Objection - Poem

distrust is a horrible fact
the eyes of disgust cover you
the blanket of hate builds
can't overcome the pain

where do you turn when proven wrong
should I dance in delight
can I feel vendication?
there can be no doubt

you don't trust me and
the bell can't be unrung
turn the clock toward me forward
counter-clockwise toward you

defeated

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Objection - Art

Objection is a busy, energetic piece with wavy lines that invoke the sound and image of static on a radio or television. This painting has a black-and-gray color scheme that is simple, yet compelling, for the wavy, black lines move across their gray environment with an appearance of erratic, unstoppable motion. The erratic nature of the lines’ movements causes the painting to have a mood of conflict and instability. Opposing forces seem to be in conflict in this piece, the waves crossing and clashing at various points in the painting.

The title of this piece is simply an indication of the conflict that exists at the painting’s heart. The painting is primarily a study of the static and miscommunication that can result from conflict between people. Opposing viewpoints disturb and cross each other, causing conflict and objections that disrupt the harmony of life. Objection is an interesting study of the effects of conflict, particularly on interpersonal relations.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Indian Fantasy of Freedom - Art

In Indian Fantasy of Freedom, the juxtaposition of light and dark creates a vivid portrait of freedom. A pale, neutral shade of beige dominates the painting, sweeping across the painting’s landscape in graceful curves. The beige curves are well spaced and expansive, as thought they have limitless room in which to spread and move as they would wish. These graceful curves represent the very land itself – free open space across which Native Americans once moved without restriction.

The darker circles in the painting are significant as well. These dark blue orbs are broadly spaced, with much of the painting’s landscape between them. The widely space configuration of these dark circles represents the wide spaces that once existed between Native American communities. Before being forced into smaller and smaller spaces, Native Americans covered a massive continent, and much space was available to them in which they settled and lived.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Life Tree - Art

In Life Tree, a lush natural color scheme creates a visual impression of a tree growing in an idyllic landscape. The vivid greenery of the tree creates impression of great vitality and life force. The tree itself is surrounded by a halo of glowing yellow light, marking the great amount of energy that is surrounds this living thing. The tree illuminates and dominates the landscape of the painting, asserting itself as a prominent and majestic image.

From Genesis to modern literature, the “tree of life” has been a common motif in human mythology. The image of a tree as a giver and sustainer of life is a natural metaphor for mankind. From trees come life-giving oxygen, energy-providing fruits, and soul-sustaining natural beauty. The life sustaining qualities of trees is not merely a part of mythology – rather, it is a reality.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Rabbit - Art

Rabbit is a dark, abstract piece with an unusual, mysteriously gloomy mood. The color scheme in this intriguing piece is composed of a rich, deep burgundy shade and a dark charcoal. The dark, disturbing nature of the colors of this piece contrasts interestingly with the painting’s title. Though rabbits are often considered to be cuddly, sweet animals, this piece is more evocative of a frantic, delirious rabbit, disturbed by some terrible event or stimulus.

The dark colors of this piece create a frightening mood, in which terror seems to reign supreme over all other emotions. This is not unlike the experience that many rabbits have in nature, where predators, both human and animal, chase them with the intent to kill. This painting, instead of focusing on the cute and cuddly exterior of a pet rabbit, portrays the experience of a rabbit living in the wild, exposed to the dangerous world at large.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

New art project

I have been working on an assignment from photography class and had this brilliant idea. It's brilliant after I find funding to do it. :-)

My project proposal would be to follow 2-3 families for one whole year.

The breakdown would be as follows.
Meet with each family 2 hours a week for 52 weeks. During those hours (morning, afternoon, evening - depends on the week), I would take pictures of the family doing what they do and also taping pre-defined questions about their lives..blah blah blah.

Some combinations I would want:
older couple ( no children at home)
single parent (man or woman)
same sex couple (guy or girl)
single person (working)
single person (not working)

there are so many combinations, and I would have to figure out how to narrow down a family and also the incentive or compensation for them. (like I said ----- funding, funding, funding)

Spirit of the Flower - Art

In the painting Spirit of the Flower, the nature of a flower is studied in close detail. Not only its physical aspect is depicted, but also its essential character, its spirit, as the painting’s title describes it. The flower itself is featured at the center of the painting, and it is accompanied by two long trails that emerge from its petals and float outward and ultimately beyond the edges of the painting.

