Artist statement for the stones and cloud works

The stones are a multi level mind-f!ck!
On the one hand you have the obvious attempt at a type of mimetic perfection, while on the other, the use of single pigments, chosen at random, means the realism is tempered and often falls far short of the ideal that is being invoked, even with those hours of studying every tiny surface feature on the stones.

In that space is the poetry.

Or at least I like to think so.

"History doesn't repeat but it rhymes"
Mark Twain

My current natural history painting certainly rhymes with, more than reproduces, the model, and I have turned towards whichever artistic devices my fevered brain can invent to stay in that space between the world of realism as traditionally known and as I studied and practised as a young artist, and the world of complete abstraction, where I made my home over the past twenty years...
There is obviously also a reference to varies plays on the idea of stones and of being stoned.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but if you play with words you soon have some explosive combinations.

In the context of the as yet to be completed project that spawned these recent stone paintings, there was a Sisyphean aspect to the rhythm that I self imposed, where as soon as I surmounted the mountain of outrageously difficult demands being placed on me by the ever changing textures and differing contrast abilities of wildly different pigments, I would wipe the slate clean and start from scratch with a new combination.

In the end I broke sooner than I thought I would, but I wasn't surprised, nor even that disappointed.

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
Robert Hughes in [Modernism's Patriarch (Time Magazine, June 10, 1996)

I then made several attempts to say the same thing with the opposite view.
Instead of staring down at a tiny piece of the earth, I stared up at the heavens.
Well, I stared at a mediated heavens, a false god composed of a digital photo on my large screen.

It is my small homage to Vija Celmins, who went there long before me, and has stayed there resolutely, making herself indispensable.

I have spent a lot of time there myself over the years, but once more I am sure my work will rotate out, has already turned another turn of the spiral, and current opportunities are beckoning yet more cross pollination with my own art and history, and each new revelation that each new day brings.

"He believed passionately that there was also a vital difference between the ungainly gesture made in deliberate defiance of mastery, and the merely awkward gestures made in its absence."
The Spectacle of Skill: New and Selected Writings of Robert Hughes.

The stone drawings that are represented here are the following, SSD is Scotty's Stone Daily, which was only a trial project, and wasn't continued.

This image is available on products at redbubble too

I will however be producing some work based on this work again soon.
All of the following works are on coloured Art Card, 300 grams in weight and 340 mm X 240 mm in size, sealed with Lefranc & Bourgeois Acrylic gesso and Golden brand soft gel.

They have this format

I think I will produce a series of posts to show the drawings, and will put the daily texts with them.
It's interesting to read for me anyway.
lol

They are painted in watercolours using the following pigments.

SSD 111 Titan Bizancio Artist Watercolour Golden Ochre
SSD 112 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Cobalt Green
SSD 113 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Cobalt Turquoise
SSD 114 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Cobalt Turquoise Light
SSD 115 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Brown Madder
SSD 116 Sennelier l'Aquarelle (artists watercolor) Cinereous Blue
SSD 117 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Cobalt Green
SSD 118 Titan Acuarela Negro Carbon Lamp Black
SSD 119 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Windsor Violet
SSD 120 Sennelier La Aquarelle (Artist's watercolour) Opera Rose
SSD 121 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Brown Madder
SSD 122 Windsor and Newton Artist Water Colours Cobalt Turquoise Light
SSD 123 Schmincke Artist Watercolours May Green
SSD 124 Black Biro, this was a one hour drawing to try not to break the chain.
SSD 125 Titan Bizancio Artist Watercolour Golden Ochre

I produced the fifteen works in sixteen days, but could not keep doing them that quickly any more.

It was a trial period, and it was clear to me that the full project was unattainable for me, under those self imposed conditions, of one stone per day, also scanned, fixed and posted to three places.
It was nearly as hard as steemit.
Just one of my failed projects this year

I could perhaps produce about twenty a month, I imagine being able to do that once they were being sold.

then the skyscapes, the cloud drawings and paintings.
ochre coloured clouds Clouds Titan Bizancio Artist Watercolour Golden Ochre on prepared art card
Smokestacks Titan Bizancio Artist Watercolour Golden Ochre on prepared art card
Pink clouds Sennelier La Aquarelle (Artist's watercolour) Opera Rose on prepared art card

The clouds took much longer, but maybe it is hard to get enough for them yet, until my worth is established. I would need at least four days pay for a cloud painting, although I would be happy to produce some at that price.
the drawings were about two days work

Basically this would be my equation. I would be happy to work for this minimum wage.

These works have no protective layer and are very sensitive to grease and to water.
They need to be carefully stored or framed under glass for display

This is adapted from the submission I sent to China, to try and get representation in an exciting new gallery project.

I took out most of the discussion about the money, for this post, as that can't be public.

Thanks for reading, if indeed anybody got this far

If anyone would like to see an extensive, although unfortunately by no means complete, collection of SpaiNgaroo artworks, they can visit my main domain

There is some work for sale at Saatchi online gallery
and a Redbubble print on demand shop
and a fabric and wallpaper shop on Spoonflower too although many of the designs are still not available for sale.
sorry

Blame it on the sunshine,
blame it on the moonlight,
blame it on the good times,
now blame it on the steemit.

video bicho hmmm... sometimes
don't really use twitter, but robots do
the facialbook, if you must

Well, as usual thank you for coming by anyone who is reading these words, and don't be afraid to show your appreciation, or criticise the hell out of me.

if you would like to help us survive send

bitcoins

to
37R8CJBsizPvThmDzu7GT24zZ6DYv9C2Gq

dogecoins

to
DFy5VD4ohEntW6nc84Dfh2SwdELDiepnZK

all the steem you think we should have to @spaingaroo

ask about buying my artwork for steem

whatever you think is a fair thing.

lol

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lol

maybe this is common place,
tomorrow.
remember where you saw it first.
The blockchain doesn't lie
images by @spaingaroo, artwork by @spaingaroo, incredible chewy goodness by @spaingaroo