Wednesday, April 1, 2009

"Pastel Ozone Eaters"


Photography by Kim Ray, measures 16" x 29" framed. I bought this several years ago and I've hung it in a variety of places in different homes not always in the kitchen area. Ray was taking photography classes at the local college and was in a student show...it has been magic for me! The images of these big pastel refrigerators brought fond memories of kitchens in my childhood. We always had white appliances but I do remember pink, green, gold and even coppertone appliances of my school mates in the late 50's and 60's. The amazing thing is these old beauties still work but have become environmentally undesirable!
In the studio I'm finishing up three canvas pieces...related and non-related to one another. I'm not obligated to stay consistent to a gallery or a following so it has been fun to do some exploring. Work I have done these past few weeks has been a break from my practised habitual hand...in the studio I have gone down some new roads...or so it seems. These do not relate directly with my abstract pieces on flickr and different as well from the Oasis series. I wanted to "try on" some ways of art making that I would find different for me such as the fun of filling in squares (back to my coloring book days) adding fabric to things from times I enjoyed decorating, crafty gifts and story telling depicting imagery connected to me and my favorite mythologies. Tall order for three canvas pieces but I did have fun playing with materials, and some disappointments too. For me it's inventing a different way and also about following an inner recognizable DNA.
My beginning thought was to lead myself to "Restoration of my soul" and from my journal I gleaned squares and from that the four directions and from that a compass...each of the three carries a compass...still looking for "my new old way"!ha

10 comments:

  1. I love the "restoration of your soul" and the four points on a compass and finding your way... I am so glad you are just painting for you this first week of April! Roxanne

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  2. good for you Mary Ann - taking the road less traveled and doing some things out of your comfort zone! and I'll take the pink refer please! god, I would love that!

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  3. Introspection is good but sometimes hard on the psyche. That I can relate to. But experimenting will lead you out of that tunnel into the light. My book says that and I am holding it to its promises.
    Love the photo of the refrigerators. It brings up old age and still functioning but not usable dramas in my mind. Boy, it sounds like I am in a dark mood today, doesn't it?

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  4. Isn't it amazing where art can be found. Who'd have thought old refigerators would make such a great composition?
    Good for you,,,so much to be found in the exploration, the new/old. The you.

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  5. Those old refrigerators used to be so small. And the funny thing was, the families were much larger! Maybe it's that we eat SO much now? Oink.

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  6. Maybe the fridges were small because women went to the market everyday to make sure they had the freshest of food.... but now I am off topic!

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  7. Roxanne, Yes, painting for myself is great fun...no worries over upcoming shows, deadlines and such. The compass came out of studying the symbol of a square...I love research.

    Jeane, Yes, it does feel like a road or journey new to me.
    A retro kitchen...all pink appliances!!Fun

    Pat, I've always found experimenting to be the tool of discovery, as long as there is some play in it!

    Babs, Good composition is always good!
    Now that I finally have the time for play... why not play?!

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  8. Willow, I remember the freezer sections were so small and there was always two trays of ice cubes...no room for much else?!

    Just you, I remember my mother went shopping almost every day...got herself all dressed up too!ha We had a produce man that drove his loaded truck down the street on certain days...memories.

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  9. Mary Ann, love the idea of a "New Old Way"- it can be the name of a movement! In "Pink Relief" could be a name of a painting inspired by the photo. <3

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  10. Cynthia, I'm not so good at titles...you on the other hand have an easy way...thanks for the suggestions!

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