one thing in particular i remember my teacher telling me (we had a lot of private conversations) is that one good thing about using oil paint is that it almost forces you to work on 3 or 4 paintings at a time...cause while you're waiting for something to dry, there's way too much time not to start something new.....so yesterday i took a brief detour from the Faces series again to work on two paintings that i had put down for a few weeks.....i never like to leave things undone for too long, so it made me feel good that those two are almost finish now......

since i'll be out of the studio for a meeting in the morning, i think i'll stretch today instead of tomorrow....i have a ton of silk left and like i said recently, silk is a b*tch to stretch!.....but even with all its limitations, i still like it a lot, and even though i want to try linen, i'll always use silk too from here on out....

so i feel like i'm on a roll cause my mood has been pretty good lately and the ideas keep rolling though my head!.....i can't even sketch them all, so i'll try to keep stretching so i'll always have something blank to work with......my first silk abstract, Pure Love, is also in progress.....i got the background down and i'm really really feeling it......this one is coming straight from head to canvas, there's no sketch, so i hope it turns out exactly like i picture in my mind..............

other than that, i'm keeping busy.....so i'll get off this computer and get back to work now.....one love....siona

since art is all about experimentation in my book, i want to touch on what i've been learning since i started working with silk lately.....it's been said that you can't live if you're afraid to die........how does that relate to this subject, i'm not quite sure, but in one sense, if i call myself an artist i can't be afraid to f*ck up!.....but luckily i haven't been doing that lately either....

the thing i'm finding out about silk is like most every other thing in life, everything has its strengths and its limitations....since i started out working with cotton canvas and have done so for many years, i learned that it's extremely durable and can do a lot....meaning, when i put down the brush and pick up a rag to start smudging the paint, canvas allows this very very easily....it adds an extra dimension to the painting since i can even use my fingers to do this....

cotton also allows all the extra stuff i sometimes get the urge to do, like pile paint on real heavy with a palette knife and add rhinestones which i did with the Diamonds series.....

but back to silk......silk is very very delicate.....and i got to play light with it.....it's very hard to smudge, and its shiny texture makes it ideal for using oil paint like watercolor, but not good for adding dimension......it also allows oil paint to magically dry real quick!......and that was about the most pleasant surprise ever.....but even though i love it for its smooth and glossy appeal, it's almost harder to work with now that i’ve been working with it solely....for one, it keeps slipping out of my hands when i'm trying to stretch it....very very frustrating!.....i guess cause i'm using really long stretcher bars, it probably wouldn’t be that hard if i was making a smaller picture......

it also is harder to smudge and blend the paint once it hits the canvas like i touched on above.....and being so thin, it’s really pliable when sometimes i need it to stand still!.....

so after this series is over, and after i finish the silk abstract that i’ve kinda sorta started, i think i might try linen......it’s smoother than the typical cotton i use, but also heavier and more durable than silk.........lots of artists use it so i guess it’s my turn next......one love......siona

still thinking of a name for the new conceptual piece.....maybe i'll call it "From Ear to Ear.".........

right now i'm studying drawing the face from Burne Hogarth, who instructed at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and who i think is a master of pencil drawing...........his work is breathtaking, and i'm not usually into realistic art!........but i'm using his instruction as the basis for my work which will not be realistic, but surreal...........he wrote a book called  Drawing the Human Head which i sleep with by my side..............................

will keep u posted.................siona

My Woman is Gone is just about finished….one door is closed and another door is open….

i like to study the lives of artists when I have time, which is not that often….because it’s interesting to me how their work is an extension of their being…for example, Frieda Kahlo painted herself a lot….it’s been said that her paintings allowed her to “express her suffering through her work.”….she had a lot of personal tragedies in her life which is why, in my opinion, she painted herself in a surreal style so much….she was trying to overcome, or maybe come to grips…..and I hope she did….

But in my life, i would say most of my tragedies were and are relationship tragedies…….so I believe my art is all about becoming…..the transformation of me into me, and the growth all this entails…..u live and u learn…..well all that plus the Doritos is coming out and has come out in my paintings….

So My Woman is Gone was the name that came after the painting was started…..cause in a literal sense, I lost two people recently….one that was abusive and just had to go (I sent him packing) and another that I recently purged from my life after finding out he wasn’t what I thought he was…..(dirt can hide in between the cracks, can’t it? - it was time to clean house)

Then came Solitude, which is still in progress and is symbolic of the time I spent all alone following the absence of the last one leaving……and then all of a sudden somebody new just came along out of nowhere!.......(the heavens must have felt my pain!)

