Starting tomorrow two of my pieces will be showing in a 2-day show called "Chocolate and Art Show." The show will be held at Monorchid Gallery in Phoenix, Arizona. And the chocolate is going to flow! I wonder if they realize that I can eat my own weight in chocolate. Here are the two pieces that I will have in the show, "Desert Rat" and "American Sphinx." Chocolate & Art Show:
Day 1: September 14, 2017 • 8:00pm – 2:00am Day 2: September 15, 2017 • 8:00pm – 2:00am Location: The Monorchid • 214 E. Roosevelt St. • Phoenix, AZ 85004 Event Price: $15 PRE-SALE! $10 until 10 days before event start Chocolate & Art Show Website Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/324241384638361/ Eventbrite: BUY TICKETS My homage to Arizona is finished. I have affectionately titled it "Desert Rat" since that is a name I use to describe myself quite often. In this I wished to show that beauty can come in all forms and sometimes even has sharp edges that can hurt you. I hope others can see the perfection in imperfections.
I finished the "Birds" painting about a week or so ago. I have probably talked enough about it in my other posts so I won't bore you. Here it is: Now I am on to my next painting. I recently went to a Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera exhibit at the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix. In my book Frida Kahlo was the superior painter, so it sort of added salt to the wounds that he got so much credit than she did. But, apparently I came away with a heavy influence from her, because my next painting seems to have channeled her a bit. I admire how much she stuck with her Mexican culture and heritage, so this time I decided to explore my "Arizona Girl" roots and do something more locally oriented. I did not just want to do a desert landscape, so I decided to incorporate the things about Arizona that I either love or find fascinating.
Personally, I LOVE cactus! Sure, I don't like being skewered by their needles, but they are about the only plant I seem to be able to keep alive (except for a few unfortunate ones - RIP). I see them as being like a person who wears a rough exterior to protect their sensitive insides. Also, here in Arizona we have the most AMAZING sunsets. The sky lights up with the most ridiculous shades that blend from yellow, orange and red desert sands, to pink and purple mountains, to a cotton candy pink and blue sky. It is a vibrant rainbow, without the rain and we are graced by it on a nightly basis. Sure Arizona may be hotter than hell, but we can still find beauty in the things that make us unique. Here is what I have so, but there is still more work to do: Here is an update to the progress of the "Birds" painting. This is still a working title, but I'm searching for something a little more epic of the struggle that this poor woman is going through. She is bound in a barbed wire and metal dress/cage of her own making, but the escaping birds are her heart and desire. The headpiece is a predatory eagle ready to attack, which symbolizes her mind. Her heart and her mind are standing against each other, causing her to be conflicted about which part of her should rule over her life and freedom.
------------------------- I have to admit that this ended up being a bit more of a challenge than I thought before, but I am very happy with how it is turning out. Obviously there is much more to do but I have added a bit of color and depth to the feathers and have turned my attentions more to the barbed wire and birds. Here is my next project, already in the works. The woman's body is a wire frame with barbed wire which is constricting and imprisoning her. But, hope is near, as the barbed wire turns into birds, flying away to give her her freedom.
I have started this with and underpainting of Burnt Sienna that is then layered with a grey mixed from Dioxazine Purple, Light Blue, Naples Yellow and White. The Burnt Sienna will slightly show through, which should give it a touch of rust color, which will set the mood for the wire dress. This painting is 30"x40" and is a bit of an experiment for me to try something a more than a portrait, but with more of a background and in-depth storyline. "Lacewing" is complete. I added the wings in the background to give the look of a veil. This version also has the aphid being a colorful accessory. I am pleased with how this turned out, although I will probably mess with it again since I have a tendency to tweak things forever!
This is my latest Work in Progress. I am calling it "Lacewing" because the woman's headpiece is the head of a lacewing fly. This is a challenge for me due to the fact that I am very afraid and grossed out by bugs in general, but I am trying to look past my fears and find the beauty in nature. Lacewings are known for the delicate patterns in their wings, which, of course, resemble lace, but I have discovered that lacewings also have the most interesting compound eyes. I have not gotten there yet, but eventually the eyes will have thousands of cells decorating them. Right now I have just created the underpainting, which shows the myriad of colors that are reflected in the area around the cells. Another interesting fact is that some species of lacewings are known to kill their dinner and then carry it around on their backs until they get hungry. In this case, I am using a colorful aphid, which is hanging out on her shoulder until it's time has come. This juxtaposition symbolizes the woman as being both a strong instigator and weakened prey.
I will also be incorporating the wing patterns into the mask she is wearing over her eyes, but that will have to come later. This is a piece which, to me, shows that not all beauty can be compartmentalized into only what we as a society deem beautiful. Sometimes you have to look closer to appreciate the wonders of the world around us. |
CHRISTY A. MOELLER
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