Frenzy

Feb16

Many years ago, during a difficult period in my life, and living (and painting) on very limited means, I found myself deeply inspired (and also very broke). It’s been rare to experience inspiration that overcame my senses to the point of painting “in a frenzy”, but there I was. It was an intensely creative few days of steady (mostly sleepless) work. I used up most of the paper and pigment on hand for three series of thirteen smallish pieces, varying a bit in size (I was in some cases working from scraps, but most of this first Frenzy series are roughly 5″ x 7″). I drank too much coffee, and washed my hands too seldom. It was, as I recall, 1997, in Fresno’s notorious Tower District.

I initially began with a notable focus on UV pigments, and interference colors, and any other similarly visually intense pigments I had on hand at the time. The series of work used a specific technical approach to creating the pieces throughout that resulted in a somewhat “Rorschach test” inspired set of images, which nudge the viewer to bring their own thoughts and impressions to each piece. I welcome your comments.

Frenzy XIII – “At the End, Whatever is Left Over”

These pieces are available for sale (each original, no copies or prints are available). Please contact me by email if interested.

Hand of Fatima

Nov11

A look back a piece from 2019.

“Hand of Fatima” 8″ x 10″ acrylic mixed-media on canvas w/glitter and glow

This piece still gives me a feeling of peace and hope. It relies on a lot of glow, and one prominent “googly eye”.

“Hand of Fatima” seen in darkness after being charged under UV light.

Every Dawn a Beginning

Nov2

New work. I spent some time in the studio this past weekend (overdue). Filled with inspiration, I wasn’t at all sure my time would actually be productive. Decision-making paralysis is a real thing, and I had “too many ideas” and struggled to steady down and work on just one or two.

“Every Dawn a Beginning” 12″ x 12″, acrylic on canvas w/glow, glitter, and resin details. 2022

This particular small piece was inspired in part by the collaboration with my partner (a different sort of artist), who shot several airbrush backgrounds for me recently that got set aside for later use. “Later” finally came around, and I sat down on a somewhat stressful autumn afternoon to think things over and put those thoughts on canvas. I selected this unusual orange-yellow-peach blended background because it threw my usual color selections out the window and forced some fresh thinking on me. New perspective, and a fun result.

Once this piece is fully dried, I’ll charge up the glow and add an image of that alternate perspective on this largely very hopeful piece. Inspired by love, and gray autumn days, and an old love song.

Here’s the piece with the glow charged…

California Poppies & Summer Sunshine

Oct9

I recently went wild re-organizing my studio. During the pandemic my studio has also served as my office (as is the case with many artists, I have a “regular” job to keep things steady), and working from home has turned out so splendidly that it’s become a professional preference and a lifestyle. I was overdue to put real thought and permanence into how my working space is arranged. With that done, I have also found myself feeling more inspired. Feels good. I’m hoping to make a more regular practice of posting here, new work as it comes, and also getting some of the older work uploaded and made available for sale.

Yesterday I spent time painting and thinking about my “workflow” in my studio. I finished one small piece and started a couple others. It feels good to be back in the studio. The feeling of joy and creative energy hit the canvas as “California Poppies & Summer Sunshine”, a small 6″x6″ acrylic on canvas, with glitter and glow. I’ll photograph this piece again with other light sources once it has completed dried (there is a lot of glow on this one).

Small piece, small picture. “California Poppies & Summer Sunshine”, 2022

This small piece is intentionally playful. It’s been a lovely summer, and feels worth a little celebration. That’s what this piece has in mind. The smaller image above is intended to provide a perspective a bit more like walking past it (hanging in a corridor, perhaps). If you’d like a closer look…

Closer image showing glitter details. “California Poppies & Summer Sunshine” 2022

I’ll update this post with the glow-in-the-dark charged up, later this week.

Black Light Art Gallery! Tonight

Jun29

It’s time. It’s really here. I’ll be with the Geodesic Art Collective at the Black Light Art Gallery! tonight. 🙂

I’ll be presenting both new and old work, including the entire “Frenzy” collection, available for sale.

Selected work, ready to load in the car

My “Frenzy” collection (three series, each of 13 images), hidden in the brown envelopes, has an interesting back story… I will have to tell it to you one day soon. It involves solitude, inspiration, loneliness, altered states, and a whole lot of running out of canvas, paint, and finally… paper. A peculiarly intense several days of continuous painting, locked in my own head until the paint ran out, about which I may already have said enough. lol 🙂

5″ by 7″ acrylic on paper w/UV pigment, “Frenzy VIII”, from a series of 13 individual works.

Blacklight Art Show! at The Geodesic Art Collective

Jun26

I’ve been invited to participate in an exciting local art show. Only days away, and my consciousness is filled with choices – what will I choose to hang? It’s an exciting “problem” to have. 😀 It’s a great space for the purpose, too, and having attended a recent event there, I’m eager to sit down and make some great selections, and see them hang alongside the work of other artists interested in blacklight, glow-in-the-dark, and color.

It’s thinking this over that has me smiling today, and awkwardly aware of how much of my work is UV reactive, or full of glow, and how little is photographed to reveal it. I suppose doing something about that would be helpful… 😉

Untitled, 11″ x 14″ acrylic on canvas w/glow 2017

Irises

Feb28

My recent burst of inspiration resulted in some fun work in glow, mostly pretty light-hearted. It was a gray rainy day, too, and the filtered light and overcast skies resulted in creating some sunshine on canvas.

“Irises” 8″ x 10″ acrylic on canvas w/glow

This one results in a bright “moonlight” silhouette when charged.

“Irises” charged and glowing.

Spring flowers haven’t bloomed in the garden quite yet, but they bloom in my studio. 🙂

The Return of Inspiration

Feb26

I haven’t been as artistically productive this year as I had hoped to be, but when inspiration struck I was ready, and that made quite a lot of difference for artistic ease and general quality of life. I’m glad you stuck around! There’s more to come…

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The Art of M. Elisabeth Howell

Capturing life in color and texture, and making it glow!

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