Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, 48" by 36", oil on canvas, 2015

Wonderland 3

Wonderland 3, 48" by 40", oil on canvas, 2015

JMW Turner

Five things that I like about Turner's late watercolours:
1. they seem to ooze light and mist and atmosphere
2. they are beautiful without being pretty
3. they evoke such a deep space using very few strokes
4. they are painted quickly yet, they seem timeless, still, and considered
5. they are an account of a great painter's eyes, his joy of seeing

A few thoughts on "Paint Is Only Skin-Deep"

I was thinking about this painting that I made a few years ago because my last few pieces have been using fashion photography images and wanted to see how my current work differs from this piece from an older series from 2013.

Paint Is Only Skin-Deep, 2013

In many ways it is similar:

-confused, obscured space making it hard to locate the figure

-energetic marks

-vibrant colours, high contrast

-dealing with the question of illusionist vs. flat space

One More Time, 2015

But in many ways it is different:

-intent for the use of the fashion model is very different (ie. commentary/critique vs. armature on which to make a painting)

-the paintings now are much more process oriented (ie. building, destroying, rebuilding)

-much more paint is being used (can tell in the photos)

-fragmentation of the image is the central idea

I was wracking my brain as to what my latest paintings mean. I still don't really know, but I think they have something to do with creating a first hand experience in the making of the image as opposed to trying to convey a subject or idea. The use of fashion models from magazines and online sources are the handle for me to make paintings on a daily basis. Not a muse exactly, but as an entry point where I can enter "paint mode" and get down to work. I think what I'd like to try is to incorporate an actual object or an element from my daily life into these images. But then again, that might seem forced. 

Guess I'll keep making them and see what happens.