My OperaOn A Whim
Friday, January 27, 2012 3:15:15 PM
(2012)24x36 acrylic finger painting on stretched canvas
(2012)24x36 acrylic finger painting on stretched canvas
In The Beginning...
Friday, January 20, 2012 4:35:44 PM
This is what happens to my art when you give me a luxury beach-front condo for a week in Florida. Much gratitude to my fairy godfathers who've made an indelible mark on my life and my art.
In The Beginning (2012)
Painted from a photo taken from the balcony of the condo on Treasure Island, Florida (barrier island off the coast of St. Petersburg)
In The Beginning (2012)
Painted from a photo taken from the balcony of the condo on Treasure Island, Florida (barrier island off the coast of St. Petersburg)
Paintings inspired by live music
Monday, December 5, 2011 1:12:49 PM
I've had the opportunity twice now to paint along to live, improvised music. Not only does painting with live musicians get me out of the isolation of my studio, but live music just gets to your soul in a way that recorded music just can't.
Latitude
Sonogram
Latitude
Sonogram
Wynton at the Beach
Saturday, November 19, 2011 9:27:18 PM
I'm talking about Wynton Marsalis, of course! It was his trumpet playing, along with a sunset photo someone posted on Facebook, that allowed me to create this painting.
I'm really trying to take my painting skills up a notch. This will require several changes in my painting technique: the colors will mostly be mixed before I put them on the canvas, instead of pouring right from the bottle and struggling to mix the proper color on the canvas. And I will apply most of the paint in small amounts, with my hand, instead of pouring the paint in order to get more control over how much paint lands on the canvas and where it lands. I'm also going to mark off the more important parts of the canvas with a pencil, so I can stay closer to the original photo and make it more abstract. And I plan to expand from only sunsets to include various landscapes. At least this is the plan. We'll see what actually happens.
Wynton at the Beach (2011)
Acrylic and tempera finger painting
24x36
I'm really trying to take my painting skills up a notch. This will require several changes in my painting technique: the colors will mostly be mixed before I put them on the canvas, instead of pouring right from the bottle and struggling to mix the proper color on the canvas. And I will apply most of the paint in small amounts, with my hand, instead of pouring the paint in order to get more control over how much paint lands on the canvas and where it lands. I'm also going to mark off the more important parts of the canvas with a pencil, so I can stay closer to the original photo and make it more abstract. And I plan to expand from only sunsets to include various landscapes. At least this is the plan. We'll see what actually happens.
Wynton at the Beach (2011)
Acrylic and tempera finger painting
24x36
New paintings from this fall
Monday, November 14, 2011 2:16:00 PM
I'm pushing myself. Hard. Pushing myself to develop as an artist. Pushing myself to sell more work. You might call me driven. Which is both good and bad. Good because I am undoubtedly motivated. Bad because I easily get stressed, depressed, and frustrated when things don't move as quickly or easily as I'd like them to. The ups and downs and selling and not selling are particularly difficult for me to deal with. I need to learn to how remain on a more level place and not get caught up with either the excitement of selling or the frustration of waiting for my next sale. Either said than done.
The label of "artist" remains both very natural and very alien to me. I've been at this for just over 2 years now, yet it still sounds strange when I tell people I'm an artist. But as a friend recently pointed out to me, "your art is how you breathe."
So what am I doing to deal with all of this "artistic angst"? I'm exposing myself to new influences and new situations. On Halloween, I created two paintings at the Tavern of Fine Arts along with some very funky, improvised music. Last week, I attended a free lecture at the Saint Louis Art Museum given by a Washington University art history professor on Impressionist Portraits. This week, I plan to hit story time for grown ups and our local library. Anything that's new and different for me that peaks my interest in is fair game at this point.
So here are some of my more recent creations. You may notice that some of these paintings are more typical of the style you've been seeing all along. They are very soothing and soft, and they are the ones I am personally most comfortable with because I can just zone out looking at them.
These paintings come from wherever my inspiration comes from. It feels external for me, like an invisible art teacher telling me step by step what to do. I don't really understand where this inspiration comes from or what it is. People have tried to analyze it and put a label it like "the universe, God, or your higher self." I tell them not to bother. I don't try to understand it. I just accept it.
And then the are the more intense paintings, the ones that are more passionate and dramatic, with a more complex mix of colors and pattern, slightly less horizontally oriented, more intensity in contrast of light and dark. Lots of people are responding to these paintings. They are based on sunset pictures people post on Facebook. I begin each painting attempting to create a reasonably close approximation of the photo. But the paintings always end up taking on a life of their own. That's where that inspiration kicks back in and takes over the process.
Peruse. Come to your own conclusions. And, most of all, enjoy.
