I will give you all a first look at the new painting that will be in the art show this year during our Christmas concert at church. It's definitely more dramatic in person, so I hope you can make it to the show. Here it is....my most recent piece titled 1:2
Curious about the title? Well, here's what I want you to do. Take a few minutes to really look at the painting and tell me what you think of it. How do you feel when you look at it? What do the colors make you think of? What emotions arise? What do you think it symbolizes? etc... Think hard. Once I get a few comments, I will post again in a few days and give you a hint as to what 1:2 might mean. Until then, I'd like to see how you interpret this piece!
5 comments:
Mandi! I'm digging the new painting! It's got such an eerie quality, almost threatening. Like those branch-like elements stretching across the surface. They look like roots, too. Even though there is a dark feel to it (at least on my computer screen), that radiating circle of light is like some unknown presence in the darkness. I really like the texture of the piece. Do you think you could add a close up shot of the bottom part? I like that curved dark line/shape on the left. It almost gives a swirling sensation, but I'm not sure that what you were going for. Directionally and compositionally it adds visual interest, but if you did want that feel, I'd say push it further.
Something else I noticed (and these are just suggestions, as I still don't know your intentions, but visually speaking it's just something to think about) is how the bottom half of the piece is dark and the top half is light. The light of the circle starts to break into the dark a little, which is a nice way to break up the space, and the blacks and reds of the darkness begin to carry into the light side, where that curved element is. However, it might be nice to see a little more of that dark carried into the top left corner, maybe not as obvious and not as a streak up the side of the frame, but just something to get away from that almost half and half split. What that would also do is make the circle glow more, but again only if that's what you wanted.
I like your choice of colors, especially the red and black. And again, I really like that streak on the left. As for the title, my guess is that you are referring to Genesis 1:2. I can totally see this being representative of that verse, with the bright circle being God's presence hovering over the dark waters.
Overall, thumbs up! Can't wait to hear you intended and what the title means. Just think about some of those little visual things that can improve the piece. I actually miss doing representational stuff like this (or abstract). It's good composition exercise.
Well I can't say that I don't know what 1:2 means because I saw it in person before on the blog!
But I thought it was great. I love the threads or string on top it gives it great movement. My dad said this one was his favorite and my mom really liked it too. Who would have thought that good old Pastor Gregg and Carla would like an abstract piece!? :)
At first I thought ratio. I thought of the Bible verse John 1:2 "He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning."
Thinking through creation with Jesus in the beginning reminded me that He was the one who actually made everything we see and formed it with His hands. Then the ratio idea came back. God created things out of nothing: Jesus multiplied the fish to feed 5000, Jesus also gave a small town wedding more gallons of wine then they would drink in a week. So I began thinking of God's multiplication in our lives. In a way that fills us, completes us and restores us.
In seperate matters, the idea of joining from the colors in this piece are brought together. One piece of two distinct differences. The conflation of the two makes a more full one.
That picture is what I see when I look up at the sky at night out my window. One of my favorite times. Sorry I am a lame blog checker/poster these days!
Hi Mandi! I was startled when I saw this piece because although it does look like something you made, I see so much growth and maturity in your style when I compare it to your older pieces. I guess I can't guess your intentions since you've explained it already. But in any case, I still want to share my first impressions of this painting since i studied it before reading both the comments and your reply.
The painting has great subtlety. It almost reminds me of a modern van gogh. Your colors are bold and I love how I can see purpose and story telling in the details. When I first looked at it, the painting looked very much alive and from the texture, I immediately thought of roots and veins. I even thought of a beating heart. The texture at the bottom do remind me of earth- clay especially. I love how the light is breaking through into the dark. I guess you can interpret this in two ways- the dark enveloping the light or vice-versa. I'm not very good with abstract pieces and interpreting them, but I really did react to this piece emotionally. I love it.
I do agree with a previous comment (Alyssa's) that it would be interesting, compositionally, to see some of that dark seep into the upper left corner, and maybe to see some of that yellow glow seep into the lower depths of the painting. I think it would make the two elements (light and dark) seem more intertwined-- as though they were dancing in each other's negative space.
Mandi this is great work! I hope to see more!
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