August 30, 2014

More, True Confessions of a Pinterest Artist

 It was a rumor floating around, while I attended the University of South Carolina, in the late seventies. Supposedly, sometime during the three semesters (1947-1948) that Jasper Johns attended the land of the Gamecock, he presented a unique piece of artwork in class one day. Bringing a live chicken into the classroom, Jasper Johns proceeded to lob off the unlucky poultry’s head, in the presence of his astonished instructor and peers, presenting this bizarre demonstration as his assigned art project.

I know, this is a photo of ducks. I did not have a photo of a terrified chicken!

 Sixty-seven years later, Jasper Johns is still creating art, albeit of a more tangible nature, and very profitably so. Probably best known for his 1954 pop art piece, Flag, and the (around)* twenty more subsequent Flag-themed paintings created in the years to follow, Mr. Johns’ net worth is currently estimated at $300 million dollars today! I am the first to admit that I do not fully comprehend why Johns’s pieces, although interesting, command such an exorbitant amount. At auction in 2010, the late Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton’s beloved Flag (1960-66), by his artist friend Jasper Johns, commanded a cool $28.6 million dollars!

Jasper Johns, in front of his masterpiece, Flag
Photo courtesy of alesisfraserart.tubler.com
http://alexisfraserart.tumblr.com/post/53446404566/top-10-worlds-richest-living-artists

 To view more of Johns’s works, and read more about the artist,
click on the links below.
*http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/05/michael-ovitz-on-michael-crichton-and-the-flags-of-their-dreams.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/jasper-johns-birthday-flag-artist-turns-83_n_3275126.html
http://www.jasper-johns.org/flag.jsp
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/05/jasper-johns-flag-brings-record-price-at-auction-of-michael-crichtons-estate.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Johns

 From the master to the novice, I enter apprehensively into the esoteric world of abstract/pop art. Although, a novice about this art genre, I do know what I like. And that is, I like art that makes me happy. A tour throughout our home in Maryland, (I am currently living overseas), exhibits photos of our precious family, fun art prints, mixed with a smattering of colorful travel posters of places we’ve lived and visited. Also, adorning my walls, a few special pieces created by my artist friend, Jodi Perry, but up until this point, nothing of the abstract variety.

 View a few pieces from “Annette’s Art Gallery”

 I fell in love with Shag’s, WDW 40th Anniversary Print, when I first spied it
at the art gallery in Epcot. It now proudly hangs over the couch in our family room, making me smile each and every time I look at it. :o)
It was this piece, which provided the impetus to changing the decor our house. For 30+ years our home had been decorated in the country style, but after acquiring this print, our entire house has been slowly transforming into, what I call, a “Pottery Barn look with a taste of mid-century”.

Our first art acquisition, Texas Blue Norther (1981), a print by talented Texas artist George Boutwell. (We lived in Texas for 16 years.)
Boutwell’s use of watercolor in this piece amazes me!
One time, while looking at this artist’s work at an art fair, our oldest, Trevor, who was about 4 years old at the time, asked Boutwell,
“How do you color so well in the lines?”
The artist’s reply, “I draw the lines!”:o)
http://www.gboutwell.com/paintingdetails.aspx?id=483

Several years ago, I bought this print from The Black Dog Tavern,
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. I love going to this restaurant!

I like the art deconess (Is that even a word?) of this reproduction vintage railroad ad. This poster reminds me of a wonderful week that Dale and I spent in beautiful Banff (Canada), on a business trip, in 1996.

White Barn with Red Sculpture

 I was drawn (Yes, that is a pun!) to this print by artist Ian Tremewen,
the first time I stumbled upon it online. I eventually bought the print.
Tremewen’s artwork is all so colorful and happy.
I like the simplicity and lines of this piece!
http://tremewenart.com/prints.html
http://www.art.com/gallery/id–a10497/ian-tremewen-posters.htm

A special gift from my friend and artist, Jodi Perry.

