I didn’t get much time to work on anything creative this last week, I’ve been trying to manage my case of dermotographism that’s afflicted me of late. I’ve been miserably itchy, but with lysine and zyrtec it’s starting to subside. I’ve noticed my biggest trigger is stress.
I didn’t realize how much that was true, until I went to gouache painting class today. I was utterly absorbed in this class, and I think it’s my favorite medium ever. Couple that with my favorite art instructor, Jill Cardinal, I realized that I did not itch the whole class, and my horrible blister welts from earlier in the morning had gone down.
My first attempt today was not what I envisioned. I enjoyed it, but I kept getting distracted and going off on my own, ignoring my instructions. Then I would try and follow instructions again. What came of this was a piece that tried to live in both worlds, and thus was conflicted:
But it was a very useful piece because it showed me what I liked and did not like. Gouache is so much fun because it has the opaque pigment, but moves like watercolor. I was much more soul satisfied with my lemon:
I bought some tubes of gouache and will be posting my progress, of course.
I had meant to upload my latest excersizes with Coptic markers, but those will have to wait for another day. I have so much work I want to upload, but context is so important to me.
As an aside, check out Jill’s site... her piece “Little Forest For My Heart” is one of my favorite assemblage pieces ever.
I am trying to learn balance.
I’m not sure what that has to do with anything, except that maybe with the dermatographism, my body is reacting to the severe emotional swings I allow myself. Or that expressing those things through something other than my own body, say painting and drawing, keeps me healthy and sane.
Maybe I read too much into things, but everything really does have a meaning.
Like dreaming of velvet every night this week. Hmm.
Anarchy Cupcakes 