Thursday, 14 March 2013

On 29 Faces - or why there are no faces

A couple in love
A Couple in Love. Art Print available here.
Hey there lovely people and Happy Thursday to you! I hope you've had a lovely day, wherever in the world you may be.

I've been looking back on my 29 Faces challenge from February, and thinking and wondering to myself. In fact I even jokingly asked another 29 Faces participant whether she thought I was cheating!

You see, my faces have no faces as such. They haven't for a long time. I have been wondering why that might be.

It's not because I can't drawn faces.
Mother and Baby Portrait
Exhibit A, M'Lord.

So maybe I'm not cheating after all. 

But then why the lack of faces? What about this style of illustration really appeals to me?

A Girl and Her Kitty
A Girl with her Kitty on her Shoulder. Art Print available here.

I have always admired abstract painters. Artists who can create something beautiful even though they have nothing really to go on. Nothing concrete anyway. They are totally reliant on their imagination and their emotions. Mostly it's a feeling they are trying to convey with their work, and mostly they are very successful.

I have always felt that I don't have that in me. That ability to do anything other than copy what is there in front of me. I think with these lovely new works I have changed all of that.
Thoughts
Thoughts a swirling. Art Print available here.

Now, these illustrations aren't what you might call abstract - I'm certainly not trying to claim that. They do however, create a mood and an emotion without the need for anything concrete. No smile or frown to act as a clue. I feel (and I hope you do too) that the emotions behind each illustration are clear enough without the need for a face to give you that extra clue.
The Bride and Groom
The Bride and Groom. Art Print available here.

I have said before (and will indeed say again) that I am so enjoying creating these lovely illustrations. The whole process is one that makes me happy, fills me with hope and joy, and makes me come alive.

And that's not an easy thing to achieve after a full days work!


What things light you up inside? I'd love to know.


Take care,



22 Comments:

Manon said...

Oh well you know what they say about the simple things in life! I think doing your faces in this way gives you the freedom to just create without much worry. Manon x

heidi said...

I really like the pictures. It's like I can put in whatever face I think fits in your pictures. Very clever!I checked out the other artwork in your shop and I love those bunny pictures.

http://heidiswanderings.blogspot.com/

Sew Coco said...

I admire your pictures as that is one thing I cannot do! Following you from the blog hop on my sewing blog.....thought I would give this a try!
DeniseAngela

Scudds Harrison said...

I love the pictures and so your blog.
I am following you from the hop.

Scudds

Jane Blogs said...

I'd say you've found a style that's uniquely you, Sarah!
Earlier this year I began painting bald girls. Don't know why, but it just felt right to me.
I feel such joy in expressing my creativity in this way.
Each painting is just so much fun to create, not hard work like I've felt in the past before I found this new style.
From what you're saying, you're going through the same sort of experience.
Isn't it just amazing?!

Penny Stewart said...

Love the faceless people. I did something similar with little couples that I painted for the artomat. 50 little couples, so 100 people without faces. It is very freeing not to have to try to get their expressions correct, but to convey emotion just through body language. Thanks for sharing! Here is a slide show I made of my watercolor people. http://www.flickr.com/photos/50096819@N06/sets/72157632936708696/show/

Karrilee Aggett said...

I love this... and these... and the joy you are finding in embracing your style and own out of the box creations! (I love out of the box... and I too admire Abstract artists... I TRY to paint abstract - but it just doesn't work out for me!)

Visiting from Studio JRU today!

Faye said...

Nice faceless faces! They do have a lot of feeling attached to them.

Mary C. Nasser said...

Wonderful work!
Lovely post!
♥♥♥
Happy PPF!!
Mary
Mixed-Media Map Art

Rita said...

I love the faceless faces. I think they portray very much emotion...and the lack of a face might even make it MORE emotional to me. Very wonderful! Wish I had thought of that! :)

Happy PPF!

Anne said...

LOVE! I adore your creations!! especially the one with the kitty on the shoulder - so cute! I am fascinated by Picasso's drawings. Only a few lines and yet so much expression.

Amazing.

xox

Netty said...

smashing illustrations. Happy PPF, Annette x

http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

EM Illustrator said...

Interesting illustrations, love them.
Enjoy your Sunday!

Sue said...

I believe that even when we are looking at something we draw into it our own personalities.
I like your woman and child very much!
xx

Adrienne Rose said...

Nothing is cheating in art. :)

Sinderella Studio Designs said...

agree, nothing is cheating in art. I also love your no faces - yet they have impact filling whatever seems to pop in my head when I look at them. They all seem to have a message, even without a face. don't change!
cheers, dana

Anne Manda said...

The faceless people are quite smart for illustrations, it is easier for the person who is viewing the image to identify with it when there is no face. Lovely images!

Gallery Juana said...

Sweet illustrations and how you've found what motivates you to do more art. I've done a few paintings of figures with no faces and find it freeing and letting go of definitions. Visiting from GalleryJuana.com

Thanks for letting me know how the word verification is not necessary for eliminating those spam comments.

Alexandra said...

I like your style and everything you illustrate around them creates the "expression" on their faces. :)

Happy SS!

Lynn Cohen said...

It takes a special talent to convey emotion with out the facial expressions; and YOU are doing it!
Bravo!!! They are fun to look at!

Jennifer {Studio JRU} said...

love hearing your thoughts here, sarah! and i do agree that you can feel emotions behind art without the need for a face. i do the same thing with some of my pieces. :)

Debbie said...

cool illustrations!

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