Oh my, did I really title this piece that? It sounds kind of dark and forboding. Yes I did, and for good reason, to my way of thinking. I fully think this is NOT one of my best artworks. But that doesn't matter to me, that's okay. What mattered, when I created this piece yesterday, was my frame of mind and the weird mode I was in. Because I really didn't care how this piece turned out, I was just desperate to make some art, compelled and obsessed with making some art. I had to, I needed to.The frame of mind I was in was FRUSTRATION!!! At a number of things. Being in a major art slump, things going on in my life right now, and things going on in the world and my life in general. I was hot under the collar, and needed to make some art, and didn't really care how it turned out or even if I liked it. I suppose in a way, that's a certain amount of "artistic freedom", I'm not sure. I've never really felt compelled to convey a message in my art, but lately that seems to be the case, whether I like it or not.
I have to confess when I worked on this piece, I felt like I was in a frenzy. I pulled out a bag of scrap pieces I've been saving, most cut off the edges of my art. I just dipped into the bag, and pulled out various pieces, helter skelter and randomly. And madly (crazily) started gluing them down on this piece of frozen pizza cardboard, 5x7 inches in dimension. Well, first of all, I glued down a few pieces crumpled/uncrumpled yellow tissue paper, with matte Modge Podge. Then I rubbed over it with brown paste shoe polish. Then I madly started gluing down the scrap pieces with gel medium. Then painted over them with gel medium, or rather glopped it on thickly.
After it dried, I rubbed over it again with brown shoe polish. Then I used my finger to rub over it, on certain parts, with gold metallic glaze. Then I wrote the words on it with a gold metallic paint pen. But that didn't show up very well, so I wrote over them with a black permanent ink Sharpy. Then I sealed it with Acrylic Floor Finish, and flicked gold Pearl Ex over it while it was still wet from the AFF. The last thing I did was glue on the very cool old, vintage key, obtained from ebay.
Up close, the words on this piece are easily readable. But in the scan they aren't, and yet they are important to this piece. From top to bottom, the words read: Get it done! , Passion, ART, Fever, Do it. I added those quickly, based on my frame of mind at the time. I didn't stop to think about them, I just wrote what I was feeling. I really wish they showed up better in the scan, but they don't.
I don't think I've ever made art this way before, regarding how I felt and the frenzy I was in when I made it. And I'm wondering, is that good or bad? I mean like....making art is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, right? But in making this piece, I can't say I enjoyed it. It felt good, but not in the sense of enjoyment. I guess mostly in the sense of "glopping" it all together, with a "devil may care" attitude. Kind of like....take this, and take this, and oh yeah, here's some more"! It felt like a way to release tension and frustration, get it out on the table, and then heave a sigh of relief.
Wow, even as I'm writing this post, I'm not sure I want to actually post it. But I know I will anyway, and hope for the best. Hope that my artist buddies out there who read it can relate in some way. I love my online artist buddies, I really, really do. You all mean so much to me. I so, so appreciate the people who visit my blog, and leave comments, and connect with me regarding art. I LOVE YOU ALL!
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15 comments:
I'm glad you did post...I really do like it. I particularly like that you were compelled to do it. What a wonderful feeling that must be, to just plow through on something you didn't plan out ahead of time, that you didn't have any expectations of.
I find I like the pieces of mine that fit that description the best. When I have a vision of something in my mind I'm frequently disappointed at the end result, however when I do something on the spur of the moment, I'm generally happier with the end result, because it was meant to happen.
I love the texture, the colours and the can feel the fire of imagination working overtime on it.
Great work!
You can feel your frustration in this piece. Very powerful! And almost a little primal.
Mary
What a great way to get rid of frustration! Sometimes working quickly without time to think about what you're doing works well and similarly your intuitive side took over here. Next time I'm in a bad mood I shall take it out on my workroom. :)
Val,
The frenzy thing seems to be working for you in this piece. And how cool is it that in your frustration you were driven to art - I know in my own life that's what i want to happen. And working quickly without thinking is good to try. That's what those left over scraps are for. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you did post - it is exactly how I feel today.
Maybe I should go and glop and glue and take it out on a piece of pizza box.
Thanks for sharing.
bet just about everyone has FELT like that, some just curl up and hibernate, some make art anyway, and I am one of those. I am glad you posted, I certainly think it is a way to get through those blockades, and hearing I'm not the only artist who feels that way makes me feel better. Keep it up!
I've felt compelled to make pieces sometimes out of emotions/passions too. I like this because I see so many things in it: a windmill, a cross, a ship's mast, etc. etc.. glad you posted!
Val your passion comes across in this piece and it obviously did you good to just create.
What a wonderful free way to express yourself and guess what it came out brilliantly. There is fire and passion in this piece.
To read how you felt whilst making it makes it come alive if you know what I mean so I for one are glad you posted it... art is a way of expression isn't it? so no matter that you did it out of frustration it WORKS!
XXXX
I think your piece is a wonderful piece. Our art is suppose to reflect us and if frustration is what is in the air, then it should show. love the piece!
i've only been doing mixed media for a year or so, but this is one of the things i like about it- the ability to just go and see where the moment and mood take you. i like it, and agree with the others that i'm glad you shared. looks like a pretty productive way to work one's self out of some frustration!
Val, I think you have hit on the true foundation for most abstract art!
It's not representational in the way a realistic or even impressionist painting is, in that it's obvious what the subject is--it's more that you have let your subconscious bring the work to the "canvas" so it's more "real" than you could have done if you planned it with ruler and calculator, trying to make things fit into some design plan.
So keep it up! Let yourself play more and let the feelings you have each time you pick up the materials lead the way into the creative process. Sometimes it will result in nothing--but that nothing could also be used as a base for something else later! Have fun!
Cyn
Val....get mad more often...it works! Right now I'm mad at myself because I have let my house go to the dogs....my DH said I was a robot with my art...never stopping to do anything else. Maybe I could get mad enough to run the vacuum?
I love this piece a lot AND your Lynn Perella book....WOW!
It's gorgeous.
Pat
Val, I guess I was going to say "That's what art is about" - I mean, taking what you are or what you feel and making something visible or touchable out of it. Sometimes those are pleasant, "everyone will like this" kinds of things and sometimes they are turbulent - unsettling. As to your collage, I think it's a great piece of work. Unsettling? Yes. Dark? Yes. But there IS always a message, whether we mean for it to be there or not. Keep up the good work.
Nancy
what a great way to channel the frenzy!!
Your creation is wonderful and so is whatever drove you to make it ! I also feel frustrated with life in general sometimes, and what a great way to let it all out ....Marilyn in MN
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