Weird. Ugly. Different. No, I'm not talking about myself for once! I'm referring to my latest painting.
Several weeks back I mentioned a color combination that just wouldn't let me rest until I used it some form.
Here is what was born!
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Mixed media on watercolor paper - 8" x 10" (NFS)
The original concept seemed neat at the time but once the painting was complete, well, I hated it! It was doomed to be ripped up but thanks to a couple helpful bloggers' suggestions, I made some adjustments and now like the finished results....sort of!
I wanted it to be tribal, primitive, and full of emotion but it kind of looks like an alien woman wearing blackface! Fuckity-fuck and super-shit!
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Close-up detail
But........
It does the have the color combination I was obsessing over. Red-orange. White. Gray. Black. They're all there. I even managed to incorporate two white squares that were in the original dream I had. I can finally be done with this! Thank goodness!!
Watercolors, ink, and colored pencil brought this figure to life. A wax resist method was used for the gray-on-black texture of her skin. That I especially like and plan on using that technique a lot more from now on.
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Close-up detail
Here's the best part. I have decided to give this "unusual" lady away to one of my loyal readers/viewers!
All you have to do is tell me why I'm so wonderful. Kidding! Just list all the wonderful things about me. Again....kidding!
No, just comment on this post as you normally would and you're automatically entered to win this painting! So simple!
I'll leave the giveaway open until the very end of this month and will update this post at the start of March declaring the winner!
Good luck to all of you (if you want it, that is)!
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***Update March 6, 2010***
All of the names have been thrown into a hat and one blogger was picked to win this painting.
The winner is:
robertga99
Congrats Bob!!
Posts
35 comments:
I would LOVE to own an original DEAN GREY!
I've bid on your previous auctions but they went a little higher than I could afford at the time.
Please put my name in the "hat"!
What a great piece of work! I love it.
It definitely is "tribal, primitive, and full of emotion." So you succeeded ! Is this what they mean by Brut or Expressionism ? The name "Fuckity-fuck and super-shit!" would be cool too (LOL). Well done, as usual.
ARE YOU SERIOUS???
Ok...I found you a few days ago...and feel like I AM your biggest fan(sorry everyone!)
If you had put the sketches you did on SS up for sale...I would have bought them.
This is AWESOME!...maybe I'll be lucky... ;-)
Your mind is NUTS...I mean...look at this.
Use it...use your imagination because not everyone can even think these kind of images.
Char.
It definitely is weird and different, and not beautiful in a conventional way. You have a vivid imagination. (I'm thinking of the woman's hand going through her head. I guess surreal is the word for it.
BTW, do we get an additional chance for each additional comment we make on it?
I just wanted to comment that I find your blog interesting. You allow me to look into the mind of an artist, a creative mind. I'm so not creative, or at least not artistically, that I'm learning a little of what it is like to be creative. I was going to comment even before you made your offer, I promise.
It is so good to read you're in a jolly mood Dean! Actually when I saw this tribal lady, it reminded me of the 40's style illustrations and color combo. I think you should do another piece with the same color combo. It's very rich.
I love it! Seriously; I think it's fantastic :)
(seeing as I'm in Australia, I don't think there's much point in my entering; but seriously, I think it's fantastic :) )xx
You inspire me to be more real. I'd love to include this work in my collection.
Dean
I like this, potty mouth. I see confusion, identity crisis, and pain. Makes me think of a super hero stripped of the costume with all the internal conflict on the outside. One hand soothes while the other inflicts damage.
Andy
robertga!
Your name is officially in the "hat", Bob!
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Michael!
Great! Glad you like it!
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DKSmall!
I don't know what category this particular painting would fall under, David!
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**WE BLOG ARTISTS**!
Only time will tell how lucky you are, Char!
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naturgesetz!
Surreal might be the right word here! And no, ONLY one entry per person!
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green and purple!
That's so nice of you to say!
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Sheila!
The 1940's, huh? Interesting!
You want me to do another painting w/ this color combination?! I had hoped I was done with it already!!
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i_lk_me!
EVERYONE that comments on this post is automatically in the running to win this painting!
If your name is picked I'll ship it to you no matter where you are. Even if you lived on the moon I'd make sure it got to you! LOL
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Randuwa!
To have more of my work in your collection would be an honor, Randy!
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Andy!
I like hearing your thoughts on this! There's definitely pain in the piece and lots of subconscious stuff going on too!
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Thanks to everyone for sharing their opinions on this painting! Good luck!
