The Art Blog of Amy J. Dyck

Babe... continued.

2010-05-12T14:12:00.001-07:00

When I was growing my little amoebas inside my belly, I remember the point when I realized that they weren't so little anymore. Most of us pregos and experienced the same thing, and are left wondering what happened to all the organs that were once where baby has pitched it's tent... and then the baby stretches out...

Just Gettin' Comfy
PA-136
Acrylic, pencil crayon, gesso, ink, carbon image transfer
4"x6"
$50.oo

Babe... continued.

2010-05-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

The larger we pregos get, the more overwhelming we feel. We bump into things, wobble more, can't reach our legs, let alone our feet, and float buoyantly in a pool. Here is my interpretation of the common pregnant woman's complaint "I feel like a whale!"

I Feel Like a Whale
PA-135
Acrylic, Gesso, ink, carbon transfer
4"x6"
sold

Babe... continued.

2010-05-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

Fear is a strange thing. I once read somewhere that the way to fight fear is usually with the truth... for example, if I were afraid that I was going to be eaten by a shark, I just need to research shark attacks to find out that sharks don't even tend to like the taste of people, and that the chances are very slim of ever being attacked by one. . . Would that be enough for you next time you took a swim in a shark infested body of water? Fear is irrational, it seems ridiculous to some but is also very real to the person experiencing it, not to say that we needn't educate ourselves on the truth, but sometimes we just need to accept our fears and see if we survive when we come out the other side.

This particular painting came from one of the original sketches that I made when I was pregnant for the first time. I was going through a book called "Birthing from Within" and going through the section that had me drawing my thoughts and expectations and anxieties about birth. I was afraid that this large thing called a baby would get stuck... labor would drag on forever... that pain would become unbearable... that they'd have to cut me open to get the baby out. This painting, simply called "Stuck" is a glimpse into my own experience.

Stuck
PA-134
Acrylic, gesso, ink, carbon image transfer
4"x6"
sold

Babe In The Bump...the next bunch.

2010-05-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

If you are part of my Facebook group than you will already have seen these "Babe in the Bump" pictures trickling out over the last 24 hours. I will continue to post 2 a day until they are all up on my site. But, for the lucky few who come to my blog first, you get to see them all at once! Well, at least all the ones completed so far. I intend to keep creating more of these, some reflecting more of the comical nature of pregnancy and birth, and some bring to light some of the fears we face and encouraging us to engage with them. It is so important for new parents to process our experiences during the process of waiting for the birth of baby. There are so many unknowns, so many things that could go wrong, so many parts that ache, so many surprises along the way... These paintings are here to bring light to this journey we are on, to help us to laugh (sometimes pregos need a good chuckle to get our minds off our soccer-balls-for-ankles), to spur us to process and discuss the journey, to remind us that this is only a moment.

I know that this style is different than what I've previously done so far, but I do hope you are enjoying it none-the-less. For those of you who were fans of my previous more realistic work, note that I will not be focusing on this new style exclusively, but rather jump back and for to it in spurts until I decide that I'm done. I will be posting each image individually so I can give each one an inventory # that can be searched for (in the "Search this Blog" portion on the left) at a later date.

Enjoy!

Out! Now!
PA-133
Acrylic, gesso, ink, carbon image transfer on canvas
4"x6"
sold

Playing with Beeswax. The Good, Bad, and Ugly

2010-05-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

As promised, the results of my weekend away learning to paint with beeswax. We were encouraged to play with different techniques, like melting wax away, layering colors, scraping in... I tried out image transfer on my two most successful pieces and was pretty happy with how they turned out.

but first, I'll start with the most exploratory image, and the most gaudy... I painted over cheesecloth and then pulled it off to get the texture you see in this image.

My eyes began to get sore looking at it, so I tried to cover some of it up. I still don't think this picture will be redeemed. I'll chalk it up as an experiment.

This image incorporated scraping and filling in (to make an "inlay" sort of look), melting layers, and who knows what else

The flower shapes were pressed into the warm wax with dried poppy flower pods, then filled in with white and purple wax and scraped away again. Simple but I like this one. Maybe I'll do more like it.

This one has become a simple portrait of my son, and yet if you could see the layers underneath... well, if you look close, you can see that there is a lot of texture and color and story under the surface. It started off gaudy, and finished off simple and one of my favorites. I am thinking of calling it "When I look to the future, I see so much"

I played with gold leaf for this picture, divided the board up with red string, dripped colors on the surface, re-painted half of it, transferred a drawing, stuck on some gold leaf and voila!

