Detail of the progression of my Singularity Painting: Pandora
The little dog companion has been coming along and he has a mechanical device which has caught his attention.
Fuller version.
Readers will remember that this larger more involved piece in my Singularity series I presented in this state a few weeks back.
In that iteration of the piece, the dog and the sofa, which was included in my original sketch, was merely a blur of red and idea at that point.
I draw and create daily, but often have a larger piece I am working on in the background.
This seems to be a good system for me. It keeps me 'limber' if you will with sketching and creating but also gives me the time and leisure to work on a larger piece without feeling the pressure to finish quickly.
I have often mentioned that my garden is a 'carrot on a stick' I use to motivate myself to get my morning art and steem done to earn my garden time. In a way, this particular painting has been a sort of carrot on a stick as well.
I'd say to myself, "When you finish this sketch or study you get to work on the Pandor piece".
and it was exciting, because it is like going to a place you enjoy but are always discovering new things in.
I obviously love animals and to include them in my art.
When I began doing this Singularity pieces, it didn't take long for the concurrent sketches of a piece to include animals. The butterfly motif began to form as well, it being the symbol of the human mind and psyche and I liked playing with that idea of these partially once human creatures trying to understand their past.
In this piece I had always included a little dog companion on the sofa waiting patiently for his master to find the forbidden Pandora's box of old 21st century tech. As I have been working on this, however, I kept getting the feeling that whilst she was busy discovering her past, he would be also amused by the flights of fancy of the current world.
This sort of 'butterfly machine' I am calling it, just sort of formed out of playing with sketches of fantastical machines that might be a matter of course in this odd dystopian world. I have to say I am very much influenced in this machine by one of my favourite artists here on steemit @reinhard-schmid. His fantastical machinery so well mingled with his lovely women (with amazing shoes...Oh the shoes!) seem to always draw me in.
I am forever saying that I LOVE art that has story.
And @reinhard-schmid work is always full of story. That is to say, I can imagine all sorts of scenarios and little play-like vignettes when I view his work. This is also probably why I am so drawn to surrealism because it is like a theatre set or movie production.
Thus, when I was messing about with my little dog on the sofa and I began to just sketch a sort of orb with gears, it just grew into this odd sort of floating lamp. Then I considered, what if it is creating the butterlifes that are always accompanying these creatures. I wanted a sort of lamp on top, the light that moths and butterflies are always drawn to, but in this case, perhaps it is creating them? Who can say? I hope the viewer would want to ponder and consider, as that is what I like to do when viewing art.
Steemit has made me approach art in such a wonderful new way.
Prior to finding it, I was mainly focusing on my more popart coloured animal pieces, which I still do and very much love to do, but steemit has given me back the love of story in my own work. The joy to think I can work and work on a piece, building up layers and getting to share it with all of you.
Truly Steemit has given me back Story in my work.
And I hope you enjoy the process and progress of these Singularity pieces. I certainly am having so much fun delving into this world.
Now, to consider what to do next to this painting before I call it 'done'. But, honestly, is a piece ever really done for an artist?
I hope your day is filled with whimsy and of course Story! Look and listen to your imagination and let it run wild; you'll be surprised where it takes you.
If you like my work please upvote and feel free to resteem and by all means leave comments.
Check out my other posts:
- Bears eat the best Pears, they say
- A #sublimesunday and my Garden Project
- Another Singularity Sketch
My bitcoin wallet as per the @slothicorn request to provide it with your artwork.
So this mechanical devise is carried by a bunch of butterflies from a woman to the dog with attitude. What's in it? What is the purpose of it?
What the dog will do with it and who is controlling the mechanical devise?
Mistery of the story that is coming up!
Or does the device, flying of it's own power and AI, create the butterflies? Who can say. The story can be up to the viewer. :)
I love that color for the couch !!! Very nicely done! :-)
Thank you.
Some sort of antigravity clockwork fish-droid? Now you are hybridizing @paolobeneforti and @reinhard-schmid!
I know, right! I love how much we influence one another. I was thinking about his work when I was resketching the little dog and I made his expression looking up in the air and thought, 'what could he be looking at' and thought of Reinhard's wonderful machines! I love the idea of the worlds of my favourite paintings leaking into this one, in a sort of parallel universe sort of way. Of course you could have walked down the hall to see me working like the old days, but you are on a train on the way to the city for your grown up job now :)
Your little flying craft reminded me of this old 1960’s album cover. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-essential-albums-of-1967-w498972/jefferson-airplane-after-bathing-at-baxters-w499002
That's really cool.
That is some amazing work! I've always wondered about the whole steampunk thing, but I love how you've put it together.
