Project: September 9

...sort of what?  Perfectly reasonable question.  Fun? Yes, although there are other emotions as well that don't bear sharing or discussion (seriously --they really don't).

While I was writing these notes on the left, I was, in fact at a loss about the remark "Listen to your inner child!" in the assignment.  

In terms of inspiration, well, there are the Abstract Impressionists.  I've seen several Jackson Pollocks in exhibitions, and they're enjoyable to look at --though truthfully I never felt I knew what he meant to express in them.  Given a choice I would go with something three dimensional, like a Calder mobile.  MOVEMENT, however, emerged as important.

...Also, I decided to start modifying the assignment instructions almost immediately.  I hadn't painted anything besides furniture in almost three decades.  And, the previous class' discussion of street art inspired me to want to hold a spray can of some kind.  

In part to keep myself from overthinking, I decided I needed to  add scrounging for supplies as part of the project.  I had an idea about deteriorating, or "imperfecting" the painting surface as well.  As we will see, this didn't quite work.

...I prepared a sheet of the same paper I used for my scanned notes.  I am being a little disingenuous with the vertical text on the left side of the page.  I didn't find the experiments satisfactory.  Though of course I did learn from them. 

Also, I added a theme --which is mentioned in the next scan.  My "inner child" put in a single appearance to remind me of two things:

1. Tidepools, which I used to play in as a boy on Long Island

2. My sister left me with a couple of boxes of art supplies

...So now I had two themes: MOVEMENT and OCEAN.*  I also, of course, had a pre-stretched canvas to add to my "scrounged" supplies.  These notes are mostly about how I finally set up to paint.  

Canvas was not going to warp as much as paper, but I still had an issue with how to prevent overspray.  I also had to apply the little I had learned about acrylic as a medium. 

Waves are water moved by the wind.  By air, if you like.  So I thought of different patterns of wind and water.  Also, I decided I wanted something alive --or representing "Life" anyway-- to jump in the center of things.  This may have been a self-justification to expand my pallette somewhat.

*I decided to jump past tidepools.  Why? Because I did.  Artistic license.

Which brings us to the finished artifact.  Something (rather large, I guess) leaping up and smashing back into the surface of a wave or a swell.  Don't ask me what it is. I'm not sure yet myself --and I bet it keeps changing, too. 

I also found I used more, rather than less, paint.  Which was surprising until I realized I could get a cleaner flow of colors across the canvas surface.  I am guessing if I'd broken into my sister's art supplies sooner, I might have progressed faster.  I am uncertain if I would have learned more or less.  

In all, I think MOVEMENT, OCEAN and MASS are reasonably present.  Which, along with the ever-running clock towards class time, is a good sign this work is finished.