Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Kazimir Malevich Inspired Geometric Abstract Digital Painting - Day 30 Modern Artists

abstract geometric digital painting
Kazimir Malevich had a vitality to his work that I find very appealing. I wasn't familiar with him and several of the other artists I explored this month so this was an excellent 30 day project.



Monday, April 29, 2013

Arshile Gorky Inspired Abstract Expressionist Digital Painting - Day 29 Modern Artists

abstract digital painting with a guitar



















Arshile Gorky had a tragic life and died young but his art has an exuberance.

I was thinking about coffee house music while I did this in Illustrator. The guitar and coffee cup are quite evident. The negative space around the guitar is compelling to me. I think I need to redo this on canvas.

Available on Etsy
 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Patrick Heron Inspired Digital Painting - Day 28 Modern Artists

abstract digital image of the name marie



















Many of Heron's works were amorphous shapes that looked like they were poured but the images don't give enough detail, they may have been brushed. I was going to do a paper cut but decided on type. The colors are from his palette.

The font is Deko Blakk and the image is my name.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Hans Hofmann Inspired Abstract Expressionist Digital Painting - Day 27 Modern Artists

abstract digital painting of different squares in many colors



















Hans Hofmann did lots of paintings with rectangles. I did this in Illustrator using the colors from some of his work.

My intention when I started modern artists was to use up some of the paints and canvas that I have in my studio. I think I need to declare a canvas painting 30 day project.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Amedeo Modigliani Inspired Digital Self Portrait - Day 26 Modern Artists

self portrait done in the Modigliani style
Modigliani is known for his elongated form and many of his portraits have rather creepy, empty eyes.

I did this self portrait in Illustrator and the puppy is my ChiPoo, Buffy. My reference photo was taken at the computer and the photo noise made Buffy turn her head in confusion.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Sol LeWitt Inspired Wall Art - Day 25 Modern Artists

abstract image with thousands of lines



















I didn't want to do another drawing with graduated colored shapes so I took inspiration from Wall Drawing #111. His installation piece has thousands of lines, illustrator made this a snap. It's actually rather interesting to look at, I think I might print this one large scale. I've been toying with the idea of trying out engineering prints at Staples, a 36" x 48" print is only $7.29.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Kenneth Noland Inspired M Digital Painting - Day 24 Modern Artists

Nesting M's in blues and greens



















Kenneth Noland did a lot of paintings with V shapes and circles. Since my name starts with an M it seemed like a good match.

It's so much quicker to do these images in Illustrator but it's not helping to get rid of the numerous canvases that I have stored. I'll have to work on that soon.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Donald Judd Inspired Digital Pattern - Day 23 Modern Artists

skewed Roman key black and white graphic
























Donald Judd made attractive, minimalist modular furnishings. I found some examples of framed pattern pieces and I took my inspiration from those.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Helen Frankenthaler Inspired Abstract Expressionist Painting - Day 22 Modern Artists

abstract painting with green, orange, blue and yellow
























Helen Frankenthaler utilized a technique called soak stain, working with oil paints on unprepared canvas. I want to keep my few remaining brain cells so I used watercolors.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Joan Miró Inspired Digital Bonhomme de Neige - Day 21 Abstract Artists

snowman face

snowman face melting

snowman face melted



















I was inspired by Miró's Bleu. We recently got quite a bit of snow and I thought the red line on Bleu resembled the carrot on a snowman.

The three panels shows the snowman progressively melting.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Ellsworth Kelly Inspired Hard Edge Digital Painting - Day 20 Modern Artists

Multiple squares of color fruit and vegetables
























This is a digital rendition of a basket of fruits and vegetables.

It's interesting how different the image looks when I eliminate the white gutter and border.

Multiple squares of color fruit and vegetables

Friday, April 19, 2013

Robert Rauschenberg Inspired Painting - Day 19 Modern Artists

collage of found objects
























I was inspired by Rauschenberg's Combines. He used trash and found objects, these are pieces of my day.
  • The artist palette is a foam tray that Chinese cucumbers came on. 
  • The green tea is, well, I think you know...  I like the oriental connection and Trader Joes green tea is epic.
  • Okie dokie, hot dish, uff da and you betcha are Minnesota phrases. I used to deny saying them but when my parakeet, Taxi, started saying it, deniability was lost forever. 
  • My daughter brought home a box of Taco Bell tacos. 
  • The white paint splattered and speckling everything is because we are have a freaking blizzard.
  • The whiskers made of sticks are for the cat snowman in the front yard. Remember, freaking blizzard.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Alexander Calder Inspired Paper Cut Drawing, Day 18 Modern Artists

abstract paper cut image of sea urchin under the sea
























Alexander Calder is famous for his mobiles and bright palette. I started to do this paper cut, La Mer, in primary colors but it felt too close to Calder's work.

