It's one thing to paint intuitively, to just make marks and brushstrokes, knowing that whatever I'm feeling is most likely playing out in some way on my canvas. That's hard enough, but it's something I've grown into gradually.
It's another thing, and a harder thing by far at the moment, to have some sense—though in no way a clear sense—of a particular feeling I want to convey, and to then try to manifest visually that feeling … for which I have no visual reference.
The word liminal comes to mind: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response. I'd say that about sums up the vague stuff I've been trying to find words for here!
In any case, my brain has been working hard while I sleep, offering up what I think of as liminal hints as to ways to proceed.
So today I cut a piece from a book jacket I'd saved, and used it as a support for collaging. I think somehow this sheet of collage may move me forward.
Here's what I've accumulated in the past few days:
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| acrylic and ink covering an old painting on 6x6" canvas board |
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| acrylic skin |
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| book jacket with first pieces of collage |
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| collaged book jacket |
10 comments:
First, sleep, just saw a Ted program about creativity and one of three tools was to think about the problem and then sleep , and maybe ,(if you are lucky)my thought, some solution will arise in your dream state, and luckily you'll remember the dream. Last didn't work for me. Book jacket collage, wow, never thought of that, I usually take images, cut them up and paste them on a start or as a start, but use them as a start, new thought. I have that jacket BIY! Think I bought the book when I learned about it from you! Actually LOVE the back side. But since I have them on the book itself they may at one point be foder for collage. Did you use your skins? Did cut up first image? Here is link for YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-YScywp6AU I usually watch these on bus trips to and fro to Jerusalem
Carol, my brain frequently entertains itself in working out art problems and ideas in dreams or hypnagogia during the night, and sometimes when I'm in full-out insomnia. Thank you for the TED link.
Using the book jacket was fun, with lovely paper and colors for my support.
First image is on canvas board so will not be cut up at any point! Perhaps gessoed, but not cut up! I haven't used this particular skin yet.
As ever, thanks for the ongoing conversation.
I simply cannot wait to see where this collection takes you...that dust jacket is divine. And your thought process - thank you for sharing. Hints and clues without instructions. Our brains are wondrous and mysterious.
Dust jacket—I do love that term; didn't think of it when I was writing.
Our brains are indeed wondrous and mysterious, and what a gift art is for tapping palpably into the wonder and mystery!
Thanks for coming along for the ride with this piece, Jen : )
I love the way you are trying to find your way to the core of what you want to express!
Thanks, Simone, and thanks for the succinct way of stating what I am doing: finding my way to the core of what I want to express.
Enthralled. I find myself missing the first layers, that golden yellow. But these new layers have me searching, like an egg hunt, for bits of those first layers. And I am excited when I find one. There and there and there. So in this way, your piece has become interactive. The new layers and colors are exciting. Is that a pepper I see? Where is that bit of pink from? See - still looking and dissecting, and having fun.
Very cool Dotty ;)
Sheila, you must find ALL the eggs at an Easter egg hunt! You are GOOD! Most of the collage I added to the dust jacket came from a gardening calendar that featured a page of multicolors of peppers! Awesome that this provided some highly interactive engagement : )
Love seeing what you have been up to the last few days. I find it so hard to get what I am 'thinking' to the canvas - there is a breakdown of communication somewhere between my brain-thought and hand/brush! You seem to be finding your way though and look at what is happening in your studio - and 'liminal' might just be a new way to 'label' a day of painting!
Thanks, Janet. This particular piece has been very engaging/compelling. I've been enjoying the ride, the sheer EXERCISE of it artistically, mentally, spiritually.
Liminal sounds better than minimal, doesn't it, even though both words might describe the same day of painting!
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