I have had a recent epiphany about art, and about my own art.  It goes something like this:

My art education is mainly classical.  I learned mostly about dead artists throughout history.  Meanwhile the most amazing things were happening all around me, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Julian Scnabel, and the advent of graffiti art.  And it was all happening in New York, the same state where I was in school.  I missed it all. 

Fortunately for me, I’ve made a friend who’s art education comprises all that mine lacked.  And he’s taught me about stencils and spray paint, and he’s shown me books of amazing graphic artists and graffiti artists.  From all this I realized that I had so many rules in my head from my own education that it really limited my view and what I was willing to do in creating art.  I painted in oils or acrylics, I drew in pastels or charcoal.  I never mixed anything with anything else.  Some colors of paint were to always be used sparingly as they “didn’t mix well” according to some teacher at some point.

2 weeks ago I just gave the finger to ALL OF THAT.  Those rules, the conservatism, all of it.  I have discovered the most amazing artists and the most fantastic art that they’ve created.  And I am suddenly inspired.

My first attempt at mixing media is this commissioned portrait of a friend of mine.  I hand cut my first stencils, and I used spray paint for the first time…and some acrylic.  AND to top it all of, I painted exclusively in the colors that I’m supposed to use “sparingly.”  Now I say a big, giant FUCK YOU to those who attempted to keep my mind closed off to new ideas in art school, those who said my application of paint was “wrong” and an even bigger thank you to my friend who helped me get to this point.

technorati tags:art, painting, spraypaint, acrylic, stencil

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