Embracing Yupo-ness

Yupo is a fascinating material. More accurately, because of it nature, using your usual materials on it causes unusual things to happen.

Or not. You can choose to ignore what Yupo can do, and impose your usual methods, but Sharon had ample examples to inspire us to the playfulness inherent in embracing Yupo-ness. I was determined to drop my hard-earned, well-learned processes and techniques, but that is easier said than done. Try walking differently than you usually do.

As we talked about our paintings at the end of Sharon’s class, someone suggested that I had not left any entry points into the painting “Until Hope Comes.” I thought about this  for quite a while, because that was one of Jeane Myers main observations about my work (she encouraged me to “permit access”) and I have been conscious of doing so ever since. However, I determined that when you are “hemmed in” by grief, you isolate yourself, or simply are isolated, by the hugeness of it. It’s overwhelming. So that enclosure around this painting is appropriate.

Until Hope Comes

However, I decided to take a photo of the painting into Photoshop Elements and see what might happen.

Until Hope Breaks Open

It has quite a different feel to it. Hope seems to be breaking through the grief, in a more obvious way.

Then I played with the image a little more to get the following piece:

Grief Shared

That end-of-class discussion was fantastic: each artist shared their favorite painting (or two), finding reasons to illustrate why they liked it. All were willing to hear others’ comments as well, and the remarks were thoughtful, helpful, and quite moving, at times. Sharon was an excellent moderator, letting the rest of us share before offering her take on each work.

Sign up for a class with Sharon, if you can. Your art will be better for it.

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