Dot Line and Scribble

This new painting is an impression of imagery inspired by the 1965 Jazz musical animation short, "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics" (MGM), which was inspired by a book that Norton Juster had written a few years earlier. The painting was begun just before the passing of influential animator and producer of the cartoon, Chuck Jones, and was just recently finished to a point where I feel good when I stand in front of it. I enjoy what the layers of paint do in the light, in addition to the somewhat whimsical theme. This is one of those instances where I don't care very much whether or not a viewer "gets it". Usually I care a great deal about the final imagery when dealing with art that is Conceptual and/or Representational especially, but when I began this painting I was feeling the unhindered abandon of "Scribble". I'd found a copy of the original book which of course brought to mind the cartoon that had jazzed me up so much as a kid (big Tom and Jerry watcher here), and that was plenty to get the inspirational fires burning for fun. Overall I supposed this painting is/was about self gratification and experimentation... mine as well as the characters in the story.


"Dot Line and Scribble" by Tree Pruitt, 30" x 20" oil painting on canvas.

I wanted to not just paint but to see what the paint would do. The paint rests on the canvas in several layers. At the time I'd begun I was working often with dark under-paintings, so I knew I wanted to play with something bright that time. In some of the lightest areas the gesso of the canvas prime shows through as a matte white. Strokes of slick Titanium White feather over that and into a warm mix of colors with overlapping strokes. This allows the light in a room to pass through those textured layers, giving a sense of vibration. In my photos it seems to look blotchy and dingy rather than shimmery because, though I may photograph a lot of things well, photographing my canvas art is something I've not mastered. At the bottom of the painting a muted green was scraped via pallet knife over the bright layers while they were still slightly tacky to the touch so that they smeared and mixed a bit.

One of the reasons it's taken so long for this painting to feel finished has to do with some of the methods I used. I wanted to be sure of the paintings soundness (no music pun intended there) before calling it as finished. The thick line that passes through the middle (Indian Red) was forced to crackle. Without having an over-the-counter crackle medium at hand I experimented with using a medium that improves paint adhesion, and I also removed some of the oil from the paint (via setting it on absorbent paper) for a fluid mixture. I applied that over the old layer of paint with a higher fat content, then waited for that to set-up. After a few months the line did indeed crackle! After a few more months passed I scrapped at the line with a razor blade to remove any flakes of paint that had cracked up and to reveal the lighter colors underneath randomly. I like the effect. The final touches that were added included a thin solid black line over top of the thicker crackled line. This line of Lamp Black paint was given a high amount of oil (fat) to a mixture of the same adhesion medium. In theory it should not crack, but should remain solid for the life of the painting (knock on wood).

Always a beloved inspiration theme, a bit of a tribute to a beloved artist, and a fun project that I think worked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dot_and_the_Line

"Dot Line and Scribble" 2012 by Tree Pruitt, 30" x 20" oil painting on canvas. *Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to use.

Share

Varity Is Vital

  One of the things I like to do outside of the realm of visual art involves music. I play with a bass guitar. Notice I didn't say that I'm a bass player? That's because I've only actually learned enough over the years to cause some trouble if the volume's turned up too far; I play with it. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad quality playing to me because how it feels is more important. An added bonus is the emotive quality of the instrument because it can help to clear out a mood. If I'm about to work on a bright happy painting but the day has been gloomy I can dump those blues out with the bass. The fingers and wrists get a powerful change of activity from visual artwork action! I notice that the muscles in my upper arms get stronger too the more I play, which allows for greater endurance and a more steady hand when painting. Much of the same holds true for the legs because just like when working on a larger sized painting Rockin' out happens best when standing. So my entire body gets a kick in a different direction when I'm playing the bass versus when I'm painting, drawing, or sculpting.

