Capital E. Marker on Bristol. © Liz Darling 2010.

Illuminated manuscript letter inspired by psychedelic fonts and psychedelic plants/fungi.

Paper Bag. Graphite on Paper. © Liz Darling  2010.

Back to observation. Graphite on Paper.

© Liz Darling 2010.

This is my first experience using Conté crayons. I haven’t decided yet whether the waxiness is a good thing or a bad thing. I have a tendency to approach everything (drawings especially) very tediously, perhaps too much so for Conté. The blending is awkward also. Using white over black produces a dull, milky gray, but black seems to do alright over white as long as it glides over without blending. The consistency of this medium is a lot like oil pastels, and suddenly I have an urge to experiment with them again.
Definitely a learning experience.

Beginning. Conté on Plastic Paper. © Liz Darling 2010.

Lemacado. Oil on Canvas. © Liz Darling 2009.

This painting was sort of a response to my painting professor’s commentary that my work was too focused on conceptualization over formalism. Lemon and avocado in hand, I sat down and painted this without first creating some elaborate conceptual goal in mind. Not that this painting addresses specific formal issues in the work either, but at least I was able to distance myself from over-analyzing the idea before I even created the piece. Occasionally I have a tendency to get so caught up in trying to express a certain point that my concern over the formal qualities goes by the wayside.
Anyway, I ended up pleased with the result and found that even while “painting on autopilot”, my work tends to follow in the same general direction. The lemon combined with the round pit of the avocado abstractly echos a human form, especially that of a pregnant woman. There seem to be repeating themes in my work that resurface again and again - intentionally or not.

© Liz Darling 2010.

…And now for something entirely different. Trying to get away from ALWAYS using shallow-space compositions. Not that this entirely accomplishes that objective… but it’s a step in the right direction.

Photosynthesized. Gouache on Bristol. © Liz Darling  2010.

Just a little gouache painting. Right now it is hanging next to my sink and the water splatters have changed the surface of the piece.

Space Within Space. Gouache on Arches Paper. © Liz Darling  2010.

With this piece, I enjoyed working with gouache in a watercolor-esque way. Gouache is a versatile medium in that it can be approached tediously or loosely, made to be transparent or opaque. I wanted the value differences in this to really play with the viewer’s perception of shallow and deep space.

Androgyny. Oil on Canvas. © Liz Darling  2009.

A Warning Against Hypocrisy. Watercolor and Gold Leaf on Bible. © Liz Darling  2009.

At Least It Came, Revisited. Mixed Media on Panel. © Liz Darling  2008.