So, as I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’ve started playing around with text a little bit more in my work.  I’ve already been using text for a while, but mostly through collage only.  I recently came across some old keyboards and thought some of the keys might make some interesting additions to my work.

The above image is a piece of art that I just finished, titled “Home.”   I’ve had it in the works for a while, layering on color and washes, creating texture and depth.   I thought it looked like a landscape or seascape, until I added the pears (a symbol I’ve used in other works).   Suddenly it became a still life.  The pears are collaged from wallpaper (another domestic reference), but I painted on top of them so much, you can’t see much of the original.   I found the perfect text for this one:  “Home.”  I even left the key messy with paint, to reflect my lived-in, imperfect, but creative home.  I’m trying to remind myself that it’s ok if things aren’t perfect, that just makes them more interesting.

The computer keys are a fun element to add into my work, adding a little bit of three-diminsionality, but also contributing to the meaning of the art.  Here’s a tiny work that I did recently, only 4 x 4″, titled “Down.”  A reminder to sit down and enjoy life once in a while.  Breathe.

  Crossing borders.  Breaking molds.  Refusing situations.  Avoiding consequences. 

 Is escape a good thing or a bad thing?  Like everything, it depends on the context.

 

Esc