A couple months ago, my friend and fellow artist, Theresa (Art by Tre on Facebook) introduced me to The Canvas Project. It was a different kind of art project, where you paid to enter and they sent you 3 words and 3 canvas. You then painted each canvas based on each of the words, sent it back, and the people at Art House Gallery compiled a book and held an art show displaying every canvas. It was a reasonable price of around $32 and has 417 participants. I am one of them.
About two weeks ago I received my 3 canvases (each 4x4 inches) and my three words: Nursery, Hatred and Isolate.
Today I finished the first one, Nursery:
It's definitely simple, but I like it. It will most likely be the most upbeat of the 3 (not surprising with Hatred and Isolate being the other 2 words) and perhaps the easiest to paint. I have painted flowers before.
I find I am have lots of ideas for isolate but am totally stuck on hatred. Maybe I just don't have a lot of hate in me right now? I generally find it difficult to paint when things are not going terrible, and right now I literally could not be happier (maybe if I won the lottery and never had to work again - but otherwise, couldn't be happier). I've had a great summer so far. Last week my parents went away and I got to play house with my best friends in the whole world and my uber cute and awesome boyfriend - who told me he'd rather just hang out with me like that forever, rather than have my brother come home (YES! I finally got picked over my brother! Huzzah!) Also, upon the return of my parents, I asked if Ryan could sleep over once a week in my room. My dad said yes - if we left the door open! Another score! Larry, you're the best! That just makes me feel young at heart because at I may be 25 and paying rent, but I could not be more excited that I got permission to have my boyfriend sleep over! Yay for sanctioned cuddling time. And then on top of that, I'm kicking ass at work and loving my job and the people I work with, painted my awesome Bob Marley painting, just got a show at The Downtown in Red Bank, my film project is going well, I got recruited to join another project, my friends rule, Lydia is moving to New York, and next week my cousin Melissa is coming to visit. I seriously can not think of "hatred" right now. So, this Nursery painting was just perfect for the moment. Simplistic happiness on a beautiful sunny day.
This is my plea: I ask if anyone has an ideas, let me know. I need them right now. I'm in too good of mood right now. So if life is shitting on you currently, like it clearly was to me up until the past couple months, let me turn your pain and suffering into art. Share the misery with me and inspire me. Then, once I've created something awesome and made your pain into something beautiful, I'll do my best to cheer you up. Because life is awesome. And if you just endure the pain and try to smile as best you can throughout it, it will eventually break and things will be great.
The Canvas Art Show will be held at the Brooklyn Art Library on December 3rd, 2010. I will be going for sure and would love to have anyone who like to attend with me!