Join me with what’s currently going on in my corner studio.
I have these goals as an artist to be able to capture certain things. For example rain drops on plants, or reflections in water.
It feels sort of like a bucket list however the more I check off the more things I add on the list.
Some things probably feel pretty basic. And some things I might have done in a certain capacity before but now want to do in a new way so it goes back on the list.
So I thought I would share what I am currently working on in the studio.
I am currently trying to get better at having a foreground and background in my paintings and creating a mist flowing through the branches of a Māmane tree.
I love seeing paintings that feel three dimensional. I think it really makes a painting feel lively and can create a magical feeling that lets you get lost in the painting.
If you ever saw Narnia, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, you know what kind of feeling I mean. You know the one where they see the painting of the ship sailing on the blue sea and then the painting comes to life pouring out into their room?
If you haven’t seen that, maybe you’ve watched blues clues where they “skidoo” into pictures? Well anyways that’s kind of the feeling I try to create.
The best way I found so far that lets me capture that is by creating a foreground with lots of details and light and shadow and a background that’s soft and lighter with less detail.
My current challenge is to use that same method but with more variety in order to create a mist flowing through the trees.
In the background I’ll have more degrees of detail and depth than usual in order to create some very soft and light leaves that are encapsulated in a misty fog. I actually have an unfinished piece I started specifically with creating a misty fog in mind. Writing this now makes me want to finish it.
Both of these pieces are currently unfinished. So we shall see how well I am able to carry out my plan.
I choose Māmane as the subject for my newest painting because it is native to Hawaiʻi, and those are my favorite plants to paint. But specifically Māmane because I am so in love with how bright and cheerful the flowers feel, how delicate the leaves look however they are sturdy and thick little leaves that droop and hang in such a gorgeous way.
These trees grow in high elevations because they are so dependent on native birds, particularly the Palila. And so many of our native birds have been leaving the lower elevations to escape mosquitos which is one of the biggest causes of their endangerment and extinction.
I love seeing the Māmane trees growing along the roads and even the playground at Mauna Kea. They bring me a sobering joy I wanted to attempt to paint.
I realized recently that part of my art style I suppose is painting bright, vibrantly and colorfully. However in a way that feels to me slightly moody.
At some point I will probably be able to fine tune that thought and express it better. But for now that really nails it on the head for me. To be honest I think it portrays something inside of me that I learned back in 2020 that I really value.
Life is about the “AND”. Most of life will not be all joyful all the time and neither will it be all sadness and grief all the time. It’s both. It’s so often pure joy AND deep sadness at the same time. Fear and bravery. Confidence and confusion. Self pride and imposture syndrome. I could go on and on about that.
But I realized recently in my own personal opinion, I express it best in my paintings.