Ignore the Critics

Photo from IMDb. 

Have you ever thought of trying something new?  Have you ever considered doing something completely different and unusual? Has anyone ever told you to just forget it?

Well, Jim Carrey’s story will make you smile.

For those of you who don’t know him, he is an American-Canadian actor and comedian.  Carrey is known for the many movies he has starred in – such as The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cable Guy and many more, but how many of us know that he is a prolific artist?

Jim Carrey at work in his studio. Photo from NARTNET

It’s true!  In addition to his funny antics as a child, he would spend time drawing and making art.  Later in his life he began painting to help him deal with difficult things.  He certainly had his fair share of sorrows.

In 2012 he began to share his artwork with the world through twitter.  He was advised by critics not to share his art because he was known for his acting, not art.  His response:  that year he had his first gallery show.

Jim Carrey,  Eva (2016). Photo from WMAG

In 2013 Carrey continued on with his directing and also starring in movies.  He also spent time painting and even wrote a children’s book titled “How Roland Rolls” – a tale about a little wave.  In 2015 his personal life took another downturn when his ex-girlfriend committed suicide.  The art helped him through another emotional time.

It wasn’t until 2017 when he had his second art exhibition called “Sunshow”.  Carrey states: “Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them.”

Jim Carrey, Valentine.  Photo from JCONLINE

He explained that one winter was so bleak that he felt like he really needed color and so began painting obsessively with color until his home was filled with paintings.  There were so many paintings that there was no place to sit.  The colors represent the things he loves and his inner life is reflected in his paintings.  He explains that his artwork reveals things about himself he didn’t understand.

Art critics say actor turned artist is more common than people realize.  Actors have attempted to become artists with only a handful succeeding.  The critics believe it’s some kind of a joke or publicity stunt for an upcoming movie he might be making.  They said “The art Carrey has been showing would be turned down if he offered it to a Salvation Army store.  It gives amateurs a bad name.”

Still, Carrey is happy he didn’t take the negative advice and keep his art to himself.

He has a short documentary video on his art and the role it fulfills for him which you can find online by just googling Jim Carrey – I Need Color.

Carrey said: “It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?”

Jim Carrey, Electric Jesus. Photo from JCONLINE

Carrey believes art is merely a model of your inner life.  He describes his Jesus paintings as full of electric energy with healing accepting eyes.  He says he uses many colors because you can find every race in the face of Jesus.

He explains, “As far as I can tell, it’s just about letting the universe know what you want and then working toward it while letting go of how it comes to pass.”

Jim Carrey doesn’t know if painting really teaches him anything but he does admit to it freeing him.  The bottom line of it for him is love.  Whether its performance, sculpture, art we all want to show ourselves and be accepted for who we are.

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Kitaj Depicts Agitation

I was reading about R.B. Kitaj (October 29, 1932 – October 21, 2007) an American artist who developed a love of Cézanne while at the Royal College of Art in London.
Kitaj’s brightly colored figurative paintings influenced British pop art. His later works became very personal with complex compositions. He developed special line work he called “agitational usage”.  In his art, he would depict disorienting landscapes and 3D constructions with exaggerated and pliable human forms.
Kitaj published “First Diasporist Manifesto” in 1989 and in 2007 the “Second Diasporist Manifesto”.  He was one of several artists in 2000, to make a post-it note for an internet charity auction.  Surprisingly, it sold for $925, making it the most expensive post-it note in history, a fact recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The influence Kitaj had on the art world and the record-breaking post-it note were interesting to read about. If you’d like to see some of his dramatic artwork or read about the history, here are some links.

https://www.independent.com/news/2007/nov/08/r-b-kitaj-1932-2007/

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/arts/24kitaj.html

Put It in Reverse

“Waterways” 16″x20″ watercolor on paper, Katie Turner

There are times when an artist might get stuck in a rut.  Maybe you are beginning to tire of creating similar items day after day, week after week.  There may be times when you’re quite comfortable with what you’re doing.  You are even doing quite well financially but there is a seed of unrest within.  Whatever your condition, change and growth are calling.  Experimentation and exploration are the answers.  Experimentation and exploration may even lead to new innovative discoveries.

