Fail.

“…success has no rules, but you can learn a great deal from failure.” -Jean Kerr.

  I don’t think this particular project was one of my strongest. I wasn’t trying to make a beautiful piece, but instead, I was trying to learn more about this process.  The canvas was placed on top of a box so that the paint would drip off; I was trying to construct a second element. The overall idea was to create a piece that would create pools of paint that could be incorporated in the final product. Unfortunately, a little ferret decided to move the papers around, destroying the work.

Thanks Zero.

  In addition to the bad ferret fail my floors aren’t level. I have a level that I usually use but I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't.

  So now I’ve got this ugly painting.

But, what have I learned?

  Well I’ve learned that what I had was a good idea gone wrong AND I should try again. 

Dry Paint

   When the paint dried it settled and left the raised designs below it. Not only did the glue cause the paint to flow in different directions it also created an altered texture on the surface. I then took it one step further and painted the remaining areas. This brought out the glue and created a new element within the piece. 

In Progress

  So I started a new project. I had some left over paint and some of these stupid miniature tin cans and decided to try out some new things. Last time I had talked about the idea of mazes to lead the paint. A few weeks ago I had made some designs out of hot glue and thought that the paint might flow through that. Turns out I was right. At first the paint ran over the tin, continued over the glue and I accepted failure. After a few more layers the paint stopped flowing where the glue had blocked it. Instead of the round shape the paint usually creates, once it falls from the pedestal, it had begun to have straight lines and different curves. This is very intriguing.

  The first few times I've done projects in this way I tried to not touch the paint, just let it do as is pleased. This time I'm trying to control it. I realized that the paint is wet.. and I have a paintbrush.. whoa, revelation. I started to play with the top of the paint and control where it went. It created some really exciting effects. 

       This has got me feelin' crafty. 

Inspiration & where it took me

  I came across this video a year ago whilst stumbling along the internet. This video is of an artist named Holton Rower. He uses multiple pillars and acrylic paint. These pieces are large and very impressive.

  I recreated this on a similar scale. A 4X4 ft. thin wooden board and a 3 ft. tall X 10 in. wide pillar. I also had a friend come to make a video of the process but I’m still waiting on said video. This process took around an hour including set up time.

The pillar was removed to make it easier to transport.

  What exactly it is about this video/the process that spoke to me last year? Everything… and it’s stuck with me. It’s something about the loss of control that keeps yelling out to me.

  All of the stripes that were created and the designs made by the paint on the pillar are so beautiful to me. Even the way that the paint cracked when it was drying is beautiful. There are just so many details I love about this piece and the process. 

More On Butterflies

  While working on the butterfly project I realized how much I enjoyed not only folding of the paper but the coloring of the paper as well. This process is so simple and so gratifying. The colors that can be created and the designs on the paper could be so beautiful. The process is as simple as taking a wide but shallow container, filling it with water, spray painting the surface of the water and dipping the paper into it. It's easy to make so many of these in such a short period of time and that’s probably why I have over 100 of these brightly colored butterflies taking over my house.  

 

  There’s just something about the colors and shapes that can be created from this process. The lines that are created, the natural forms, organic shapes, and the fact that, yes, I set up this process, I sprayed the paint, I dipped the paper, but how it turns out is really all out of my hand. The designs on the paper aren’t forced; their effortless and natural.

  To me, art has always felt like something that creates itself. Whether or not it’s something that’s meant to happen or it just happens on its own The paint doesn’t always listen, the clay might go flying off the wheel, the photo wont develop like you want it to; that’s a big part of art to me.  Those important little accidents that help you to find what you’re really doing, what you really want to be doing. 

RachaelKBishop Art Blog 2012 annnnd GO!

  For as long as I can remember I've needed art. Art has never needed me. I started when I was young. Painting, doodling, playing with polymer clay, gluing twigs to shit and whatever else I could find to glue that I wouldn't get in trouble for. I've always had this urge to create. My mom has always been a huge motivator, pushing me to have shows and generate art in whatever medium I was into that week. She also gave me my first job working with her at my parent’s photography studio. Retouching has stuck with me ever since.

  About a year ago I made the big move out of mommy and daddy's house into a lovely little rental house with my boyfriend MattPorter. I'm feeling the urge to create now more than ever. So many white walls that are calling out for that perfect piece. This is a selfish reason to create art but it’s a big step. I usually dislike looking at the pieces I've made so having them on the walls is new. OCD usually kicks in when I look at my paintings/photographs, etc... “That line could be better... more red there... if I could just fix that one spot...”

  Since moving wine has become one of my new favorite hobbies. This has led to one of my other new favorite hobbies. There are 127 paper butterflies on my ceiling. I've been inviting friends over to have a glass, or 3, shoot the shit and make this paper butterflies. The paper being used is various colors of various types of paper that I have dipped in spray paint. It's a fun technique I picked up in high school that involves a tray of water, spray paint and paper. Easy and fun. Each butterfly is different, signed by the friend that made it and stuck into my lovely drop ceiling with a pin. They are starting to take over, and I love it.