Saturday Evening Post

My first painting assignment was to illustrate the cover of a prominent magazine from the late 1800's to 1950. I was to pick a historical figure and emulate the style of a salient illustrator of that time. I choose to do the cover of a Saturday Evening Post tribute to Charles Lindbergh in the style of Norman Rockwell, who was a huge influence in my artistic development. The project was very enjoyable and educational. I used several techniques that Rockwell implemented in his own work including the iconic American flag ghosted in the background, specific under painting processes and close sensitivity to textures. While I feel I could have pushed the piece further, it turned out to be a good experience and the painting received a favorable critique during my Pasadena contact

First Hartford Residency

It's been a few months since my first residency at the Hartford Art School and my experience was incredible. It was very intense, but also very fulfilling. Working along side of such illustrators as C.F Payne, Gary Kelly, Dennis Nolan, Bunny Carter, Murray Tinkelman, and Ted & Betsy Lewin was nothing short of life changing! The professional environment and comradery in this program is absolutely amazing. I can't wait to see what artistic developments and professional growth I receive as I proceed in this intensive setting. Unfortunately, I do not have a release to share the book project I am currently working on for my thesis but, I will keep you updated with new projects and assignments.

Preping for Hartford

I have been trying to sharpen up on my drawing and sketching skills before I head off to start my MFA this summer. (www.hartfordillustrationmfa.org) Here are a few pages from my sketch journal.

Trouble

A new painting.

This is a self-initiated project I finished this week. If you know anything about Darryl Strawberry you will know that besides an illustrious career in professional baseball he has an amazing story of redemption. While his faults have been magnified in the public eye, not many know of his charitable contributions, victory over cancer, recovery from addiction, and journey of faith. He truly has an amazing story!

Somewhere Just Beyond that Fence

Years ago, after I graduated from college, my wife and I moved to Indianapolis. It was a very strange year. With little freelance work and no jobs on the horizon I spent the majority of my time with a group of artistic friends and musicians. During that period we made numerous large format abstract paintings and eventually had a final show at www.harrisoncenter.org

Recently, as I’ve come across some of these old paintings they have taken on new meaning for me. These paintings were often made out of whatever material was available, whether it be stretched curtains, old t-shirts, or bags of white-out found in the Staples dumpster, anything and everything was up for grabs. No doubt some of my professors would be horrified at the crude materials we used, but, what I have come to realize is that these paintings were less about making “good” art and more about spending time in the community of friends. As we sought to solidify answers to the big questions in life the artwork merely became the byproduct of spending time together and growing. Sadly, what you will see here may look like little more than simple abstract paintings. You will not see the debates, questions, reflections, and conversations that we hashed through in our process of creating. These canvases and boards are painted with oils and acrylics, yet drenched with experiences and self-discovery.

One painting that sticks out, as I look back with fond memories, is entitled Somewhere Just Beyond that Fence. At the time this painting had little value to me, but as I look at it now it speaks volumes of my journey. It reminds me of where I desperately want to be and the ideal life that I envision for myself. Oddly enough, as I have longed to be somewhere over the proverbial rainbow I have found that the destination is obscure and always just beyond my reach. What does the exceptional life look like for Eric Wieringa? I often wonder. In-fact, it is this malcontent that often drives me to continue creating art. While I am unsure my lack of contentment is a virtue, in large part, my life has been a very confusing process of searching for something just over that fence, just out of my reach.

This painting represents a place, whether physical or metaphorical, where I will obtain the exceptional life I long to live. I guess in the end, more than anything else, when people look at my art I want them to see a documentary of that search. I do not know what the destination will be, or even if there is one, but this painting represents a hope. I don’t know if anyone will see the value in these paintings, but for me it is a remembrance of a time of artistic development. As we filled our apartment with these painting, often times very bad ones, we learned more of what we believe about life. I will always cherish these works because they represent a journey to somewhere beyond that fence.



A few other random pieces:













Red/Green- Just Beyond that Fence













Earthly Kings










Red Gill













The Chasm













Moon Surface

IF late

Nothing to clever here I've been sick all week so this little contour sketch will have to be good enough. I thought this would be a funny perspective on "being" late.

"IF" String

This is a little portrait study I did on some scrap paper. It's not a great painting, but, I thought it has that "old masters" feel to it. It will probably fall apart in a month with all the layers I put on it, however, it was a fun little technique exercise.

