What Was I Thinking? Origin Story
The Beginning: February 2021
For many, the Covid Pandemic years are a blurry, but all too real memory, feeling more like science fiction, rather than the actual real lives everyone had to live. Family loss, masks, social distancing, lockdowns, toilet paper shortages and white vans going from town to down allegedly causing chaos. All facets of the weirdness causing fear and anxiety.
Personally speaking, as “a couple weeks to bend the curve” turned into several weeks and years, I struggled mightily with what to do with my mind and hands to keep busy during idle times.
My general go to for cerebral occupancy has always been to read and listen to music. I realized buying books and music expenses (Spotify and vinyl) were endeavors of consumption rather than any sort of creative artistic contribution. Enter painting… And Kid Cudi.
Very First Painting: “Ascension or Descension?”
Kid Cudi, Hobby Lobby and Strange Thoughts
Kid Cudi had recently released “Man on the Moon III” in December of 2020 when I took the dive and spent a whopping $15 on five Hobby Lobby, 16 x 20 inch canvases around February of 2021. I also grabbed a pack of cheap brushes and a variety box of several paints. Very meager beginnings with zero intent that it would turn into anything other than a short lived crafting opportunity.
I had previously not paid much attention to Kid Cudi other than hearing “Day N Night (nightmare)” over and over on the radio years ago when he released his first album back in 2009. At the time, that song really wasn’t my jam. As I listened to MOTM III over and over I fell in love with the vibe of the album. I had persistent images of floating while listening. Within the image of celestial flotation, I thought about how a point of reference at the top of a canvas and the position of a body could be interpreted in two completely opposite ways. One way to interpret involves the character falling through a hole and continuing to descend farther and farther downward. That thought can metaphorically represent any number of decent narratives: depression, difficulty, anxiety, etc. The other interpretation is more hopeful and would see the character as ascending towards the point of light. The ascension can represent the pull to a higher calling or getting oneself out of the depths of a struggle… or an alien tractor beam… whatever.
Not sure how simple or humble those beginning are, but it triggered an obsession resulting in 190 completed paintings in a 2 and a half year period. Over time, I will use this blog to articulate and tell more origin stories for particular art pieces I have completed. Many are still available in the Shop and others are positioned throughout the United States. My painting journey may not be terribly unique, but my goal is to tell my stories in a unique way. We’ll see where this goes….
