Abstract Self Portrait #1

Abstract Self Portrait #1

8x10, acrylic on canvas board

I spent last week teaching an "Art Exploration" summer camp to a group of ten kids aged 8-16. I had planned to do a still life for our painting segment but, being a hater of still lifes, I decided at the last minute to do abstract self portraits instead. So much more fun! I had never actually done one, however, so my teaching demo was also my learning project. I ended up with this which I actually kind of like! And it was FUN! Thinking I might do a little series of abstract portraits now and see what comes out of it...

Original fine art by Vancouver, Washington based artist Jamie Lutz Carroll. Buy acrylic paintings, ink and gouache illustrations, limited edition archival prints, and custom and commissioned artwork.

Sometimes a Subject

The vast majority of my paintings come from photographs. Some old, some new, some recognizably copied, some just the spark of an idea. None from photographs I've taken because if there's one thing I'm not, it's a photographer. I do however have a friend who is a photographer and we just collaborated on our second shoot! And by "collaborated" I mean I pretend to be a model and try not to laugh and feel self-conscious while he points lights and cameras at me. ;-)

Here's a glimpse of what we did last week. (See more on Daniel Wickwire's website here. Don't forget to look at his other albums while you're there!)  

This one is my favorite of the bunch! It was unintentionally blurry, but we both loved the effect made by being out of focus. The haziness of the figure makes it seem like she's maybe not really there or a captured memory somehow caught on film. I'm using some of the shots as fodder for paintings and there's a good chance you'll see this one on canvas soon.

I put these images together because I thought it was interesting how a miniscule difference in angle made such a huge difference in the finished shot. I love the sort of angry/creepy vibe of the straight-on stare in the one on the left. And really, really love the sense of mystery from the shadowed eyes in the one on the right. 

 And here's what was going on in between shots... The road was surprisingly busy late at night and I kept having to run to the side to avoid becoming one with a moving vehicle, look nonchalant so no one would stop and try to "help" me, then run back to the middle and quickly get back into character until another car came. Dan was up on an overpass out of sight so to passers-by I just looked like a crazy woman out for a stroll in her nightgown with no shoes. It was actually pretty damn funny!











(Low resolution images used to protect copyright. All images copyright of Daniel Wickwire. Used with permission.)

Original fine art by Vancouver, Washington based artist Jamie Lutz Carroll. Buy acrylic paintings, ink and gouache illustrations, limited edition archival prints, and custom and commissioned artwork.

A Prison Of My Own

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 "A Prison Of My Own" I try very hard to be content, and sometimes even happy, with my world. But the truth is, I am never satisfied. With anything. Ever. I always feel like I am trying to run away and leave something behind, while simultaneously running toward something "better". Even though I have no idea what it is that I'm running from or toward. This is a fairly literal representation of how I feel most of the time: running scared, blind, and ready to trip in my own darkness.

Feelin' Kinda Sketchy

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"Feelin' Kinda Sketchy" came from a drawing that came from a photo of yours truly. Everything you see in this painting was originally intended to be underneath several more layers of paint. I wanted it to be dark with a slightly frantic feel, which is exactly how I was feeling that day: dark and frantic. After I did some very rough shading with black and blue paint, I stepped back and realized the look and feel I wanted was already there! Sometimes you just gotta know when to walk away.

Sad Clown

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"Sad Clown" is what you'd get if you were able to see my soul. Not trying to be melodramatic here, just sayin' it like it is! This actually comes from a photograph of me around age five. I had gone to a school carnival where, apparently, there was some face painting going on. My mum says she kept trying to get me to smile for the picture but I flatly refused. It's always been one of my favorite childhood photos - I think because it's just so "me".

Looking Through

"Looking Through" Another self-portrait from a bathroom mirror sketching session! This was painted in reverse on glass and as such was rather hard to photograph. There's tons of depth that you really can only see in person! Rather than putting down your base color and building the painting up from there, you start with your finish details (outlining and highlights in this case) and work your way backward. Painting in this style is a fun break from tradition and really works the brain muscles!

Sunglasses

"Sunglasses" is a self-portrait. I felt like I was starting to get bogged down in details and realism - two things I was "trained" to do but don't really want in my work. I thought back to an art class exercise from a million years ago: draw your subject without looking at your paper and without lifting your pencil. So I grabbed my handiest model - myself - et voila a lovely portrait stripped to basic elements.