Painting: Elizabeth Murray Inspired 'Everyday Object'

ELIZABETH MURRAY:  About the Artist

 

Born in Chicago, IL and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Moved to NYC to pursue her dream in reinventing painting.  Painting was a dying art during her day, because modern artists were working with crazy materials like bulldozers, and sawing apart houses.  But Murray found a way to bring back 'expressionism', 'cubism', and 'minimalism' all in her own style.

Using odd shaped canvases, bright colors, and playing with negative shapes, Murray would paint imagery from her memories and every day life.

Elements of Art that are important to Murray's work:

 -  COLOR

 -  SHAPE

 -  SPACE

Principles of Art that are important to Murray's work:

 -  UNITY

 -  CONTRAST

 -  EMPHASIS

YOUR PROJECT:

You have two project options:

PROJECT A:

1)  You will cut your Cresent board into odd shapes and glue them together to make a weird shaped canvas with negative spaces.

2)  You will project your sketch of an everyday object onto your canvas.

3)  You will then paint your object using bright, contrasting colors and use them wisely to create an emphasis (or focal point).

4)  You must use the sgraffito technique on 1 spot in your painting.

Examples by Murray

PROJECT B:

1)  You are going to draw every detail/mechanism of an everyday object seperately on your Cresent board, then cut them apart and glue them together creating negative spaces.
2)  You will then paint your objects using bright, contrasting colors and use them wisely to create an emphasis (or focal point).
3)  You must use the sgraffito technique on 1 spot in your painting

Examples by Murray:

SGRAFFITO:
 
1) Paint a solid color & let dry
2) Paint a contrasting color on top
3) While paint is wet, draw a design/pattern through the wet paint