New paintings and regular art updates.
Red glitter glue poured in a spiral then dragged out with a small piece of wood. I finally put the image through photodirector to change the texture. Yes I know it looks like a splodge of ketchup… I really want to take a photo of the glittery surface, but my phone doesn’t want to capture it!
A pattern I drew (top) and the same digitally textured with photodirector (bottom). I’m not sure what pattern I would call it, but it looks a bit like boats with sails and a setting sun. I could try and colour the lower curves blue, the ‘sails’ red and the sun (blob) yellow, or try different colourways. Maybe swap the red and yellow over? Whatever the colour I just like the play with pattern.
Material, easle, sketchbook, collages together to make a pattern. Then I’ve used an app to multiply and twist it. The funny thing is I see figures in the dark patches. Like they are standing inside a dark cavernous structure. Because I started with a photo of overlapping things it gives the resulting pattern a three dimensional look. Almost like architecture.
I carried on drawing circles because I wanted to cover the page. Then I tried mirroring the image into four sections and suddenly I could see a couple of butterflies. (I think). It could also see the hollows of bones. I think these are called lacuna or lacunae?
I also think of the speech from Macbeth which goes ‘hubble bubble toil and trouble….’. Or honeycomb toffee that crunches when you eat it. Patterns are fun!
Just a little light digital editing gave me this network of patterns. The colours of a sunset sky held in a web of twigs. I think I could use it as a design for cushions or duvet or bed covers, even bags and tee shirts. Not anything I’ve actually done, but maybe I should find out. I’m finding out about file sizes, types and colours. I know if I don’t get the resolution right the images cannot be scaled up successfully. I mostly save my images as .jpeg’s but I recently found out I should save them as .tiff files. Also the resolution should be 300dpi where my computer saves to 72dpi normally. I’m learning as I go on.
Pattern made from tree branches manipulated digitally. I could list all the steps but that might be boring. I like adding different steps to see what the outcome is. I have saved a lot of these on Instagram @mallabandbrown
I add a lot of art there and here, it’s always there. I may not be painting a great deal but I do like playing with patterns. What I want to do is print out some of them but they didn’t look good on ordinary paper, the ink sunk in and was not very glossy. Perhaps I should use photographic paper?
My mind is a bit muddled at the moment. I am dealing with lots of ‘stuff’ and I feel overwhelming worry that I won’t get back on track. My life physically has been bothering me and I’m waiting for an appointment to try and find answers. I’m dealing with things for myself, my family and friends, and because I can put a good case for things I don’t mind helping. But when you persue various options and each one closes down it gets more and more frustrating. I wish I could herd cats, work out the best thing for us. I had to ask for help recently, and that was difficult. I’m a proud person and I don’t like to think I can’t cope. But you know those straws that broke the camels back? I think they are building up. Maybe I need to hibernate and look after myself, but turning away from others is not in my nature.
A bit like knitting,
Twisting and turning.
Beige and brown
Knit one
Pearl one
Draw one….
Slip one over
Onto a digital screen…
Tessellations
Tiled again
Playing again, filters, digital finger painting. I really like complicated patterns, but adding a filter of broken glass and a burst of light made it different. But I still see shapes that turn into things, in this case the blue squiggles remind me of someone playing a guitar? Or running? My mind is strange.
Pareidolia, the ability to see creatures in patterns. Well I call it an ability. Some may feel its more a curse! I’ve always looked at patterns and shapes and seen things in them. Some of my earliest memories were looking up at clouds and seeing birds and animals, things like whales and elephants. The human mind is good at seeing patterns, that’s why Percival Lovell the astronomer seems to have seen canalli, I think he called them? on Mars (not canals).
The human mind recognises things and that visual ability must help our instinct for creativity and science. Concept design is probably aided by it too. I think that’s part of our success as a species…..
So I was looking at this Christmas cactus and noticed the flower buds. Then I decided to play with it and voila! A green crab shape..
Mallaband-Brown