[null, {"document_url": "http://kathleensredballoons.blogspot.com/2010/03/mona-distorted.html", "unformatted_src": "//lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nwbKOLRMZqs/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAnE/FM3XFLJ7zdo/s80-c/photo.jpg", "src": "http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nwbKOLRMZqs/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAnE/FM3XFLJ7zdo/s80-c/photo.jpg", "formatted_filename": "photo", "alt_text": "My photo", "rendered_width": 80, "rendered_height": 80}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://kathleensredballoons.blogspot.com/2010/03/mona-distorted.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cFQ6r2V-Jcc/S6OaiF6vbuI/AAAAAAAAAFY/8hxZUSeG1ts/s320/hmoan.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cFQ6r2V-Jcc/S6OaiF6vbuI/AAAAAAAAAFY/8hxZUSeG1ts/s320/hmoan.jpg", "formatted_filename": "hmoan"}, null, null, null, null, null]

Mona Distorted Art can be therapy, and it can also cause distress.  Lately, I’ve been creating a lot of work that I’ve been unhappy with because it’s been overworked in a style that’s not even my own.  I’m trying to impress the teacher and the “invisible client” ... but I’m not impressing myself or creating anything that’s “me”.  I need to find my own style before I can start creating pieces that I’ll like and that people will like.
The fact is, I like working loose, not completely realistic, yet not abstract.  I like interesting, vibrant, dull, and monochromatic color schemes, penwork, lots of messy lines… and I love figures/ people - that aren’t completely realistic. From now on... I’m going to try to create things in school that are MY style... whatever that is. I know I’m not the only artist trying to find his or her unique style... we all deal with this inner struggle.                                            It’s quite a pain.   You go through this melodramatic artist in a crisis phase where you begin to doubt your own work and wonder if you should really be in art school.  I would consider this my style... and this made me happy.  I think the solution is pretty simple….
Anyways, this is based off of my watercolor still life of Mona, an armless manikin.
Posted by Kathleen Joyce at Friday, March 19, 2010