The Details of Leavenworth (and Waxing the Poetic Class)

2010-05-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love to take photos of the details of life. It's sort of a weakness of mine. I have a whole file on my computer dedicated to just these sort of photos. Leavenworth was full of beautiful, dynamic, inspiring details, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Back from my Encaustic retreat.

2010-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Where to begin?? I was away this weekend and attended my first ever weekend art retreat called Waxing Poetic to learn about Encaustic Painting. Encaustic painting is painting that is done with pigmented beeswax (like oil painting is pigmented oil) and then fused with heat of some sort. It is an enchanting medium, full of possibilities, but often with plenty of streaks, and atmosphere, and spontaneity, and textures (etc etc etc).

It was quite an ordeal to go, as I've got a husband and two little ones under 3. So in order for me to go on this weekend, I dragged along all 3 of them, plus my mother and two youngest brothers to entertain my kids and keep my husband company while I was enmeshed in learning and painting.
Meet my family:

My youngest brother Graydon

My not-quite-as-youngest brother Jonathan

My Husband and I and our little one:

And our son:

My mother refused to be photographed, this will have to do:

all this so I could go immerse myself!
It was a long trek, about 4 1/2 hours each way, and I panicked just a little when our road took us past the snowline, since we were camping. All in all though, it worked OK, we just bundled up.

Enough of the journey... We arrived in Leavenworth, set up camp, and I was off for my sessions. Here are some pictures of the supplies and process of painting with wax...

The bottom two photos are of my two wonderful teachers who showed us the works, here they are with one of the best part of working with this medium, getting to use a blow torch!

The medium is soooo versitile... we were taught how to fuse and melt the wax, layer it, dig and carve into it, indent shapes into it, transfer photocopies onto the surface, layer papers, threads, and almost anything else into our compositions. If I had to sum up this experience with one word I'd probably just choose FUN! Oh, and the aroma! The whole room was filled with the scent of beeswax all day long! It was glorious!

Here are a bunch of photos of the artwork my classmates produced:

And, finally, it was my turn to play, here's what I did:
(I'll post this up tomorrow I think...)

DaVinci and the Giggling Pillow

2010-04-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery yesterday to see an exhibit on Leonardo DaVinci's anatomical sketches. It was incredible. On display were his original anatomy drawings (from the original sketchbook pages) that he made during many human and animal dissections. Straight ink on paper. No pencil and eraser for Leonardo! He seemed to manage each line, carefully and precisely relating each mark to the next one with such accurate proportion. What is wild is that these sketchbooks, collections of drawings, are masterpieces in and of themselves, regardless of the fact that none of them were taken to the "level" of the painted image. I personally love drawings, I love the movement, the evidence of the artist's journey, choices, and process in drawings. I love the expression of line. But his are especially exquisite. The sepia ink, the paper browned with age (though I'm sure they were white once!), the pure oldness and originality of it all. We've all seen reproductions of his work, but seeing it in person is an entirely different experience, his own hands, his own concentration, his intention, his curiosity, his discovery are all somehow wrapped up in these original drawings. This experience has helped give me more of an appreciation for original pieces of art, where each stroke is placed by the artist and somehow encapsulates their emotion, process, struggle, and journey through the creation of the image.

One of the more amusing things that impacted me was the contrast between such an impactful exhibit and then moving into the "store" of Leonardo DaVinci paraphernalia, where his masterpieces are turned into notebooks, clocks, key chains, and worst of all (or best of all, depending on your perspective) a Mona Lisa giggling pillow. All this kitsch threw me in a loop, it was impacting to me but in an entirely different way. somehow it cheapens his masterpieces, with poor color reproduction, ink quality, etc, and yet it makes something of the image accessible to everyone (after all who of us can afford an original of his? Though I bet I could scrounge up the cash for a Giggling Mona Lisa pillow). What are your thoughts on this way of marketing art? I'm very curios!

None-the-less, it was an incredible exhibit and I enjoyed every glimpse!

The Secret is Out

2010-04-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I've been keeping my new project hush hush for a little while now. But I'm getting really excited about this, and I tend to get a little bit bored of keeping secrets, so I'm about to give you a sneak preview of something I am doing that is entirely different than anything else I've produced as of yet! I'm having a LOT of fun with this, so much so that I'm not sure when I'm going to quit (it's provided a welcome break from some of the tougher work I've been plugging away at). It is a series that I've titled "Babe In The Bump," and that I will be setting up an Etsy account for shortly with the same title (to sell the prints, cards, originals, etc. from this series). I've jumped back in time to when I was pregnant, drew my experiences, pains, fears and then and dipped them in satire, bold acrylic colors, exaggerated figures, and plenty of laughs. I'm currently working on finishing my first ten pieces, here is a sneak preview of the first three I completed. Keep posted for the rest of them soon!

