New Work for the New Year - Drawings and Paintings

These new pieces have been so much fun to work on.  There's a story in all of them.  Come by my Etsy.com shop to check them out.

 Exploring Gouache paint with colored pencil and pencil on primed fiberboard.  I like the raw edges of the fiberboard.  The fiberboard is from gift boxes, cereal boxes and any other box that has a nice paintable surface will do.  I like the thickness of the fiberboard and  the imperfections.

New work! Soon to be listed for sale.

 I've found some much needed inspiration to push me forward in my creative ventures.  Mainly, it came in the form of a new medium I hadn't used previously.  Gouache, is a wonderful medium for on-the-go artists.  I could go on and on, but, I don't feel like it.  =)

 I started using Pinterest to capture great inspiration for new patterns and texture ideas.  What a great tool!!!

 Let me know what you think.  Enjoy

Volatile Organic Compound's in 2-D

 Another series that started with some simple designs using Adobe Illustrator.  The designs were printed on matte paper then altered with watercolor, and pencil.  Then comes the naming, or assigning of meaning, hence VOC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound

 I don't know where my imagry comes from... but these pieces affect the environment and human health like VOC's (at least I like to think so.)  I like how Robert Motherwell talks about painting, starting with a pure surface, messing it up, then bringing it back to that pure feeling. 

Check out www.scottgarrette.etsy.com to see more

RSVP - Today's Creations - from July 2010

A while back, I started drawing on whatever I could get my hands on, that had a nice clean surface. I needed something readily available, with consistent qualities as well as accepting of multiple mediums... I guess those $4.00 plus boxes of cereal have another use beyond holding the puffed wheat pieces (gold) in a nicely transportable shape for mass consumption, and the aftermath, when the little pieces of gold are gone and all that remains goes to the garbage, or the more politically correct, re-cycling bin.
Then the work begins. With vigor the scissor cuts off the excess fiberboard material, a vision is seen, add pencil and let sit for Days... stacked upon and underneath other like drawings.
When time becomes available, after several weeks of tiring work at the Day Job/s, apply the paint, dry and add colored pencil. Then return to before mentioned stack for complete saturation of desire. This step infers a future maturity of the work and of the individual, but there's a lot to be said for good-intention!
Next.
Cut wood to different sizes to fit... apply fiberboard to wood, determine orientation and return to stack, or possibly paint and seal.
Then.
Cut prints from my design work and photography into strips, squares, circles, or any other shape necessary. Other materials may be gathered and cut as available.
Next.
Apply strips of color (cut prints,...) using LOTS of glue, to the board to finish the space and texture it up. It's OKAY to get sloppy or a little OCD for this step. Be sure to have several pieces-in-progress available for this part, as it's fun and hard to stop.

Paint and varnish may be applied anytime during the process.
Is this the end?...............

Freedom I can't find

It... what is it?

The sun is out today. Clouds moving steadily across the sky while a jet plane soars high above cutting through the blue that mends itself again.

I don't know what I'm looking for - trying to find something - feeling like I need to find something.


*this image is not in production yet. i'd love to print this one on vinyl and have it go from floor to ceiling*




©scott garrette 2009

The game of Life continued

continued from an earlier post here

Opportunities abound - each moment has an opportunity...
Sitting in my yard with my kids playing in the sand box... Opportunity to be happy, to organize my thoughts and ideas.
Walking down the sidewalk past a neighbors house. Neighbors outside watering the lawn and carrying on... Opportunity to make new friends and network.
Find out my son has (had) a brain tumor... Opportunity to put my faith in the powers that be and see life as an opportunity to spread the positive vibrations around for all to feel.

The first 20+ years of my life were filled with life's lessons learned through experience. I once read "knowledge comes from things done, wisdom comes from things done wrong." The key to wisdom is to learn from experience, and then act based upon what is learned. My Mom once told me, "...you always have a choice. You decide whether something is good or bad..." Everything is what it is with NO judgment placed upon it. I am the one who places the judgment, I say if something is good or bad... This idea changed my world. It has opened doors at even the darkest times.

Every moment has an opportunity...

Back in the Saddle

This blog has been entirely too neglected. I am finally able to spend some time finishing up some paintings that were made almost three years ago when I lived in Lawrence, KS. I've stumbled upon a new finishing technique for the surface of the paintings that I really enjoy! The final product is exactly what this painting and and the 20+ other paintings on wood have needed. The surface is a buttery smooth satin matte with waxed wood edges. The reverse framing is perfect for the painting, allowing the imagery to exist "in" the viewers space. This frame creates an experience that is less like looking through a window and more like looking at an existence within the present reality. I am very pleased with the outcome.

Obstacles is the title of this piece. Moving around them, working with them and accepting the gifts they may bring.

See you soon!