Behind the Scenes with the Downtown Doodler

Next week our very own Downtown Doodler will be featured in a group exhibition in Newark, NJ. She takes us behind the scenes for an Untapped Exclusive and shows us the painting from start to finish, describing the ups and downs of her artistic process.

When I doodle on anything from a scrap of paper to a canvas that is almost as tall as me I always have grandiose dreams for the project. I throw my heart and soul into creating it, thinking that somehow, some way,   my work is going to change the world, but of course that would require a great deal of magic. If I put this line here, would my drawing be better, or completely fail? All of my drawings and doodles are like my children. I spend time with them, nurturing them when they’re just beginning, and then watching them succeed, or sticking it out with them when things aren’t going as well as planned.

Out of all the projects I started and finished in the past four years, nothing compares to the journey I took with the painting I just finished. From a canvas I made by hand with my dad, to a spot in a gallery show.

April 27, 2009

July 19, 2009

After doodling for a year and a half, I was ready to dive back into painting which I had studied in college. My dad and I went to the lumber yard, got our supplies and constructed a monstrous 30”x 48” canvas. Sure, I could have driven to the art store around the corner and picked up a canvas, but there is something rewarding about building the frame and hand stretching the canvas yourself. The result is a heavier and sturdier canvas that you have a greater sense of pride in painting on.

I dusted off my paints, brushes, and set to work. In the beginning, I briefly tried using a palate knife, but soon switched techniques. The decision to use bright vivid colors, sometimes right out of the tube, instead of mixing a wider range of duller hues was one that happened almost immediately. I had been working in black and white a lot, so my life needed color. I wanted to make a painting with life and energy.

September 7, 2009

During my college painting course, we studied many of the greats, including  Paul Cezanne. He used planes of color and small brushstrokes that build up to form complex fields. I took the planes of color concept very literally, and my style was born. Even in my still life paintings, each object is made up of patterns and waves of color.

There were many road blocks along the way. I painted, reworked and overlayed white on top of anything that I didn’t like over the course of time. I repainted again until I was satisfied. Sometimes there would be long gaps between painting sessions where the canvas would just hang there, taunting me until I figured out what was missing. Sometimes I would figuratively tie myself to a chair, pop in a DVD and just paint for days.

July 25, 2010

After all the work I put into these pigments on canvas, what FINALLY prompted me to finish the painting was the opportunity to submit my artwork for display in a gallery show.

Before – May 28, 2012

After – May 28, 2012

Even on the last day of painting I was whiting out areas to completely overhaul and fill in color blocks with more detailed lines. I can’t say it turned out exactly as I pictured when I started because I don’t usually know how my art will turn out, I just go for it and see where the lines take me.

I am very proud to announce the painting was finished in time, and has been chosen for a collective gallery show.

The show curated by LFPvision and Rob Jelinski Studios will be held in the lofty ambience of the Coffee Cave located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opening Night will be held on Friday July 6th, 2012 from 5-10pm, but the art will remain on display (for sale) during normal business hours through Friday, August 31st, 2012.

Please stop by and say hi during the opening on Friday, July 6th, 2012.

The Coffee Cave
45 Halsey Street
Newark, NJ 07102
1 (973) 368-4654

Get in touch with the Downtown Doodler on  Twitter  and  Facebook. Check out more from the  Downtown Doodler on Untapped.

Have a great week!