Cardboard Cut Outs

I've been doing my cardboard paintings since the fall this year. I started them on a whim probably because, with my room being in the basement, I am still surrounded by the boxes I moved in with in February. I knew I'd use them for something. Other than it being convenient, I'm attracted to its colour and texture. It has kind of a dirty or used feeling to it. I started painting very graphic figures onto the cardboard and liked how the ripples protruded from underneath the paint. I had a series in mind so I was just chugging away for the first half of the semester. I tend to paint in a very planned, methodical fashion. Carefully putting one specific colour in each shape as if its a paint-by-numbers piece. I'm sure that will always have a part to take in my process but without realizing it at first, I was confining myself.
My painting prof, Jeff Funnell, came up to me a couple weeks ago and told me he had seen my jewelry and thought that I should display them by incorporating them with my paintings. I love getting suggestions when they're exactly what you need to hear. When you're looking for something to tie it all together and someone or something has just made everything click. So thanks to Jeff for that gem. Last weekend I finally had the chance to hunker down and put it into action. I started off with a picture I found that my best friend, Kaja, had apparently uploaded onto my computer this summer. It was a dirty camping picture of her craning her neck, showing off a new set of hickeys to the camera. It was a goofy picture to begin with but when I sketched it out she wound up looking very graceful. The idea was to paint my friends as models on the cardboard and to hang the jewelry off them as if they were wearing the piece. Needing a change I sat on the kitchen floor with my cardboard and started slopping the paint on. At first I had to try not to be anal about it and purposefully paint messily. I got a little more adventerous and started slashing the cardboard with my exacto knife to give her hair some texture. I kept slashing away and wound up being very pleased with the results. I think the paintings work well by themselves but it's nice that they serve a function of being my jewelry models. I have decided to stop being so controlling over my methods and to break free more often. We'll see where this new approach takes me.

The first set of images is called 'Ritualistic'
It is a camping picture of myself, my boyfriend Darrin and my roommate Campbell (from left to right) shotgunning beers. This was my first attempt at the cardboard paintings.
I have yet to find a name for make second series that dually function as my Gillian Giggs jewelry models. They are interpretations of my close friends. From top to bottom is Katie, Kaja, Amy, and Sullivan.