I freehand cut linen textured card stock and glued it to white paper. The image is a sea urchin with ocean currents and bubbles.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Robert Motherwell Inspired Sumi Ink Stick Painting, Day 17 Modern Artists

abstract expressionist sumi ink stick painting
abstract expressionist sumi ink stick painting
Robert Motherwell is another member of the famous New York School.

I used an ink stick and bamboo handle brush to paint these images. I gave the images names but the names influence how they are viewed; I wonder if this is why so many works are unnamed.


abstract expressionist sumi ink stick painting
abstract expressionist sumi ink stick painting



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Jasper Johns Inspired Line Drawing, Day 16 Modern Artists

multi colored line segments filling the space


















Jasper Johns has an impressive list of awards and is fairly controversial. John's life is quite fascinating and his work commands an astonishing price. I've read that the detail of his pieces is not readily observable in photographs but I don't remember ever seeing any of his work in person.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Wassily Kandinsky Inspired Digital Painting Done In Illustrator, Day 15 Modern Artists

kandinsky style illustration made in illustrator
























I don't know if Kandinsky's symbols had meaning but mine do.
  • The crossword like grid reminds me of Sudoku puzzles. 
  • The UPC like pattern is, well, UPC codes and their many uses. 
  • The circle near the top left is for my friends that informed me on Facebook that their gardens are starting to bloom. We just had another snowfall so even grass sounds wonderful.
  • The boats remind me of the sailboat stored at the cabin.  
  • The 3 crescents are a reminder to take out the recycling. I never claimed deep, world changing meaning.
  • The stick with a circle and radiating triangle is my fond wish for the ability to create a little sunshine. 
  • The arrow and other circles are for my daughter who is participating in a Zombies vs Humans event on campus. The chosen zombie will try to infect the humans and they defend themselves by throwing socks or shooting Nerf guns. I was a victim of a sock field test. I would have tried to eat her brains at that point but the sock to my eye rendered me senseless for 15 minutes. I think being an armed human would have been better choice.
 My eldest daughter looked at it and saw a cat. Abstract art, you gotta love it.

Wassily Kandinsky Inspired Cut Paper Circles, Day 14 Modern Artists

Six layered circles
















Kandinsky is probably my favorite Modern Painter. I plan to explore his style further but today was a bit hectic.

I used hombre origami paper to cut out circles and glued them together. Kandinsky's circle paintings seem to be a favorite with children's art teachers and his exuberant style is well suited to children.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Johannes Itten Inspired Color Wheel Digital Painting, Day 13 Modern Artists

abstract color wheel with multiple circles
























I think Johannes Itten may be best known for his color studies. I made this color wheel using Itten's 12 basic colors.

The upper right of each circle represents a spot on the color wheel. The diagonal section of the circle contains it's complementary color.

The area to the left and lower right indicate the triadic colors which are equally spaced on the color wheel.

The analogous hues are in the corners.

Available on Etsy 

Friday, April 12, 2013

Frank Stella Inspired Abstract Geometric Digital Painting, Day 12 Modern Artists

Image made from squares and quarter circles
























These paintings were popular as do-it yourself art back in the 1960s since they are pretty easy to replicate.

I made this one in Illustrator with period colors and since his designs are quite simple it was hard to not duplicate the layouts found in  Stella's work.

His Geometric Variations has a fun op-art feel.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Piet Mondrian Inspired Painting, Day 11 Modern Artists

red yellow white and black Mondrian style rectangles
Mondrian is one of my favorite layouts for Graphic Design projects. I love his frequent color palette of red, yellow, black and white. His style still looks fresh and modern.

I made this version in Illustrator and added canvas texture in Photoshop. It's interesting rotating the image for different looks.
red yellow white and black Mondrian style rectangles

red yellow white and black Mondrian style rectangles

red yellow white and black Mondrian style rectangles

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Jackson Pollock Inspired Drip Painting, Day 10 Modern Artists




















I must confess that the first time I saw one of Mr Pollock's paintings I was a child and thought it was a drop cloth. His style grows on you and it's a heck of a lot of fun to do.

Getting the paint the correct consistency is a challenge and the vintage brown paint I used first made it even harder.

The paint was so thick I had to use a whisk to get it into a diluted, pourable consistency.

There's an old film clip on YouTube where he discusses his work and an excellent documentary.  Pollock's shoe choice was better than my pink Crocs, the paint goes right through the holes. I had paint everywhere; I understand the eyebrows but I can't figure out how I got some on the back of my legs.
 

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Willem de Kooning Inspired Abstract Painting, Day 9 Modern Artists

small abstract painting on an easel























It seems odd to try to replicate a version of abstract expressionism on a 2.5" x 3.5" canvas. Exuberance meets constraint.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Jim Dine Inspired Paper Batik Heart Painting With Instructions, Day 8 Modern Artists

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart



















Jim Dine seems to truly love hearts and his robe.

