Wednesday, April 13, 2016

No Kodachrome

I'm thinking ahead to being with Caroline and Emmy in a couple of days (TWO DAYS, C&E!!!). Want to bring materials, or ideas, or starts of some sort so we can hang out together making art over the weekend if we choose.

I get out a sheet of paper and go black and white, thinking, I'll bring a start. We'll cut it up, and then use whatever materials the girls have at hand to develop the pieces. Make a series together!

It's harder to create a black and white start than I thought it'd be.

Well, that's not true. It's harder to create a black and white start that is visually pleasing to me than I thought it'd be.

But, once the first few swipes of paint don't do what I want, I let go of having anything do what I want.

And I like what emerges. The black/white/gray/smoky effect is calling out to me!



I walk past this start awhile after it has dried and find myself reaching for black paint; add some patterns.



Whoa—if I squint, I see an abstracted face!

Maybe this won't go to VA! Maybe I won't cut it up!


4 comments:

Simone said...

Hi Dotty!

I really like this black/white experiment!

I used to think that painting in black and white would be really boring. But the last year I learned a lot from Jane Davies, she has some very interesting things to say about working in black and white (maybe there is even a video in her instruction-video-list). But at least she has blogpost where she talks about the importance of black and white-thinking. Colour is beautiful but it can also 'cover up' a lot of things.

So: I like you working in black and white! It inspires me, since I don't do it so much, I like colour too much. But I think I can learn a great deal from it.

Bye!
Simone

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Simone, thanks for your vote of confidence and enthusiasm. I saw a bunch of Jane Davies' black and white paintings, and that's what inspired me. The b&w surprised me by being as compelling as it was. I really like this b&w experiment, too. It catches my eye every single time I see it.

Sheila said...

Love this beginning. And I see the face as well. :)

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Thanks, Sheila. Isn't that face a fun surprise?!

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