23 October 2011

Two possibly surrealist paintings

The assignment to which these paintings belong was one where we had the choice of four styles: Abstract art, Surrealism, Expressionism and Cubism. Regarding these, I'm only friends with Surrealism, but I tried again my hand at Expressionism. It did, of course, fail, being labelled by my teacher as Surrealism anyway.
The picture to the left is not taken in ideal lighting conditions, and I doubt I'll take another. It was an attempt at Expressionism, and I care not much for it. For certain, it does say a little of what I wanted to express with it - spiralling emotions, hence the name of it. Especially the spiral in the hand, holding your feelings in your hand open for all to see, but ready to be squashed. It is made from acrylics, didn't take too long, and was painted on a rather small canvas.
The other, however, is another story entirely, and one I am very proud of.
It is decidedly Surrealist, and incorporates many things of which I am particularily proud or fond. The stylised bird, the sign for the shapechanging ravens, the Corax, from an old roleplaying game called "Werewolf: the Apocalypse". The lady in her Victorian/Edwardian dress and her rose parasol, with no face. The phoenix sun, which was a stroke of genius in my own mind. The blue to the left of the sky, the yellow below the bridge. The rocks, that actually look quite nice, and the strange, rolling clouds, or sea, or grass, below. The bridge, I might come back to and add a few little shadow touches on.
It is painted in oil colours, took remarkably short time from what I was expecting (that's not to say it was done in an afternoon, however) and it was a joy making it. The smoothness of the lower part of the painting took quite some time and effort, yet I did not overwork it, which was nice. I had to go back and touch up some of the white after I thought I was done and had taken some photos, because I had been sloppy with the brush in the white areas up by the phoenix sun.
It is dreamlike, joyful and a little bit disturbing. The way I like to paint Surrealism.

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