-Dean
Hey Dean,
It's very cool! I had to look at it closely and then the face emerged.....I love it! You are very talented!!
I LOVE it, I always think you are way to hard on yourself and your work, but then I think that must be part of the artist journey...huh?
anyway in my himble thoughts, this is an amazing piece and would look great in my collection...hint hint lol
It's the ambiguity of it I like - and that colour combination has had me thinking of this image I came across last year while doing some work on WW2.
The "alien woman wearing blackface", the sexual nature of the figure and the fact that the white squares seem an echo of a deconstructed 'Hakenkreuz' just adds to the resonance ... and seems the antithesis of everything the Nazis stood for.
I think it's wonderful.
simply a great work of art
regards
roland
I'm amused of what the final product was of just those 4 colors.
Manon!
Yeah, with all the black on the skin, the face is kind of hard to see right away.
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Steven!
I get the hint! LOL
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Ren!
Wow! I never looked at this painting from that angle before!
It wasn't my intention to have any reference to the Nazi party whatsoever but I'm intrigued that those images came to your mind for this painting!
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Roland!
Thanks!
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Mike!
It was tricky for sure. I wanted to add more colors sooooooo badly!
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All of your comments are greatly appreciated!
-Dean
you have cool dreams! i also saw a nazi symbol at first glance, i think partly because of the red, black and white color scheme. i didn't see blackface though, the bald black head and white eyes made me think of Venom, but this was all in the first half second before i had really taken the full image in.
are those scars on her wrist? her left eye looks like it's looking down, while her right eye seems to be looking at the viewer. like she wants to see our reaction even as she acts like this is no big deal, resting her chin on her hand like she's bored or tired.
I was just teasing about being expelled ;) - I like the blog by the way!
Glad to see you realizing your perfect color combination. I really love the rigid background and it reminds me the works of Francis Bacon.
Really powerful, Dean! Wow!
Ian!
Yep, those are scars on her wrist! And she does have "Spidey's eyes" even though I wasn't specifically going for that look!
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Adrienne!
You big tease! (~_^)
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Aries!
I didn't want the background to have much depth but still wanted it to look visually interesting at the same time!
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JM!
That's quite a compliment!
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Thanks to all of you for letting me know what you think!
-Dean
I think it's wonderful that you were able to bring your dream to 'life' in a fantastic artistic way. I always have weird dreams, so I write about them sometimes, but words can't express the feelings a dream conjurs up like a visual tour de force.
She looks like she's trying to rip the thoughts from her head... I can relate.
Why don't you like it? You said it looked like an alien woman wearing blackface, or is it something else.
I like the different things you have in there that seem to symbolize obsession. The hand through the head. The two squares that form a chain that either goes off the edge of the painting or else chains the being to the painting itself. Then the red nipple as though it's been rubbed again and again until it is raw and painfully erect. And of course the red cutting marks on the arms.
Hopefully you have exorcised your obsession. :)
Very nice, indeed. The shade of red is interesting. It's paler than most, with hints of tomato red.
madtexter!
Thank you, Corey!
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Maggie!
Ripping thoughts from her head, huh? That was sort of the look I was going for. Or torment in the mind to be exact!
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Writer!
I'm glad you noticed all of those little details! I was definitely trying to convey being obsessed with something and I think you got it!
As far as what I didn't like about this piece. Well, I didn't like the shape of her head, how flat everything looks, and the cartoon-y feel of the painting.
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Ryan!
I love the red too! It's a red-orange to be exact!
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I appreciate all of the kind feedback!
-Dean
Great stuff, I love the colors too!
Thanks for you comments on my blog, it's great to read a fellow chicagoan's blog about art and illustration!
EB!
Anytime!
We Chicagoans have to stick together! (^_^)
-Dean
Dean, You're always so supportive with your comments on my blog, and I would like to return the favor. This painting, however, is DISTURBING to me.
The imagery of the eyes weeping and the hand exploding out of the head is both sad and scary.
I can relate, however, to being obsessed by colors. I seem to manage to get cad orange in all my portraits.
Carol!
Thanks for your honesty. I think the painting is disturbing too and I painted it!
-Dean
:) I'm glad that you posted the final product on your blog because I really think its a pretty decent piece.
Aaron!
I appreciate that and all of your advice regarding this painting!
-Dean
I'm totally in love from this one, is powerfull :) i think that it's so good u talk about the nature and these stuff that many people don't care about o your blog, contratgs
JRonson!
This wasn't the prettiest painting but I agree with you and think it's powerful!
-Dean
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