America's Most Wanted Painting

Why is this painting titled "America's Most Wanted"?  George Washington standing among children, deer and a hippo on the bank of a blue landscape...what is this?

This painting was created by Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid based upon their research of the most wanted and least wanted art in different countries around the world - this one was the compilation of what Americans wanted to see in paintings. 

I just started reading The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution by Denis Dutton and already by page 18, it has my attention.  It is a great mix of my loves of anthropology, art, and sociology.  In short, I will be geeking out until I turn the last page of this book.

Komar and Melamid turned their extensive research into somewhat of a prank - what is not to love about that?  They turned the favorable variables into paintings that no one would want to buy and hang...but I don't know.  The more absurd something is, the more I love it.  I would buy it because it's so ridiculous.  How about you?  Why do people think art always needs to be so darn serious anyway?

For more paintings that they created for this project and their data results, check out their site at http://awp.diaart.org/km/usa/most.html

Cheers to Komar and Melamid!  And I guess if I would like to sell more art I should make blue landscapes or calendar art?... or George Washington petting a puppy in front of a river with mountains? Perhaps I will leave that to others...

"Did You Have Fun? That's all that matters then."

Did you have fun?  That's all that matters then. 2011

Oil on Canvas.

24x18"



In the Studio: Saturday, September 17th 2011

This is the current painting - did I reach my Friday goal? - Nope. However, I'm not too far off.  Tomorrow will be a day filled with painting and this will be finished.  I still have quite a bit of work to do, but it will be great to see it done and be onto the next!

Have a great weekend!

Little Mountians to Climb: New Studio Goals and Schedule

http://youtu.be/2XwSFHciGs4


The link above is a short video about procrastination that is a bit drastic, but so honest in some ways!

I am currently redoing my studio schedule yet again - I needed to accomodate for a new job that will be taking up quite a big chunk of my time.  SO...from now on I'll have 3 hours of studio time in the morning from 10am-1pm.  Most of the time I favor doing creative work in the evening, but for now that isn't possible.  We must do what we must in order to get things done, right?

I have to say that at first I only could come up with 2 hours of studio time per day, but I did some re-arranging in order to milk another hour's worth into my daily schedule.  Prioritizing...every little bit helps.  Two to three hours a day is much better than zero.  I've been doing zero for about a week now, and it's driving me crazy.  All work and no play makes Krystal an insane lady.

I have set some little goals into place for this week - I want to have my current painting finished by the end of my session on Friday.  I'm hoping that two complete sessions and part of today will help me reach that.  On Saturday, I hope to begin another that I will be able to finish throughout the next week.  Little mountains to climb.

Over all, I'm trying to create another body of work by December.  If a painting is accomplished about every week, it will be around 10-12 paintings, and that will put me into good shape for this December goal.

I've also decided to apply again for graduate school in January/February.  I would love to teach at a college level and having my MFA would allow me to do that and gow in my own artistic development.  I CRAVE graduate school.

GOALS,  GOALS, GOALS.  Now it's time to work!!

New Self-Portrait - A Drawing

Self-Portrait 2011

 Graphite and Charcoal on Paper.

6x6"