SEPTEMBER
Early Autumn Sunset
Etude
Oxygen
OCTOBER
Sydney (gift to friends whose daughter's name is Sydney)
Marimba Dance (created along with live, improvisational music at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
Liquid (also created along with live, improvisational music at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
NOVEMBER
Nightfall on Earth
Luminous Lagoon
Brahms in Reverse
(Created while listening to a recording of Brahms at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
Vivaldi's Third Season
(Created while listening to a recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons at the Tavern of Fine Arts.)
More paintings.
The label of "artist" remains both very natural and very alien to me. I've been at this for just over 2 years now, yet it still sounds strange when I tell people I'm an artist. But as a friend recently pointed out to me, "your art is how you breathe."
So what am I doing to deal with all of this "artistic angst"? I'm exposing myself to new influences and new situations. On Halloween, I created two paintings at the Tavern of Fine Arts along with some very funky, improvised music. Last week, I attended a free lecture at the Saint Louis Art Museum given by a Washington University art history professor on Impressionist Portraits. This week, I plan to hit story time for grown ups and our local library. Anything that's new and different for me that peaks my interest in is fair game at this point.
So here are some of my more recent creations. You may notice that some of these paintings are more typical of the style you've been seeing all along. They are very soothing and soft, and they are the ones I am personally most comfortable with because I can just zone out looking at them.
These paintings come from wherever my inspiration comes from. It feels external for me, like an invisible art teacher telling me step by step what to do. I don't really understand where this inspiration comes from or what it is. People have tried to analyze it and put a label it like "the universe, God, or your higher self." I tell them not to bother. I don't try to understand it. I just accept it.
And then the are the more intense paintings, the ones that are more passionate and dramatic, with a more complex mix of colors and pattern, slightly less horizontally oriented, more intensity in contrast of light and dark. Lots of people are responding to these paintings. They are based on sunset pictures people post on Facebook. I begin each painting attempting to create a reasonably close approximation of the photo. But the paintings always end up taking on a life of their own. That's where that inspiration kicks back in and takes over the process.
Peruse. Come to your own conclusions. And, most of all, enjoy.
SEPTEMBER
Early Autumn Sunset
Etude
Oxygen
OCTOBER
Sydney (gift to friends whose daughter's name is Sydney)
Marimba Dance (created along with live, improvisational music at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
Liquid (also created along with live, improvisational music at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
NOVEMBER
Nightfall on Earth
Luminous Lagoon
Brahms in Reverse
(Created while listening to a recording of Brahms at the Tavern of Fine Arts)
Vivaldi's Third Season
(Created while listening to a recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons at the Tavern of Fine Arts.)
More paintings.
Sunset Paintings
Saturday, September 24, 2011 3:08:48 PM
Since almost everyone sees a sunset or water when they look at my paintings, I decided to take a whack at painting from photos of actual sunsets. While the paintings may not look much like the original photos, the photos have inspired a new and more complex style in my work.
Early Autumn Sunset (September, 2011)
Etude (September, 2011)
Early Autumn Sunset (September, 2011)
Etude (September, 2011)
Recent Finger Paintings
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 4:08:02 PM
I know. I've been ignoring my blog. And my Opera friends as well. Sorry! Here's what I've been busy doing. Enjoy.
Paintings from June
Morning Mist
Paintings from July
Saugatuck Summer No. 1
Saugatuck Summer No. 2
Saugatuck Summer No. 3
Paintings from August
Air
Angel (sold) (painted with Clio's colors in mind)
Flight (donated to a parrot rescue organization in Boston)
Summer (a 64-foot long triptych-the largest painting I've produced so far!)
Stratosphere 2
Blue Oblivion
Paintings from September
One Fine Day (sold)
Parting Clouds
More paintings can be seen at http://NaomiSilverArt.com
And last but not least, just for P2, the guitar I finger painted to raise money for Guitars for Vets. http://guitars4vets.org/
Paintings from June
Morning Mist
Paintings from July
Saugatuck Summer No. 1
Saugatuck Summer No. 2
Saugatuck Summer No. 3
Paintings from August
Air
Angel (sold) (painted with Clio's colors in mind)
Flight (donated to a parrot rescue organization in Boston)
Summer (a 64-foot long triptych-the largest painting I've produced so far!)
Stratosphere 2
Blue Oblivion
Paintings from September
One Fine Day (sold)
Parting Clouds
More paintings can be seen at http://NaomiSilverArt.com
And last but not least, just for P2, the guitar I finger painted to raise money for Guitars for Vets. http://guitars4vets.org/
Tribute to the victims of 9/11
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:47:34 PM
St. Louis's tribute to the victims of 9/11 in Forest Park on Art Hill in front of the St. Louis Art Museum. One flag for each person lost, complete with photo, name, and age. Simple yet incredibly powerful. I love this tribute because it's silent. Not music or speeches to interfere with the thoughts in my head as I took it all in. And kept taking it all in. So many people gone in such a short time. Out of sheer hatred and insanity. A monumentally large and senseless loss.
Photos taken by Jeff Stein and edited by Naomi Silver.
Photos taken by Jeff Stein and edited by Naomi Silver.
Naomi
