I Understand How This Person Was Feeling

 

Looks like someone was experiencing artist's block.

ANIMUS

I am trying to transition away from my rink-y-dink, neglected and outdated website, to simply using my blog for all of my art.  So, here is the Animus collection, shown at Neon's and MPMF, in its entirety (which none of you have seen because I sold some before the shows went up). 

If you would like to know more about the series and why I chose to paint bulls etc etc, just leave a comment, I don't feel like blabbing about it all over the internet without being prompted, but I'm happy to answer if you're curious.

CANCO, didn't you know?

This Saturday, February 11th, marks the opening event of my art show at CANCO gallery in Northside!  Located inside the new American Can Lofts building, I will be showing with Cincinnati legend Merle Rosen.  If you are in the area, or are looking for something to do Saturday evening, stop by and visit from 7-9PM.  Fortunately, this show will be up until April 9th, unfortunately, the space is located inside the Lofts building and is accessible only by those with keys after the opening night.  So make sure to stop by for the opening!  (And lets hope that all my works sells on opening night, or that there are tons of residents in the building just dying for some bull paintings!)

These are the works that were selected to be exhibited...

Along with some of my bull paintings, I am showing part of my bird and moth collection from 2009.  This was a large series of miniature color pencil drawings on black paper.  I use a special technique that I developed to create an oil-painting-effect out of layers and layers of color.  These images that follow are all 4"x4".  Originally the collection consisted or about 25 pieces.

I can't wait to see all of you there! xoxo

Another house where nobody lives...

Continuing with my newest art endeavor, photographing vacant houses, I have more images to share with you from this week!  Again, everything is photographed just the way I found it, I see this as a way of documenting the little things that say so much about the people who once lived in these homes.  It's as if they thought they took everything that meant something to them, but what they left behind describes precisely who they are.

 

More to come, I'm sure of it.

New Relics

This is an update on some new works I have added to my "Relics" collection.  If you aren't familiar with the other pieces from the series, you can find them in my earlier blog post from 2011.  Although I have not been fortunate enough to come across another smoke damaged house, I have managed to find some pretty gnarly walls with traces of objects long since forgotten.

No one lives here anymore...

I've started carrying my camera with me to work and, if I'm lucky, I get to use it when I am scouting for homes to purchase.  These empty spaces frighten and fascinate me, as if the people just disappeared, or are simply hiding.  Today, every home I went into had tons of character and I was enamored with the stripped beds and beautiful lighting.  I hope to print these soon... maybe you'll see them hanging at Neon's on 12th St. downtown!

This is exactly how I found them.

Just when you think you're good, someone comes along and amazes you...

... how thankful I am for that!  These past few days I have taken extra time to look around the Juxtapoz website and read about many of the amazing artists the magazine features daily.  While there, I stumbled upon, Candice Tripp.  Her dark, fairytale-like work is a combination of Alister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, Beatrix Potter's illustrations, Grimm's fairytales, and the weirdness of growing up similar to Neutral Milk Hotel's lyrical imagery.  In short, it's the scariest dream you don't want to wake from.

 

"Bobbing For Uglies"- Candice Tripp

Her beautiful works in ink and oil, which are shockingly larger than they appear (about 40"x40"), cross the line between illustration and painting leaving the digital viewer to wonder what medium she is actually using (I thought watercolor upon first glance). 

 

Drawing for Gogol Bordello - Candice Tripp

Aside from being fascinated with her beautiful work, I am sharing with you my discovery of Candice Tripp because she is currently doing what I am working towards: being a full time artist at 26.  If you are interested in reading a bit about her journey, you can catch a glimpse on her website.  I admire her amazing attention to detail (something I've always struggled with) and her elegant use of symbolism that stirs a nostalgia for childish decadence and fear.  

 

"Readied"  (Detail) - Candice Tripp

These characteristics in her art remind me of illustrations in my Dream Journals (examples below along with sketches about songs you might know). These are books of illustrations I have created by story-boarding significant imagery from my dreams.  Discovering Tripp's work has encouraged me to continue my habit of dream journaling and, possibly, actually do something with those images. 

King of Carrot Flowers - Olivia Hinds (me)

 

Two Headed Boy - Olivia Hinds (me)

 

The Birth of Knowledge (Dream) - Olivia Hinds

The other night had a dream that I was the last believer in the faith of the Sun and the Moon.

Unfortunately, I am horrible at keeping journals for an extended period, so we'll see how it goes.

Wake me up when it has stopped snowing.