Friday, January 6, 2012

Floating in Asteroid Field

18"x18' acrylic, oil pastel, paper collage (one of my re-purposed pieces)and black gesso.

Most days in the summer I go to the neighborhood pool to float about watching the sky, the occasional seagull passes overhead and sometimes way up high a silver jet. I began day dreaming on what a difference it might be floating in a dark crowded asteroid belt. I'm sharing below some of what I have written in my journal and what inspired me in creating this piece.

Black alley with shapes misshapen
Rumbling along this narrow passage
Sounds of collisions safely behind or possibly ahead
No wheel for steering, no wing for rising
What was thrust into this debris filled orbit is both purposeless and random
A ride unsupervised by wise eyes
Mindless sounds of THUD, THWACK, SMACK, SPLAT AND SPEW!!!!!

I used a loose grid and a few feather like shapes in this rather dark piece. Not sure if it's a keeper but I'm having my artist/mentor, Lisa dropping by Monday morning so I will get her take on this and also show some other new works. Maybe more splat and spew?







16 comments:

  1. Floating in a pool. Incredible imaginative life.

    Great texture dimensions. Wonderful

    Happy new year.

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  2. A gang of crows walked across my front yard today, taunting every little sparrow, starling, and junco at the feeder. I watched them from my studio window. Your black gesso reminded me of the blackness of their feathers.

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  3. ahhhhh.. floating... sounds nice and relaxing.. very imaginative piece.

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  4. I guess you can't go to the pool at night? Maybe the sea? Floating in the dark (skies or water) ....my sort of hang out!!

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  5. Yes...I'm with you on this floating in a pool for inspiration. We water signs rather like such things Maryanne!
    Although I often to imagine underwater stuff and there you are off into the vast universe calling on your muse. How wonderful!
    I would probably end up doing many many quick and slow works to even get anything happening in terms o bringing such a vision into being ... so you have
    done very well to bring this image to life.
    If I have not said already ... many blessings for 2012!
    S

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  6. as always, extremely interesting - your thought process is such a part of your work xo

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  7. I am attracted to these floating shapes. And the image of floating and looking upward which frankly I so often forget to do. Thanks for your journaling on this piece too. I like both.

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  8. I'm loving the 'glow' on this piece.

    I also like your thoughts on floating. I was doing that very thing last night, as I watched the clouds floating past the beautiful (almost) full moon.

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  9. I love the grays here, with that perfect orange and blue, the off kilter shapes of the asteroids and the disintegrating grid. Fascinating journey.

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  10. Interesting concept "floating in an asteroid belt.” Not sure if I would float, as your painting suggests to me energy and collision - so the colours speak to me. I like the palette of this painting.

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  11. I love gesso but I've never tried the black. I love how you take a theme and get right into it. So rich. Love how you worked off the imaginings from floating in the pool. From pool out into the big universe!

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  12. oh yes keep it... even if you don't like it in its entirety you could use parts of it, but I personally like it and the idea of floating... wonderful...

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  13. It sure gets you thinking. I like that about your work. Reading your journal writing put me right on the tracks inside Space Mountain for the first time as a young girl
    ... black alley
    ...soudns of collisions
    ...no wheel for steering
    Ha!

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  14. mansuetude, Yes, pretty easy life, floating with a foam 'noodle' in water temps 87' +....Happy New Year to all of us here in blogland!

    Carole, I agree...black gesso is a REAL black. We have pushy crows here in my neighborhood too!

    Donna, Thank you. Floating in a warm pool seems like a dream in these cold days.

    Annie, I like your 'sea' neighborhood...must be wonderful walking the beach at night!

    Sophie, You are in the middle of your warm sunny days and I envy your floating in the pool days. So true...a place for inspiration, a place to quiet the mind!

    Jeane,Thinking, dreaming, painting all gets thrown together...to what end is the surprise!

    Suki, Thank you...the journal piece had a floating in a bowling alley sound effects...a little disturbing!
    I'm a big sky watcher.

    Babs, Isn't it easy to get lost in the sky...day or night? Funny, I'm not big on flying.

    Sharon, Thank you...I too like the grey color and shapes...was very unsure about the pieces of grid...time will tell.

    Sylvia, The floating part is a small fantasy with plenty of controls...I do like the darkness.

    ZDS, Black gesso is a great find...nothing seems to be more opaque...like a clean chalkboard!

    Caterina, Thank you. Sometimes a piece grows on to be special and sometimes it misses the boat...this one for me, hits in middle ground.

    Karen, Yes, yes what a perfect comparison...especially in the crowded little cars that felt like bullets. So scary!

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  15. The prose is certainly filled with imagery. Annie would have enjoyed it!

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