Bicoastal, Week Six

We still have not come up with a good name for this project!

I noted on Instagram this week that I could most definitely see the Marine influence in all of these images (except the first and fifth), of course it is Martha's Vineyard!

Again, knew right away which of the five photographs I was going to paint, and Libby said she thought this was the one also. As usual, my first hit was this wasn't going to work as a painting, but I ended up really enjoying painting this one and liked the way it turned out. Abstract boat. 

I took it to a fellow artist's studio to talk about the images and the process, and she said as she was looking at this one, "Don't tell me what this is, I want to look closely at it first." I told her what she sees is all I see, I have no other information from Libby as to what these are photographs of.

Boat, painting by Kalen Meyer, acrylic on canvas, 10" x 10"

Boat, photography by Libby Ellis

Week Five, Bicoastal Project

Week five. Libby sent five photographs of closely cropped type from a sign at a llama farm.

When I first saw them I had a few doubts about how this was going to work as a painting.

I looked a each photo by itself, and this one, with its subtle fold in the sign, ended up being the one.

Only three colors on my palette. I knew since it was a simple an image, the painting had to be about the paint quality and I loaded my brushes for this one.

White Type, photography by Libby Ellis

White Type, painting by Kalen Meyer

Week Four, Bicoastal Project

On week four the photographs came a little late. I had been thinking it was easier to take five photos than it is to paint one, but when Libby was late this week, I realized it's not so simple to take five compelling photographs on demand.

We talked on the phone, she apologized and then soon sent a batch she was calling second rate (or some such distinction). They were great! Some I knew had to stay photographs, but this one jumped out. The rope was so much fun to paint. Libby had called out the hint of blue in the rope, I might have not added it, but realized it was the bridge to the last image.

Rope and 36, painting by Kalen Meyer

Rope and 36, photograph by Libby Ellis

Week Three, Bicoastal Project (We were going to come up with a better name for this!)

Week Three: Libby sent me five photos of buoys hanging on fences and walls. A few had snow visible near the bottom of the frame. 

I knew I was going to use this one as soon as I saw it. There was something odd about seeing objects I associate with summer next to a bank of snow, and I also liked the fence these were hanging on. Libby said she was craving color and so responded to the blue in this image.

Buoys, Painting by Kalen Meyer

Buoys, Photograph by Libby Ellis

Libby said, "I knew you were going to pick this one!" as soon as I sent the image of the painting to her.

Week two, bicoastal project

Second week—

Libby Ellis sent me a great batch of photos, it was hard to choose which one I was going to paint. I found myself thinking which image would go with the first painting, but decided I had to let go of that and go with my gut decision. I love this image of the chair on ice (what is it doing there?) with the futuristic sleds in the background. I enjoyed the process of painting, even though it had been a rough day and I ended up painting very late. Libby and I haven't talked about these (other than she texted she was hoping I'd choose this one), we've both been very busy… will add a note after we do!

Chair on Ice, photograph by Libby Ellis

Chair on Ice, painting by Kalen Meyer

Bi-coastal Art!

My friend, Libby Ellis, and I are starting a new collaborative art project.

Libby lives on Martha's Vineyard (currently under 4 or 5 feet of snow) and I am in California. We had been talking about doing a project together for a while and on a recent trip to L.A. we came up with this!

Each week for 16 weeks, Libby will send me 5 photographs.

I will choose one and paint it. After Libby sees the image, she sends me a new batch of 5.

After some debate, we decided I can't crop her image.

Photograph by Libby Ellis

Painting by Kalen Meyer

This is our week one. When Libby sent her images, I knew immediately the one I would paint, however the image was so much more abstract than anything I usually work with, I was a little daunted!

I sent the image to Libby while she was on a call, and when she called back she said, 

"Wait, is this a painting I am looking at, or the photograph?" (it was on her phone), which brings up the question, why paint when you have the image already?

After digesting the fact this was my painting, we both got fairly excited about going on.

Stay tuned for week two!

Happy New Year!