2 Monochrome Artwork Challenge

[njnjgirl]

Gita, wonderful work!!!👏I really like this!😊👍

[Val]

  Wonderful piece Gita!!! Brilliant.         

[Annie.]

Substance Abuse and Death

There is a substance abuse crisis in North America, and many lives are lost wastefully.  A sensitive topic, and I do hope that I will not offend anyone.

The 4 items in the series represent substance abuse, they are:  alcohol, injectable drugs, cannabis, and opioids. 
- Pure black to white scale because this is a dark topic, often relegated to back alleys.

The contrasting object is a skull, representing death of course.   I wanted chocking contrasting colors, 1) because I was trying to push myself outside of my subdue nature-like choice of colors, and 2) because again, unlike my nature, I  wanted to create a chocking painting to make people talk or at least think about this topic.

The wash (I did it Nolan!) is:
purple - chosen as an alternate color of mourning the death of a love one (or an abandon soul)
blue - to represent the deep depression suffered by many individuals with substance abuse
red - to depict the pain associated with this class of disorders

As for the first challenge, I spent a lot of time researching and studying both the topic and doing many sketches before starting the paint.  Unlike the first challenge, I did not wait until the last week to start painting.
I created a still life* and used the grid method to transfer it to my canvas. 

Taking a representative photo was my last challenge, finally managed with indirect light to get ride of most reflection... okay black is not easy to photograph.

Here is my submission, acrylic on canvas 16x20":

Details

* before you ask, my still life did not include any drugs.  They were all make believe, juice for the alcohol, sugar for the injectable drugs, roll of paper burned at one end for the cannabis, and acetaminophen/paracetamol for the opioids.

[Gita]

  Nolan, Annie, Val, Mary-Lou!
The „sensuous“ painting could be hung in the dining room of a vacation resort by the sea side in Provence, I suppose.
Nolan, this challenge has awakened my interest with painting different values with this „Tusche“ ( meaning „ink“ in German). This is a lovely permanent ink which I use in urban sketching, too. Thank you for your idea with this challenge!
P.S: I corrected some grammar mistakes in my explanation ( the submission time has changed).

[Gita]

Annie, your painting is an homage to all the tragic lives around us who are addicted and suffering.
Your explanations about the colours are so interesting and reach the deepest corner of my brain.
Beautifully painted, well placed items and bravo that you photographed yourself! Good luck to you, too! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Annie.]

 

  Thank you so much Gita.  I feel so honored and humbled from receiving such a compliment from an accomplished artist.  I admire so much that you create all sort of paintings, and that your imagination seems bottomless.   

[Bill76434]

  Annie for the information and presenting a good painting portraying it.

[Annie.]

  Thank you Bill.  I really enjoy the process.

[MaryAnne Long]

Gita, Belma, Annie

Nice work, ladies.

Everyone is getting really creative with this one.

aloha

mea

[JayJ]

Wow love it Gita....beautifully done!

[JayJ]

Great submission Annie!!!





Annie you think like a true artist..using your artwork to make a  statement ...really admire that!!


I just come up with  a  still life!!,which am not sure if I will be able to complete..Am so slow in painting!!!Yes shall persevere!!!

[njnjgirl]

Wonderful painting Annie, with a strong message.   

[Win]

Fabulous Gita and Annie. 

[Gita]

  Mea, Zyan, Win!

Zyan, looking forward to yours!

[Annie.]

  Mea
  Zayn
  MaryLou
  Win

Just looking back at the range of submissions, interpretation of the same directions, is very educational by itself.  And many more will come still 10 days.