Fork in the Road

Next project idea? Yeah.. I'm at a loss. I have two options that I'm thinking of.

Possibility #1:
This option would be based off of the prompt we were given to "have a discussion with a mentor." My mentor, Marion Bolognesi (see previous post) does portraits I reallyyy enjoy! I think part of the reason I appreciate her work so much is that it involves some of the same elements and principles, as well as mediums, that I have been experimenting with recently. The focus on dark, graphic lines combined with dripping, bold paint relates to what I focused on in my last project, The Snake Lady. Doing portraits like this (preferably more than one, I liked making a series) is VERY tempting.

Possibility #2:
Dare I say it? ... oil paints. It seems crazy, even to me, to go back to a medium I struggled with sooo much the first time around. I don't know what I'd want to paint though. What I do know is that I would want to either do one large painting of something simple, that I could focus on rendering with or a series of very small paintings in bright colors (like flowers). I haven't really developed this idea much but I want to be a better painter so it's on my mind. Picking a subject matter is definitely the hardest part.

Ok, I lied. There's a third option I just remembered...

Possibility #3:
Street Art. Graffiti. This style of artwork, the kind you see on buildings, has been inspiring me lately. I don't mean the curse words people crudely write onto subways; I like the detailed, stenciled or freehanded, elaborate pictures, or tags like the kinds I saw in Paris. My inspiration for this idea came from a friend of mine who does work like this in his studio, the artwork I saw in Paris, and my always inspirational stumble upon account. I want to experiment with spray paint SO BADLY! I don't really know how else I could develop this idea, but it's been on my mind for a very long time. The street art inspiration underlying my last project was really fun for me to think about and I liked where it took me, so I might want to try again.

Artist Statement: Kristen N. Mabie

Kristen N. Mabie

            My art is my way to express how I see the world. When I can’t express myself through language, I turn to art. Though I love focusing on the little details of a piece, it is the larger message behind those details that helps my process what I observe and learn in everyday life. I make art because I want to show how I see the world. Art is my way to find the words I can’t quite find and make sense of the thoughts I can’t quite make sense of.

            I draw my inspiration from everyday observations and an acute attention to detail. Being very sentimental and optimistic, I try to see everything as being beautiful. However, as I have worked to convey through the Snake Lady series, I am more complex, both as a person and an artist than just “sunshiny.”

            My art focuses on two-dimensional images, most often drawings, or lately, mixed media. When I see something captivating my first reaction is always “how could I draw that?” Drawing has always been the most accessible way for me to act on inspiration and try to understand why shadows, reflections, shapes, colors and lines create the emotion and image that they do. Line is my element of choice. By having more than one image present in any one piece, I feel like the meaning of the piece is more profound and has more of a narrative.

The series, “The Snake Lady,” is rooted in personal conviction that there is more to me, and most people, than appearance may suggest. As the project continued, the message, the snake, and the woman began to evolve. The work began to flow more naturally, and I was merely telling a story rather than forcing an idea to work. In my mind, the lady and snake had become complex characters with an unfolding narrative that stretched beyond my four pieces. The narrative told through the lady, modeled after myself, and the snake is one I am very invested in. Though I don’t plan to continue this subject matter in my next piece, The Snake Lady series has been one of the most profound messages and effortless processes to date.