Okay, some art, it's about time. I had a lovely time painting yesterday and I finished one painting and started another. I took the design, and was able to figure out how to do it, from a design in Daud Sutton's book Islamic Design (I don't know why it's amazon uk but it's a great book and about $10).


The new painting is a pattern that I've been working with and exploring the possibilities of. I'm wishing it didn't make me think so much of a ships wheel.

I also saw this and appreciated it and wanted to share. In other news I will try to get my act together and have some real/better posts soon. Life has been a little crazy.

I happened to read this and I thought they were some good ideas, so I'm sharing them.

Artist Statement

I have written artist's statement's before but I never loved them and they more applied to a specific series than to my work as a whole. I recently wrote an artist's statement that I'm really pleased with and which sums up what I'm about as an artist. It will likely change but for now I'm excited. Here it is:

Numbers, shapes and colors all have a meaning which can deepen and enrich a piece, as an artist I am intrigued and fascinated by symbolism. Throughout the years symbolism and art have gone hand in hand. Before widespread literacy and availability of books symbolism in art was essential in conveying meaning and stories to the masses. The world around us is loaded with items that have become symbols and I enjoy learning their meaning and incorporating them into my art, whether geometric or Islamic designs, landscape or still life.

What do you think?

"A good painter is full of invention within and were he to live forever, he would always have something new to bring forth."
-Albrecht Durer

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in all different directions art wise, I don't think I will ever be the artist that just does one style or sort of thing. I'm interested in geometry, sacred geometry, Islamic designs, painting, drawing, and the list goes on. Today's focus was Islamic designs.

I'm trying out a new paper, Arches (pronounced arsch (it's a French paper) but people will probably call it arches) Watercolor Hot Press. Hot press means that it's smooth, cold pressed papers are rougher/ more textured. I'm liking it so far but I haven't tried any shading on it yet.
I love Islamic designs because they're so beautiful but I also like them because of the symbolism they have. In Islam they don't use images of people or animals, etc. to avoid idol worship, so they use designs and they have symbolism in them. This design is called "The Breath of The Compassionate"

It's been a while since I posted but here's what I've been keeping busy painting. Here's a new painting that I'm working on.