And yes, I also agree with you that Steemit is a life-giver when it comes to creative people needing an outlet that people actually see!
What's funny is I'm not even really that into steampunk. I just sort of came to this combination of things and have heard it is steampunk-esque, so that is cool :)
Always nice when you accidentally run into a trend!
I know. I mean I knew of it, but it wasn't until someone else pointed it out and I thought that's really cool. I've always been obsessed with the past and much of my obsession with the changing future and toying with the ideas of a distant tomorrow just makes it a perfect amalgam that is very steam punk I guess :)
Wonderful digital arts...as if the dog and Android are alive and popping out of the painting...Really progressive works...I like them...
Thank you for sharing and have a nice day my friend...
I'm trying to build up their world in a very dreamy almost abstract state and focusing details on the figures and maybe some key elements, to direct the eye and the story a bit, but still leaving enough up to the viewer to come to their own story.
Dear Artzonian, thanks for using the #ArtzOne hashtag. Your work is valuable to the @ArtzOne community. Quote of the week: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics. -Victor Pinchuk
What a beautiful way to give love to animals
Have you posted any time-lapse videos? I would love to see your mad artistic skills in action.
I wish. I haven't a clue how to make a video of my screen. Sometimes I take the time to take the various layers and make them into animated gifs to show the build up of layers. I've thought of just trying to film with my phone, but then I have to hold the phone and make brush strokes and pen movements with my other hand. Do you know an easy way to do it?
The only way I know how is with QuickTime. It's a really easy-to-use screen capture program and then I just used iMovie to speed up the footage. I have a Mac so I'm not sure what other programs are available for other types of computers.
I should just watch youtube tutorials. I did try once, but the tutorial did not make it super clear. I will probably have a go again and see if I can.
I usually have one layer dedicated to my palette where I make and mix the colours for the painting. It's convienant to go back and forth to that layer to lay down and mix colour. In may ways I still work the way I did on real canvas with real oil, but quicker dry time and less messy :) Of course in the Summer I do more irl painting as well as digital, as I have the space and messy capacity then.
I want one of those floating lamp thingies! So very cool. In my world, the butterfly's are real, and following the light, like they do on my front porch. Or, they could be anamatronic, absorbing light from my porch, then taking it back to the floating lamp, and re-charging it. Think I've changed my mind here...
This is the joy of art. On both sides. You can take it anywhere you want, as the artist, with the mind and a LACK of idea, the only limitation. And that is one of many things I love about this series. As you say in comments, other's influence may take you on another turn. Oh the joys of Steemit.
To me, this kind of project is ideal. You can work on it over time. Adding and layering to it as you see things change, as others give input, and more importantly, as your minds-eye changes as the project develops, and your mood changes day to day.
Yet, each idea stage can be put out as a 'complete' piece. That is so ideal to me. In writing, I love to write something, then let is stew for days, then add layers into it. But with Steemit, it is often necessary to write and get it out ASAP, without this layering. I'm getting a bit better at it, but it can be a bit frustrating at times. And I know, folks say, "just write a bunch of things, then work on them over time". Easier said than done. They still take an inordinate amount of time to create. Maybe it's time to start mining things in my computer, that have been languishing there for years. [New, sort of related point here] - It is truly amazing how our mind/writing/art/etc change over time. I wrote very differently 10 years ago. Wonder if anyone would notice? Guess there's only one way to find out. “Put it out, Maynard, put it out”.
[Back to track 47] I think also this is what is so great about your series. With all the ins and outs of history of the 'times' you enjoy, and science you are setting it within, but also adding layers from all dimensions, as your ideas grow. And digitally, it is so very much more do-able. Rather than a 50x40 painting in the living room…."Darn, I'd like to add a traveling lamp with butterfly's, but there's no room, and I already painted the dog looking out the window, etc." You can change things up. Sort of a go-anywhere as my ideas change, things change. Yet each original is still a stand-alone. What fun.
Wow, I've really yammered away here. Guess I just wanted to say this is so cool, and such a big project that must be very exciting to work on. And as you say, it's never really done, as long as your brain is still firing away. Keep on firing and painting and enjoying. Cheerios.
I love your wordy responses and it always makes me feel like I'm not the only one rabbiting on like a mad person.
I'm so glad you like the development of this piece. I have to say I am really happy with this new world and series I am working on. I keep seeing it sort of overlayed into my 'real world'. I recently did a sketch from a garden I visited and then ended up putting a Singularity hybrid woman in as well. The worlds are colliding! :)
I hope you are having a lovely Sunday and give ole' Stinky cat a pet for me.