So now, I’m thinking of a new piece even though I haven’t stretched the canvas yet…..i think this one will be of a smiling face…..cause ever since I met my new friend, I’ve been smiling all the time…….don’t have a name yet, but the term, New Beginning, keeps rolling around in my head….either that, or Sunshine After The Rain…….and it has been pouring!!!!...One Love……. siona

been spending quality time in meditation lately....and it’s curing me of the need to proceed....meaning, by slowing down, i’m coming to better grips with exactly what i should not be doing....and how not to do it....in fact, it seems the universe has its own way of making one come to this conclusion....cause due to an unexpected situation that recently occurred, i had to simply stop..........and start thinking some more..............

so today i stretched the next piece in the series, 42 x 42 inches......and the background will be pink....and the face will be very contemplative....i think i’ll call it Solitude......cause it’s in this space that i do my best thinking...............

but during this stretch of lonely time, all of a sudden people are coming into my world that i didn’t plan and definitely didn’t expect.....not to digress, but i met this good-looking jamaican who happened to  invite me out....and this time he has a good job!

but sticking to my intention to be alone in solitude, i turned it down.....although next week i think i might go out with him.....but what i’m trying to do is to be consistent....if i want to be alone, then i can’t let nobody come along and take this train off track......

but being alone has shown me that i’m not really alone and i’ll never be alone.....i won’t go deeper.....so right now i’m in solitude working on Solitude and feeling a whole lot of gratitude....one love....

siona

According to Dr. Raymond Moody, “Art alone is enough to induce altered states in many people.” Wow....i could have never found the right words to say this....but i believe it 100 percent....and i’m living it....(i told yall i go deep)...and i think it’s why so many people love it....because no matter who u are, there's some type of art out there that makes u feel good....

cause it's all about energy!.....and the more u put into it, the more that it has for the viewer....

a quick story.....my art teacher told me one time that one of his paintings took so much out of him, that he had to crawl around on the floor for days while he worked on it (couldn't stand up and walk).....cause the act of creating this work literally took just about all he had.....at the time, it seemed a little hokey....till i really got deep into painting.....it’s real as rain....and it’s something that evidently people can feel cause it was one of his most popular works....a college publisher even used it as the cover for one of their textbooks.....

Thanks Dr. Moody....u said it!....

siona

well who knows what the hell it is exactly......but since i'm smiling right now, all i can say is happiness might be being able to smile.....to paint......and to laugh.............(but it never lasts, i hope i feel like this tomorrow!).....and with a little tweak, i just might......Eckhart Tolle - you are a King!..........and Oprah, you are a Queen!

started on the new Faces series.....the first painting depicts a face that aint too happy....i'm thinking about calling it "My Woman is Gone" with all seriousness.......it's oil on silk with a beautiful light green background.....and this was just how it happened.....cause i painted the background first, before i knew which face i was gonna put on it......

and they say (whoever "they" is) that green is the color of envy.....but i'm not trying to imply that she left cause she found another......i guess the figure in the painting is upset because she's most likely not coming back.............and somewhere deep down, it was his fault (as it usually is).....cause people don't generally leave for no reason....

but painting on this thicker grade of silk is like magic....the dream come true for me and i don't think i'll ever go back to cotton.....maybe linen someday, but for right now, call me hooked on this silk fantasy.....i have to get used to it, cause it's actually harder to blend and smudge the paint with a rag.......but it's the real deal....

Happiness is...................you fill in the blank.......One Love.........siona

still waiting on the bolt of silk to arrive....so in the meantime, i guess i'll talk about the new series....being self taught, it's a beautiful thing, cause like all artists, i keep learning all the time, but since i'm on my own pace i'm never rushed.....and i like that....

i'm into abstract art....to me, the less something looks like reality, the more it forces you to feel in addition to just looking...it helps you to analyze less and to use your intuition.....so when i was being taught realism in the one class i did take, i didn't like it....it was too forced.....you had to make the painting look just like the photo you were working from.....and even though i respect realistic art a lot, it just aint my thing....(except digitally, cause i can work the hell out of some photos!)......

but even though i love the abstract, it don't have to be extreme.....i can still appreciate abstracts that look like something real, even though it doesn't look exactly like it.....just enough for you to get the idea......

but i've been studying anatomy again lately and been working on drawing the face.....cause i think faces are so interesting....i did a few what i call primitive abstracts a few years ago....i say primitive because i was being inspired by cave art and stuff ancient peoples created....