There are many ways to get started with experimenting.   One particular way that artist Edward Betts discusses in his book “Master Class in Watermedia”, piqued my interest.

Reversing the sequence was Betts suggestion.  A normal painting sequence would be to observe a scene in nature, then set about sketching, drawing and finally painting the shapes until you arrive at the desired scene.  Reversing the sequence would be to paint from abstraction toward nature, thus being intuitive and spontaneous and relying on chance.  Betts encourages all artists to do experimental exercise and adapt techniques that help with improvement.

Experimentation and exploration can be exciting and fun.  Have you been experimenting lately?  Have you ever tried reversing your sequence?  Thanks for reading.

~ Katie Turner

 

The Origin of American Watercolor

Bell Rock Lighthouse by Joseph M. W. Turner (1775-1851) Watercolor on paper

Have you ever wondered how watercolor ended up in America?  This was a recent subject I researched and I’m happy to share it with you here.

To start, watercolor was used in other countries long before it arrived in America.

In prehistoric times, watercolor was used by cavemen to paint on cave walls. The next time it appears in history, it is used in illuminated manuscripts, such as religious texts.

Actually, watercolor didn’t develop as a major medium until paper was invented.  Paper was made in ancient China.  It was then improved by the Arabs and then made in European Mills in the late 1200s.

Thanks to Chinese poet-painters, watercolor painting was now considered as more than merely a decorative craft.  Their paintings were on paper and silk.  Their art was filled with calligraphy with the main image usually being a landscape.  The landscape became a central theme for western watercolor in later centuries.

According to author, Theodore Stebbins, Jr. who wrote “American Master Drawings and Watercolors”, watercolor originally was used as a tool for sketching drawings.  It was for practice and recording information, not for fine art until German artist, Albrecht Durer began using it for his landscapes in the late 1400’s.

Originally a printmaker, Durer found a way to combine transparent and opaque watercolors to make lovely colored drawings.

In 1770, England began producing paper made especially for watercolor paint.  Suddenly an influx of watercolorists emerged with lots of landscape paintings.  As Britain’s power grew, so did the influence of these artists.  Joseph M.W. Turner, a famous English painter from that time, excelled at watercolor experimentation.  He discovered new ways to apply the paint with sponges, rags, knives and brushes.  For a long time, the English watercolorists were considered more skilled than any other artists in the world.

Early watercolorists used to grind their own pigments.  In the 1850s Winsor & Newton and Reeves (two companies that still exist today) began producing paint in tubes and in dried cakes.  The portability helped the tradition spread to America.

Maps were some of the first watercolors to come from America – used as visual aids to the new land.  Gradually more skilled and talented artists began to develop and rivaled the Europeans.

American artists saw watercolor as a primary medium. This attitude was different from that of the Europeans! American painters considered watercolor as an equal to oils.  By 1866 watercolors were shown in galleries here alongside oil paintings.

Famous American watercolorists include: Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and John James Audubon.

Today, American Watercolor Artists continue to take the lead.  We contribute to the international watercolor tradition like no other country – producing important and varied bodies of work.  We are known for our individuality and artistic expression. We are continually pushing the limits of this medium.

We can expect watercolor development to continue as new products come onto the market.  Although Americans did not invent watercolor painting, I have no doubt we will lead the world in unique and original artistic development. I encourage you to keep watch for new developments.

 

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TerraSkin vs. Yupo

I’ve been using both TerraSkin and Yupo paper for several years.  These two smooth papers have been produced as shopping bags and labels, envelopes, wristbands, signs, banners, booklets and more before it came to the fine art world.

I heard that TerraSkin was a more eco-friendly alternative than Yupo synthetic paper but it’s really a toss-up.  Neither use trees to make their paper, both conserve water in their production processes and both are non-toxic.  The biggest difference is in the plastic they use to hold the ground stone, also known as Calcium Carbonate together as a sheet.  Yupo uses Polypropylene which has a high melting point, is pliable has a slight static charge (attracts dirt and dust), and costs less than Terraskin.

Terraskin uses High-density Polyethylene with a lower melting point, is less pliable, doesn’t carry a static charge (attracts less dirt and dust) but costs more due to a higher purity (100% virgin).