I did a watercolor version of his heart painting but I discovered filling a pallete with cheap tube paints and allowing them to dry for a few months makes for a nasty, grainy, mess.

Free wasn't cheap enough since I'm still soaking the inexpensive paints out of my travel palette while the expensive watercolors floated away like champion swimmers.

I cleaned up the paint and decided to experiment with crayon batik. I heavily colored a sheet of Bristol board with Crayola crayons.

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart


















I accidentally broke a tip and decided to cut it into small bits and let it melt on later.

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart



















I put foil on a cookie sheet and popped the paper in a 350 degree oven until the broken bits melted.

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart



















Run tepid water over the cooled paper until the paper is pliable. Gently crumple the paper into a ball. The crumpling makes the cracks so you decide if you want lots of cracks or just a few.

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart



















I was going to cover the damp paper with India ink but I couldn't find any. India ink is a staple, like water chestnuts, and I assumed there was some in the cupboards. I didn't have any black gouache or black tempera paint so I painted the crayon surface with diluted black acrylic paint.




















Gentle blotting helped remove some of the excess paint but to brighten it up a bit I did end up lightly rinsing it under cool running water. This photo shows the paper blotted, not rinsed.

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart
























I hung it outside to dry

paper batik instruction drawing of a multi colored heart
























The finished heart. I think if I did this again I would have colored it even more and would not have added the extra broken bits. It might be fun to simply place lots of shaved bits on and try to get them all to melt together. Remember, wax burns well, so be cautious.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Ad Reinhardt Inspired Abstract Expressionist Image, Day 7 Modern Artists

mod pattern of geometric shapes in bright colors
This is my version of an untitled Ad Reinhardt that is at the MOMA. I caught myself turning it into a Mondrian layout. I left bits of the neutral grey and had everything lining up in a grid. I made myself abandon the orderly layout and go a little wild.

I used Reinhardt's color palette and made the image in Illustrator. It's fun play with the orientation and I must confess, once again I prefer a version different from the intended one.

Many of his paintings are quite dark and others are very bright, I found myself verifying that the works were done by the same artist.

His more playful patterns remind me of mod textile prints.


mod pattern of geometric shapes in bright colors

mod pattern of geometric shapes in bright colors

mod pattern of geometric shapes in bright colors

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Paul Klee Inspired Abstract of Minneapolis Minnesota, Day 6 Modern Artists

geometric shaped abstract of a city
Mr Klee's work was definitely fun to study. I enjoyed his humor and childlike whimsy. The scene is an abstract of the Minneapolis skyline. The building on the left is a representation of the IDS Center. The bottom has the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge.

I sprained my ankle while jogging Monday so I'm a little movement challenged. I made the cityscape in Illustrator and grunged it up a bit in Photoshop.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Mark Rothko Inspired Color Field Painting, Day 5 Modern Artists

blue and green color field painting on an easel
blue and green color field painting
Yes, I know this type of painting is supposed to be large to have the desired impact. I currently don't care to have a giant color field painting and always have the option of recreating a painting larger.

It was fun to study Rothko's work today and have enjoyed his work at museums.This one actually looks cute in the bookshelves and the playing card sized canvas works there.



Thursday, April 4, 2013

Barnett Newman Inspired Color Field Painting, Day 4 Modern Artists

turquoise and black color field painting

Barnett Newman inspired me to investigate Modern Painters and started this months topic. I read an article about the Voice of Fire in the National Gallery of Canada and I must admit I was on the side of the "what the heck?" camp.

I realize the size is a major component in Mr Newman's work but I didn't want to absorb a large color field canvas into my home so I used a tiny canvas that I had picked up at Blick when it was on sale.

I did a horizontal block of blue grey with a black edge and was quite surprised to see he had painted almost the exact same thing. I repainted several versions but none appealed to me. I don't know why, but I really struggled with this project and the end result resembles a book. Oh well.

turquoise and black color field painting

turquoise and black color field painting



turquoise and black color field painting on an easel
Several years ago I was in a drawing class and mentioned seeing a red lacquered board propped up against the wall at the MIA. I said it looked like a shelf from Ikea waiting to be hung. The instructor piped in and said it was a pure expression of color. I said it was a great sales job. He said it was dynamic. I said it was the emperors new clothes for a group of pretentious intellectuals. The conversation must have have made an impact since when I run into people who were there that night they still talk about it.

My feeling is art evokes a response and makes you look at things in new ways. I guess most Modern Art does that but I'm still not convinced by some things that I find in museums. I can't dispute that people are still passionately discussing his pieces so I would consider the work successful.