but this time, i want to do faces a little more realistic, not too realistic, but with a little more definition.....because what i really want to show this time is emotion.....and these will be on silk....i sketched out three already with pencil, so i'll start by painting those first......One Love.....

siona    

Besides the obvious difference in types of silk such as brushed silk which is on the rough side and you wouldn't even know it was silk, to chiffon silk which is lighter than air, i wasn't aware of a few things when i started my first silk painting (see previous post)....which is why it's been a minute since i've been talking about it!

cause the truth is, even though i'm halfway through the painting, the fabric really sucks (for lack of a better word) and it hasn't  been the best....the deal is that the silk was way too thin...it actually ripped while i was stretching it into a canvas, which has never happened to me before, and probably never will happen with cotton or linen....

but since the rip was on the frame, i said no problem, i'll just work with it anyway....but the canvas was way too thin and the primer seeped right through to the other side....making little spots on it that were really on the backside of the canvas but you could see right through it like a piece of waxpaper....

so it was truly an experiment....but after i started checking, i found out there are different weights, called mummies, to silk....and i'm talking about the traditional, slightly shiny silk we all know as silk...and i had bought a weight that was not right for painting....so i ordered some samples of the different weights and then i was able to find the right one.

so my new series will be on 16mm pure, natural silk, it's so natural it even has gum left by the silk worms (really hard to see it) but it's the real thing...and it's a stronger, heavier silk.....this series will be called Faces.....

The series is finished….and even though I planned to have six paintings, I’m doing three instead ….it hit me after I was working on the third picture, that each of the paintings so far are in one of the three primary colors….the first one in yellow, the second in red, and the third in blue….so I feel like that’s a sign, and I feel that it’s also complete…so right now it’s a done deal…..

i can’t show the paintings until they’re varnished; in case you don't know, this transparent spray after an oil painting has dried is a preservation technique that helps it last a longer time. And since it will take them at least three months to completely dry before they can be varnished, I have some time on my hands….which means I’ll be working on my first silk series in oil as soon as I can….One Love….

siona

the original artists were fashion artists, in my opinion....cause people had clothes way before they had art....and everybody likes to look good....little things mean a lot, and looking at the basic things, from the way a certain shirt fits or your favorite pair of shoes, there is so much overlooked and subtle beauty in the things we see everyday....the color pattern in your towel set, the design on your bedsheets, the images on your dishes..... the reason for this post is to challenge you to ask yourself to pay more attention to the "little" things as mentioned above and see what happens...not to imply all your problems will be solved and your whole life will be revolutionized, but it's eye-opening to see how much beauty there is in the world, all around us at all times.....

siona

What a beautiful man!....Antonio, my friend from Rome, sent me a surprise which i received today...an absolutely gorgeous hardcover book of his works and poems.....can i say what a beautiful man once again?...i met him on ArtReview a few months back, and it's hard to see the depth of a person until you see the depth of their work (at least the work i've seen).....and it's hard to astound me, but i'm there!......i LOVE u Antonio.....like i told u, you're the Best, and keep doing what u do!....he doesn't know that i'm giving him this shoutout, but he replied to a post i dedicated to him a few months back, talking about some of the work that he does -  he said he also works with architects too......check him out here: http://www.artreview.com/profile/antoniostefano. ...i'm going to sao paolo and brazilia, 2  cities in brazil in december, but i might be heading to rome and paris next year.......caio again, Antonio.....One Love and hope to see u soon.....

siona

Today i started on my first silk painting....yea, i actually stretched it a few weeks back, but didn't get to put the paint on it till today....not to digress, but bad relationships can ruin your concentration, your focus, and yes, your inspiration....so i got rid of some bad company about a month back....and it took me until today to even get the desire to paint....but since i started back, i'm on a roll and having fun once again since a very long time.....

i'm finding that painting on silk is most definitely a new experience....it's super smooth and even though it's a lot more delicate and fragile than canvas, i think with good care, it can last just as long, silk being a natural fabric also...it felt like i was painting on air, and i like it a lot....i feel inspired to start a new series in silk, even though i haven't finished my Deep Love series yet.....i can't paint on deadline....it feels too much like work then and even though it is work, i have to be feeling what i'm doing, i can't paint by number.....

if i can end this post with any kind of deeper message, i would have to say that i'm learning how much inspiration is linked to peace of mind.....and that anybody or anything that interrupts this flow has got to be eliminated from one's space....either that, or sacrafice the ability to create...........

