Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Chaos in Eden

Doodling along my way, I forget the billboards in the Metro.

They fling at us (only a few examples):- the view of a giant perfume bottle with a naked famous actress underneath, - a bunch of very happy people celebrating because they got a bonus for having bought a new cellphone, - a feeble 12 year old model wrapped into a vest made of rabbitskin, latest fashion attribute.

I forget the sight of the poor people sitting there, under the bright billboards, spending the day in the metro stations, dozzing, drinking or just waiting or sleeping or socializing with the other poor devils, because they don't have anywhere else to go.

I call this Doodle painting "Chaos in Eden" but could also call it "Never mind" because that is what I thought when I doodled the drawing yesterday evening, stucked in the window-seat in the metro, with a big person at my left and those haunting billboards popping up on my right.

The person was looking on my pages and at my drawing hand (my non dominant hand) and I thought: Oh, well, don't worry, be happy, just draw what you see inside, never mind.

This morning I took the Winsor and Newton palette with the 5 colours I'm studying at the moment : cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, vermillion, windsor green, cadmium yellow, and coloured the study, with my left = non dominant hand. Feels awkward, but different, funny.

click to see details

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29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh I love this! Maybe I just have a penchant for squiggle I don't know - but I love the expressiveness? is that the word of it. And I'm intriqued by the idea of working with a just a few colors at a time. Awhile ago I was working the the usual triad - yellow,blue,red and was having great fun. Maybe I should pick another set and work with it.

Unknown said...

Rebecca, thanks so much for your comment! I think we learn so much using those basic colours, about the primary colours and the use of their counterparts, to create shadow and light on the paper, and that we can paint everything with those basic colours.And the more we learn to use them the more we can paint what we see, inside or outside:)

Anonymous said...

These are beautiful! I do like the wobbly line that happens when we use our other hand. There's a theory that using this hand helps the brain to create, it certainly feels weird doesn't it?

Unknown said...

Jess thank you for your comment, and you are so right, it feels weird to create this zigzagging lines, full of insecurity but expression too. I more and more like it to watch what comes out of the brush§pen/pencil:)

Anonymous said...

Andrea your doodling makes me totally happy!
Yes, its so creative to work only with a few colors.

Andrea and Kim said...

Andrea, I really love this painting. And it sounds as though you are getting a lot from the non-dominant hand work. I just said to Suki you and she have really encouraged me in this work and I am learning a lot of new things in doing it.

I find it fascinating you are using the paint (wet medium) with your left hand, too. I have been nervous about trying that, but you sure have gotten the best from it indeed.

I also like the way you speak about how this came about as you were watching the flashing of the metro stations and being smashed against the window. You always take me along on the trip with you.

Thanks Andrea!

Unknown said...

Martine:) love to make you happy:) And: I have the impression you are a happy person:)

Unknown said...

Kim, thanks so much for your comment! I have to say that yesterday I wasn't in a mood to draw portraits in the metro, I felt intimidated and it was not the right moment to draw people. So I thought, I should just free myself and do this doodling. When I took the brush with my left hand this morning, wow did that feel weird. But while looking at how to position my colours, I forgot. I just saw how awkwardly the hand stirred the brushpoint in the little colourpot:) it really was as if I watched someone else doing it! :):)

sukipoet said...

Your doodle/painting is very evocative, esp the left hand corner. Oh, so much to see in the metro, the inflated, the sad. From top to bottom. Well, maybe you gave that man a treat to watch you create. I too am impressed with your braveness re: painting with the left hand. OK. Next thing for me to try. Go back to the onions and paint them with my right hand. Hope today is a better day for you in the Metro.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

How fun. Your colors bring this alive. That man probably was thinking. what the heck is she drawing. lol. but it is wonderful. you can visualize all sorts of things in it. I am loving your colors you are using.

Unknown said...

Suki you are so right, there is so much to see, sometimes too much too! Brush in left hand felt like having turned the TV upside down and watching a film like that:)

~Babs said...

Andrea, your 'little studies', as you call them are complete works of art in my estimation!
Love the vagueness,,,letting the viewer interpret,,,and your added color is right on. I love the "Never Mind",,,,again, letting the viewer bring to the painting whatever it means to them.

Lynn Cohen said...

wild colors and movement in this non dominant hand painting/drawing...fun to hear what you see out your metro window too.

soulbrush said...

marvellous, right that's it, tomorrow i am going to do something with my non dom hand, for sure.

Genie said...

Hi Andrea,
Beautiful work the doodle painting looks so free and the colours are lovely

Elizabeth said...

TOTALLY AWESOME - I LOVE it!

I think you are onto another 'winner' with the 'left-hand pen then other-hand painting watercolour' technique: it looks very appealing.

Have you considered Illustration maybe? Magazines etc?

Anonymous said...

makes me happy makes me sing:-)

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTxRioaiUQ

i like your style, and i 'm sure you and martine could be sisters:-)

xxx
klaproos

Unknown said...

Babs, thanks for the insightful comment, so very encouraging!

Unknown said...

Lynn, I wish I could take you with me on my trips on the metro sometimes, so we could talk about what we see:)

Unknown said...

Soulbrush, yesss! I'm looking forward to see what your non dominant hand will be cookin up for us:)

Unknown said...

Genie, thanks for your sweet comment, perhaps we could try now to paint with our feet to look what it brings on:)

Unknown said...

Lizzy, at the moment I'm working with the author of rhymes for little children for illustrations of a book and find that is more difficult than I thought to illustrate according to someone else's ideas. It is sure a long process. And I found out too, that magazine now are working with agents...

Unknown said...

Klaproos: LOL:):):)

Yvette said...

super super super, I didn't forget you, and loved reading more posts at once

Unknown said...

Yvett:) thanks you made my day

Katiejane said...

How come your doodles always come out looking like works of art and mine just look like trash???

This is so pretty. I love the color choices; so muted and sleepy, and everything just looks like it was meant to be there.

I'm feeling empty lately too. Too much work, I guess. I just feel burnt out. I should doodle!

fiorobbo said...

Expressive. I love it

marianne said...

I love this chaos! A Chaos which has a balanced feel............ And beautiful colors!

Anonymous said...

amgnificent , brilliant , beautiful colors !