Formation of Mental Objects (01)

Tangential Thinking (01)

Ink and gouache on paper.

36x24 inches. 2010.

The word “thought” is simply defined as the “formation of mental objects.” I like the efficiency of this definition, as it reminds me of the “chitta vritti” I’ve been working with in some of my other paintings. I see each of these little ink bursts as discreet objects—perhaps an abstract representation of those mental objects (thoughts) that ceaselessly bounce around in our heads.

Alex Couwenberg & Wabi Sabi

I recently came across these abstract paintings by Alex Couwenberg. His work is heavily influenced by his Dutch-Indonesian heritage. He grew up in California, and you can see the obvious Californian character of his paintings.

These paintings remind me of the work of Rex Ray, another contemporary California artist whose work I admire. I love the graphic qualities of these works, as well as the slightly sickly color palettes. I'm reminded of 1950s surface patterns, maybe textiles, wallpaper, or linoleum.

There’s an appealing tension in these paintings—maybe something uncontrolled, something undesired being swept under the rug. It’s a kind of forced order that seems a bit out of order (if you know what I mean).

His newer works are becoming more and more mechanical, more precise—they look almost computer generated. I would like to see them in person sometime... When I look closely, I think I see textures on the surface of the paintings that don’t come across well in the photos. I hope so, because I really like the idea of the artist attempting to control something that is inherently uncontrollable. Personally, I like to see evidence of the artist’s hand in his/her work... there’s just something more authentic, perhaps closer to the spirit (at least for me) when a work of art is flawed in some way.

I think my desire to see evidence of the artist’s process is residue from my experiences working digitally for so long as a professional graphic designer. In my best (favorite) graphic design work, I try to incorporate evidence of physical processes, through hand-painted textures, scanning in objects/textiles, or simply by designing elements to be purposefully slightly off-kilter.

I’m newly intrigued by the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi.” According to Richard Powell in his book Wabi Sabi Simple: “[Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.” I think I will be studying this idea more in-depth very soon. According to my limited research so far, it appears that this concept is mirrored in Native American and ancient Indian cultures as well. Stay tuned—I think I’ll be returning to this line of thought in future posts.

Chitta Vritti 01

Chitta Vritti (01)

Ink, pastel, acrylic, and twine 

on paper mounted on board.

36x36 inches. 2010.

Patanjali, sage and writer of the bedrock text on yoga practice—The Yoga Sutras, begins his famous work with the statement “Yogas citta vrtti nirodaha”. In English, this phrase roughly translates to: “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” This new series of paintings seeks to juxtapose the chitta vritti (mental chatter) against its opposite (mental stillness). 

Sold! / Mesa County Libraries

Ribcage

Ink on paper. 20x26 inches. 2010.

This piece was just purchased by Colorado’s Mesa County Libraries for their permanent collection! It will be on view at the Fruita Branch. Please join me at the new Fruita Library Open House on February 2, 2011.

Piet Mondrian: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 5

As a visual art student in high school at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, I became infatuated with the work of Piet Mondrian. I liked his earlier, more ambiguous paintings better than his later, purely geometric works.

There was a spiritual warmth to the earlier works that seemed to be missing in the later ones. I think it had to do with the color palettes as well as the imperfection of the geometry he was creating at the time.

I remember seeing these and trying to mimic them in my own work. I remember doing a project at The School of the Arts — a diptych — where I juxtaposed the influences of Piet Mondrian and Francis Bacon (Check back for Part 6 in my “Favorite Famous Artists” series). The two artists’ work couldn’t be more different.

 

I do still like the geometric, primary works too, though. I guess they just seem a little cold compared side-by-side to the other ones. One thing that redeems some of this later work for me is that although it attempts to be so perfect, the hand is still very apparent. I like this one: it’s a little bit dirty. I’m not sure why that pleases me so!

Snowy Southern Utah from the Sky

I was working in Los Angeles this week, and was lucky enough to have a window seat and beautiful weather for the flight back to Colorado today. I think you can make out the San Juan Mountains way off in the distance.

Notice the narrow fins protruding up from the desert floor on the left... And the formations on the right look like someone just came along with a razor blade and sliced into the earth in a cross-hatching pattern.

I’m always surprised to see Lake Powell from the air. Strange gnarly shapes are created when the water fills big canyons. It looks so much different from the air than it does on the ground.

The snow on the Utah landscape really accentuates the geologic forms in the earth. Amazing!

Click on the photos to see them larger...

Under Water / Jewels of the Mind

Jewels of the Mind (04) Under Water

Ink on paper mounted on board
24x32 inches. 2010

Jewels of the Mind

 Jewels of the Mind (01)

Ink on paper mounted on board

24x24 inches. 2010

“Jewels of the Mind,” in this series, refers to the various thoughts and actions that inspire us daily. Each little explosion has a precious, jewel-like quality, glowing on the surface of the painting.

 

Jewels of the Mind (05)

Ink and gouache on paper mounted on board

24x24 inches. 2010

Karma 03

Karma 03

Ink and gouache on paper. 26x20 inches. 2010.

This is the third piece in my Karma (Meditations on Samskara) series. Check out the first two here.

Drawing / Conclusions

 

Student: Jordan Nicholson

Perhaps a self-portrait of sorts, a geometric head filled with nostalgic memories of home. I love the detail and contrast, but would like the background to be more complete.

Today was the last day of drawing class for the semester. These are a few of the best final drawings that were presented. The assignment was initiated before Thanksgiving. In honor of the holiday, I asked students to take photographs, while they were at home with their families (or where ever they went), that illustrated their ideas of “gratitude.”

Student: Melissa Vargas

Appreciation of natural landscapes in her home state of Colorado and her Native American heritage. I want to see more contrast, as this drawing feels a little flat at the moment. More detail in the foreground would help bring the ruins forward three-dimensionally.

