"Seadragon's World"

Copyright 2008

Here is the latest painting. It shows a seadragon laying in wait within the corals and seaweed. The white layer symbolizes death. The outermost layer is a magnification view of the mysid shrimp that will be eaten by the dragon. The shrimp, in turn, are eating the already dead detris (the white dots). Everything to the outside of the white stripe is either dead or soon going to be. The blue-green circles symbolize not only the water, but the circle of life. The lines around the shrimp are the water currents swaying them to and fro.

After doing some more in-depth research into Aboriginal art, I understand that what I am doing may be considered offensive to the indigenous people of Australia. Their art is more than just our western civilizations concept of art. Art is not merely a "picture" but a living thing which connects past to present, natural to supernatural, and is a sign of knowledge. It is part of their religion and part of who they are as a people. The thing is, that is exactly why it is so dear to me. I respect that it is a spiritual journey of meditation, patience and guidance from a greater being whom I call God.

So, not wishing to offend, but still in admiration of the meditative, symbolic, iconic, and spiritual aspects of the artistic style; I've decided to build my own symbolic imagery stemming from my own geneology, time, place, space, religion, education and culture. Stories that my ancestors have passed down through the generations would be expressed in the paintings. Symbolic animals and plants from my piece of the big blue marble. You get the idea.

Tomorrow I am going to Dick Blick and pick up some more canvas boards. Maybe tonight, in my dreams, an idea will be planted and I'll begin again.

To learn more about Aboriginal art as an iconographic art form establishing both a verbal history and an intrinsic connection to nature look here: http://www.buy-original-art.com/styles/aboriginal_art.htm

A Warm Welcome

"Crocodile Dinner" copyright 2008

Along with the very first The Makers Art Group blogspot post, I've decided to post my artistic endeavors on Blogger as well. You may still view my artwork online on Flickr and my shop at Etsy (it is currently being updated). It may take awhile before I use a blog properly, but I'll give it a chance. Hope you will tag along for the ride.

I haven't painted with a brush since 2003 and have preferred using vector or raster art - no clean up and the linework is oh-so-perfect. But I had a couple of canvas boards laying around and some cheap acrylic paint from a previous crafty project and I thought I'd give it a go.

The result is "Crocodile Dinner," above. The crocodile has successfully killed the carp and is happily circling and playing with it before finishing it off. The water current created by this "dance" is shown by the swirls around the animals as well as the river stones kicked up from the shallows.

There are parts of the painting that I really feel are successful such as where the crocodile head meets its body and the ankle area. Other patterns are not as successful. So, I learned quite a bit about what I feel works and have begun another one of a seahorse.

The process is so wonderful. I paint at night much like another person might read a book before bed. Afterwards I imagine what I might change as I stare at it and drift to sleep. Many times, in my dreams I will see these changes and know if I should make it or go in another direction. The Australian aboriginals are known for their Dreamtime paintings...which a completely different concept of a dream time, but I think it fits for my purposes.