The color scheme chosen for this piece is evocative and creates an emotional response in the viewer. A deep red blends with black as the painting’s image meanders across the painting’s white background. These are both very strong colors, red being a color associated with blood and power, and black a traditional color for death. The flower in this painting is powerful and has an essential nature, for it is the lifeblood of the planet. Yet flowers themselves are not long lasting. As is suggested by the black color creeping into the flower, all blooms must die before much time has passed.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

off to photography class

... this will be interesting and something new to add to the talent tree.

Sunset - Art

In Sunset, an interesting, contrasting color scheme is used to create a study of the nature of the sun and its movement across the sky toward sunset. Four bright yellow suns feature in this painting, and they line up against one edge of the painting – four vibrant, blazing suns, all in a row. These matching suns represent the various stages of the day – morning, noon, afternoon, and sunset.
The blue streaks that trail behind each of the yellow suns also relate to this visual image of the stages of the day. The streaks are increasingly shorter, representing the fading amount of day that accompanies each passing stage of the day. At sunrise, the whole day lies ahead. At noon, the remaining portion of the day is shorter, in the afternoon it is even shorter, and at sunset, only a small segment of the day remains. This interesting look at the sun’s path across the sky makes Sunset a compelling and thought-provoking piece.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Mother Ecropolis - Art

In Mother Ecropolis, an abstract piece in a monochromatic color scheme, such important and ancient concerns as life and death are addressed. The title is suggestive of the word “necropolis,” meaning city of the dead, or burial place. A necropolis is a sacred place for burying the dead, such as a cemetery or mausoleum. Yet the title uses the word “ecropolis,” which has no literal meaning. However, by removing the “n” in “necropolis,” a much less sinister-sounding word emerges. Perhaps this indicates the opposite of a “city of the dead,” or rather, a “city of birth.” This is also supported by the word “mother” in the title, indicating her life-giving capacity as the focus of this piece.

The orange color scheme of this piece also reflects this life-giving force of the maternal. Orange is a strong, warm color, evoking light and heat. As the mother nurtures her young, so does this striking color warm and elevate the spirits. The painting’s simple lines are uncomplicated and natural, like a mother’s love. Mother Ecropolis play off of an eerie, disturbing word to create a calming, maternal piece that evoke the warm feelings of a birth and the renewal of life.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Rays - Art

Rays is a simple piece that reveals a great deal of movement and energy. The lines of this painting are propelled away from a central point with a great deal of energy obvious to the viewer. The rays seem to be traveling away from the center of the painting with a great deal of force and speed. Like light rays produced by a faraway star, the rays in this painting appear to be emitted by glowing orbs, resembling stars or other gaseous heavenly bodies that emit rays of light out into the universe, traveling millions of miles to be seen on earth.
The red color of the rays is also significant. Red is an extremely warm color, associated with heat. This red color represents the heat and energy of the stars, where temperatures are tens of thousands of degrees higher than anything found on this planet. The sheer power and heat of these stars provide all the energy of the universe, and this intense heat is creatively depicted in Rays, a simple painting that gives a very strong impression

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Skeleton - Art

Skeleton is a haunting piece suggestive of loneliness and isolation. A lone figure stands in a strange, multi-colored landscape. A strong wind appears to be blowing, so strong that the figure’s lines have begun to blur, as though the wind is tearing away at the very substance of the lone figure. The figure itself is merely skeletal, as the title suggests, diminished to only a bare scrap of its previous self.

The loneliness of living in this strange landscape has torn away at the figure in the painting. The wind, representing his loneliness, has blown away everything but the skeleton outline of the person. This painting is a beautiful, evocative image of isolation and its effects on a human being. The landscape of the painting is strange and beautiful, but it is not naturalistic. It is shown to be a place inhospitable to human happiness, as the skeleton of the painting is being torn apart slowly by existing in this environment. In this way, the painting asserts that loneliness is an unnatural state for humanity, a race of beings who long for contact and connection with others.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Wei Waiting - Art