"IF" competition: Packed

Light plate Project

A while back I was down town St. Charles and found some old cast iron light plates. I bought a few thinking they would make some really cool frames. These light covers are perfect for quick little three frame stories. My idea was to come up with a short story every day for a period of time, until I had enough (a hundred or so) to do a small "light plate"show. The idea is to produce work quickly in the moment, every day, with no intention of connecting each piece to another. I wanted to see if after producing these little illustrations for a long period, a larger theme would emerge. Many times I find that art work can take on new meaning long after you create it, even when you have no intention for it in the beginning. I wanted to explore this idea.

Unfortunately, My enthusiasm for this project fizzled out. But I wanted to post a few of the pieces I completed. I was also thinking it might be cool to eventually open this idea up to a larger group of artist and see what our collective imaginations brings forth. I will have to buy some more plates but, if you like the idea let me know. We can create together!

Dimensions: Three frames each 1 1/2 x 2 3/4

"IF" competition: Memories

We all like to remember the pleasant memories of our past. However, often times it is the bad memories that shape us into the people we are. Bad memories, whether they are regrets, mistakes or failures, are the thoughts that haunt us from behind and prevent us from becoming the person we desire to be. The irony is that if we can break the chain many times it is the painful experiences of our past that make us have a strong and driven character.

This illustration is about "memories"

Illustration Friday is a interactive website that has weekly, themed competitions. Check it out at www.illustrationfriday.com

Runaway Balloon

Recently I painted a series of hot air balloon illustrations. I picked this one out of the three to critique. I experimented with some design ideas and tried some new techniques that I think worked well. So, if you are interested in knowing more about the technique I use this will be a good post.

Actually, I struggled with this painting in the beginning. Generally, in most of my illustrations I pick a dominate color scheme and work around it so that when the painting is done it appears to be monochromatic, even though it contains many layers of color. I usually decide color schemes early on in the process by deciding whether to keep the whole illustration warm or cool. However, in this piece that process was not going to work. There were to many bold colors required and it would be oversimplified to only use the glazing technique. After the under drawing I decided to wash the whole illustration with a transparent cad yellow (warm) and work out to cool colors. I was worried that the yellow under paint was going to effect the blues and purples (cool) in the clouds but, I have found that if you use a little gesso and thicker or opaque paints, it covers well. I painted the background clouds by chopping out around everything in the foreground. In a very pleasant way the yellow coming through the clouds and the rim lighting around the figure created a great sense of depth and glow. I would definitely recommend this use of paint and color to anyone and will use it again in other works.

I also wanted to mention a little about design. I think this piece is very dramatic. Obviously, the theme of a runaway balloon itself is very dramatic, however, there are some important design aspects that contribute to this feeling. One, is the subtle diagonal lines in the cloud formations. Diagonals always heighten the sense of drama. By using diagonal lines the viewer can immediately relate to a feel of motion and lack of control. More importantly this sense of lack of control is seen in the ropes floating haphazardly in the air outside the basket. I can't tell you how many times I struggled to design these ropes in an appealing way. After the millionth sketch I began to think about musical notes, specifically the clef note. The design of the ropes are loosely based off of this note that appears at the beginning of a musical line. I think maybe in a very subtle subconscious way there is a sense of melody coming through in this painting. Or maybe its just me. The last design aspect I wanted to mention was the absence of the balloon itself. Its important to remember that mystery is also an important design concept. Leaving some things unsaid and allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks can make for a much more effective and powerful statement.

well, that's it for this one. Color, motion, and mystery are just a few of the things that can push your work to a new level. I hope you enjoyed my critique.

Stilts

Stilts: an experiment

In the years since our art school graduation, we have repeatedly found ourselves questioning the fundamental process in which we communicate our ideas through art. Typical work flow dictates that the author must first draft a manuscript and then the illustrator must translate the text into a visual language. However, in our experiment, we have reversed this sequential role of author and artist by creating the art first and later subjecting it to the author's interpretation. This book is an experiment in the reversal of creative work flow roles and stream of consciousness.

For this experiment to work, the role reversal was very specific. The artist allowed the subject of each line drawing to flow from an unfiltered stream of consciousness. To remain true to the free flow of original thought, there were no multiple drafts for each drawing, only the first sketch, which was also the final draft. The many rules of design and perspective were made secondary in order for the concept of each drawing to be made clear. The motif of the tall, elongated form was chosen because of its innate ability to communicate surprisingly honest and real stories with such few lines. these fragile yet graceful figures are capable of examine themes of love, tragedy, and pain through their slightest movements.

