The Top 100: Surrealist Techniques

Friday, October 10, 2014

Surrealist Techniques

Over the years I've kept all the print-outs that were the source materials for top 100 paintings. A thousand pictures neatly organized in binders. Most pictures are black and white images downloaded from the internet. The intention always was for this to be a part of The Top 100 Archive, an ambition that I hope to establish within the next five years or so. My favorite pictures in the binders are those photos that have smudges of paint on it, notes to self for planning the painting, and corners torn off because they were taped to my easel. The images gathered in 2013 and 14 are not yet in binders. Loose sheets are scattered through my studio, some in manilla folders, others taped to the wall. I decided I would play with these pictures before they will be stored in sheet protectors inside a few new binders. Playing is fun and I've had lots of it during the last couple of evenings. The whole project started because of a homework assignment in my art appreciation course called Surrealist Games. I figured I should practice what I preach, thus out came the hobby materials. Cutting, pasting, and all sorts of change happenings through surrealist techniques. I wonder what my students will come up with. Thought I share some of this images. All images exist on 8.5" x 11" copy paper, and were all created in 2014. Materials used are black and white prints, acrylic paint, and pen. Try some yourself, you won't be disappointed.