Artist Journal 3-19-07

Artist’s Journal

Morton Brown

3.19.07

I chose to develop the flying kid more fully this week. As some of you may have noticed on the website’s blog, I had added the sunglasses on this figure in photoshop a couple of weeks ago as a touch of interest, to complete her costume, and as a means of an allusion to looking towards the future.

This week I decided to render it in paint on the design. I liked it very much, but it needed more in order to speak to the future. So, I brought back the pixilation in the clouds and sky around the figure’s head. I was very reticent to bring a “special effect” into this painting, because this design was always more of a traditional allegorical effort instead of the mixture of the flat, poster/design oriented endeavor of the first design. This is something I have attempted before-mixing the traditional figure-in-the –landscape with flat design-in my studio work, but never to this degree of full environment with flat devices.

I also developed the Arkansas Traveler quilt pattern, and found that I like the play between the pattern of the quilt, the pattern on her shirt, and the pixilation in the sky. It is almost too much, but balances nicely while creating some interesting energy and rhythm. To the left of the flying kid, I have placed Col. Asa Robinson, founder of Conway standing behind the park bench where James John Doyne, founder of UCA sits. I have made a sketch-note that one of the prominent female Conway public school teachers will be sitting between Robinson and Doyne (as soon as I figure out who this should be, and I ask your opinion on this…).

I have also decided on some of the characters of the playing kids. The main figure placing the railroad tracks is dressed up in a costume that resembles a business suit from the 1940’s, but was actually taken from a photograph of a Conway railroad dispatcher from around 1905. I also added the figure of a ballerina to symbolize-not just dance-but the proliferation of culture in general: the arts that are brought to the community largely by the efforts of the universities. If you look very closely, the ballerina is playing with a farm tractor, a horse and a couple of sheep, which speaks to the agricultural history of Conway.

Also, note the buildings that have been added. Directly in front of the ballerina is Central Baptist College, as its main building looks today (with its back to the viewer). Closer to the railroad tracks-the two smaller buildings on either side of the tracks are the train depots that resided at the mural site location, as seen from around 1905. Further in the back and atop the knoll is the more developed main building of Hendrix college from the 1890’s. I have also added a Ward bus that can be seen placed between CBC and Hendrix.

For next week, I will be developing these characters, buildings and adding references to the cotton industry. I would appreciate any help or advice on the public school teacher that will sit on the park bench, and any other comments on the direction of the final design. Also-I feel that it is interesting to have some of the founders located around the park bench, but am of two minds as to how to represent them. In their current state, they are represented in period clothing-almost like ghosts-but also sort of echoing the “playing dress up” theme of the rest of the characters. I like this, but it also seems a little weird. I could diminish the period clothing, and re-dress them in more modern clothing or just sort of make the clothing nondescript as to any sort of time period (for instance, Doyne could simply wear a white button-down Oxford-type shirt without a tie and suit).

Please let me know your thoughts, and I am looking forward to bringing the design towards completion!

PS: As of this Friday, March 23^rd, I will no longer be available at the morton@sproutfund.org email address.

Please make any future emails out to bromorton@gmail.com.

Sincerely.

Morton