Not Coming Out

I Feel Like a Whale

Stuck

Art and learning to breath

2010-04-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I get really excited about something.... I can get so excited that I forget to breath... ya, I know, I sound like a toddler, but it's true, so why try to deny it. This is a regular occurrence when it comes to my art ideas. These usually come to me as I am going about my business. I get an idea in my head that I think is brilliant (whether it actually is or not is an entirely different discussion, you know how these things seem in our heads..) and all I want to do is put everything on hold - the dinner that's cooking, the diaper that needs changing, the phone calls I'm supposed to return, the vacuuming - everything, and just jump into my sketch pad and start planning away... the problem is, it doesn't end there. I'll be planning away, the pen flying all over the paper, and then at once I feel like I've got my idea sorted and I need to grab my camera, a figure model (hmm...will the closest moving, breathing creature do?), run to Opus for an update of my art supplies (hmm... perhaps I should buy the whole shelf of supplies, just in case?), jump into my studio and start working. Well, OK, so I know this isn't realistic, and I don't actually WANT to leave the rest of my life behind, but sometimes I get so excited about what I want to do that it is hard to focus on everything else. I'm learning to breath when I am excited about a new project (and there are many that don't get made), and remember that I'll probably live till evening when I can begin to sketch out my idea more thoroughly, and, fortunately, when my husband is around for me to bounce my idea off of so I can decide of the brilliance of it all is entirely in my head!

2 pieces that should live forever...

2010-04-10T14:32:00.001-07:00

I shared these two pictures on my facebook fan page today, but I just had to post them here. These are two images that I can't get enough of. I love the sense of intimacy, they share, the moment that lasts only that long, that is somehow eternalized in a piece of art. In Kathe Kollwitz's piece called "Mother and Dead Child," I get a glimmer of the depth of her passion for her child, and though the theme of this image is heartbreaking, it screams of reoccurring themes in life... love and loss, love and loss, love... and loss... And speaking like an artist, the lines, the tonal values, the pose (sigh) - The execution is stunning, the emotion portrayed is impacting, the story assumed could be life-changing...

The second image is by one of my all-time favorite artists, Gustav Klimpt, his colours, playfulness, wit, life-themes, patterns, individuality, figurative focus, layers, and, lets face it, (and maybe its the woman in me speaking now) the abundance of gold, stops my heart for a moment each time I come upon his work. Oh what I wouldn't trade to be around and learn from him for 1 week - alright, dreaming aside (I know, I know, while the rest of you are dreaming about going to Hawaii for spring break, I want to spend time with a dead artist), the theme is precious to me, having little ones myself who are rapidly getting bigger. This picture brings me back to the moments we share where all we knew were each other, the feeling of skin on skin, the rise and fall of a chest with each breath, the sound of a gurgling belly after nursing, the safety of big arms, the peace of unconditional love...

I'm beginning to feel like I'm teaching an art history lesson, so I'll wrap this one up, enjoy. Click on the images and they should enlarge for you, in case you had skipped the bacon this morning but are wanting to make up for it with a heart stopping glimpse at beauty.

x

Painting - Walking on Clouds

2010-04-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

I mentioned earlier a session I went to by Suzanne Northcott on Image Transfer. She, and many other artists, use this technique to transfer photo references onto their surface, but as I was watching my mind was whirring with old sketches I'd been dying to find a way to utilize in a finished piece. This was one of the first of my images that popped into my head and I just had to find a way to use it right away. What resulted was this playful painting, full of more spontenaity than I usually allow myself, and I quite enjoyed the making of it.