Once completed, the drawings were given to the author. The author then fallowed a stream of consciousness to complete each picture. The author did not seek any input from the artist on the original intent of the drawings, but instead expressed only what was communicated visually. The simple haiku poetic form was chosen to compliment the simplicity of the line drawings.

We can not promise that this experiment will answer any great philosophical questions about communication, but we have found value in the underlying themes that have been expresses through our streams of consciousness. We feel that these curious beings are captured in snapshots of our own human experiences and in a very pleasant, but unexpected way, their exaggerated bodies amplify our many subtle emotions and thoughts left unsaid.

We hope you enjoy our experiment.

Eric Wieringa, artist

Scott Troyer, author

Please view slide show at the bottom of the blog page.

15 minute study

It's your lucky day! I hardly ever show my sketch book. (Just one of those things.) However, I wanted to show this page from my life drawing book and this 15 min loose watercolor. It's nothing impressive but shows a little of the day to day stuff.

Artist Statment

I recently entered a juried art show here in St Charles and they asked me for a brief artist statement. I thought I would share...

As a children's book illustrator I often question my role in the artist community. I find that as I have grown and matured as an artist I have become more of a storyteller than a painter, and more of an interpreter than a creator. I love painting pictures that tell stories. I love the idea of how stories have shaped our world and the opportunity they possess to transport to greater thought. Even though the narrative is often not my own, I find extreme fulfillment in translating the text into a visual language that people can identify with visually, emotionally, and spiritually.

Obviously, not everyone who gazes upon my artwork will be moved or transformed, that would be egotistical to suggest, however, it is my goal to connect people to the story and hopefully present reflections of my own. I never specifically set out to express myself, but through the creative process I have found that by simply making art something of myself in revealed, even if only to me. Knowledge of design helps the artist to better communicate the the story. Things such as contrast, prospective, pacing, shape and line all add to the visual experience and help the viewer to understand the narrative in ways that the text alone could not achieve. However, I believe there is something more to the equation that allows art to communicate well, something that resided with-in the artist, something I am probably unqualified to explain. I can only speak from my own experiences.

Understanding that there is an endless gamut of reasons to paint, the only one I have is simply because I am compelled to, because I can't not. No matter what my income at the end of the year, no matter how many pieces sold or who has appreciated the art, at the end of the day I create because I must. I must tell the story. I believe that no matter what you call it, a calling, a desire, or a mission in life, it is in that passion to create that art becomes truly great. the pieces here are only snippets of a larger sequential storyline but I hope that as you view this work you will allow your mind to fill in the blanks and imagine what the story can be.

Stretch

This is a project I call "Stretch." This storyboard is a 180 compared to what I usually produce, however, After speaking to a friend about what he considers to be my most powerful work. He encouraged me to continue to explore the journey motif that runs through this more private and self expressive art. The temptation for me is to explain every detail, meaning and symbolism in this work, but I will only say that this short storyboard explains how I feel much of the time. I think that most people will just see this project as a fun or whimsical children's poem. I will let you be the judge.

Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye is the title of this illustration. However, as this will be my fist post I suppose I am saying hello to all who are stopping by to see what new art projects and creations I am working on. I hope you enjoy...

As I stated above the title of this piece is Saying Goodbye. While most of my work has some sort of narrative behind it, this is just one of those portfolio "just because" paintings. I thought it would be a good one to start with because it is a good example of how design can work to communicate an emotion or theme without much text. The title seems to be enough to know what is going on here. lets start with the design and flow of the painting.

Obviously, having the girl and elephant embracing helps tell a story of sadness, but if you look close you will notice there is more going on. The way the trunk of the elephant is wrapped around the young girl presents a very graceful and flowing design. The eye tends to travel from the flowing dress, around the trunk, and up to the tusk. The way the girl and beast are entwined evoked the feeling of melody and flow. However, as the viewers eye reaches the eye of the elephant you are immediately hit with a contrasting sense of struggle. The reason for this is because of two opposing contrasts of color and texture. The eye is trapped between settling on the tiny shapes around the elephant eye and the green/red complement contrast in the hair of the girl. I believe the balance between the flow of the design and the rigged contrasts of this painting have worked well to communicate a story. (even if there is none)

Well, I hope you enjoyed my short analysis and a look into some of the decisions I make while painting. I will try to put up more of these self critics every so often. Or at least when I think the design especially works.