A nice, first look see around my messy studio....
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit..... black water snake 2013: The completely myopic journey of artist/painter Beck Lane.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Entry 13: Turn around, schmurn around
Well, for a variety of reasons I've been a bit down lately and haven't felt like maintaining the blog. My will seems to have gone on a little vaca -
Honestly, I've been killing myself for months now (over a year really) working almost non stop and trying to get towards a place where I'm able to focus mainly on work and be able to spend more time painting than having to struggle with ridiculously simple, fixable problems that are out of my control and dependant on other people. After everything I've been thru, I keep wishing things, that are dependant on other people, would get done and make my load a little easier to carry. But instead, I've been out of mind and depressed trying to understand why a couple small projects, that could help improve my life and make everyone's work easier, aren't getting done. I just keep shaking my head. Makes absolutely no sense at all.
A few years ago, when I was taking martial arts, I broke the ring finger on my left hand in a match. It snapped in 5 places and was pushed down into the trunk of my hand. Bc the injury was so disgusting, my instructor refused to help pull my finger out of it's compressed state so I did the deed. The next night, my instructor decided I should take advantage of the situation and ordered me to stop using either of my hands at all in the (fight) ring. So while my (younger, thinner and more experienced) opponents were coming at me with both hands and feet I had to figure out how to "make it work" using my fat little legs - I went on to train/fight for the next few months with my hand(s) and arm(s) tied behind my back.
About 6 months after the injury healed, I had a fight/match with a much bigger opponent who beat me blind and almost unconscious in the ring. At that, I placed 2nd in my first national championship. Deflated and badly injured again, something in me shifted and I never allowed myself to accept coming in 2nd place again. I trained myself silly 7 days a week, 365 days a year to make sure I won every fight.
Although I've been working my tail off to get myself where I am today, I'm feeling really stupid and naive for being hopeful about my work and my life. Not sure how much longer I can sit and wait for that big turn around moment to happen again - that magical moment when my hands are freed up to do whatever needs to be done to make progress. Normally it'd be a luxury for me to stop pushing myself for even a day but I've lost some of my mojo - trying to turn things around.
Anyway - I'm working on several new paintings including "Apple, scooter, brother, sister". About 75% done:
Honestly, I've been killing myself for months now (over a year really) working almost non stop and trying to get towards a place where I'm able to focus mainly on work and be able to spend more time painting than having to struggle with ridiculously simple, fixable problems that are out of my control and dependant on other people. After everything I've been thru, I keep wishing things, that are dependant on other people, would get done and make my load a little easier to carry. But instead, I've been out of mind and depressed trying to understand why a couple small projects, that could help improve my life and make everyone's work easier, aren't getting done. I just keep shaking my head. Makes absolutely no sense at all.
A few years ago, when I was taking martial arts, I broke the ring finger on my left hand in a match. It snapped in 5 places and was pushed down into the trunk of my hand. Bc the injury was so disgusting, my instructor refused to help pull my finger out of it's compressed state so I did the deed. The next night, my instructor decided I should take advantage of the situation and ordered me to stop using either of my hands at all in the (fight) ring. So while my (younger, thinner and more experienced) opponents were coming at me with both hands and feet I had to figure out how to "make it work" using my fat little legs - I went on to train/fight for the next few months with my hand(s) and arm(s) tied behind my back.
About 6 months after the injury healed, I had a fight/match with a much bigger opponent who beat me blind and almost unconscious in the ring. At that, I placed 2nd in my first national championship. Deflated and badly injured again, something in me shifted and I never allowed myself to accept coming in 2nd place again. I trained myself silly 7 days a week, 365 days a year to make sure I won every fight.
Although I've been working my tail off to get myself where I am today, I'm feeling really stupid and naive for being hopeful about my work and my life. Not sure how much longer I can sit and wait for that big turn around moment to happen again - that magical moment when my hands are freed up to do whatever needs to be done to make progress. Normally it'd be a luxury for me to stop pushing myself for even a day but I've lost some of my mojo - trying to turn things around.
Anyway - I'm working on several new paintings including "Apple, scooter, brother, sister". About 75% done:
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| The basic layout using aerosols and stencils. |
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| Adding shapes and figures using acrylics and aerosols. |
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| Cutting in and filing in shapes with oils. |
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| Starting to work on the background - adding more yellows, yellow/white and teal leaves and grass. |
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| Sharpening up the scooter handles with red - making them pop. Since this pic, I've added reds to the background as well. |
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| Some of my favorite things to paint: hand, face and apple against abstract shapes.
