Topstich Boutique
Fluid Beauty Streams of Consciousness Part 5
Catching up on documenting the progress.
Previously on 6/5/10 I struggled and ultimately succeeded on finalizing the concept, how I’d represent the concept, and how I’d create paintings that worked:
- Independently as a stand-alone paintings, in case someone bought only one
- As a group conceptually, so the paintings support the concept of levels of consciousness (as defined by vMemes (too long to explain, try Google for now)
- As an installation in the Topstitch Boutique, so they work with the layout of the boutique, the colors, the jewelry, the clothes, and the awesome people who work and shop there
With all that done, it’s time to start to figure out how I’d create paintings that looked like women swimming underwater and also looked like concepts or ideas that represent different levels of consciousness.
This relies a lot on color, so I began with color studies (having already shot reference, selected the 13 images, and done some value studies (see Part 3)
Here are the color studies I did.
Next solo exhibition part 2
Update: the theme’s moved onto levels of consciousness. Wading through some Ken Wilber for inspiration: http://wilber.shambhala.com/html/books/psych_model/psych_model1.cfm/
Promise to reformat this later
Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been doing to work on my new solo exhibition. I’ll fill in more details soon, but it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve updated and I wanted to capture all this work and how I went about it. The art direction I came up with is to have women underwater. Still need an underlying theme.
5/15 Measured the space so I can later figure out how many paintings I’m doing and what sizes they’ll be.
5/18 Shoot with Mosh. I had it set up before I knew I’d have this show, but I was able to sketch out some ideas and work in some shots for the new show.
5/20 On a hunch, remembering some shots from the past, I reviewed old shoots and found a few dozen shots that would work for the series
5/21 Shoot with Lilah. I set this up quickly specifically for the show.
5/23 Reviewed inspiration including the book Waterdance by Howard Schatz. Reviewed space measurements.
I came up with many, many option for the paintings ranging from six to eighteen paintings with various combos of
large and small. Not sure what I’m going to do.
5/24 Chose to do seven large paintings and six small. Thinking about underlying themes, looking at alchemical transformation and the seven shakras.
5/25 Didn’t get to work on the project. Spent all day at a client meeting, then caught up with a friend for drinks. Wound up at the same place as all the Philadelphia Eagles’ wives. I told Trish when I got home and she asked if Kendra was there. I didn’t even think to look.
5/26 I put together some poses for a shoot with models who typically work with Topstitch Boutique where the show is. More on this in a future post. Reviewed themes again. Still haven’t picked one. I looked at Masaru Emoto’s work with water crystals, closer, but not the right fit.
5/27 I shoot with two of the models who work with the boutique. Great shoot, especially considering I had only met one for a few minutes prior and met the other right then and we had an hour to work in two shoots. And I was shooting at the boutique. I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. Hope to work with the models again. One of the models asks me the name of the show, I don’t have an answer, but this leads to finding the theme. I begin a four day weekend.
5/28 In the shower (where all ideas arrive) I figure out the name of the show, which will determine the theme. I was thinking that the alchemy and the shakras are for future shows. This should be something about thoughts, I was trying to put my finger on something. There’s a word I was looking for to describe thoughts floating through water. I thought about currents, but I want to save that for another series, because something called currents should be about timely things. So, not thoughts, not currents. Stream … stream … of consciousness. That’s it. Fluid Beauty: Stream of Consciousness. The women will represent the types of thoughts that happen in a stream of consciousness. Revelations, tangents, memories. (I need four more …). Later in the day I look at the hundred or so shots I have from recent and past shoots that could work and pick seven for large paintings, and six for smaller paintings. I edit them and print. I also varnish three paintings for a group show I’m in on 6/4. More about that in a future post.
5/29 I buy canvases. It’s a long story that no other than I will care about, but I go to one store online, then another, then I go to Blick Art on 13th and Chestnut where I should just have gone in the first place. I buy four 24 x 36 canvases, three 24 by 30 canvases, four oval 20 by 24 inch canvases and two oval 16 by 20. Later that day I drop off the varnished paintings at the gallery I’m showing at. That night I put on the first of three coats of super magic primer that turns any surface into a watercolor surface. I spend lots of time with Trish and Patrick. I work a lot on setting up the June 12th session of Dr. Sketchy’s Philly. The Flyers lose, but it’s an awesome game.
5/30 I put on the second coat of primer. I also spend a ton of time with Trish and Patrick including a nice lunch at Bistro Americana, which we think is a front because we’re the only customers ever there when we go. Patrick and I play a lot. I set up the hammock. I finish this months promo flier for Dr. Sketchy’s Philly. I make steaks. Trish makes pasta and mustard greens. It’s delicious.
5/31 I put on the last coat of primer after a day hanging out with Patrick and going for a long walk in town and get some water ice. I write many emails about Dr. Sketchy’s Philly June 12th session. I make Steveburgers. I draw four pictures on the largest canvases. The Flyers lose. Another great game though. Tomorrow night I plan to catch up with Gary who made the video two posts below, so I’m not sure if I’ll get the other drawings on canvas. I’m kinda on schedule. The plan was to get everything put figured out, shot, painting numbers and sizes planned, drawings on canvas ready so I can being painting in June. I need to get all the paintings done in June.
More soon. Next time with pictures.