Painting of Day: "Mutiny"

  "Mutiny" by Samantha Keely Smith

  Samantha Smith's style has evolved over the years– from a more abstract style to a more impressionistic landscape style. I prefer her current style. The brilliant use of colours to represent a scene. It's again a matter of how much details one can remove while still having the painting "read correctly".

  It's an exaggerated depiction of the sea. The line between the sky and the sea is blurred. The wave seemingly swallowing up everything. The beautiful play of light on the crest of the wave; a beautiful rendition of a warm yellow against the deep, dark blues. You can just barely see the horizon in the distance, which gives the painting a sense on depth. As for meaning behind the piece, I think the hint lies in the title the artist has given it.

  Mutiny

 An open rebellion against authority; especially by soldiers or sailors against the officers.

  Perhaps, then, the piece is an interpretation of that word. How rebellion against authority is similar to a raging storm. Or perhaps, it's an analogy as to how difficult it is to go against traditions and people who have a higher influence than you do. Either ways, it's a breathtaking piece with a beautiful title attached to it.

  See more of Samantha Smith's works here.

Update: "Hazel Bird"

  An update on my latest work titled "Hazel Bird". I think it's my best work so far. This piece was *coughs* complicated. I started it last year and was inspired by my dad's works. [See his works at http://www.chenshimo.com/ ]

  I later abandoned this project because I felt I wasn't skilled enough to move forward with it. But this year, I felt it was time that I finished it, but I have been procrastinating... However, I have lots of new project ideas in my head, and I've promised myself that I have to finish this project first before moving on with other projects. There's just the bird's plumage that needs some tweaking and the branches have to be finished, so I hope to finish it by this month. (Wish me luck.)

  I'll be posting a new "Painting of the Day" segment tomorrow so stay tuned for that. And leave me a comment in the comment section below telling me what you think of my work. :)

Recommended Artist: Calvin Nicholls

  Calvin Nicholls creates amazing art pieces using just sheets of paper and a scalpel. He cuts the component pieces to fit the final drawing and assembles the low relief artwork under studio lighting. When the sculpture is complete the lighting is adjusted to bring out the subtle form and texture. Finally, a large format camera is used to capture the detail on 8x10 film prior to scanning for print applications or art prints, and the results of this process can be seen below.

  There's no need for me to say this as I'm sure you can see that Calvin Nicholls's technique is superb. The clean cuts. The amount of details he puts into each pieces. The brilliant use of "out of the frame" method to give an illusion of depth. I'm also completely enthralled by how well he has portrayed fur and feathers.

As much as I'd like to talk about about how cute the hedgehog is, I'd rather focus on the last piece in this post- the one of the ship. Artists are well known for using symbols in their works, and sometimes, when you never intended for the art work to be "read into", some people still over-think your art work. It doesn't bother me when people do that. I rather enjoy it when people tell me what they see from my drawings and doodles. Perhaps Calvin Nicholls never intended for people to "read into" his beautiful portrayal of a ship at sea, but I did find myself linking symbolic meaning to the piece.

  In Christianity, the sea is often a symbol of the unconscious, and the ship one that represents the Self. Do the winds blow in your sails, or do the storms rock your ship? In life, you'll always face hardships, but it is the overcoming of these hardships that makes you stronger. People often say that the sunshine comes after the rain. Whatever you are facing at the moment, just remember to keep your chin up and keep on keeping on, because you'll get through this obstacle and in the process you'll learn something new.

 "May the sails of your soul always billow with fresh winds of wisdom."

  See more of his works via this link.

Painting of the Day: "Second Thoughts"

"Second Thoughts" by Pino

  The bold brushstrokes and the mirad of colours was what drew me to this piece. The focus is on the beautiful model's face. Her skin soft and smooth; her gaze focusing on something out of our view. She seems to be in thought, and as viewers, we are left to imagine what might be on her mind. The muted greys are gorgeous, and the accents of magenta and the background of pure blue, navy, and green perfectly balance the piece. And as always, I'm very much intrigued by how little details is actually needed for a painting to "feel right".

  Visit his website here.