  Years ago while working on my first full wall mural I learned the importance of diversifying action... the hard way. The painting was of a near life-sized African Acacia tree; a fairly large project! The branches bent around two walls and onto a high ceiling. Each branch had one or two creatures that might actually be on the savannah; from tiny termites crawling up the trunk to a well fed leopard lounged over a branch all his own. When the entire painting was close to a finish I noticed a smaller off-branch up high offered a perfect spot to add a rich red oxpecker bird, so I grabbed the step ladder and paint pallet. As excitement grew I really got focused on what I was doing; placing tiny little detailed feathers and a few surrounding leaves. Holding my hand as still as possible I repeated the same motion over and over to create consistent paintbrush strokes. Sound nice? I thought it was, but I was wrong.

  After the third day in a row of pecking away at the oxpecker I awoke with a very stiff wrist. By the end of that evening swelling had reached up to the top of my arm, and the pain was rather intense. I went to the emergency room for a shot to decrease that swelling! Eventually a diagnosis of tendinitis was offered, and I was told to stop painting altogether; Of course, that was not going to happen. Since the true culprit had been pointed out as the repetitive action I decided that variation needed to become a hotter spice in my life. I now end each evening with therapeutic stretching exercises. Fitting other types of art and craft activities into my week, rather than only painting or drawing, seems to have been the biggest help of all though. I rarely have an issue with my wrist these days.

  Certainly most any method to vary your own activity is probably good, whatever the motivation, but don't overlook an old band instrument hiding in a closet or attic if you have one. Wait until you're alone, dust it off, and make some noise! You don't have to be good, just have fun. Overall I think that playing with a musical instrument offers the best benefits for a visual artist as an alternative activity because it involves so many of the same fine muscle groups but uses them differently. Plus creativity could be opened, and what artist doesn't want to risk that?

  So, that's one of the ways I get my kicks when I'm not painting. What sort of things do you do when you're not doing your usual thing?



 

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use.

Share

Steinbeck Planted A Seed

Much of my artwork is inspired by the many places I've been too, and since I have again recently relocated I though it appropriate to share this entry from an old blog here.



28th Street Landing provided by the City of Hoquiam, WA

 I've travelled Americas highways more than most, being a chronic "tumbleweed" or Bohemian, and the interaction with so many personalities has had a wonderful effect on my art and self. I would love to travel Europe someday, but America is quite large enough. I have crossed it many times and still cannot hope to see it all. I was a fan of a book by the writer John Steinbeck when I was young, and that likely had an influence on my travel desire. He wrote, "Travels with Charley" that captured me with charm and adventure off the beaten path. Charley was Steinbecks dog, and I lived with one that looked just like him. Steinbeck had been asked to write about America, but he despised commercialism and tourist traps. He refused to write about or visit the mundane famous locations that middle class America drags children off to by droves each summer. He wanted the real people -- the real America. So he packed off with his dog in a tiny travel camper and went from town to town, staying off of the main highways and onto the back roads of America; That just sounded too romantic for me to resist!
Johns theory was that to know the people you must live with them. So from the time I was 13 years of age I have lived many places. I educated myself, utilizing the public library system in what ever town I happened to have landed in for a time. I "payed" for my education by offering my services in return to the library by performing tasks such as sweeping floors, reading to children and the elderly, working used book sales, artwork and signs, landscaping; what ever I could do. The closest I've come to growing roots under this Tree was the nearly ten years I spent in Washington State; the Great Pacific Northwest. I now find myself back in the family home in Ohio. My husband and I are both open to whatever the future may hold for us. But the Internet now makes it possible for me to grow roots, of a sort, under this Tree and I am grateful.

• http://www.steinbeck.org/Travels.html
• http://www.ci.hoquiam.wa.us/murals.htm Hoquiam has many wonderful works of art that create the town. View some images here that will give an idea, but photographs don't compare to standing in front of these, some times, immense, vivid, creations. The town tells its own story through images and artists.
• * Artist Portfolio

Life influencing art that influenced this artists life!

Share