today i stretched my first silk canvas.....it was an experience.....yea, melodramatic is the word.....very different working with a material that's almost lighter than air....and silk is...very silky.....smooth, slippery....all that....so i found it to be much different than the normal stretching experience....working with silk is proving to be delightful......the cloth that i usually use is rough and hard, my fingers get cut sometimes and it's really labor intensive...stretching silk on the other hand was kind of like floating, it was almost too easy!....so i find that it might be my medium of choice for a while...although it's very very delicate...and the gesso (primer) actually soaks right through.....that was weird cause that never happens with cotton......it's not dry yet so i can't paint on it yet, but the primed silk is like a piece of thin rubber, flexible and will bounce back if you push it.....it really is a whole new experience for me, it's like traveling to a place you've never been before....so i'm waiting for the moment of truth when i can put the brush to it....and i got some new brushes too!

Still working on the new series and also now trying silk as a medium….will keep you posted regarding the outcome of this experiment, although it’s really not new….Chinese artists have been painting on it for years….but I’m not sure if they use oil paint which is my favorite…I just can’t seem to work with acrylics because they dry almost instantly…..oil takes forever and it’s my kind of paint….one love…..

OK….there are a lot of nouveau art lovers…..so here’s a few tips on viewing art…..apologies to the art enthusiasts, but hey, maybe there’s something here that might be new to you too…because a painting looks much different in person than it does in photos, for one….also, when you view it, it looks much different from far away than from up close….seems obvious, but this is why when you finally get to ‘see for yourself’ some famous works of art, there is sometimes disappointment…the beauty of the piece is not evident when you’re staring at it up close and start to see all of the little imperfections, cracks, and other things you see on sometimes very expensive pieces…..these are actually considered part of the artistic effect….we all know nothing in life is perfect—why expect something made by hand to be?....art is not for the overly analytic!.....if you want perfection, then maybe digital art is for you, because anything other than computer-made WILL have natural imperfections, which again, are part of the artistic process….sometimes artists do this on purpose, in the same way designers rip jeans and then sell them with holes….it’s all art baby!.....i’ve gotten long-winded, so here are a few tips for viewing art.

 
* Stand back and look from at least 3 feet away.

* How does it make you feel? – most if not all art is based on emotion.

* What thoughts or ideas does it bring to mind?

* Does it remind you of anything?

* Can you try and understand what the Artist was feeling?

* How do the elements in the picture relate to each other?  Is there a sense of relationship?

* What thoughts/ feelings do the colors suggest to you?

* Have a glass of wine.  It may help you relax and enjoy.

 Art is an individual experience. There are no wrong or right answers!

and i got another new friend....this one is Cool as Hell!....click here to check out some of her work....she inspires me....http://www.artreview.com/profile/alisonwilliams

The Dance, 24 x 24, oil on canvas


We all move about with our own individual beats.
Your rhythm is not mine.  But we can synchronize…

The dance is alive, it's electric.  It's the jungle that sustains our life.
There is order in chaos and sanity in madness.  All is in perfect
harmony on some level.  And so we move, we glide, we jump.  We
create static.  We cling and we divide.  Regardless, we keep on
moving, always moving, never contemplating the idea of stop.
There is no such thing. 

In the universe, all is in motion—in the constant flux of creation.
And so we dance with the tides and the seasons and the moons.
Always moving, never stopping, always hoping.  Even in the deepest
darkness, there is still a sprinkle of light. 
Because life is hope…we are living the perpetual dream.

siona

Hey,

Siona is busy working on her new series. But here's a reprint of an article called Love is Still in the Air, written about a piece called Inspired by True Love back in 2005. One Love.

    I'm gonna start posting some of my Artist Statements from the past. As I mention on my site, (more info.) it's really hard to write one statement that covers all my art...Mainly cause my artwork keeps changing as I grow and I keep growing as I work. Therefore, I have various Statements that cover a particular work or even a series of works.

    It feels really good to be working so hard...mainly cause it means I'm inspired and that's a good sign considering the way I've been feeling lately...But I see I'm getting wordy so the Artist Statement from June '05 is below...One Love.

                                                            Artist Statement June '05

                         I believe life is an interesting journey--a dream without a real beginning.  Artists of all types make the trip a whole lot smoother, and of course beautiful.  My artwork speaks of the inner life,  it talks to the inner child inside of everyone.  Will you let it out to play, to enjoy the sunshine?

