"ROAD MOVIE" STARTED, THINKING LIKE A SURREALIST, STUDIO UPDATE

This was another busy week.  Monday was spent on jury duty, which was quite an experience.  Tuesday through Friday were spent placing siding on the studio building. There was time, however, to sneak in a bit of hooking.

"Road Movie" in progress  20 X 20  Lori LaBerge  2013

The difference in value between the two lower blues may not be enough.  It is better than the photo shows, but may need to be adjusted.  My thought at this point is to mix a lighter value in with the middle blue, adding interest as well as lightening up that particular section.  As usual, I will wait and see as the piece progresses.

For an art journal exercise this week, I turned to the surrealists.  I have been interested in surreal art since college.  Modern Art History was required for my minor and I was drawn to the work of Rene Magritte.  Where did he get those ideas?  This has been on my mind every since I drew out "The Giant Red Pear Warehouse".   I have decided to work on my off hours (I'll find some somewhere.) beginning a surreal series with each piece including a pear.

"The Giant Red Pear Warehouse"  digital art  Lori LaBerge  2013

A great exercise for thinking in a surreal fashion is to create columns of words consisting of nouns, verbs and prepositional phrases.  This is a game my husband and I used to play with the kids to learn the parts of speech.   Here is an example: 

Nouns                         Verbs                                         Prepostional Phrases

Pears                         singing                                        in a warehouse

Boats                         walking                                        on a pier

Chairs                        swimming                                    in a tub

Boxes                         relaxing                                      on a beach

Books                         strolling                                      with an umbrella

Cat                             jumping                                      from a skyscraper

Vases                        riding                                          on a skateboard

Now mix up the columns. Some examples from above would be "books walking on a beach" or "boxes jumping in a tub".  You can tone it down and just use the nouns and prepositional phrases.  How about a chair on a beach (make it an unexpected chair) or a model sailboat on a skateboard.  I really like that one!  This is a great way to get your mind thinking creatively.

American Art Collector magazine, September 2013

My favorite surreal artist of today is Andrea Kowch, whose work is pictured on the cover of American Art Collector above.  Her work is realistic, surreal, etheral, haunting and beautiful all at the same time.  It just takes me to another place and has me forever wondering what her subjects are thinking about.

If you are interested in painting, American Art Collector magazine is an excellent resource showing the work of some of the most talented painters around today.

Mix things up, think a little differently and have a great day.

STUDIO UPDATE --

  This week's work on the siding.

Do it yourself building takes forever,  I have decided to use the as yet unfinished space whenever I can.  Here is an art frame I was sanding.  You just have to do what makes you happy.