Walking on Clouds
PA-132
Acrylic on wood
10.5"x20"
$200

Drawing - Tut Tut, It Looks Like Rain/Unamed

2010-04-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

OK, so my temporary title above may or may not stick, especially since it has nothing to do with the actual scenario where this reference photo was taken (although I find it amusing, and sometimes that is enough of a justification for me). The story is as follows: My kid brother and I were in Japan visiting one of my other brothers (I have 3)and his new wife (not Japanese) when we stumbled upon this... hmmm ... well I hesitate to use the word "parade", since it didn't seem like any sort of a show ... it was more of a procession of some sort, of spiritual significance. There were many groups of people, most walking, some carried, male, female, young and old. There was incredible variety in the outfits and accessories that each group donned - the hat styles alone were enough to fascinate me. I'd love to be able to fill you in on what the purpose of the procession was, or what the different outfits represented, but I haven't been able to find this out (seeing as English is my first and only language, I wasn't able to just come out and ask the guy next to me). I've long been fascinated by different cultures, by their stories, how they got their beliefs that motivate their actions, the way they relate to each other, their gods, the rest of the world, the way they do what to them is just part of everyday life. I loved this image for many reasons - for his hat, for his expression of sheer determination, or is it conviction, or is it anger...? for the way the red light played on the rest of him, for the "wispy" and yet "crispy" look of his clothing... I could go on. I am curious what you see in this drawing... share if you'd like!

Tut Tut, It Looks Like Rain / Unnamed
DR-131
pencil and conte on paper
7"x13"
$120 (framed)

Painting - Untitled Blue. 1 of 3.

2010-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

I love light, colour, and mood. I love playing with light and colour to create a mood. I love blue. Simple, perhaps, but these things formed the foundation for this moody piece. It is part of a series of 3 paintings in which I play with light, colour, and mood in different ways, and yet maintain a consistent style that allows them to be seen as a series.

Untitled Blue
PA-124
Acrylic on Canvas
12"x16"
$192 (unframed)

Painting - Untitled Red. 2 of 3

2010-04-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love light, colour, and mood. I LOVE red. The simplicity of the reference image, with the subtle variations, and lots of opportunity to play with colour, drew me to it. I felt it would be a wonderful challenge to create a painting so full of RED, and yet contain the full spectrum of colours within it (if you look closely, you might spot the yellow, green, purple, blue, etc)... to use a colour traditionally associated with energy and passion (and the visual equivalent of "yelling" if you will) and manage to produce a sense of calm and peace.

Untitled Red
PA-125
Acrylic on Canvas
12"x16"
$192 (unframed)

What I'm Up To - Image Transfer and Pregnancy Art

2010-03-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been curious for a while about what they call "image transfers," which is simply techniques that they use to transfer printed images (photocopies, magazine images, etc) onto the painting surface where it can be incorporated into the piece. I've got some older drawings I've been wanting to do something with, and some newer ones too, so when I heard about Suzanne Northcott's info session on it, I packed up my little one in her baby carrier and headed on over (I'm hoping she'll learn these things by osmosis). Suzanne showed us the simplest way ever to transfer photocopied images onto a canvas, and since then I've been photocopying my drawings at a dizzying rate and seeing what I can come up with. I've been having a chuckle with my new illustration-style pregnancy series which is based on this transfer technique, and I promise to unveil it as soon as I've finished a few more, but for now, here is a little glimpse into the series, as well as the beginnings of a few more pieces that are ready for paint.

One my playful pieces from the illustration-style pregnancy series:

Another couple hopefuls:

Yay for Business Cards!

2010-03-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Indulge me for just a moment... I know the topic of business cards are not the most fascinating, but when they pertain to me and my art business, it makes me feel a bit excited! Wahoo! These were fun to pick out. Though, upon receiving them in the mail, I think I've decided to continue to try new designs after I run out of this batch. Nonetheless, it's a fun bunch of cards.
What do you think?

Painting - Land and Water

2010-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

This painting is meant to playfully reference both the landscape (rivers, mountains, inlets) and still life (content of blankets) genres. It was a challenge for myself in creating in interesting painting with just 2 blankets and 2 basic colours.

Land and Water
PA-114
Oil paint on Canvas board
16"x20"
$350 (matted and framed)

Drawing - Intrigue

2010-03-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Years ago I went trekking up the Indian portion of the Himalayan Mountains with some friends. We trekked through forest, along rivers, and past remote villages on our way up to our final destination. While some villagers ignored us, and others approached us or offered us chai, this young woman stopped her labor and stared at us from a distance. I snapped a photo of her that day, and have found myself going back to it over and over these last years. I found myself captivated by her expression, intrigued at the mystery she seemed to represent. Finally, I pulled out my pencil and this piece was the result.

Intrigue
Inventory # DR-120
7" x 13"
pencil and conte on paper
$120.00 (framed)

Drawing - Innocence (Flashback)

2010-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is a simple drawing but I've always loved it. To me it is a glimpse into the innocence of new life, into the freedom of "being," a moment of peace and trust. Don't we all wish we could find that place in our lives now... Can we still live in some of that innocence? Can we still put our guard down and just be ourselves? Are we too jaded, are our memories of rejection and betrayal still too vivid to allow us to trust again?