                        Detail is not my aim.  Art is about feeling.  About the multitude of emotions that come forth as a reaction to viewing a painting.  The less the painting looks like reality, the more undefined the feelings and ideas that arise from looking at it.  That is one beauty of abstract art, its ability to cause abstraction in thought and emotion, to push one farther then they may have believed possible.  

                        Color is a language.  It tells great  stories.  It literally moves me to paint.  I float with the movement of whatever color rules my imagination at the time.  My work is very spontaneous.  Very little is planned ahead --- it's all brand new.   I seek to live in a world dominated by color.  Colors speak to me, they whisper in my ear.  All I do is allow them a chance to live and breathe.  They're my way of destroying this gray reality.            

                      
                        I'm a translator.  I mold experience into art form.  Images come forth that seek a chance to be born.  I put them on canvas.  Yet, no color schemes were deliberately planned.  I was spontaneously compelled to marry certain colors in a work.   

                        I make all my canvases from natural wood and cotton cloth in studio. I like the feeling of seeing the entire process unfold– the transformation of four sticks of wood and a piece of cloth into a force of artistic expression.  This work is impromptu and a little primal. The power of aesthetics lies in how it makes you feel. It would be impossible for me not to create.  It is connected to my exhalation.    

The press release for Siona's new series is ready...click here to view....One Love....

It amazes me how many people don't see that art is life, or better stated, how much art influences everyday life. From choosing the right outfit to the right plastic surgeon, you better look at the person behind the work and make sure they have some sense of balance and style.  (I'm not into plastic surgery, but I know someone who got a bad boob job because the doctor was just plain off the wall!)  For example, web design. Now a good designer is not only good because they know how to work the computer, any IT tech can do that, a good, or even great designer is that way because at heart, they're an Artist. And if not, you might want to think twice about spending your money!.

So I'm here to endorse a truly great web designer, who also happens to be a very good artist (surprise?). And since actions speak louder than words, click here to see some of his samples. Then read up on the man behind the work by reading his bio, which accurately depicts his philosophy and motivation, "art seems to have chosen him he didn't really choose it."

OK, here's a quick promo: he's supporting Artists with a great deal on websites. He'll create an intro page, bio, resume and or press, gallery (unlimited image uploads) and contact page for $250 (US) which includes all development and set-up fees. You can upload and edit the gallery and the hosting and maintenance will be $30 every 3 months for the gallery and site. How important marketing is to an Artist is a topic for another post. more info..

Siona

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click here for more info.

Cane (Antonio Smith) asked the question the other day about what exactly fine art was....which was some good food for thought cause honestly, i didn't know what the hell it was either! at least technically i didn't....i thought and still think that fine art is a matter of quality, if it will last a long time and its beautiful, then it's fine... but i checked the American Heritage dictionary which said it was "art produced or intended primarily for beauty rather than utility.” It also said,” any of the art forms, such as sculpture, painting, or music, used to create such art. Often used in the plural."

Then I checked Dictionary.com which said it was " a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture."...so putting these definitions together, it seems that fine art is art for the sake of art, which would not include art for fashion, art on dishware or art on rugs because these items also have uses other than the art itself; the art is secondary to the main purpose of the object. ...but then the question that comes to my mind looking at this last definition, is how then is architecture considered fine art? since by the definition, fine art is "created primarily for aesthetic purposes"?????......how confusing!...so on that note, i say screw that definition until it gets its head together!......at the end of the day, fine art is art for art’s sake. has the question been answered?
siona

Inspired By True Love, 24x26, oil on canvas

today i want to get a little philosophical....do i have your permission?....because i'm working on a series called Deep Love and one of my most popular pieces is called Inspired By True Love....now, let me first say by no means do i believe i'm an expert in this subject....but the fact that it interests me means that i'm searching, like so many people, for it's essence, it's true meaning.....and while i don't believe this subject can be articulated completely in words, (because it is a feeling, right?), i can only hope to try and touch on it....so here goes.....i think it's best to start with what love is NOT....cause that's real easy...but with society today being so damn visual, i really think a lot of folks confuse beauty with love....and that just aint right!...Beauty and the Beast is a fairytale, but does it have roots in truth?....can we fall in love with someone for their true essence rather than their outer form?....some people think artists are shallow, that it's all about what we see....but a real artist has to be able to see behind the form, to read beneath the words, you dig?....now this is THE MOST fascinating topic for me because i think it deals with life itself....but since time won't allow me to write much more at this moment, i'll stop for now....to be continued......
siona