Monday, November 19, 2007

Subconscious reflection

The first page of my watercolor moleskine ...

Ever notice how artwork reflects your mood, whether you intend it or not? The way lines are placed, the colors you choose, the intention by which they are laid down, are like little reflections that seep from your subconsciousness. I wonder how others would interpret this painting. Any thoughts?

18 comments:

mrana said...

Wow Joan, I just love all your travel sketches! And this watercolour is so beautiful, soothing somehow. I hope I get to sketch something while traveling too :)

Kathleen Rietz said...

Hey Joan - I think this has become my newe favorite. It is so wonderful. I love love love the colors, the looseness of the paint and the overall composition. I love that it is looser than most of your watercolors, yet more confident in a way!

JaKo said...

I like it !

Teri said...

It is a gorgeous timely piece. Does this mean you are thinking of Thanksgiving Day?

gzislandgem said...

Hey Joan,
I will attempt to answer your question...
Are you feeling down? Everything looks droopy. Do you feel like there is a cloud hanging over you? For me I feel a sadness coming from this painting. I hope I am way off base here. I hope you are not sad. You deserve only happiness.
Sending you All my Love :)
Missing you.
T

steve said...

Yeah, I love my new watercolor Moleskine. And it looks like you do too Joan. very nicely done--the brighter orange looks as if it wants to stand out among the others and not just be another face in the crowd. That's my interpretation at least.

FRANKYE said...

Joan, I think that all your paintings are quite exciting. They create a mood of peace and quiet excitement for me. The star fruit looks comfortable hanging in the branches, each one in proximity, yet not crowding one another. Each fruit is an individual possessing its own attributes, its own beauty, and it also has a special beauty in its relationship to the others.

I wonder if you are feeling lost in a crowd, or the opposite, pleasantly connected to the group. For me, the painting conveys warmth, comfort, and a cozy feeling of belonging.
Thanks again for starting my day with beauty.

Frankye

ELLA ELVIANA said...

i like the looseness of your watercolor, its refreshing, i think. and i agree with what you wrote about color depicting emotion; i usually choose gloomy colors when i sad or angry.

Joan Y said...

Mariana ... Please have a safe trip! Can't wait to see your drawings!

Kate ... Thanks! See what a little wine can do? hehe. Thanks my friend.

Jako ... Mahalo!

Teri ... I think you are right! Unfortunately, we don't get the fall colors (such a bummer) so I have to generate them in my paintings! :)

Tash ... Thanks Tash. I have to admit, this drawing is a combination of a lot of things ... stress, contentment, joy, etc. It is amazing how many feelings one can feel while introspectively painting. LOL.

Steve ... yes! Feeling singled out is definitely one of the feelings! Very perceptive!

Frankye ... your comments always bring a smile to my face; I always look forward to them. I think part of what I felt was WANTING to fade into the background, to be one of the others but unable to.

Ella ... Thanks! I do too. Thanks for stopping by :)

Anita Davies said...

I see, besides a wonderful painting, isolated pain and depression mixed with an deep inner appreciation of the day.

Joan Y said...

Very perceptive Anita! Thanks!

Tracy said...

i thought i'd commented already and realize i didnt. first off - beautiful - i love the colors - brings to mind what i'm seeing as i look out the window these days - beautiful fall and all its color(i know you dont get them where you are - but you've captured it perfectly just the same). you're right about moods being reflected in ones work - i'm just hoping those you are feeling are mixed with happy remembrances (this time of year tends to make me very nostalgic - you too?)
happy thanksgiving miss J!

wagonized said...

Joan -- you FILLED the page it seems... does it mean the mood was "full"? The colors, as Mariana points out, are soothing. They are beautiful -- and everything seemed to fall into place here. Gosh, don't you love starting a Moleskine on such a good note?

Joan Y said...

Miss T (Tracy!) ... Thanks for commenting. Yes, this Thanksgiving was an especially emotional but filled with very happy memories. :) Thanks my friend!

France ... You betcha! It's fun to open up my moleskin and see a blast of color! TY!

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Great post Jo. One thing I always find is there is a real difference in the upload quality between Blogger and Flickr. I often find Flickr the better - more clear, vivid. But also, I quite like the way that the Blogger upload have a whole different feel. Sometimes that works for an image, sometimes it doesn't.

Well, I'm going on about all this because I think seeing this image on both, it makes me see the picture in a two different lights. Here it has a much more melancolic feel. It's a very lovely piece.

quirkyartist said...

What a fabulous start in your new sketchbook. The colours are wonderful.

Genine said...

Joan, this is beautiful and delicate. Your colors are wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Super juicy color here. I want to go into that scene and poke around!