Journey, by Jodi Perry
I like this poster of the Iowa corn (I grew up in Iowa)
with the woman dressed in red, who looks like Jodi!
http://www.claytonmo.gov/Assets/Government/PDF+Files/News+Releases/2011-releases/ArtFair+2011+program.pdf

I LOVE my poster of Summer Daydream, by Jodi Perry!
This is a happy piece of art! Simply beautiful! :o)

 For more on this piece, and how I met Jodi, click below.
https://annettehoffman.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/true-confessions-of-a-pinterest-artist/

 Painting and me

 It is said that desperate times call for desperate measures. I found myself living overseas, in a rented apartment with rented furniture, complete with a couple of crushed velour couches, and bare walls. With nary a Target, Home Goods, or Pier One in the vicinity, desperation dictated. I would have to tap into my (hopefully) hidden artistic skills, if I wished to decorate my generic off-white walls. I had been pleased with the results of my first artistic attempt a few months earlier (you can read about it here- https://annettehoffman.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/true-confessions-of-a-pinterest-artist/), and scoured Pinterest once again, for another source of inspiration.
I found it in this piece.

The Pinterest inspiration for my most recent painting.
http://everydayprettydotcom.wordpress.com

Here is the process I went through, below, just in case you may wish to create your own piece of art.

 Painting Materials

 Paint Canvas
(I used a square 80 cm 80 cm/31.5 in x 31.5 in. that was 38 mm/1.5 in deep)

Drop cloths
(When in a pinch, I use trash bags, or shopping bags, that I have cut open.) 


Acrylic Paint
(I used two-three bottles of glossy white,
two-three bottles of aqua,
and one bottle of glossy black)

Chalk and a brush reserved to use as a “broom” for the chalk

Paintbrushes
(These are four that I used.)

How to

Place down a drop cloth.  

Give the canvas a white base coat, including the sides,
using the wide paintbrush.
I did two coats, letting it dry between each coat.

I set the canvas up on four glasses to dry.

I then painted two coats of aqua paint on the canvas front and sides,
letting it dry.
(See photos below. My drop cloths are pretty sorry, I know! :o))

 Using chalk, I sketched out the design that I wanted.

 I painted white inside the circles that I had sketched,leaving space to paint the black outline. It took several coats of white before it covered to achieve the look that I wanted.

Once the white circles were dry, I used the chalk brush “broom”,
and “swept” away the chalk marks from the canvas.

 I then used black paint to outline the circles, making sure that the circles all touched one another.

And, using the small paintbrush, I signed my name at the bottom.
Presenting my painting, that I entitled Happy. :o)

 My painting inspiration, on the left, and my painting, on the right.

A Pillow Talk Moment

 A funny thing happened when the apartment workmen came to assist me in hanging my new painting. (The walls here are concrete, so it takes a drill to hang anything on these walls!) After the workmen had held up the painting for my approval, then measured, marked and leveled where the painting should go; they proceeded to hang it up; upside down. It took a of couple minutes, due to the language barrier, and a couple of other tries on their behalf, before we got my painting, Happy, hung up the way it should be. The whole time, I kept thinking that this was just like in Pillow Talk (I love that movie!), and I’m Doris Day, telling the deliverymen how to correctly hang this painting!
Yep, my life is a movie! :o)

Doris Day, as Jan Morrow, instructs deliverymen on the correct placement of a painting for Tony Randall/Jonathan Forbes’s office.
Ralph Du Casse is the artist who painted this colorful and interesting
Pillow Talk abstract.

 Pillow Talk art information and photos courtesy of The Art of Film blog.
I am a big fan of this blog, which investigates artwork in the movies.
For more information about the art in Pillow Talk, click on the link below.
http://theartofilm.blogspot.com/2014/01/ralph-ducasse-painting-in-pillow-talk.html

Reaction to my painting, Happy (2014)

 My friend, Jodi Perry, gave me some artist painting pointers and encouragement, via email, prior to the beginning of this piece. (The first paint stroke, getting started, was the hardest part!) I sent her a photo upon completion, and Jodi was very kind in her assessment of my attempt. Thank you, Jodi!

 My husband, Dale, is sweet and encouraging in my endeavors. Upon arriving home from work and seeing my newest masterpiece, Dale said that it reminded him of
The Flintstones, his favorite cartoon! :o) I told my hubby that I was going for a more primitive look, so I would take that as a compliment! Actually, I can see Dale’s point. The circles in my painting are shaped in a similar fashion to the many boulders that show up on the cartoon, in the architecture of Bedrock, and the aqua background is the same color as Fred Flintstone’s perennial tie. Could there be some deep, unconscious, psychological meaning, pertaining to The Flintstones in my painting?! Nah.

A scene from the cartoon The Flintstones
Note the shape of the boulders in the fence, and the color of Fred’s tie.
Are these similarities to my painting just a coincidence?

 Thanks for reading!  :o)


Annette

 I attempt to post my blog bi-monthly.

I will talk to you again around September 15.

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