Wei Waiting is a dark, monochromatic piece centering on a set of Asian characters set in a gray background. The title gives insight into the meaning of the characters; “wei” is an Asian character associated with action. The title of this piece, Wei Waiting, indicates that this painting is focused on a theme of “waiting before action.” In many cases, inaction can be the best action, providing an opportunity for planning and contemplation. In this piece, the need to wait and consider before acting rashly is an essential impression imparted to the viewer.
The dark stripe to the side of the characters is an enigmatic feature of the painting. Perhaps it represents the pent-up potential of the delayed action, a force waiting to be released. The action, not yet ready to be released into the world, is a deep, dark black, its color highly saturated, which gives it an impression of restrained energy. Upon its release, the viewer can imagine the action dissipating out into the rest of the painting, adding to the gray fog that fills the rest of the frame.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Limited Search - Art

In Limited Search, a monochromatic green color scheme and broad strokes create a sense of immediacy and movement. The vigorous strokes of green that comprise this abstract, freeform piece give the impression of vitality and movement. Strong curves indicate motion, and an abstract, minimalist image of a car and drive can be seen in the unusual lines of this painting. An image of motion, according to the title, this car is searching for something.
Yet the search is “limited,” or rather, it can only accomplish a certain degree of success. The green color that was chosen for this piece represents greed. Greed is a driving force and the motivation of many people’s searching. Money is a powerful force; however, there is a limit to its power to create happiness. Limited Search is a study of the nature of motivation and greed, along with its inability to completely provide for human happiness.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Under Growth - Art

Under Growth is a captivating painting created with a highly varied range of colors and textures. Some sections of the painting have a high level of color saturation, while others have only a pale, sketchy smattering of color. A multi-colored, S-shaped curve is a central figure in the piece, and an equally colorful background surrounds it. The color green has a strong presence in this painting, the background including both deeper and lighter shades of green.

The snake-like curve resembles a river in certain respects. Its meandering shape brings to mind a flowing river. The image in the painting appears to be the mouth of a river, and the curving shape opens out into blue water at the river’s delta. The river itself is tinted with the brown of earth, as though it is still forming out of the substance of the land. The title suggests that the river is in a formative state, and the curving river in the painting is not very long at all, curving to an abrupt end not far from its beginning. Under Growth is an appealing piece, a colorful visual image that has a natural, almost geological, feel.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Generations - Art

In Generations, creative use of texture and color illustrates the intricate interweaving of the different generations that make up a family. The color scheme used in this painting is quite diverse, spanning warm and cool colors of various levels of brightness. The diversity of this color scheme illustrates the diverse nature of a family, which can include members of many different backgrounds, ages, and beliefs. These seemingly disparate people are connected by a family relationship that binds them together.
This colorful painting also has a very unique textural composition. The color saturation of this piece is sparse, and upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the color segments are composed of very small circles and squares that cover the painting’s landscape. These individual shapes represent the individual members of each generation. Though the maintain individuality, they combine to form the larger, more powerful entity of the generation.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Your Kin Folk

Your kin folk - Story idea about a young girl that discovers that her great grandparents were slave owners.

©2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Insano - Poem

As one thinks of insecurity
a new conclusion should be expected
a weak mind shows fear
As does a cowardly heart

I sit and ponder the what if's
you invent the worst scenarios
I imagine the joys of life
You think of new ways to die

the weeds of fate attract you
the sensibility factor is not present
end a meaningless thought
end you

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Insano - Art

Insano is a multi-colored, erratic piece using broad, almost violent strokes and a complementary color scheme to product a vivid and disturbing image of mental illness. The strange and unpredictable shapes featured in this painting are disturbing. Broad swirls connote movement that is whirling and out of control. The features of the painting seem wild and barely restrained by the painting’s loose structure. The underlying danger that seems ready to break free is ever-present in this piece.

The colors used in this piece also reflect this sense of lost control. The red color that dominates this piece is often associated with anger and blood. This strong color indicates the violence underlying this painting, though it remains in the background, waiting to break free at any moment. An overlying sense of control is created by the cool green streaks that cross the red background. This control is imposed upon the roiling anger that lies beneath the surface, somehow managing to keep it restrained. Yet the danger remains, and this anger and madness can emerge at any time, giving Insano a sense of impending danger.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Today's creativity

Today I am going to work on some poems and work on the creative writing that goes with the paintings.

