Installation: Nursery

I was reading a story to Ethan last night about airplanes and thought it would be fun to make an airplane display above his bed. So I designed a pattern, cut it out and assembled 11 little card stock airplanes and hung them from the ceiling with fishing line and push pins. The most impressive part for me is that I didn't use any glue or tape. What what?! Now I'm just crossing my fingers that they don't fall down :)

Ethan is stoked, as you can see.

Part 1

Last week something inside of me burst with a renewed desire to create some artwork. I feverishly began sketching thumbnails for a triptych about my feelings of God, the temple and family. I am not very good with words but I feel like these paintings are a form of poetry for me. They express emotions and thoughts of mine that I have trouble communicating otherwise. Each piece includes many symbols, some of which are clearly understood at first glance, others of which have to be thought about and others still that I only understand. I decided since the pieces were so symbolic it would be appropriate for the style to be abstract as well.

I headed off to the store to get some supplies and found these great canvases on sale... but that would mean I'd have to use oil... not the medium I  had in mind. I seized the moment bought the canvas and sketched out my composition on it. I was a bit nervous considering the size of the canvas (1 ft by 3 ft) and the fact that I hadn't made a decision on how I was going to paint it. I mixed up piles of white and gradients of blue-gray(with a dash of yellow to match the blue in my family room.) on the pallet turned on some oldies (like 40's oldies) music and dove in, butterflies a flutterin and adrenalin pumpin. I started making a blocky horizontal/ vertical pattern with my paintbrushes starting with the dark sky and was happy with how the white of the stars naturally formed in random places. It just kind of started coming together :) It's good to have several elements of the painting nailed down but allowing for creativity during the creation so that you aren't fighting your painting to be exactly what you planned in your head.

Today I finished up the final details and should have stopped sooner. I think that's the hardest thing- knowing when to stop. Plus I should have mixed up more paint when I started. Remixing half way through is never a good thing. Remember to mix with the knife, not the brush! Anyway, I like it and I am excited to finish the rest of the triptych.

In this first piece I depicted the veil of heaven with the stars in the blue field, common in art history. God is the glowing moon, lighting the way in a dark world. The ring of the moon indicates a divine, unearthly glow but also a phenomenon Brandon and I saw one night, a huge ring around the moon. It made the universe look even bigger than usual. It made me feel tiny in comparison to the vast night sky.  The rays represent God's love shining down on mankind... most especially me. It may seem strange, but when the rays of the moon shine in on me through my window I feel like God is reaching out, assuring me that he sees me and knows what's going on in my life and that he loves me. The blue represents the peace and calmness that God's pure love gives. The white of the moon and stars also represent His purity and sacredness.

I had so much fun making this. I set up a studio in the unfinished room in the basement and its PERFECT, almost. I just need to get a screen door for the outside entrance in there so that I can still ventilate the space without inviting Charlotte and friends to come and play. It's funny though, regardless of the little creepers, the love of what I am doing far outweighs my fears. I feel like an artist again!! Oh I have missed this part of me. Our basement smells like the painting studio at USU and it brings a smile to my face. Mmmm. Nothing better than a deep breath of toxic oil painting fumes. Ha.