Forever Paisley

Drawings, paintings, sketches, collages. No matter the medium, my artistic style has always been very abstract. Visual representations of the inner workings of my mind.  I’ve always been comfortable in that space, but a couple of months ago I decided that it was time for a challenge. Time to break out of the whimsical world of my head and actually see, understand and create the things in front of me. I turned to Pratt Fine Arts Center and enrolled in a visual analysis series. Pears, benches, vases, baskets, wine bottles, boxes. Over the past few weeks I’ve drawn anything and everything placed on the platform in front of me. I am not good at listening, following rules or interpreting things literally so, naturally, there have been moments of disappointment, confusion and just pure frustration. Well … last Wednesday we finally got an abstract assignment (phew). Using blind contour drawings that we had done in a previous class, we created a series of shapes and were challenged to combine them and … create. Create a new contour.  A new art form.

Everyone else in my class interpreted the assignment literally. They arranged their shapes in a structured manner. They filled the space in a linear, organized fashion.  I, of course, decided to relish in this opportunity to create something abstract, misunderstood, out of the ordinary. I am calling it “Wolf Parade” (with no intended relationship to the band).

It’s definitely weird. Which I love. But I am not in love with the piece. Though like all art … it’s subjective. Redefine to fit your own definition. If nothing else, it was a fun challenge and definitely less wearisome than spending hours trying to perfectly depict the proportions and angles of a still life … which I am sure we will revisit next week.

Cherrettie