Hey, I'm new here. Thought I'd post a painting I did based on a DXM trip. It's part of a series of 'drug' paintings I've been working on for about a year. It's 36x48 and egg tempera and oil.
amazing... i haven't done DXM in ages...the hands in the picture remind me of one of my trips, my hands felt like they were melting, but it was pleasant...like..my hands were melting into a fountain of emotions...
yep, it's the ol' "head-becoming-a-part-of-a-great-cosmic-wheel" experience. There is even reference to that train track that apppears to take one's wheel-hub head away on....(as ones wheelhub-head is being pulled down the inner-galaxtic path of destiny).... AKA "Becoming one with the Universal Shaman" sensation. Nice depiction of your journies..i bet it is amazing with a full scale view. 36x48 is a big canvas! curious how you work with oil and egg tempera together?
Glad you like it. It took me about 8 months off and on to do it. I was living in Florida at the time so each layer of oil was taking a couple of weeks to dry. Now I'm in NYC, and with the radiators and dry air I can paint much faster on one painting, instead of several in stages. I'll post more soon. Almost done with my Salvia painting. As to the question of how to mix egg tempera and oil, it's time consuming but the results are worth it. It's a northern Rennaissance technique, so how well the painting will age is something I don't know with modern egg tempera, but I really don't care because everything is temporary anyhow. But basically you alternate between thin glazes of oil and layers of egg tempera. Use the tempera in black and white solely for shading, and the oil only for coloring. In person the colors have a translucent quality that you can't get using only oil.
Just an idea: Use cobalt drier (lineolate) to accellerate the drying time of oil. Metal salts have been used as driers since the 13th century. Check out Ralph Mayers "Handbook of Artists Materials & Techniques". There are other variations on the tempera/oil theme. They range from adding liseed oil & varnish to egg tempera to an "egg in oil" method. They may dry faster and will result in many special effects. Mayer also mentions adding whole egg to Flake White for crisp highlights as seen in Renaissance & Baroque paintings. And he warns of using Maroger medium (some painters love it) and the problems associated with meglip. Your painting is terrific! Using "old master" techniques for modern subject matter is cool. The Mistress mentioned Dali who did this also. Gotta love her ! She doesn't miss a trick! )
How do you find it using egg tempra? I just recently learned myself I like this painting, would be good to see a bigger image. Why'd you choose to do a set of drug paintings? What does your work mean to you? Are you studing art, or have you etc? Tell us a little about the artist behind the art, i'm interested to know!
Yes, studied art. Got a BFA in 1999. Mostly focused on figure drawing and painting. My work's meaning to me changes with time. Once a painting is finished, it really no longer has too much meaning most of the time. Most paintings have been destroyed in a ritual that for me is fun and therapeutic, and to my wife seems senseless and psychotic. My feeling on art is summed up by a quote from someone who I can't remember, 'art is a waste of time and a storage problem.' If you don't believe that, just wait until you have to move and have hundreds of paintings and drawings. I think it is important to have as little attachment to a painting as possible. It is also important to be your own best critic and know when something sucks and kill it, and know when something is good and keep it or try to sell it. As for why the drugs question, well, that is what is in my head and needs to escape to make room for new things. Simple as that. If you don't paint what you need to paint, it creates an emotional backup which spills into other areas of life. I try to avoid that. And I like psychedelics and think their potential is enormous and deserves to be explored by those who are willing and able.
I guess it would be if you depict a thought. But if a painting takes months or years, then maybe not. Once the element of time gets involved then the painting influences the thought more than the thought influenced the painting.
