Painting for Shanghai Expo
This is my latest painting. This will go with another painting to be reviewed by the curator in Grenada for consideration for the Shanghai Expo this summer. The reference is a friend of the family and he is holding a dove at his grandchild’s baptism. I intentionally brought the dove to the foreground and caused it to drip over the hands. I love the temporal reference to the dove’s drips. I was thinking in the framework of ‘sacrifice’ while doing this painting and I think some of those thoughts come out in little moments. Thank you for taking the time to view my work!
Identity Study from this Summer
Identity Study 18x24 Oil on Canvas
I saw that I hadn’t posted this one yet from the Summer.
Here is the technical information: I painted this one in a classical style of setting down a ground, grisaille and then two layers of color. I find that this method allows for a lot of dimension in the form. The first layer of color was in my regular red, yellow and purple palette and then I put a cooler palette on top to finish.
Conceptual information: The photo reference I used was from West Africa in the 1940′s. I was intrigued by her scarification which is an identifying feature in some West African cultures. I met people when I was studying in Ghana that had identifying scars. The people I talked to had scars that indicated what profession their family did. It’s interesting to me that it is an artificial indicator on top of natural features. One idea to take this a step further would be to create my own system of scarification that I would put on figures in paintings to indicate my own agenda.
The second thing about this painting is that even though the photo was taken in the 1940′s it looks like a modern day digital ‘self-portrait’. As if this woman was posting her facebook photo. The concept of the self portrait speaks to cultures of narcissism and statements of, “I am here, and you are here to see me.”
I thought it was about time to post some more of my work. I’m currently working on some figure study paintings I will post shortly!
Ex Nihilo
Ex Nihilo 48"x60"
This is one of my latest paintings. This was last seen at the Brookhaven College student art show.
Ex Nihilo in Latin means “out of nothing”. I am intrigued with creation narrative of different cultures. Creation narratives are one of the ways people define their role in the cosmos. They are important and defining parts of culture. This painting is not as much a creation narrative as a snapshot of the creative process.
The brushwork throughout the painting is linear; strokes going up and down in a ‘constructed’ way. I want to make it feel like the figure is being ‘put together’. Like the brushwork throughout the piece comes to fruition in the form of the figure.
Antithetical to the notion of linear construction is the circle in the background. This represents the creative force acting externally on the creative process. The figure is propelled from the circle in an almost violent creative moment. The midground drips from ‘excess’ creative product.
The creative process is not placid and calm. The creative process can be turbulent and reverberating causing repercussions as a result of the creative moment.
Painting Music
I wanted to share my playlist with you! This is not exhaustive but here are a few tunes I listen to while I paint.
In other news I am about 80% moved into my new studio downtown. I’ll take some pictures today. It’s really nice to have space to move around in! The space can also double as an exhibition space.
I start a figure painting workshop next week Friday but for now I’m making stretchers and getting ready for the show in February!
Enjoy the music. Click on the Pop Out option below.
Ex Nihilo Detail
This is one of the paintings I’m working on right now. I am particularly happy with the detail I am able to get on the face by crosshatching little strokes of color. It has the semblance of pointillism but with crosshatching. I have finished the forehead since this picture and more of the background. I will keep you updated.
War 33″x47″
This is an excerpt from a post I made previously. This piece will be seen in Barbados in February.
This piece was painted with varying sizes of dots to create a half tone pattern of the image.
This piece has several layers of meaning that I would like to share with you.
The most apparent meaning is in the title and words that are inscribed beneath the dots along the top of the subject’s head. The words are the first lines of Bob Marley’s “War” and lines used in Haile Selassie’s speech to the United Nations in 1963.
“..until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned…” “me say war[Marley]“.
Another interpretation that I would like to be read into the piece is the style and color of the paint applied to the canvas. I want to evoke the idea of drops of blood, or dots representing life.
One of my favorite thoughts on this is that like war, it is difficult to see the whole picture when you are close to or involved in it. Not until we have the lenses of history can we have the distance to understand the issue in its entirety.
Dreaducation
The images on the canvas were created by cutting stencils and then using spray paint. This is a similar method used in creating graffiti, especially when an image needs to be applied quickly.
I mentioned the idea of dreaducation in my blog. The summary is this: education, especially in former colonies, was never designed to truly educate the population. Public education is a system of socialization into the dominant culture’s approved behavior. Dreaducation is the education that the powers that be do not want you to have. Dreaducation is empowering. Dreaducation is learned many times in the Caribbean by listening to Reggae as well as Calypso. Dreaducation is what tells us that maybe Christopher Columbus was not a hero and maybe Africa is not so dark after all. Dreaducation tells us that it is ok to learn about our past especially because we have been misinformed for so long. Dreaducation is a renewal of the mind and a reconfiguration of mental imagery. Dreaducate yourself.