Mastec Hate - Poem

Excited utterances are the truth
not to be taken lightly
hardley ever forgiven
retractions are unlikely

beneath the old facade
apologies are accepted
past hurts hinder your future
supicious minds prevail

of all the inadequate themes
to live by a motto
to be or not
open your mind and trust again

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Mastec Hate - Art

The freeform piece titled Mastec Hate relies heavily on the creative use of color to give the painting depth and meaning. A hazy gray background dominates the painting, giving this piece the look of the sky on an overcast day. This gray, cloudy background gives the piece a gloomy mood. The clouds are forbidding, and they allude to the “hate” mentioned in the painting’s title. A dark line travels across the painting, and two small shapes, one green and one black, also appear in this piece.
Except for the green block that appears in the painting, this piece is a monochromatic work in gray and black tones. This choice of color gives the painting a dark, moody feel. The monochromatic color scheme also highlights the green image in the painting, which is the only incidence of color in the entire piece. Perhaps this is the object of the hate the painting has called up. As the color of greed and money, the green block may represent selfish interests that are worthy of the painting’s hate. This green block is an image of worldliness and greed, and Mastec Hate becomes a condemnation of these negative forces in the world.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Foci Point - Poem

brightened lights engulf your soul
the laughable distance crowds my heart
justice prevails
praise observes you

turning your attention to the door
I leave
slowly

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Foci Point - Art

This piece reveals an abstract form in charcoal. Arms that converge at a single point link three hollow circles. The lines of the form are thick and strong with some blending and shading along the edges. The triad of circles is lined up in an even row. The significance of groups of three has been a part of human consciousness for millennia. A set of three gives a natural sense of completion and finality. The number “three” brings to mind the Holy Trinity of Christianity, and it is featured in many folk takes, such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” It is a mystical number that appears in many ancient religions. In ancient Babylon, people believed in three primary gods. Also, there were three distinct character traits of the Egyptian sun god. The prevalence of the number three is a testament to its natural place in the human psyche.

The mystical and spiritual characteristics of the number three are enhanced by the artist’s color choice. Black is a strong and mysterious color, equated by many with success and power. Yet it is often associated with death, mourning, and evil. By combining this color with the significant number of three, a highly suggestive and mysterious mood is created in the painting.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Don't just say it.

People often dream of things that could have done in their past. By this time next year, they will be saying what they coulda-woulda-shoulda done. You can make your dreams come true.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Digested Forest - Art

In Digested Forest, a strange and fantastical landscape is evoked in surreal shapes and muted colors. The landscape in the painting appears to be a view encompassing a mountain range and the lush, dense forest that covers the mountaintops. The forms of the trees are portrayed in a hazy fashion, the edges blurred and indistinct. Yet the lines of the mountains are clear and distinct. A strong green line crosses the painting to denote the lines of one mountain against another.

The color scheme of this piece is composed of various shades of green. The shade of green chosen for this painting is muted and natural. The color is deep and dark, giving the impression of a forest of evergreens in fall or winter. The dark colors evoke feelings of cold and early nighttime, as when the sun sets early in the winter. Digested Forest therefore depicts a forest that has been “digested” by the year; it is now prepared to sleep and renew itself as winter comes.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

This is a perfect day to paint a lot.

Myspace

Creativity is so fullfilling and so hard at times. I have to finish giving names to approximately 300 paintings. I need to do this in a week to stay on track.

Ancient Speaker - Art

In Ancient Speaker, neutral earth tones and basic shapes evoke a primal mood of ancient origin. Shades of brown, tan, green, and black are used in this abstract piece, each of these colors recognizable in the natural world. The green color represents vegetation – forms of plant life that have existed in this planet for thousands of years. The tan and brown colors represent the earth itself, the different minerals that compose the earth’s crust and the life-giving soil on the surface. Black is the color of the night, regulator of the planet’s time, which has been divided into night and day since the formation of the earth.

The shapes in this piece are very elemental and simple, hearkening back to the simpler life forms that become the basis for evolution. Simple squares, circles, and crisscrossing lines evoke the simplicity of primordial creation, the ancient miracle from which all life is derived. The speaker alluded to in the title of this painting speaks of our planet’s history – its journey from chaotic creation to the evolution of the diverse kinds of life found today.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved