Thought about the paintingI recently started another painting. The story of this painting is a storytelling painting about the connection between the Altamira cave paintings and modern times. I paid attention to the story of the moment when the Altamira cave paintings were discovered. The first discovery was made by a little girl. This is because the child's eye level and height were the only conditions for discovering the hidden mural. I believe that this fact helps a pure, undistorted mind like a child find the value of art and provide direction. I drew an image that came to mind when I thought of this type of inspiration and story. For this work, I thought and thought. To me, painting is beyond technique or creativity. I believe that invisible inspiration, stories, and energy create visible objects. So I meditate and concentrate for a long time to gain the power to make the invisible world visible. If I think about it, the time of drawing is more fleeting than the time of meditation, reflection, and thinking. The white paper placed in front of my eyes is more than just paper to me. It is a door that allows me to move from the space of reality that surrounds me to another space, and a window that shows a new world. And I have the amazing experience of this white space showing itself to me. A new image appears in a place I didn't intend. It is an amazing secret and experience. So I sometimes fall into the illusion that the paper is alive. As an artist, I often feel anxious because I am trying to capture invisible inspiration and energy. When I compare myself to other artists who are much more advanced than me technically, I often think that I should also focus more on skill and discover and practice my own techniques. And every time that happens, a slump sets in and I lose energy. If I look at a well-made sample or photo and draw it, I will end up with a much more elaborate and perfect drawing. Every time I look at those paintings, I think that my paintings are too raw and unsophisticated. However, since I draw on dreams and imagination and they cannot be processed with computers or photos, I have to develop my paintings further while remaining raw. These concerns are currently ongoing. So, I think a lot when I draw dreams or inspiration. If I think a lot, I can find your way. Even though this method may be different from other artists, I know my ultimate goal very well. I want to focus on the invisible energy hidden within the objects that create the visible objects. If this energy were not present, the artist would have to draw only what the eye sees. If things were things themselves, artists would lose their jobs. However, when artists draw portraits, for example, they do not draw faces as they are. Even on a person's face, there is individual feeling, experience, and energy that moves the facial muscles and eye light. Artists capture this energy and leave it in paintings. This energy is more than a thing. So I don't try to draw things accurately. Because things are more than just their visible form and composition. There is clearly an energy within it that makes such objects visible. So, as an artist, I consider inspiration important and try to express it. The paintings I submitted to this NWS member exhibition are my empirical narrative paintings about the spirit of living life. Before I became an artist, I was tied up somewhere like an elephant that had learned helplessness and was weakened. The chains that bound me were given to me when I was very young. The chain was weak and thin, and could be broken by a little strength without anyone's help. However, the learned fear and hopeless that had been given to me from the time I was first chained for a long time prevented me from trying anything independently. I lived passively, constantly generating countless helpless and depressing thoughts such as ‘I can’t do anything’, ‘I will be safe if I listen to my mother or someone's advice’, ‘I won’t be able to live independently’. But through painting, I was able to look straight ahead at the reality I was trapped in. So I can confidently say that to me white paper is more than paper. Paintings showed me my own world. It was purely my own world where I could think for myself, make my own decisions, and create my own path. When I was constantly distrusting myself, doubting myself, and mistreating myself, the picture comforted and supported me like a ray of light. And one day, a great realization came to me, like a child who listens to the sound of waves in a piece of paper he picked up on the beach and gains memories of the ocean, its source. And after that realization, I was finally able to boldly break the chains that were binding me. That is the orange bull drawn on the left. I was truly happy after drawing this picture. This kind of happiness is probably something that no photograph, computer-processed image, or artificial intelligence generator can give me. That's why I don't trust photography, computers, or artificial intelligence. I only trust the inspiration, images, and dreams generated within me. That is why I believe that paintings have value as art. This is because anything generated from what is visible is likely to distort something and lose its power. As an artist, I want to continue working with this message. And what I always realize during this work is the story of 'authenticity' that is necessary for enlightenment. It can be completed when you can draw with a childlike mind. Therefore, I am trying to include this message of authenticity in my recent paintings.
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2024 National Watercolor Society Online Sales GalleryThe work " Resilience and determination" submitted to this year's National Watercolor Society has finally been released to the public. Below is an online gallery where you can view the painting. The National Watercolor Society Online Sales Gallery is a fantastic platform for artists to showcase and sell their watercolor artworks to a wider audience. By participating in such a platform, artists gain exposure and potentially connect with art enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world. It's a great way to support the arts and appreciate the beauty of watercolor paintings. If you're an artist looking to showcase your work or an art lover searching for unique pieces to add to your collection, exploring the National Watercolor Society Online Sales Gallery could be an enriching experience. Flower Power! New paintings for open calls!"Flower power" emerged as a vibrant cultural and political movement in the 1960s, epitomizing peace, love, and harmony. It symbolized a rejection of violence and war, advocating for social change through nonviolent means. The term originated from the use of flowers as a form of protest against the Vietnam War, where protesters offered flowers to soldiers and police as a gesture of peace. Beyond its origins, flower power became a broader emblem of countercultural resistance, promoting environmentalism, civil rights, and anti-authoritarianism. Its influence extended into art, fashion, and music, shaping the iconic imagery and ethos of the era. Today, flower power continues to resonate as a symbol of hope, unity, and activism. It reminds us of the power of collective action and the importance of peaceful resistance in addressing societal injustices and fostering positive change. Whether expressed through art installations, community gardens, or grassroots movements, flower power endures as a timeless reminder of the enduring strength of love and compassion in shaping a better world. I drew and selected a picture about Flower Power, which is the title of this Mills ㅔPond Gallery's open call. Even if there is no political message, flowers have artistic and symbolic value and image in themselves. The beauty of flowers lies in their exquisite diversity, delicate petals unfurling in an array of colors, shapes, and fragrances. Flowers symbolize love, renewal, and the transient beauty of life itself. From the intricate patterns of a rose to the cheerful faces of daisies, they inspire wonder and joy, adorning gardens, weddings, and celebrations with their enchanting presence. In their fleeting existence, flowers teach us to cherish the present moment. I focused on the energy these flowers gave me. And flowers definitely convey to us hope, excitement, and joy in life. Looking at flowers makes you feel relaxed, motivated, and makes you forget about your current difficulties and worries. Flowers are like a festival, like a party, and sometimes like a quiet lake. I think the energy these flowers give is like the human heart. Flowers excite our hearts and make us feel our heartbeat. Flowers are a collection of small heartbeats 18 x 24, Pattern tape and watercolor, 2024 So, I drew the first of my paintings, 'Flowers are a collection of small heartbeats', based on the energy these flowers give us. This painting was created using patterned tape and watercolor paint on 18" x 24" paper. I am not limited by materials when it comes to drawing and expressing my inspiration. That's because when I start to limit things, I feel that the wings of creative inspiration are broken. Therefore, whenever a thought or image comes to mind, I look for materials that will best express that inspiration. Above all, the inspiration this time was pattern tape. This is because it is good for expressing the power of each small individual piece, like a small mosaic. Flowers are small mosaic-like individual pieces that come together to create one beauty. There is no better material than pattern tape to express these flowers. Waltz of flowers Acrylic, 12 x 16, 2023 The heart of flowers 9 x 12, watercolor, 2023 After preparing an open call and submitting the work, the results are sent to each artist. There are things I learn every time that happens. These works are curated and presented to the public in the form of group exhibitions.
I had very little time to draw and prepare this work. While preparing these works, I also had to prepare for national open calls. Personally, the classes I teach for students sometimes make me burn out. But there are fairies that I meet at times like this. My fairies give me strength like an energy drink when I am tired and having a hard time preparing my work. I am very grateful to them. And I promise to continue my work with even more strength. I was planning to cut down on my classes as work has been difficult recently. But I will have to be more patient when teaching my students. I need to work harder to create more classes of students on the waiting list. Looking back, I clearly need a lot of energy for myself. For the time being, I plan to supplement this energy through drawing. Spring! The shorter the season, the more brilliant and beautiful it is.There is always something to look forward to when spring comes. They are beautiful tulips blooming from 50 bulbs given to me by my friendly next door neighbor, Michelle. My husband buried these tulips, spaced 30 centimeters apart, deep in the freezing ground before early spring. And ever since he planted these tulips, my garden has been a beautiful sight every spring. Our tulips come in a sort of shapes and come in a variety of colors including red, pink, white and yellow. It's so beautiful that joggers and walkers passing by my house stop and look at it. Every spring, the tulips given by Michelle bring great joy to many visitors and passers-by. I sometimes think that our tulips are more beautiful and impressive than the tulips in the tulip parks I visited in the Netherlands. This is what Michelle said when she gave me this tulip bulb. “Anna, the shape of the bulb is the same, but when it turns into a flower, no one can tell what color or shape it will be.” Since I heard that, I waited for the flower to bloom with strong curiosity and anticipation. And I quickly learned that Michelle was right. Tulips must be buried deep in frozen ground before spring arrives. The firmer the ground, the fresher and more beautiful the tulips that come up through the ground. Before I knew it, I was looking forward to spring. Spring is a dazzling season. In a world where everything seems to have frozen and disappeared, spring seems to be trying to show the beauty and warm that never disappear. In the spring, the turtles in the pond on campus where I always walk dry in the warm spring sunlight. Birds sing in unison with various sounds and the fish in the pond wake up. Spring is clearly a wizard who announces the birth of new life and wakes up everything dead in the world. In the spring, I always take pictures of the cherry blossoms on campus while I walk. It's the same color and shape, but the feeling is different every year. When I feel the spring breeze and the warm spring sunlight, the gloomy darkness in my heart seems to be lifted. So when spring comes, I become diligent without even realizing it. I clean for no reason and go for walks often. I frequently open the window and become busy taking in the beauty around me. And there is a reason for this busyness. That's because this beautiful and brilliant spring is so short. The beautiful tulips that make my heart flutter will one day drop their brilliant petals to the ground. And I'll have to wait until next spring. Because of this brilliant and short time, the wait will be deep and earnest. As I turned 50, another change occurred to me. It means that I no longer struggle to understand what I used to struggle to tolerate. In the past, I understood that people said hurtful and harsh words to me. I tried to understand people who lacked metacognition, were inconsiderate, and had no manners, tried to understand their situation, understand their environment, and treated them leniently even when they were like that. But at some point, I realized that all of that was pointless.
The most important thing is the present I live in, and the most precious thing is me and my loved ones. When I encounter an energy vampire who steals my heart away from enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms, I no longer try to understand or tolerate them like I used to, but I keep my distance from them. Because I realized how harmful it is to lose love for the nature and life around us. And every day, I try to maintain my routine of drawing, spending precious time with the beauty around me, talking with loved ones. I no longer put my energy into other things. And if possible, I will try to conserve my energy and draw as much as possible. And I know this is what I need to do. I have so many pictures to draw this year. First, I need to draw three strong images that come to mind. Once these paintings are completed, I will feature them again on this blog. I hope to present another new painting before this spring passes. Congrats! 2024 Fish Art Contest Winners!Two of my students, Olivia and Cindy, performed well in the 2024 Fish Drawing Contest. This contest was created to raise awareness among the public about loving and conserving nature by drawing wild fish and linking nature conservation and art.
Excellent students from each region in the U.S. and abroad compete with each other to select first, second, and third place works. My two students were selected as second place. Once again, I sincerely congratulate Olivia and Cindy. In particular, it is a truly amazing achievement that two of my students were selected among the second place students. Above all, Olivia and Cindy showed their love for nature through this contest and their ability as artists by translating these feelings into beautiful messages through watercolors and conveying them to people. In the future, I look forward to seeing these two students hone their talents and skills so that they can grow into amazing professional artists who can convey their beautiful messages through their paintings. |
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