Alocasia Polly

August 19, 2020

Alocasia Polly is further development of blending abstract and observational painting. Using a the plant as a figure, I repetitiously translated its daily movements, overlapping their forms to create a voluptuous bouquet. Albeit not the fastest execution, (3 weeks) the detail is a level higher than previous paintings. The foliage is adorned with what is seemingly is a subconscious upheaval of previously observed river systems and wood grain. The natural flow of the leaves seemingly that of fish cascading down the river, the blues themselves scaly friends over green waters.

Taro

Synthesizing the observational qualities of “Elephant Ear” and further expressing the painterly brush marks and repetitious shapes found in my abstract work, “Taro” came to fruition. Kandinsky’s “Red Horse” theory proved beneficial to my entire practice as of late. By painting a singular houseplant from multiple angles, I was able to create a scene that overwhelms the senses with lush foliage. The plant becomes unreal, so an unnatural palette realizes the subject: the unnatural over-sensory becomes a serene, almost decadent still life of an Elephant Ear grown wild.

The 4’ x7’ painting took 14 days with 6-10 hour sessions of observational translation. Each leaf took around an hour. By the end, the translation of visual language became second nature. I learned from “Elephant Ear” that I paint in reduction- similar to charcoal drawing. A professor’s claim rang in my head “my paintbrush is my pencil.” This breakthrough allowed for a better understanding of my relationship not only with painting, but drawing. It took 60+ hours with a piece for their statement to fully manifest in my own way.

NOC

The portrait of Noc Rebers came to fruition after reading Kandinsky’s “Concerning The Spiritual In Art”. Like the Red Horse in a natural landscape, a disjointedness occurred in my early portrait paintings. My figures did not fit the more realized world in which they resided. The portraits predating this piece floundered in their painted worlds.

The jump to blend my abstract color field studies as a background gave life to the portrait. The unnatural figure sits in an unnatural world- grounded in the unreal. The portrait’s color leads over form.

When following the lines created by the cheek shadows, another circle is created. The color developed line crosses into the background, linking and separating the spaces. The crown and the abstracted olive create a landscape of hills. Seemingly an invisible river goes crests over these abstracted mounds, carrying the eye in a zigzag fashion from top to bottom

The commission required a crown to be used in their portrait. The reference image came from a painting of Jan Bogumil’s Crown, which gave an idea of how the crown should sit on the head and the general shape. During final revisions, Georgia Bebler, fellow artist and costume designer, assisted in making sure the crown rested in a proper place as initially I drew it too high.

The earring is based on images of Harry Styles earring in the 2019 Met Gala. I felt it necessary the portrait have pearls to link the crown to the finery of the earring.