Oldies... but Goodies!

Starting from the top left, 18"x24" acrylic on stretched canvas, 8"x11" oil pastel on paper, 18"x24" acrylic on canvas board.

The pictures above are projects from art classes through highschool. Most of these pictures hold a special meaning to me. The first picture (top left) is actually the very first canvas that I had ever stretched! From doing that simple painting, I learned so much that I apply to my work now. The assignment was to paint something that had background, middleground and foreground using only our fingers. I did a lot of research in the library during art classes to find images that inspired me. The next picture (top right) is from a set of 4: graphite on paper, oil pastel on paper, white & black contrast, and chalk on paper. This original image was a Covergirl advertisement. The final image and most meaningful (bottom) was done in my spare time but used in class. This was made at home one night when my best friend and I painted leisurely since we were both very "artsy" students. We went on later to actually spray-paint the all of the walls of his mom's basement with scenes from hawaiian sunsets to dolphins to a giant face of a tiger. Total Blast! When I take the time to look back at the previous artwork of my life, I am reminded that this has always been something that simply came very natural to me. I never seemed to find it hard or considered it to be "work" but found it to be the best way possible to keep myself entertained by doing the most innate thing I know. -Josh Grabowski