Artist Hideout

New Work in Progress

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:10:38 +0000

I have a new digital painting that I am working on. I thought I’d share it with you here and get a little feedback.

Keep in mind this is a much smaller version of the full file size. Just enough to show you what I am working with.

I don’t usually name works before I finish them, but this one is called "Layers of Abstraction"

Developing your own voice as an artist.

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:43:28 +0000

There are different stages most artists go through. This is the one I am at right now and it’s pretty challenging. I won’t say the most challenging, but still it’s pretty difficult.

The reason it’s difficult isn’t so much that as an artist you are untalented or unoriginal, it’s the fact that you know you have something unique to offer, but you haven’t quite developed it yet.

Everything we try and do leads somewhere unique. We are inspired, and take different things into our ultimate product. In this we find our voice.

I’ve been looking at the art of Willie Cole lately. Willie takes everyday objects and transforms them into sculpture and works based off of those objects attributes. I don’t know what inspired him to take an everyday household iron and elaborate in such a way as he has done, but it’s obvious that there is a voice at work in Cole’s work.

Willie Cole (American, born 1955) will have his first New York exhibition since 1994. Cole will exhibit recent sculptures which continue several of his intersets and themes. Some of these works are based on the form of an iron -- an image which he began investigating in 1989. Cole was first attracted to the iron for both its form and for its perceived embodiment of the spirit of the person who used the iron. The earliest versions, which he referred to as Household Gods and Domestic Demons, dealt with these ideas by utilizing found objects. More recently, Cole has been constructing enlarged versions (i.e. an iron 600 times actual size) made from diverse materials both found (banisters, pullies) and constructed or carved (two egg 'beaters' that resemble African sculpture and which were carved out of two large sections of porch post)

source

After viewing Cole’s work, it’s hard to look at a household iron the same way again.

Sometimes as an artist, you may already have a voice, but you are having trouble recognizing it for yourself too.

To find and recognize your own unique voice, lets ask these two questions.

What would you have your legacy be?

How will your art reflect that from here on out?

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Looking forward to snow.

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:13:35 +0000

I think lately, I’ve been looking forward to snow again.

Anyway, it’s been a theme for me lately.

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Should the Artist be concerned about Money?

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:21:40 +0000

I’ve dealt with this topic before, but I am always challenged by it.

Art is one of those things that requires a certain amount of money to make money in. I, of all people, wish canvases were given away for free down on the street corner. Actually, I think they should be, along with a set of paints and brushes.

I think we might live in a happier world if they were. There is such a trend toward expression in our culture, we are seeing more and more ways that people are being creative, but we are still seeing many people withdraw from some of the …um, finer arts because they just cost too much in order to be successful (according to culture).

Let me elaborate.

We don’t have a money problem we have a "definition of success" problem.

If I never sold another painting, I would still paint.

If I never made any money off of writing again, I would still write.

Because what drives me isn’t the money. It’s the love of the thing itself.

This is how I must define success. If I begin to dread painting, I am doing something wrong or focusing on the wrong thing.

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Getting ready for oils.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:03:10 +0000

Over the last few weeks, I have been kinda sparse around here. But it’s not because I completely forgot how to type suddenly. Rather, it’s because I am just doing a lot more artwork, mainly cartooning as evidenced by a cartoon I did (then decided against putting up on my personal site) to the left.

I had given thought to doing custom cartoons for people for a base price of $50 (till I got a few clients going). But ever changing as I am, I quickly rethought it and decided I don’t need another set of things to do. I mean hey, I can only neglect so many things before Becca hits me over the head with one of my many unfinished canvases or half empty sketchbooks.

But I guess I see doing any kind of art as a stepping stone to whatever your next project is.

So I am tackling oils.

I have put this off as long as possible.

I’ve broken out the books (or am playing around on wikipedia…lol) and have started reviewing the work of the masters again.

The interesting things I have found so far have been the way that the painting with oils has changed so much over the centuries.

It’s completely different for me to be moving to oils. I’ve worked with Acrylics, watercolor and enamels, but only really lightly ever even tried to do much with oils.

The more I learn, the more I realize I am going to be hitting the history books.

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Coalition Comix – Help Create a Comic Book

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:11:00 +0000

MySpace has launched a new project called Coalition Comix, where users determine the storyline.

It seems pretty basic but it’s a novel idea on getting people involved in the project. More than a choose your own adventure book, users will apparently impact even the deepest parts of the storyline.

Let’s just hope users don’t kill off the main character eh?

Anyway, the writer/artist is Mike Carey

MIKE CAREY is the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite writer of comics, novels, movies, and TV. After working for several UK and American indie publishers, Mike got his big break in comics with celebrated runs on LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER from DC/Vertigo.
Since then, he has written iconic characters such as Batman, Vampirella and Elektra. Currently he is writing X-MEN and ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR for Marvel, CONFESSIONS OF A BLABBERMOUTH for DC/Minx (with his teenage daughter Louise), and VOODOO CHILD for Virgin Comics.

Check it out by clicking the link below, and don’t forget to vote. I think I want it to be a "Fantasy" story.

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Philip Craig: Time Lapse Large Oil Painting

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:45:09 +0000

This video was quite impressive. It would be fun to work on this scale. Imagine the detail you could incorporate into something like this.

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How to (try to) understand Abstract Art.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:44:38 +0000

This is a revisited comic based off of one I did last week on my personal (what is becoming my cartoon) site, www.decloned.com

Now I am not down on abstract art in any way. Most of mine is abstract too. I just think that as any kind of artist, we must come to the realization that not everyone is going to understand our work, in fact… count on it.

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Free: Awesome (Crayon) Drawing Game

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:00:20 +0000

I found this via FreewareGenius. Now, if you are looking for a simple interactive drawing game, this is it.

Granted, you aren’t drawing anything more than simple shapes, but it’s still pretty fun.

Check out the screenshots and download it here on the author’s site.

I’ve been playing this yesterday and really, really enjoyed the break it gave me.

I hope you enjoy playing it too.

Technorati Tags: art , game , fun , play , break , crayon

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Art Submission: J.Reinartz

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:09:24 +0000

I just received this art submission from J. Reinartz along with this note:

Hello,
A while ago I was really into digital art. I’m painting in oil pastels at the moment. I did a series of abstracts in addition to some digital art portraits I find the ability to layer images the most satisfying part of digital. I mainly use illustrator and photoshop. I had an old tablet that I never could become one with. I’m sure the newer ones are much better. What do you think?
J.Reinartz

J, I love the work you sent here below. Many times when an artist picks up digital to any degree, it’s like starting over from scratch rather than an extension of their work.

I too love being able to work in layers to achieve certain effects. That was a totally new concept to me when I began working in the digital form.

As for the tablets. They are much better than they used to be. I had tried an old graphire before and found myself hating it. With the intuos3 they have really improved to the level that it’s worthwhile having one in your art arsenal.

If you have some work you’d like to share with us, submit it by emailing william@b5media.com I’d love to post your work too.

Technorati Tags: art , digital art , media , abstract

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