So this is my first blog entry. How much pressure is this? Gee whiz.
So here is my last watercolor. Yes, it is an artichoke. I love artichokes. Anthony tells me that one day I will eat so many I will turn into one. When I completed this painting I uploaded it as my avatar/profile picture on MySpace. My sister's comment: "Holy Hell! Shannon's turned into an artichoke!"
My favorite childhood memory was sitting on my den floor with my whole family, eating steamed artichokes in front of the television. Not to date myself, but it was often an accompaniment to one of my two favorite tv shows, The Greatest American Hero, or Little House on the Prairie.
So we would put down beach towels and all sit on the floor, dipping artichoke leaves into a lemon-butter-garlic sauce, which remains to this day my favorite way to consume them. When we got down to the hearts my dad would surgically cut out the choke and we would all fight over pieces of the heart.
Even now I love them in front of the tv, but now my dachshund, Sadie, begs for some. She loves to eat the leaves (yes, I actually hold the leaf while she scrapes the meat off with her choppers) and she adores the hearts. I have pictures to prove it. But I also love artichoke hearts in pasta, salads, on pizza....you name it, I love it. So this is my homage to my favorite food, the artichoke.
EDIT: This piece was in the CCP Winter Art Show...see their link (Creative Catalyst Productions) in my "Art Links" at right for some wonderful still life art!
15 comments:
Sadie is a good dog.
But adding garlic to her bad breath? Magnificent idea ma soeur.
Remember the Listerine tabs I used to give her?
I give her greenies and they help. Yes, her breath is fragrant, especially noticable with the amount of love she gives, ie. kisses. But I cannot deny her artichoke, especially when she gives me the eyes.
I eat them the same way, if I eat them at all. That's my favorite watercolor of yours Shannon, really great.
I gotta tell ya I can't stand this blog stuff, and I've never bothered to read one...until now! OK, I'm converted. Let's get some controversy going here...if you don't, I will.
Blogs...they're the wave of the future! Man, I thought I was gonna have a nice little tea party around here. :) I think controversy would be easier to come by if I had an actual audience...I welcome any controversy! Bring it, Nick!
Oh yeah, thanks for the kind comment on the artichoke! I'm trying to paint looser, take more risks...sometimes it pans out, and other times it fails. I'm making an effort to post everything I produce so that I don't censor myself too much...being a perfectionist lends to secret work, doubt, dryspells...not conducive to growth. Also trying to get past apologizing for failure...maybe art should be in the eye of the beholder, as long as the artist learned something? Changed? Grew? I certainly see things in galleries that I would never have let the public in on! :)
Every painting should be a risk, no? Has to be some failures in there, but nopainnogain.
Wave of the future huh! Bloggers. Andy W saw it coming I suppose...actually, everybody is now a celebrity, which in turn means, of course, that nobody is a celebrity. Mark my words, the day will come when the only true celebrities are people you've never heard of!
Not very controversial, but it's the best I can do on short notice.
Carry on!
And how do you like that - I type my name with a capital "N" and the blogger software instantly makes me Internet-hip.
Let's try this again....
And how do you like that - I type my name with a capital "N" and the blogger software instantly makes me Internet-hip.
Let's try this again....
It's hopeless!
repeat after me...
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
nick is the wave of the future
to be continued...
What amuses me most about this age of "everybody is a celebrity" is how many friends of mine (or friends of friends of mine) who are actors keep getting on reality tv...how very Blair Witch Project. 'Tis easier to get paid to act "real" than it is to actually get paid to star in well-scripted drama based on your resume.
Actually I think the wave of reality shows is partially a retalitaion for the actor's union strikes in the late '90's, and partially from the sheer cheapness of production in comparison to the cost of classic primetime. My generation may have MTV-ized network television. Scary.
I think the real question for what happens when everyone is a celebrity --> nobody is a celebrity is when will the exploitation stop? More importantly, when will the desire to BE exploited stop?
Carrion!
Take me, use me, exploit me....but don't forget to pay me.
We'll I'm out of material on that one. So back to the picture...it's really a first class piece of work, I'd sign my name to it in a second. Has a bit of that accidentally-on-purpose look that I like. Maybe a series of fruits and vegetables would be a good idea. (come visit DC for inspirtation! )
Get that kitchen repainted yet?
You're limited to one carrion, has to fit in the overhead compartment.
"inspirtation"?
Huge compliment that you would sign my work! :) Definitely my first painting since I started watercolor that successfully achieved that which I was going for - just that "accidentally-on-purpose" look to which you refer. Your WIP's have inspired me to loosen up and let the paint do its thing for a change, instead of forcing it too tightly into the realism mold. I certainly enjoy realism but it is more challenging (and fun!) to learn to trust and take the risk of letting the paint do what it wants to do!
I think a series of fruits and vegetables may be my logical next step! Thanks for the encouragement!
Carry on!
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