Name: Pamela
Location: Washington, DC
Website: rednotebookstudio.blogspot.com
I have a very firm belief in 1) original paintings 2) spending no more than $100 (use to be $25, but then I fell in love with the "twins.") They are pictured in the room with the two red paintings (mine, to fill the space).
Artwork: The Twins - artist unknown
Purchased/Found: Rough and Ready, Washington, DC
Price: $90
The main event here is the painting of the twins. Never fails to disturb my dates. I've contemplated it for a long time and decided they were the children of a Nazi who went into hiding in perhaps Cartagena, without his wife, and he brought his boys along. I believe the boys were being buggered by the artist -- if you look closely, they are very angry, covering themselves protectively, and their lips are painted very sensuously and ripely. More below...
The older one, I like to think, has newly discovered powers of telekinesis to cause mayhem and the younger one is getting set for some serious violence.
Anyway, I love them and am deathly afraid one night I'll wake up and find the frame and the painting there, but the boys gone...creeping through my house somewhere. I paid $90 for them (including the frame) at Rough and Ready in DC (14th Street NW). Walked in, first thing I saw, bought it within 30 seconds of entering store.
Artwork: The Red Paintings by Pam herself
Price: $???
As for the red paintings... I did the larger one for an ex-boyfriend turned friend whose girlfriend moved in and made him give it back. I think they are gonna break up and I worry that he is going to ask for the painting. It is painted on an old bulletin board because I lacked a proper canvas in the right size.)
Artwork: Tiny Painting
Purchased/Found: Eastern Market, Washington, DC
Price: $10
The tiny painting I picked up at Eastern Market (Washington DC, a Capitol Hill neighborhood institution). According to the vendor selling it, he got it at an estate sale in Baltimore and he says the guy who painted it did the statistical analysis for the Manhatten Project. It looks like a beating heart. I love it. It cost $10.
Artwork: Hall mural by Pam herself
Price: $10
The second shot is a painted mural of birch trees on my entry stairs -- I had slapped up a coat of brown paint (Spice Nut, Duron -- same as on the wall holding the twins) but because no natural light it was much too dark. So using blue painters tape, I masked off tree trunks and bark and painted it all white. Then pulled off the tape. The whole masking/painting process took about 90 minutes. A very satisfying afternoon. I am not an artist by any stretch but it was fun to do. Cost about $10. Many more treasured paintings to show...but limited to two.
Thanks!
Pam
Pam -
Very interesting, arresting and lovely. May your ex stay with Mrs.-Him-Du-Jour so you can keep all as-is.
Love the birch trees quite a lot, too. Love how it plays with positive/negative space. Love how it makes an impact with neutrals. Love how it plays with representational/abstract. Love how it plays with panorama/pattern (muralesque/wallpaperesque). Love the scale. Just love it a whole, whole lot.
I love the spunky attitude of the collecttor/creator and the stories behind and around the paintings. Gutsy and brave and very punk rock. I remember when I couldn't resist filling my living environment with challenging and disturbing art/ifacts.
Great first (?) entry!
PamLove the hallway! I could totally see it in a smaller scale on something like... a skirt maybe (give Issac and Lotta Jansdotter a run for their money)?
If you're really worried about the "boys" sneaking out put a little tripwire across the bottom of their frame when they're not looking. Slow them down a bit so you can call for help. ;-)
a trip wire is definately in order . . . thanks for the story!
I think it's going to be REALLY hard to see all the arts of this contest properly . . .
I like the birch trees, and I can see the magic of the twins. I wouldn't have felt compelled to give them a home, but I have a handcolored late 18th-century print of two leopard seal skulls over my sofa, so I support people having quirky art that has personality.
With all due respect, I am not an aficionado of your big red paintings. They do have a very "filler" look to them. I truly think it would be OK have just the Twins picture on that wall; hang it a bit higher and let them dominate the space with their enigmatic presence.
Twins are a good funky painting. Looks like something you'd find in a magazine spread featuring a designer's personal collection.
The beige wall color isn't ideal. Too much going on w/the walls. Red is a 'winter color' that really looks good w/other winter colors like black, electric blue, yellow, etc. Beige is more of a different family.
The painting would look really cool above an antique looking bureau (instead of a really wide sofa) against an arty white/cream wall or maybe chinese yellow.
I actually love the red/art on that wall color. I generally love art on colored walls. Less gallery-inspired, more museum-inspired.
Since there is a tremendous amount of red in that "beige", it definitely works.
And I disagree that the larger red paintings look like filler. I'm guessing they don't translate perfectly at the scale of these photos, but I think they have a lot going on. In a good way.
I second Patrick -- I love the colors. This looks like a great room to cozy up to a good book. Regarding the other two as fillers -- can't see enough of them to get a sense.
Just wanted to third that the colors work for me too. Also love the stories for the art. I've always been jealous of people who stumble upon really cool found art. This entry made me realize how much depends on the attitude and imagination of the person. So, it's not really luck. Anyway, I'm glad these boys found someone to understand and appreciate their sinister beauty.
I also salute the use of a gold, traditional frame. Traditional, even though the net result is really fresh and modern.
Love the colors - red is so striking. A little concerned about symetry, though. These paintings would look more valuable and interesting if they weren't all lumped in the same area. Center the largest piece over the sofa. OR you can off center the largest, adding two smaller pieces hung vertical
to the side. Hard to explain in writing. I need to draw it. Also, don't know what the entire room looks like, or your wall height, but a shelf that runs the length of your sofa, mounted over the art, would be stunning for vases, smaller art to lean, etc. I'd change the color of the paint...your room is too matchy-matchy. Looks like the reds are in the red-violet family more than the red-orange. Try something in peacock green. That would be stunning... Green or Blue-green would look great.
Um, red art on green walls if you want them to constantly visually vibrate...
Or feel like it's Christmas all year round! Hey, if presents are involved, not such a bad idea ...
lovely. and i actually really, really like the red paintings. if you were selling them, i'd snap them up.
LOVE twins and juxtaposition with red...great elimidate too! True love means being able to appreciate twins!
Nadine