Red still life - 30 x 30” acrylic and oil on wood
Finished this summer studio painting in a week and a half, which is the fastest oil painting I’ve made so far. Although I’m still struggling with drawing and painting (my elipses, scale and proportion are always off; I had to glaze the really red objects because I was mixing the wrong colors; the fabric high and lowlights are a little too intense; the composition has the same awkward spots that all my paintings have had, etc), it’s getting easier to develop my own process for tackling a project.
I’m sure that looking at still life after still life is boring, and you must be wondering (along with me) “when is she going to make something INTERESTING or MEANINGFUL?!” After the expensive fiasco of the bee thing, I realized that as much as my brain has 34 years of experience to come up with heavier concepts, I’m still a first-year(ish) art student, and my skills are at the same level as all new art students.
I decided to take at least two independent painting and drawing studios per semester, so I can get to the point where I feel comfortable with what I think is the hardest part of making art: Being able to reproduce what you see. Painting and drawing from life are much more difficult than reproducing a photograph in different media - at least for me - and it’s important to “go to the gym” at least 3 times a week until I build some bigger muscles.
Today was the last day of the first summer session. The painting studio was quick and difficult, and I enjoyed it very much. The photoshop class was lame. I didn’t learn anything new; photoshop is still an overrated tool.
When I met up with some old coworkers last week (all of whom work in some kind of design or advertising or porno), they were pretty baffled as to why I’ve been leaning more towards studio art than design. Honestly, the design stuff bores the hell out of me. I’ve spent so many long, exhausting hours working with designers, and the more I get into fine art, the less interest I have in graphic and web design. I’m still going to take the classes, though, because I’m at least smart enough to know I’ll probably need those skills once the fantasy land of college comes to another end.
I’d be pretty happy to never work another advertising job again. Mark those words with a pencil, though, because the only thing I really know is that I know jackshit.
I’ve already started one of two big, more interesting projects. Thanks to Miss C for the strap-on, and wish me much luck on the second one, because it’s going to take at least seven months to finish, and I have no idea if it’s going to be successful or not. But after meeting with a few people in Durham, I think my chances of getting into legal trouble aren’t as good as I’d hoped.
If you’re really fucking bored, process photos for the red still life are here. If you’re interested in owning it (cheap!), my email address is up there on the right.