| Largely
revised on January 20, 2005
Pigeons
and Paperclips
is a brilliant example of perfect balance. The b-side is just as
cool as the front, maybe even better. I don't remember where the
title came from, but it has a good rhythm; it refers somewhat to
Bert (as in Ernie & Bert) and his love for...well, y'know. They
even make a cameo, both here and on The
Great Skatepark of Life.
The
front side (The a-side? Worked for Soundgarden.) came together with
a lot of special effects from dishsoap bubbles to garlic salt to
liquid paper. This is actually the Liquid Paper brand, which interacts
with watercolors much differently than the Kinko's brand I usually
use. This particular brand of correction fluid doesn't mix with
water; they clump together in the same way paint would. For this
reason, I have almost always avoided the Liquid Paper brand, turning
to the Kinko's brand.
Most
of these visual effects are the standard effects for watercolor
paintings; the difference this time is that watercolors are being
applied on canvas, not paper. Canvas holds water, and absorbs it
very slowly. This means two things: one, you can use a lot of water,
much more than is possible for paper; two, the slower drying process
allows for more stylized patterns and mixing.
For
inspiration, I spent over a year studying oil spills on the street,
from parked cars (thanks a lot for the pollution, you jerks), watching
the way oil swirls in water. The first time I painted watercolors
on a canvas, I discovered that one could recreate these very effects.
I also discovered that this was a new idea, never even considered
by established artists and academia. This is undiscovered territory.
So
my hope is that you are inspired by these paintings, and feel compelled
to create your own. I don't think formal education or great skills
are required; to quote one of the many great lines from Porco
Rosso: "Can you tell me the first requirement for a good
pilot? Experience?" "No, inspiration." |