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Friday, January 11, 2013
Entry 12: "Leap frog" - the finished project
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| "Leap frog" NEARLY fini - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 60" canvas |
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| Reference material for "Leap frog" - |
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| There is a lot of detial in the work that can't be seen in the full photo |
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| This section, and the 3 sections below, are my favorirte spots in the painting - a number of years ago someone told me "every inch of your paintings are a painting in themselves". That statement stuck with me so now I make sure to not just put in itty bitty details in my work but to make sure each brush stroke actually addes a quality of interest to every teeny, tiny, itty bitty portion of my work. I want to make sure the viewer can take a snap shot any where, in any section (whether the work is upside down, side ways or rigth side up) and they will find a contained, complete, balanced painting. |
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| The upper section of "Leap frog" is full of pin wheels and sparks. The lower is full of puzzle pieces. The upper, hopefully expresses, the excitement in being the leaper - the lower is meant to express anticipation and what it is to be part of the game. |
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| Finishing the edges this way is a new venture - makes the work feel larger and more alive. Plus, Im not a fan of frames - they tend to take the work from feeling dynamic, explosive, fresh and new to feeling contained and not nearly as genuine. I would love to be doing larger works with the edges this way - I would love to see how they feel in a big, big scale. Video slideshow of the development and construction of "Leap frog" : |
All work available exclusively thru:
Eden Fine Art
Call :(212) 888-0177 for details.
To view previous blogs visit:becklaneartist.blogspot.com/
To see albums filled with pics of work over the last year on FB: www.facebook.com/BeckatReBar/Also visit: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002159828818
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Entry 11: "The Silks" part 1
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| Basic layout done in black gesso and aerosols. |
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| Sketch in a bit using acrylics and chalk. |
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| More aerosol and acrylic and then started putting down a light layer of oil. |
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| Drummer Matt Donnely. No, Matt is not a vampire - his mouth is open and I haven't colored it in yet so he only looks like he has fangs. |
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| Tyler-James |
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| Bassist Jonas Parmelee |
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| A little more oil - trying to go lightly...trying so hard... |
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| Worked on their clothing today. |
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| Eh, slightly clearer...maybe sort of... For a short tour of the studio visit: http://youtu.be/E7498F1uUko |
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Entry 10: Available thru Eden Fine Art in Tel Aviv
Photos of work taken in studio before we packed it all up and shipped overseas to Eden Fine Art, Tel Aviv.
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| "6 beat swing" - 48" x 60"and "Winter coats" - 48" x 48". Both pieces are oil on acrylic and aerosol on canvas. |
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| Adding a design and finish to the 3" profile helps the painting to feel bigger, complete, extended and leaves it with no frame needed.
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| "Sister, my sister" - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 60" canvas |
Detail of: "Sister, my sister" - oil on acrylic and aerosol with oil crayon on 48" x 60" canvas
The finished edge of "Sister, my sister" - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 60" canvas
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| "Brothers" - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 48" canvas |
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| Finished edge of: "Brothers" - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 48" canvas |
- To see a Youtube slideshow presentation of the construction of "6 beat swing" visit: http://youtu.be/0uNokPv9Q5Q
All work available exclusively thru:
Eden Fine Art
(212) 888-0177
And for pics, updates, links, photos of work in progress and more visit me on Facebook too!
Entry 9: The construction of "6 beat swing"
To see a Youtube slideshow presentation of the constructionof "6 beat swing" visit: http://youtu.be/0uNokPv9Q5Q |
| Detail of the finished "6 beat swing" painting. - oil on acrylic and aerosol on 48" x 60" canvas. |
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| The beginning of "6 beat" - black rolled and brushed on, yellow and teal aerosol is used to block out the general layout of the figures. |
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| Black acrylic is used to sketch in the actual figures. |
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| Really happy with the look and feel of this fella. |
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| Often times I'll review my work in a mirror - it provides me with another way to see my work clearly and give it balance. Did not like the direction her face was taking but couldn't find a way to make it right - placed her in front of the mirror (put on Dave Matthews) and BINGO! it became clear....she looks like a creepy, dead woman. |
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Once the face was wiped down, reset, repainted (and she no longer looked like a creepy, dead person) the rest of the painting fell into place.
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| I was able to add pinwheels, confetti, rays of color, etc giving "6 beat" an explosive feel. It's meant to convey how wonderful dancing can feel - joyful, celebratory, intimate, fun! |
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| Hopefully, I was able to convey the tension in a pose like this by highlighting the muscles in her leg and the grip of their hands. |
"6 beat swing" is only one of at least a dozen pieces on view at Eden Fine Art galleries.
All work available exclusively available thru:
Eden Fine Art
Call :(212) 888-0177 for details.
To view previous blogs visit:becklaneartist.blogspot.com/
Also visit: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002159828818
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