I just really like what she's doing :)

   I was given the task of interviewing someone in the School of Art that I'm really enjoying. I picked Lucy Carey, a good friend and someone I really admire. She is very calculated, but her works after usually focused on the more natural aspects of life. Her work is grounded in nature and most often depicts the sky. I really love the juxtaposition of her meticulous process and more ethereal subject matter.


What do you hope to do with your degree? Grad school, a specific job?

1. I have no immediate plans to go to grad school. It's not out of the question for the future, though. I would like to go together with a few fellow artists and get a studio space with a small gallery/store area in the front to display and sell our work. I'm imagining a storefront on a city block with the store in front, a nice studio in the back, and an apartment above to live. This would be perfect for me, because I want to work for myself, or at least with people I know well and trust.

Who are your favorite artists?
2. I love Alphonse Mucha. I was first drawn to his female personifications ofparts of nature, such as the moon and stars and the seasons. Nature plays a huge role in my work, and he portrays it in an interesting, beautiful way. I also like Amy Ho. She incorporates images of nature in cool installations. I love her piece Skylight, where she projects an image of the sky onto the roof of a subway tunnel. Gerhard Richter does wonderful work, too.

 What first got you into art?
3. Art was always one of my favorite classes in school, and I have been drawing since I could first hold a crayon. But I really started taking art more seriously after getting excited about the anime Sailor Moon, around 6th grade. I was obsessed with it. I would constantly draw the characters and write my own stories for it. That led to my own original stories and characters and eventually expanded into what I do today.
 

 Who are your least favorite artists?
4. There aren't a lot of artists I completely hate. I try to find at least about them or their work that I can appreciate. For example, there's Milton Avery. He uses nature for his imagery, but he abstracts it in such a way that it it looks like simple planes of color. I enjoy abstraction, but not as he does it. That said, I can appreciate his approach to color. He prefers to let color be the dominant force within his work. What look like solid shapes of colors in his paintings are actually many similar colors that the eye blends together from a distance. This is very interesting and something I would like to explore.

Is there anything you dislike about being an artist?
5. I have a love/hate relationship with enjoying many different kinds of art. I practice several kind of printmaking, oil painting, digital and film photography, digital painting and animation... On one hand, I have lots of different experiences to draw from; each medium can provide a bit of insight into the other. On the other hand, exploring all of these media at once makes me a bit of the classic "Jack of all trades, master of none". Not to mention the money spent on basic supplies for all of these media.

Sfeer Theory Comic

I've been crazy obsessed with this web-comic recently.  I really like the story line. It is set in a fictional fantastic world, and usually I tend to stay away from anything that falls into the realm of fantasy. However, there is enough explained that can ground me in the reality of the world. Everything seems to have its place within the world and it all seems carefully though out.

So, needless to say I enjoyed what is posted of it so far. I also really like the style, the exaggerated facial features, mixed with the sharpness of the clothing, which I might add is impeccability drawn.

"Luca Valentino" Art by Jayd Aït-Kaci

It has been on a extended hiatus for a while, but thanks to the magic that is kick starter, a website that helps artistic ventures appeal for money to a larger demographic outside of the small populations that know it actually exists, Sfeer Theory will be back up and running WITH A PRINTED BOOK COMING SOON!!!!!!I can hardly contain my excitement.

 First Page of Uitspan Era

Check it out here: http://sfeertheory.littlefoolery.com/

The Art of Eileen McConkey

I attended the Final Friday event at the Pendleton Art Center recently, and was really interested by Eileen’s work. Ms. McConkey creates very colorful abstractions that seem to have fallen out of the night sky. Her images usually consist of swirling, undulating colors that seem to vibrate when you look at them.They are very awe inspiring.

"Tempted By The Light"

Acrylic on Canvas 

     The above painting is one from her website that I really am drawn to. The almost tactile nature of the red paint really makes the eye move around the image. It reminds of of some sort of grand celestial wave with long reaching tentacles. I also really love the color modulation from the dark of the bottom left corner, the maroon-ish color, to the blood read of the sweeping line. It really is a piece of art that you can get lost in for a while.

"Stellar Crown"

Acrylic on Canvas

   Another piece that I really enjoy is the one pictured above. The color seems to grow and contract if you look at it for an extended period of time. The dark corners create an almost vignette quality, making a frame for the center of image. There is such a range of colors present in the work that it really is a very interesting study. They all work so well together in my opinion.

"Energy In Motion"

Acrylic on Canvas

   I was drawn to the shape of this one. The simple turning of a square canvas creates a dynamic image. The overall neutral colors make the eye pay close attention to the brush stokes and sweeping motions. However, the colors are not forgotten. There are so many different shades and tints of brown. Green brown, red brown, earthen brown...too many browns to count.

  Eileen McConkey is a true color master. Her paint application is simply amazing and is really inspiring. I am in no way painter like see is, but I'd like to see something like this captured in the natural world in a photograph. She works in such a different way than I do. However, I can really study her colors to become a better printer. I wish I could mix colors like her...and maybe with practice I could, but for now I will simply sit back and stare up into her ethereal works of art.

  You can see more of her work at:  http://www.eileenmcconkey.com/home.html
  And also check out her blog: http://eileenmcconkeyartist.blogspot.com/

A Few Inspiring Images

When asked about inspiration, the title of my blog really explains it. I’m in love with music; infatuated with tones and the different timbres of sound. My creative process is fueled by music. I listen to music while creating art and my works are often related to music. My love of art blooms from the same central stem that my love of music grows from. It’s all about exploring. Everything is an exploration when it relates to my process. I want to learn through my own hands.  

There are many questions I’m asked about the creative process, but they all just boil down to one thing: Where do you find your spark?

It’s very simple really. Usually, I just stroll around tumblr looking for something inspiring. I just put in my headphones, and cruise the net until I stumble across something. There is no real science or method to my madness; just perseverance. I’ll search of hours until something finally hits me. I’ve been collecting a glut of images that have really struck a chord with me, and I figured I would post a few of them that will give an idea as to what catches my eye. 

 "Doll" - Griffblut

"Samantha Lying" - Ian Reynold

"MF008" - Eric Lacombe

I have also recently discovered Ivan Alifan's website: http://www.ivanalifan.com/

I really enjoy his work due to the use of color and heavy paint application. The tactile quality of his pieces really draw in my sense of touch. I almost attempt to touch with my eyes as I study each piece. He does a great job of rendering human forms, and I highly recommend his work.