Very excited about using these #pebeopaint #pebeo
#pebeopaint #Pebeo #mixedmediaexhibition (at A&D Gallery)
My #painting #framed ready for the #Pebeo mixed media exhibition! #art #mixedmedia #mixedmediaart #portrait
This is my entry for @espace_pebeo's Mixed Media competition! Using #Pebeo acrylics (and a few other things) this is a tribute to a friend of mine. #painting #mixedmedia
Over the last couple of months, I have been working on a secret project.
I shop at CASS ART Islington regularly; there's always something I want/need for my art (as any artist can tell you, that line gets really blurry between the two sometimes).
In March, one of the leaflets they put in my bag was for this competition:http://www.pebeo.co.uk/competition
I considered entering this piece, that I have called "Too Much/Not Enough" for a while, but then one night (admittedly, after a few cocktails)I decided that, what the hell, I should.
I'm very excited to announce that it has been selected as one of the finalists to win £500 worth of art equipment, and will be on show in the A&D Gallery from 7th June to the 11th June!
But why was I hesitant to enter?
Because this piece (along with two others I am/will be working on) is for a friend of mine*. It is part of a project that is about friends of mine who live in NYC/NJ, and their interests and identities.
I was originally going to finish the paintings and simply mail them to each person without telling them that this was even in the works. This opportunity makes the work public, so I am sharing the story of this painting.
This piece is for, and a tribute to, my friend Kay Ohta (also a great artist; check her out http://www.keiota.com/) Kay is Japanese, but has lived in America for most of her life. She has told me on several occasions how difficult it can be to stand with feet in two different cultures. I won't say too much on the matter, as it is her story, not mine, to tell; suffice to say it stuck in my head.
Most people I know have stories of multiple ethnicities, of layers of culture and history that are at times opaque and tangible, and other translucent, transient. These stories interlock and interact with friends, neighbours, experiences, education, and creation, and I am honoured that I can share the richness of their lives and selves with them. This is why I create, why I write, and paint, and dream; this is why I created this painting. To maybe give back something real and tangible, something you can hold or hide, treasure or discard.
So Kay Ohta, this one's for you.