Flowers in Flight

The following is journal excerpts while I was making the piece ‘Flowers in Flight’.  They’re unedited, basically me talking myself through it.

Taking another drawing and turning into sculpture.  Using metal shelf instead of paper this time, chalk instead of pencil.  Less setting stuff on fire, heh heh.

Got some paint on the board, and got the bugs on the board, but only started to get excited about it when i started stencil painting on it.  Having fun with that, just cutting pieces as I go, the flat black adds a new texture, different lines, and the leaves will give repetition.

Started gluing on the balsa wood pieces.  Some shiny residue left, do i sand it off?  Would have to repaint, but then have to do the whole thing.  Really don’t like it though, so think i will.  My original intention is to only glue some parts of the ‘bugs’, so that it has an effect of coming off of the drawing.  Will this work or not?  I don’t know yet what is best.  Also, with the spraypainting-i need to finish the branch in the middle, obviously, but am wondering whether i should add any branches to that spaces in the center left.  It’s so wide open there that your eye goes there, so i guess the answer is that i should add some branch there somehow.  

The idea of these figures is that they are a combination of bugs, flowers, stars, etc., something new but something the same, not something specifically defined.  They came from some quick little sketches in my sketchbook.  I like the idea of taking quick ideas and turning them into steel.  I’m trying to work this unfinished, in between 2 worlds type of thing, that unfinished or in creation aspect is something i’ve liked since college, hearing from professors, and seeing works of art like that.  It gives it an energy, maybe allows the viewer to finish the piece for themselves.

I want to make a series out of this-of course, the first 3 sketches were easy, but then it gets harder to do it intentionally.  I’m doing studies of bugs and flowers to get ideas for shapes and lines.  The next piece i want the same background, but a different color scheme.  But i’ll use the same ideas of the background versus the color on the figure itself.

I added some more branches, close to done.  Just gonna add some more leaves.  Need to start thinking about finishing touches- patching in the holes, consider fixing up the splintered parts on the bottom.  Also want to consider-should i paint the parts behind the bugs, to make the lines stand out?  Should i add some ‘drawing lines to the bugs to make them seem more a part of the picture?  Should I add more yellow to the other to bug pieces to make them stand out even more?

Answer to the last question-yes- i want to add a little more, will give more color dimension and make it look more intentional.