Thoughtful Accumulation

Hopes, and Fears

Hopes, and Fears
Acrylic on wood
20 x 20 cm

It can be terribly hard to decide what to paint next. Especially if you're trapped in-between worlds like I usually am, I need to paint something I'm passionate about, and I desperately need to sell it.

Being told what to do often helps.

These paintings were done for a Group Exhibition in 2010, themed 'BALJAAR'.' Baljaar' can't be translated to english, but loosely means a frivolous, childlike play, playing with abandon, and the theme was chosen for a Afrikaans festival because it is such a unique afrikaans word. We had to work on 20 x 20 cm wood circles, and do something inspired by the theme, but those were the only parameters.

I found this wonderfully hard, because I had to out-think and outshine all the other exhibitors, without having a clue what their ideas would be or how good their work was, but convinced that they would be better than mine. And the pressure I put on myself got me to possibly one of my best concepts to date. In each painting I would combine adult 'baljaar' with kiddie 'baljaar', and inevitably bad vs. good.

I drew on my own experience, things that affected me when I was a child, or things that I did as a young adult that would affect the child Marike. This is the only range I ever did that focused more on concept than execution. And one of the most successful. (which might lead you to think that I should do that more often, but one does not simply think up great concepts every other day!)

I 'accidentally' sold a bunch of the paintings at the exhibition (I was the only person who did) and was told that I quickly had to do a bunch more, as the work was being exhibited again, and I had to have the same amount of paintings as the rest of the artists. Which was a great complement! The works that weren't bought by acquaintances after the exhibitions, were bought as a group by a local curator. So all in all, a pretty good run.

My work always has a underlying theme, it really helps me to stay focused, even when I do simple still lifes, I keep my theme in mind, to me its always personal. But except for the occasional commission, I don't get told what to do, and its a bit of a pity. A little restriction can really get you thinking outside the box, and produce work that you yourself never expected.