New Finished Work

"Be Compassionate, We are Fragile 1 & 2"

Work in Progress

Ode to Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele...here's an artist I have often ignored, and I'm not sure why. His work just didn't catch my attention while I was in college. I am now beginning to understand the brilliance of what he accomplished in his work.

He didn't overwork the surface. He worked with thin washes of color. He knew just where to put certain splotches of color to describe what he saw. He didn't over blend, and allowed the viewer to do this with his/her eyes. As some artists gain experience, they seem to know what is necessary in terms of line and color and do not rely on the extra "stuff". It's more mental work than physically applying the paint and lines. I admire his ability to make risky decisions within the image and keeping his surface so raw. He knows just where to put lines, and how thick or thin they should be. Schiele's work is sensual. It's vivid and subtle all at once. His figures are vulnerable because of how he shows the fragility of their flesh.

On a completely different note- I didn't make it into the show that I submitted to because they didn't recieve my email in the first place! All of that waiting and checking my email was in vein! ha! I called them, and that's how it was all figured out. Technology is brilliant, but sometimes it really doesn't come through when it should for people. HOWEVER- I am excited to submit my work to them for their next show, and the owner is extremely nice. So all is how it should be, and I'm excited to look ahead.

Waiting...

I am driving myself crazy today with the anticipation of an email from a gallery I submitted my work to for an upcoming show. I find myself checking, checking, and checking my email every couple of hours...or maybe less than that, but who's keeping track? I shall ban myself from the computer for the day as soon as I post this.

In the meantime, I have also been waiting on the paint to dry. I've been prepping some panels with gesso. MORE WAITING inbetween each layer, when all I want to do is begin creating the images now! I guess this is a much needed exercise to increase my patience when I'm excited about something, and not have that instant gratification of being able to start. It's good for me, right? Of course, it is.

New Work!

"What Is Real" 2010, Mixed Media on Masonite. 18x24"

I am so glad to report that I finally finished the work that was stumping me for a couple of months. Hooray! I posted it today on my website, and also updated my site to include past works from a few years ago. Check it out at www.krystalbooth.com

Thanks!

Revisiting Gladdy

This is the untold story of Gladdy, my black goldfish who lived a beautiful life until 2005. I truly enjoyed Gladdy while she was with us, and it was the best therapy to watch her freely swim across her big tank after I had a particularly stressful day. When she passed I was extremely sad, and immediately decided to paint a picture of her. I scooped her body up in a coffee cup and began sketching with full plans of giving her last rites above my toilet bowl.

However, I thought that I would miss out on details and colors if I flushed her. I needed her as a reference to do her justice in the planned painting. I put her in a plastic ziploc bag and promptly put her in the freezer.

Time passed, the painting began and then was finished. Gladdy remained frozen in time like Walt Disney's head. The apartment ceiling gave out due to heavy rain during roof repairs, and we had to abruptly move to a new apartment.

Two months passed when I realized that I had forgotten Gladdy. Her clear coffin was to be the last object I grabbed before going over to the new apartment. How could I forget my dear friend?

So at some point there was an extremely confused and disgusted maintenance person, and a thawed out fish in a bag. Gladdy, I have no idea where to mourn you now, but RIP my friend. Your body was forgotten, but your spirit is remembered for who knows how many years into the future...peace be with you. :)

Ode to Resumes and Coverletters

I have spent the evening working on a new resume and a coverletter for a specific job that I would die for at Laika, Inc. I don't exactly have the traditional experience that they are used to seeing, but the experience it there...just in a not-so-conventional way.

For instance, all of those years that I mixed paint at Menards gave the ability to match hues amazingly well. In a wierdly excellent way. My managers and the games we used to play are to blame- Felicia and Kari used to have me change pink into blue, or mauve into taupe without using the color matching computers. It was fun! I loved it! Though I didn't know at the time that it would have any value outside of the Paint Department. But Now...

One of the qualifications of the position I am applying for is that one needs to be able to match colors well, and have extensive knowledge of paint techniques and textures.

So, I want to thank you Menards! I never thought I would truly benefit through the job skills themselves- it was enough for me that you gave me a weekly paycheck through college and allowed me to meet some fabulous people and make great friends! And my cup runneth over! hahaha!

Opportunity Knocks

Okay, okay, so it's been awhile since I posted. In fairness, a lot has gone on. I lost my teaching position due to a reduction in workforce, and my fiance and I finally decided to go for it by moving to Portland, Oregon. This was huge! We have been daydreaming about Oregon for over three years, and it seemed as though this was the moment when opportunity was pounding on our door enough to make our paintings tumble off of the wall.
After five days of sitting in a car without airconditioning loaded down to the tires, we are at our new apartment in Portland. This city is phenomenal. As I look for employment, I will be free to take in the surroundings. The aboundant amount of trees stretching and swaying in the breeze, the mountains that cradle the city buildings, the traffic that stops for pedestrians and does not even expect a thank you. I will be so happy once my art supplies arrive, because I truly feel inspired by the energy and the comfort of my surroundings.
Here's an update: I will finally be recieving my paintings back that I had submitted to the "The Good, The Bad, The Money" show. As lucky as I am, they of course arrived at my doorstep in Fort Wayne two days after we had left. Thankfully, UPS is forwarding them to my current address without any additional fees. It will be good to see them again. It's funny how paintings can feel like old friends.