Innocence
Inventory # DR-115
8" x 10"
pencil and conte on paper
$60.00 (framed)

The Brilliance of Illustrator Dave DeVries

2010-03-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wow - I am in love with this project! An Illustrator named Dave DeVries has created a very different sort of project called "The Monster Engine" which has been turned into a book of the same name. In it he has taken drawings of monsters by children and then elaborated on them, all the whiles staying true to their initial drawing. Children are naturally creative and spontaneous. They don't worry about the rules we adults layer into our work. The result of this collaboration are stunning, emotional, creative, fascinating. This project has also provided children with a creative way to begin dialogue about their fears... Here is a link to his website, and I'll post some of his images below. Do these pictures impact you as much as they do me? I'm hoping one day to buy his book!

A New Take on Portraits?

2010-03-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

I just HAD to share this with you. A friend from Facebook shared a link to this woman's artwork. She is an installation artist who, instead of painting portraits OF people, she paints ON people! Her name is Alexa Meade. Here is the link for your perusing pleasure, otherwise, I'll post a picture here to check out (look carefully... the hair is real!):

Work In Progress: "Separetly Together"

2010-03-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

This series has been my baby (in the midst of having two real ones) in the last 2 1/2 years or so. I work on it for a while, take a break during a pregnancy (reduce the chance of toxic exposure for baby), or to make a couple other paintings, then jump back. I think it is a bit of a turning point for me as far as my style and content go. Besides being a crash course in how to paint people in oils, it expresses some of my experiences and observations on the culture we North Americans live in, and how we have this tendency to live "past" each other, to live surrounded by people and yet not REALLY connect with the majority (or any) of them. This is a series of 5 canvases that are meant to track a bit of a journey through, first, trying to make oneself comfortable and make the best of it, second, recognizing the loneliness and lack of connectedness, and thirdly, removing the walls that separate families, friends, those who feel marginalized, etc. I've enjoyed the process but I've realized that I had no idea of the size of this project, or the amount of time it would take painting it in oils (I paint in lots of layers which means LOTS of drying time between each layer). Anyway, here is a glimpse into the process. I'll post the finished series once I've FINALLY finished!

Peice #5 of the "Separately Together"... early stages, then middle stages below:

Drawing - "Tim and Amy" (Flashback)

2010-03-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

Yes! I am in love! This is a picture of my husband and I... it was a present for him the day we got engaged (although I didn't know he was planning on proposing the same day as I gave him this gift). It sits lovingly on our wall in our entrance and reminds me of the laughs and fun we've had together... life can get hectic with kids, jobs, social gatherings, hobbies, sleep (when possible!), sometimes it is nice to remember where love began.

Inventory # Gi - Dr - 103

16x 20

Conte on paper

Completed 2005

Hang on for dear life

2010-03-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

This is what art is about for me, or it at least reflects the journey I am trying to take my art towards (some of you might be noticing a shift in my work): To me, art is no longer about pretty flowers, or that grassy meadow that matches perfectly with my couch - although I'd like to make it clear that I have no problem with that genre of art; art is one's voice, and creative people can express whatever moves them. Beauty in itself is enough of a reason to create... and yet... I find myself longing... searching... wondering... I am moving past creating for beauty sake, and beginning to search for the soul, the mystery, the journey, the struggle, the purpose (or lack of it)... etc. I am on a journey right now, and I am speaking about that journey through my art. I will likely stumble on the way, perhaps take a few rabbit trails, but in the end of the day I hope that I can say that my art, my voice, spoke to the heart and soul of us as humans, that it meant something to someone. I don't presume to instruct or guide you, you are all capable of managing your own lives. I do hope to comment, perhaps add to the discussion that is life. I also hope to connect to all you through the work I make. I hope some of you will join me as I explore what it means to be human, maybe we'll figure some of this out together.
"On a final note, for any of you pursuing something that you feel deeply, something you know you need to do in order to be truly alive, something that requires every iota of courage you can muster, something that makes you at times forget there is a clock meticulously ticking, something that requires you to risk losing everything familiar, something that excites you so thoroughly that is sometimes becomes impossible to sleep, know that it will make perfect sense to quit hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times along the way and get on with something else. Know that you will certain days be numb and exhausted and joyless. Know that perseverance is infinitely greater than talent. Refine the work. Hone the work. Mercilessly cut away the parts that are not vital. Then let your growing body of work speak for itself. And hang on for dear life." Linford Detweiler, Over the Rhine