Contemporary Art Blog 2

Belinda Eaton has developed her artistic view since the late 1970s where she first started at St. Martin’s School of Art in London. Eaton was born in Mombasa and went to school in Spain and London. After that she continued her life New York, France, Pakistan, and in Barcelona. As she traveled through these various cultures, Belinda found some of her painting to be inspired by the people and places she visited. She once said, "My paintings are my world, my fascination for people, plants, animals and colour, how I perceive things with all their energy." Belinda created her own world, “Belinda’s world: This world contained much colour, vivid characters, swirling spaces, uncontained energy that can’t be trapped by the limits of the canvas, images constantly on the move, living life, dancing, drinking, and eating.”

This painting is one of her more recent pieces of art; it was created earlier this year. The name of this picture is “Face III.” Belinda’s collection of artwork consisted of many painting of people and their face and she contorted the human figures sometimes to make them look unusual. Many of her paintings had a human figure paired with some sort of animal or food. This particular picture is very intriguing because the face of this young woman is so delicate and soft. Yet, the vines and flowers on her face that have this turquoise greenish color make it seem a little harsh and intimidating. The soft rosy cheeks of the woman make her seem flustered or scared. When you look into the girls eyes, they seem empty and unfulfilled. As if there is something missing in her life that she is searching for. This woman is constantly probing through life for that missing element and continues to be disappointed. This disappointment keeps growing and growing as time passes and her soul seems to be broken little by little every time she does not find what she is seeking out. It is as if the world around her continues in full speed and she has just slowed down to the point where she just watches the world around her evolve; it is sort of life mother nature as lashed on to her and will not let go.

I do like this painting and this artist’s style. I like Belinda’s recent paintings better than I like her earlier ones. The intenseness of this figure’s eyes is so captivating it holds me and I can’t break the stare for a moment or two. The colors or her face is so realistic it is breathtaking.

Contemporary Art 1

The name of this painting is “Evening Performance.” This painting was created by the artist Jane Crowell. Jane found in her inspiration from the Deep South and from the Native Americans. Spending the majority of her life in Louisiana, she developed a keen eye for the landscapes and the colors of the South. She studied in Texas and became fascinated with the techniques of the Natives. Many of her pieces are pastels on paper as well as oils on a canvas.

This piece captivated me from the moment I saw it. In this particular painting, I felt a sense of tranquility and at the same time I felt like a kid waiting for the shooting stars to come out. I perceived the artist’s mood as calm and collected and that perhaps she was happy at the time of this creation. The tints of blue explain that the night is cool and mellow; however, one must not take away from the red, orange and pink tones. The reddish tones symbolize heat and passion; it is also the color of love. The color white normally means pure and is usually considered a summer color. When the artist mixed all of these colors together it seems to me as if she is trying to portray a story.

To me this artist is representing a life story through her work of art. The darker color around the edges of this picture signifies something gloomy that may have happened in this artist’s life. I have interpreted this story as: Someone close to the artist has recently passed away and that the artist is saddened by the loss of a loved one. However, the brightness in the middle of the painting is telling the other side of her feelings. When one passes there is a moment where people feel pain and misery but then there’s also the feeling of a spiritual uplifting and that’s where the artist paints the lighter colors. The red, white and light blue colors coming down from the clouds can be viewed as the heavens are opening up to the earth to bring the deceased to their new home. The artist may have felt that the death their loved one may have been hard to accept at first but then realized they were in a better place. The lighter blue tints and the reddish tones can represent all the good memories and celebration of that person’s life. The night is not meant to be dark and dreary but it is meant to commemorate the beauty of this person’s soul and life.