Words in and words as - ART

Last night as I was going to sleep I was thinking about why I don't use words in my painting. There are reasons. But first let me say that I DO love the use of words - typography in particular, in design. I love the weight and balance of form, the way the smallest curve or flick changes everything, the relationship between the negative and positive spaces - the way the type relates to the page and onwards. So what's the difference to me between type in design or art? Well first thing you can do is check out this link. It'll take you to a site that lists 10 great examples of designers who specialise in typography to convey a  message. ...That's really the key right there - conveying a message.

When I produce a painting, everything I do is to contribute to the final image being exactly what I am after - being all it can be, not conflicted, united in it's message. How do I clarify? An example - question, is the work about something soft - then what soft techniques can I use? I wouldn't use  corrugated iron (unless it had to be kept outside perhaps!), I wouldn't use a palette knife (unless I could scrape the paint so finely I could build up layers of 'barely-there'). Is it a convoluted concept - would big format be best? Is it about organic life - best not to use anything plastic then - unless the statement requires a sarcastic view or overuse to emphasize some contentious issue... you know what I mean? I hope so! To get to the point - I rarely use words. So why don't I and why am I often so critical of other artist work when they do?

I guess it comes down to what the words are for, how they are written/painted/produced. Do they aid in conveying the message - or do they take over? Most often I don't want a word in there - too much, too obvious, too in the way of what my painting is about. I don't need them, they would distract. I want you to look at the artwork and 'feel' what you feel, think what you think slowly, not be told or manipulated by something so straight up and instant as a word. I suppose I would be interested  to try using them, if I integrated text in a fashion that it took you a while to get 'it' - like Laurie Frick's work (who I blogged about 21 Oct 2011), where the words are part of a whole and made out often only on closer inspection.

So many times I am convinced that using words is simply a shortcut - the easy way to explain what a painting is about. They have to be used so carefully used, with consideration, so as not to take over the artwork as a whole. In my mind words are best used typographically, in the way the designer in the link above have used them. The word is a gateway to it's meaning - to more meaning depending on the way it's been presented. Go here to read a little about Colin McCahon who is usually the first to mind for most NZer's when it comes to the use of words in art. He used words like the designers I've mentioned, only as a painter (which added a little more to it than just illustrative typography).

Anyway, that's enough about that - you may not agree with what I've put down here, it's made me think about my own stance, think about whether I should or could employ words - one or two. At the moment I'm happier using my love of poetry and song lyrics as a spring board for initial inspiration. Once I played Massive Attack's Teardrop (teardrop on the fire, fearless on my breath...) over and over while I painted one work - till it was finished, and I'm STILL not sick of that song!

Artlist and NZ Art Guild membership - promoting your art

Today I proceeded to join up with both these sites - Artlist and NZ Art Guild. Cross fingers the exposure is worth it (and they accept my subscription request). It really is a kick in the pants to keep producing when you have put out there that you are an active artist. But the way I see it, we creative people can produce and just hope that our work gets liked, bought and admired for years to come by a lucky few. Or we can can be active and promote and make sure that more people than just those lucky few, get a chance to view, buy and put our works up on their walls/mantel piece/toilet. I often wonder actually where some of my paintings are today? I know some have been stored then pulled out and hung again once the house/decor has changed - but the rest?

Science of perception v's Laurie Frick

http://www.lauriefrick.com/2009/10/2009-work/

I've been having a browse around to learn more about the science of perception, specifically external or sensory perception....


External or sensory perception tells us about the world outside our bodies. Using our senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, we perceive colors, sounds, textures, etc. of the world at large. Not hard to figure how that relates to producing design and art work. However, I decided after half an hour or so, the language was too involved (read over my head) and philosophical (read confusing) for me to get into further and I wanted to check out something that rewarded my perception of the computer screen (ha) and encouraged my perception of what my art is all about, in a more immediate fashion!


I found the above link to Laurie Frick's work at booooooom.com in the collage category. I've begun over the last few months to look into other collage artists (and best art blogs), most of the work I have found has been vastly different to the effect I am after and a lot of work I just plain don't like, but Laurie's work is not too far flung from my own sensibilities. I love the overall beauty/colour tones and I think it's great that as you get closer to the pieces she's made, you see remnants from where all the elements that make the whole come from. It's bigger work, I love the scale, would like to aspire to that kind of size!


