Back to the Canvas

"Hula-Hoop" 2018
20 x 16"
Acrylic

Well, I couldn't keep myself away from the paints... There is something so enjoyable about applying paint. I dive deeper into shapes and forms. Expressing my creativity through this medium has always been something I come back to time and again. It fulfills a need that isn't met in my photography. I was given a piece of advice a very long time ago that I still adhere to. "If you create an image that really resonates with you, reproduce it in may different mediums."

Time has kept me from producing a large body of work. Painting takes time. It's not a snap shot. It requires hours of looking, adjusting, applying and contemplation. It is a meditation onto itself. With a very packed schedule already, I couldn't imagine where I was going to be able to carve out a chunk of time to do the work. But then I thought of Ruth Asawa, who with six kids wove her wonderful sculptures after everyone went to bed. I thought if she could have the energy to produce such a profound body of work after hours, that I must try as well.

Using a black and white image I shot for the 4th Annual Bob Baker Day blog piece I did back in March connected me back to my photography. Working from my own work and from a composition I already loved, I was set free. This concept isn't new to me. Back in the late 80's, I did a series of oil painting from my photographs of The Imperial Butt Wizards.

I chose to paint in black and white and all the shades in between to focus on the composition. It breaks the image down to just the shapes and isn't distracted with emotional attachments to color. "Hula-Hoop" will hopefully be the first of many paintings I hope to share with you in the future.

Julie Green
May 5, 2018