Here is what these two chemicals look like:

I’ve made up charts of each paper’s properties below.

My Thoughts on Synthetic papers:

Synthetic papers are easy to work with and have only slight differences that I’ve noticed.  The paper doesn’t need to be stretched.  It doesn’t shrink or expand.  They work fairly well with wet or dry mediums but the floating wet paints take a lot of practice to control.  Terraskin seems easier for layering colors but with patience and practice you can find ways to work with both.

If you are not happy with your painting, you can take it right to the sink and wash it off, although Terraskin tends to stain with certain pigments.

Tyvek is another synthetic material that painters are experimenting with but I haven’t worked with this yet.  Synthetic papers are being embraced by artists for their durability, eco-friendly qualities and their unique painting surfaces.

These papers may be better for the environment due to their tree-free and low water production processes but many of our oceans have plastics floating in them causing problems for the marine wildlife.  So I would advise painters to re-use and recycle their papers rather than tossing in the garbage.  Since I work in watercolor, it’s easy to just rinse off a painting and start again.  If you are using a more permanent medium and wish to start over, remember to use the back or maybe you would turn it into a collage or recycle where #2 plastics can be recycled as an alternative.

 

CREDITS:  https://www.globalplasticsheeting.com/our-blog-resource-library/bid/92169/polypropylene-is-it-different-from-polyethylene  http://www.sea.edu/plastics/frequently_asked_questions, http://www.sea.edu/plastics/current_sea_research

“Creeping Yellow Roses”, Watercolor on TerraSkin paper, 26″x34″ Katie Turner

Choosing To Go Her Own Direction

“The Sun and the Moon”,  2005, oil on canvas on wood, 9’9”x8’11”x2” by Elizabeth Murray

The first time I heard of Elizabeth Murray (1940-2007) was when Kathryn Bilharz-Gabriel  mentioned her 2018 Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency  over the summer.  A few weeks later, PBS aired the documentary film “Everybody Knows… Elizabeth Murray” American Masters.  Murray was known for her use of shaped canvases and bold colorful abstracts.  She rejected the minimalism of the time, choosing to go her own direction.

I found her story encouraging for women and also in that she was still painting and pushing herself artistically until her death.  She was one of only five female artists to have a retrospective at the MoMA and she was very dedicated to her work.

I find her work fabulously noisy, eccentric, strange and successful.  Her art has images exploding with zany energy and color.  They have a sort of music to them.  There is something unique about Murray’s art that just works.  I look forward to seeing her work in person the next time I am able to visit NYC.

If you’d like to read more about Elizabeth Murray, here are some links:

https://elizabethmurrayart.org/biography/

https://art21.org/artist/elizabeth-murray/

https://www.moma.org/artists/4185

https://www.pacegallery.com/artists/318/elizabeth-murray

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Unusual Materials

Artists are known for creating all kinds of odd and wonderful things, so it’s not a surprise to see art using Tyvek®.

DuPont™ produces Tyvek® which is best known for its application as housewrap.  It is used to protect the walls of a home from moisture.  Tyvek® is also used in medical packaging, protective clothing and now in all kinds of art, jewelry and more.

Ula Einstein is an artist living in New York City who creates with Tyvek®.  She first started working with Tyvek® in 2008.  Einstein usually starts her process with cutting the Tyvek®, then uses a variety of techniques including: painting, scorching, piercing, crumpling, searing, drawing out and layering.  All these, result in innovative works that are a cross between paintings and sculpture together.

Her works titled “Hybrid In(ter)ventions” exhibited at the FLUX Art Fair 2015 in NYC.

There is an article about her work here: Tyvek Graphics Einstein

Other artists who create with Tyvek® include Taiko Chandler, and Susan Greer Emmerson, Tom Sachs, Kathy McCreedy and more.

If you are looking to try your hand at creating with Tyvek®, it can be purchased online by roll (22”x84”) for approx.. $9.99 from ebay, etsy, amazon and also www.hollanders.com which sells  bookbinding supplies.

Dupont has information on artists who use their Tyvek® product here: Tyvek Graphics Uses Article

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