Inspiration is really important I'm finding. I have felt pretty dry of it for a long while, but still, my brain has been ticking away in the hibernation mode I was in and has got enough fuel now to feel quite chirpy and more awake about where I'm headed creatively. Add that to the impetus to get some design work out as a professional designer and I'm quiet the motivated person compared to last month! What with finding Laurie's work online and playing a little Marc Moulin in the background for ambience - funnily enough, if you go to the Marc Moulin official website the intro page reminded me of Laurie Frick's artwork with it's staggered words all tiled together in a slow-mo close-up.

The meaning of painting

'We make a mark on the canvas and when we look back, we see something that seemingly was not there a moment ago. And there is that miracle: by virtue of making marks, we have created ourselves a tiny bit more – and we actually can see more, feel more, because we have become more, by that tiny bit.'

I read this today (courtesy link), from an article titled 'The real reason we paint: The final answer.' I loved the way this para had been put, though don't think as a reason it's the 'final answer'! It did however point out to me something I have understood and experienced, but never put in words myself. So I post it here because it means something to me and I'd like to validate that part of my personal experience as an artist and designer - that I don't just create to comment on the world/life or to simply make something attractive to look at or to serve a purpose, but I also do it because I am compelled - I grow richer by doing it and that is a sublime experience.

Painting is a dialogue between the paint, canvas and me - I make something new - I create and subsequently I feel richer - the act of painting gives back to me, it talks, whispers, shouts and sings, letting  me know if I am on the right track somewhere in that space between my heart and head. Right track? Life. When I paint I see myself as having one foot in the now, the real and one in that 'other space'. I am bridging two worlds. It's a balancing act and through keeping the balance, through making marks and making each one count, I take incremental steps closer to being who I want to be - where I understand all I can and I am at peace with all I cannot.

The more I paint, the more I am!

Melbourne Cup Madness - Helensville Arts Centre

I'm looking forward to going - will have to turn creative juices into a millinery bent, could be a test, best keep sense of humour. Thinking the glass of bubbly is a draw card - and leaving the kids at home, plus I'm definitely in for the pin the tail on the horse, probably make an ass of myself. (Sorry). But hang on, it's for the kids (who will be at home) - might have to change that - after a bubbly, blindfolds and pins and spinning around sounds great.

All those who can make it - do!

www.kiwiartist.com up and running

Finally I have everything running, just a case of tweaking plus adding more images to the picasa image albums - especially the design one. I have images but they need converting to correct format. As this post is an experiment from my phone I'll keep it short! To add though, I'm completely chuffed I sorted my own favicon for www.kiwiartist.com website!

I've moved to Helensville!

A few months ago we moved to Helensville, Auckland, New Zealand! A big change but a welcome one. It's been awesome to slowly get to know people in the area and get a feel for the different art groups on the go. I put artwork into the Helensville Art Centre for this month. They are showcasing up to 3 artworks per artist. I have also been working on rebranding my kiwiartist brand - redesigning business cards and updating my website www.kiwiartist.com to refresh my 'kiwiartist' brand. The aim for the brand is to use it to build up design work and fill a couple of mornings a week with work from home, from next year 2012. I love the new brand look I came up with - the 'painting kiwi' provides me with a few graphic elements I can place here and there to illustrate my personal business stationary etc. The business cards arrive next week, a matt seal with spot gloss - wahoo - thanks to Abby Press, Henderson for the great quote! Plus I have got myself listed on the main Helensville website here.

Painting is happening now on the side too. The kids sleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon most days which gives me the chance to do my own thing for a bit. As my website bio explains: The Auckland West Coast beaches and Waitakere Ranges where I grew up, have always been a strong visual influence in my creative work, as well as the journey too and from Auckland city and my rural home. As a part of exploring the borders between these urban and rural environments, I enjoy bold bright colour (complementaries), but also like the contrast between soft and bright, dark and light, thick and thin paint applications, line and blended colour. I like to use paint in these ways, to support the theme of 'borders' within my work. Recently my paintings have taken on a more three dimensional feel as I manipulate both the canvas and paint. Exploring 'borders' now has me looking not just at the line between rural and urban landscapes, but also to transformations, changes of state, in between spaces, from here to there...

This is my latest work 'Preciperly' and I plan to continue in this vein with the next one which I have recently begun.