The following three landscape paintings are approximately 3″x5″ and were painted with watercolors, markers, and paint pens on paper and multiple layers of laminate. The first painting is a yellow and white sun shining over a red landscape. The second painting is a scorching red-orange sun heating a red and purple landscape. And the third painting is a blue moon hovering over blue mountains and a green landscape. Each landscape painting consists of at least 3 layers of laminate which separate the washes and crisp lines of color, and add subtle variations in depth.

Visit the Art Gallery for more Landscape Paintings.

These are two acrylic paintings, one of an abstract Ball or Sphere, and one of an abstract Cone. Energetic and expressive swirls of color are chaotically focused on creating a recognizable image. And the darker shadows and horizon lines help to ground the objects.

Simple three dimensional shapes, like cubes, spheres, cones, and cylinders, were some of the first objects I drew when I started my art hobby as a kid. The basic shapes helped simplify the world, and I began to understand how light and dark play against each other to create depth. As a young adult, the more I learn about the nature of the physical world, I understand there is more complexity than can be perceived by senses I’m accustomed to using, like sight and touch. So the paintings are a reminder of invisible depth in unobvious places.

Vikki North is an amazing artist who’s artwork can be seen in the Red Chair Gallery, and often deals with the ‘human condition’. In July 2008, she visited my art blog, and enthusiastically offered a challenge entitled “Jealousy, The Green Eyed Monster“. The experience was fantastic spontaneous FUN.

A few months later a new challenge was proposed… “The Red Balloon”. The Red Balloon was one of my favorite childhood movies. Minimal dialogue, as it transcends language, and contains visuals that both children and adults can enjoy. And it stars a boy and his big shiny red balloon!

From Inquirer Movie Columnist and Critic Steven Rea:

“”The Red Balloon” is a beautiful little meditation on childhood, on imagination literally taking flight. The story of Pascal and his balloon represents the longings of the young – and the not so young – to escape the mundane business of daily life, and find a way to transcend, transcend.”

My response to the movie and this challenge is a reflection on sharing creativity.

There is a scene in the movie where the little boy, Pascal, and his red balloon stroll by a little girl, who also has a balloon. A bright blue one. The balloons play together briefly, a passing moment, but one that struck me, and seemed to fit this challenge.

It reminded me that when I see someone else with their own ‘balloon’ of imagination, it’s beautiful and wonderful and a joy to share. And in that regard the final scene in the movie becomes particularly overwhelming and memorable.

I think we all have unique creativity. And sharing it and working with others often takes me to new heights. I’m particularly intrigued by the online presentation of this challenge, and the exchange of viewers that are a part of the experience. Vikki and I are posting our finished artworks on the same day, without having seen each others’ work, and I encourage you to visit her Art Blog to see what she has created!

So without further ado, “Blue’n Red” is a 9″x 12″ paint/drawing created with colored pencils, pen, marker, paint pen, and watercolor mediums. The artwork is comprised of two children’s faces in a sea of creativity, surrounded by the balloons of all the people in their world, swirling around, and enjoying the fun. A multitude of colors and affect, coming together to form something bigger than one can do alone.

Thank you Vikki!

This is a minimalistic drawing of an old man face with a red pen. A brush and water was used to add subtle shadows around the eyes, nose, and mouth. The commentary is similarly sparse… lost in thought like the old man’s gaze.

This is an abstract portrait painting of an Art Goddess. The artwork is 9″x12″ and was created with pens, watercolor, paint pens, and markers. Multiple layers of medium were energetically and organically built up to create an abstract female face, with broad strokes of watercolor and detailed pen lines used to push and pull the space. The essence of creativity is playfully depicted as an Art Goddess, with the face as an almost universally recognizable lead in to the visual art.

As I’ve grown into art, I realized that I have developed a deliberate way of expressing myself visually. Perhaps the same way that some have a deeper understanding of other tools for expression and communication, like math, language, or music. I feel a deep appreciation for those other creative processes, even though I don’t understand the intricacies of them, I know there are areas of overlap and mutual insight. So I added a few subtle reminders of other tools that enrich and nurture visual art.

I also wondered, if more people were taught to convey emotions or concepts via color and shape more consistently, what new ways of thinking about the world would we discover? What unknown creativity awaits behind the Goddess’ eyes? And what flashes behind yours?

These are two 9″x12″ abstract portraits of artist Frank Calloway, drawn and painted with pen, ink, markers, colored pencils, and watercolors. Dina Kerik’s Deepwater Journal alerted me to the story of Frank and the reference image for the artworks.

I was inspired by his passion for drawing, which started when he was 86 years old. Frank Calloway turned 112 years old on July 2, 2008, and art continues to be a part his life. I also like the youthful quality of his drawings, and the consistency hints at a very mature, organized, and creatively patterned style.

High quality giclée prints of each portrait are available at ImageKind.

Some days before I draw, I close my eyes and breathe until I’m close to a kundalini state of mind, and I start to see amazing faces of all kinds. Barely captured in the artwork, the faces are so real, so unlike anything in this world, it feels like more than just imagination. Like my eyes have to close to this world in order to open in another.

There is a gamut of emotions they express, extreme details, and some that seem to embody the very essence of words like “beauty”, “evil”, “fun”, and some… I don’t think there are words to express what they are. I’m not consciously controlling the faces, they move, come, and go on their own, but I’ve never seen them before with my eyes open, and I don’t know where they come from.

I drew a picture that echoes the experience.

~Michael
MDE-Art.com