From their photo collection, the students were asked to create an entirely new image to convey their personal concept of “gratitude” and to feature the technical skills they practiced over the semester. There were many interpretations of gratitude amongst the class, but most of them focused on ideas of “home” and “family.”

Student: Brenden Nelson

Acknowledging the emptiness of material consumer goods, and the importance of human connection. I would like to see more people together (perhaps a family or group of friends) on the right to contrast against the “lonely” figure with the packages.

The class was as much a learning experience for me as I’m sure it was for the students. Teaching freshmen is a whole different ballgame than teaching the upper division students that I’ve gotten used to over the years. I didn’t anticipate the magnitude of the transition students would be making from high school to college. Many of the students struggled with discipline (attendance and self-motivation). Others really focused and took their work to the next level.

Student: Sarah Heaps

Grateful for the relationship shared by her parents and their contribution to cultivating a positive atmosphere for their family. I would like to see more natural shading in the hands to make them appear more voluminous.

I definitely have some ideas for how to revise the course next semester. I hope to find ways to help students improve their time-management skills and maintain a disciplined work ethic during their first experiences away from home and on their own.

Moments of Clarity / New Collages

 

Moments of Clarity 04 / Landscape 01 (under water)

10x13 inches. Ink on paper, collage. 2010.

Sometimes after a sustained wave of productivity, I like to look around the studio to see what kinds of scraps are lying around. These two small collages are the result of recombining some of them into new compositions.

 

Moments of Clarity 05 / Landscape 02 (growth spurt)

10x13 inches. Mixed media on paper. 2010.

See some earlier works in this series here and here.

Intertwining Strands of Something . . . / No.2

Intertwining Strands of Something ... (2a). 6x6 inches. 2010

This is the second piece in a new series I’ve been working on (see the first one here)... As I’ve said before, I’m really interested in the spiritual inner-workings of our minds. Perhaps a reflection of the (im)balance of the intuitive brain and the analytical brain, my work tends to swing back and forth on the continuum between uncontrolled (chance-based) application of pigment and very precise layering of graphic elements.

Sometimes the two begin to overlap, as in this series...

Intertwining Strands of Something ... (2b). 6x6 inches. 2010

According to Yoga philosophy, there are thousands of nadis, or energy channels, that govern the subtle body. Of these, the Ida, Pingala, and Shushumna are the three most influential. The intuitive/right brain and parasympathetic nervous system are governed by Ida. The analytic/left brain and sympathetic nervous system are governed by Pingala. When these two channels of energy become balanced, then Shushumna begins to take over, offering a more direct energetic path to clarity and enlightenment.

Intertwining Strands of Something ... (2c). 6x6 inches. 2010

 Below is the entire triptych as one piece:

Intertwining Strands of Something ... (02/Triptych).
6x18 inches. 2010

Click on this image to see the whole triptych up close.

Georgia O’Keefe: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 4

 

I’ve loved the work of Georgia O’Keefe for so long, I don’t even remember now how I first discovered her. I had posters of her flower paintings on my bedroom wall when I was in high school. Back then, I think I was mostly drawn to the formal qualities of the colors and organic forms... I don’t think I really understood the broader implications of her work.

 

Poppies

Later, I came to love the flowers’ visceral suggestion of human (particularly female) flesh. I’ve always been fascinated by aggressive art by strong women—never wanting to be a “wilting flower” myself.

 

Ram’s Head

After she made a name for herself as an artist in New York City, O’Keefe moved to New Mexico where her work shifted to new subjects. Now that I’ve been living in the American West for a while myself, I’ve come to understand O’Keefe’s desert and skull paintings more clearly. I think one of the toughest challenges is to fully convey the beauty, spirituality, vastness, and harshness of western American desert landscapes.

 

Gerald’s Tree

Her skull and desert images share the aggressive qualities of the flower paintings, but there's something more contemplative about them, too... It is easy to infer that with age and wisdom, O’Keefe was forced to confront the idea of death and individual insignificance head-on, acknowledging the power of mother nature and her lack of sentimentality. Living in the New Mexico landscape probably heightened her awareness of these things.

O’Keefe’s painting of the dead desert juniper (above) reminds me of an idea I’ve been contemplating for some time now:

 Skeleton Study #2 (Danielle Foushée)

Xerox transfer, ink, and gouache on paper. 

10x13 inches. 2010.

I’ve been photographing numerous juniper skeletons in the Colorado and Utah deserts, knowing that there is something profound about them (yet, I can’t quite put my finger on it). The negative spaces left by the branches are so graphic and majestic, a relic of a life lived in the harshest of environments. I want to find a way to visually celebrate that sense of life and death and passing time in my own works of art.

Happy Hand-Drawn Meditations

When I have a few minutes here or there, I like to doodle in my sketchbook with some tracing paper. Some of the doodles turn into nice little drawings that make me happy!

 

These patterns were drawn in layers and then reconstructed in Photoshop, allowing me to adjust and recombine colors on a whim...

 

My friend Tony Toven at Clear Image Printing Company in Los Angeles generously printed my handmade patterns onto blank note cards. I packaged them up into sets so I can give them away to clients and friends.

 

I find that drawing these patterns is meditative and soothing, giving my brain something repetitive to focus on (like a visual mantra). It helps clear my mind and make room for (hopefully) new creative revelations!

Taking it Too Far

 Untitled (Dead Painting)

When I’m working on a new idea, I tend to push things too far. This painting is an example of that. About halfway through creating this piece, I took a photo of it (what you see here). Then I kept painting on top of it, and eventually I killed it. Now it is in the “dud” pile in the corner of my studio... I should have stopped while I was ahead!