I mulled it over and found a way to combine the two.
In more pertinent news, I spent December completing new paintings for exhibition submissions and also finished several small commissions for clients for the holiday.
Exhibition season is starting up again, and I've got several lined up to submit to in the coming months. Looking forward to the challenge. In fact, that's the reason I even write about these, most of which I don't get into. I like to challenge myself to try for new things, to stretch and grow and stick my neck out despite not having a guaranteed outcome. And I like to encourage others to do the same. There's always something good to be learned from each attempt, always something worth the effort regardless of whether or not you get in. So, now and then you'll see me post about submissions, my intent being to encourage fellow artists who read my blog to just go for it. :o)
Above are two submissions to a juried gallery exhibition titled 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles', which will be held in March of this year. They asked for submissions early on, in December, and I had a couple months advance notice to try to come up with something different.
I expected there to be quite a few direct approaches to the theme taken by other artists, and quite a few playful approaches as well. I knew I wanted to play, and I also knew I wanted to try my hand at the soft vs. hard focus look I had going with the Coca-Cola bottle paintings I did back in October.
My first thoughts were on Matchbox cars, and then while cleaning out one of my closets back in October, I found an old Monopoly board and playing pieces. One of my favorite games, and perfect for the 'train' theme. So, over the next few weeks I mulled it over and found a way to combine the two.
I like how they turned out and I had an absolute blast arranging and painting them both. And again, like the Coca-Cola bottles, messing with the focus on each painting proved......challenging. BUT, it did go more smoothly than the Coca-Cola bottles because this time I had some previous experience and trusted my eye more.
Hopefully the titles of each painting explain the paintings themselves within the content of the exhibition theme.
- details -
8 comments:
I love them. And I loved hearing how the idea for them materialized.
These are awesome!
Thanks, guys!
great concept! Love these.
These are great! Perfect for the theme.
Keep us updated WHEN you get in. :)
Cheryl
These are great! Can't decide which I like best. Another game I have always intended to paint is an old Clue game...Colonel Mustard in the library with the lead pipe,etc. Thanks for reminding me of this :) Also I appreciate the encouragement on the submission process which I really need to learn to like. It's true that I learn something new even if I don't get in. And those special themes push us out of our comfort zone. These two will get accepted I just know it.
Wonderful job with the Monopoly board, I like the design and the perspective. Great job!
I love this painting
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