The Fantascapes: Alternate Treeality

Fantascape “Celebration of Life” – by Miki

I have regularly been asked to make more of my Fantascapes artworks available as prints, but in the last few weeks the interest has become so great that it has seen me forced to take some steps in this direction. I am such a Diva, you know, I need to be begged…  But it is not only the Diva factor in play. The process of redoing the Fantascapes is complicated and the success is not always guaranteed. The Fantascapes were the result of some spontaneous experiments mixing classical and digital art, but initially I had not the intention to sell them and worked on very small files, which is why they were not available at the outset.

But well, I cannot resist the demand any more now, and I have decided to try to redo some, in a format and size that make them available as prints.

But first, let me go back to the story of the Fantascapes.

I have a wonderful sister-in-law called Isabelle, She is herself a painter, she lives in Paris and adores to come to Spain to paint our mountains and trees here. We spent many of her holidays in the Spanish fields together, painting among the Olive and almond trees in front of these weird Spanish mountains which seem to stand on old elephant legs…

Last time we painted together it was  in January 2008, on the Costa Blanca, The almond trees were just blossoming, a real feast for the eyes! Day after day we went to the same place at the entrance of a charming village called “Altea La Vieja”, installed our tables and paints and brushes and pads, and started painting trees and mountains. Now, those who know me, know that I can paint trees and mountains with deep pleasure for a while, but not again and again and again! In this point Isabelle and me are totally different characters, she can paint the same subject day after day, and with increasing pleasure and dedication.. It always amazes me, and I often wondered  what that says about our souls… I guess what it says about me is that I am a restless character! And perhaps that Isabelle needs roots?

Now Isabelle had arrived specifically from Paris to paint the blossoming almond trees, and I couldn’t let her down. I had to find a way to curb my restlessness. One evening I spoke with an artist friend in the USA about that problem, and she advised me to try to see it differently and make something else out of the scenery. Next morning as I sat in front of the trees, I searched for an alternative reality switch in my brain… and I found it! Suddenly the trees started to look different, on the way to humanisation…

Yes, suddenly the trees started to look like people… most of the time though like people in despair, or at least in a dramatic situation…

and I was so confused and also excited by all these weird people inhabiting the fields that I even forgot to paint their blossoms! I guess they would look less dramatic without them!

Anyway, these days were the start of an immense artistic adventure. For a while my brain was totally switched, I couldn’t look at a tree in nature without seeing people, and soon even all other nature elements started to look human, the rocks, the flowers… well, I started at some point that series called “The Fantascapes”, technical variations of the initial watercolour and pastel sketches of people-trees which was the start of many new series, which, I must say, brought me a lot of success and good money, not to be sniffed at! I often think how that adventure began, through boredom in fact, and I am so glad that my restless character, always in search of “the new”, does not allow me to stop too long… in fact, I was never one to take roots somewhere, this might be the deeper reason!

So here I am 4 years later, ready to go into that “Alternate Treeality” again.. Last week I already started to rework the Fantascapes. Some will be a kind of remake of the old ones, some others will be rather new.

Fantascape “Expulsion” – by Miki

Also, inspired by the price that the painting “The Scream” has reached lately, I have done a modern version of it. Well, to be honest, it was not really my intention, that tree suddenly appeared on the painting screaming like hell! But let’s see now if I can get 100 million  for it  before I die!

Fantascape “The Scream 02″ – by Miki

If you are interested in following me through this new Treeality, just check from time to time my FAA Fantascapes FAA Gallery

“Celebration of Life” and the new Fantascapes “Expulsion” and “The Scream” – and some others too – are already available directly online as Giclee print in many different dimensions, on paper or canvas, and also as greeting cards. Just click on the widget below to access my FAA Gallery

A Nightmare

Nightmare 02 - by Miki

(Acrylic painting)

I just woke up from a terrible nightmare:

“…I was at my parents’ flat, in the ninth floor, in front of the sea. There was a hurricane, big flooding and the waves were already licking the base of the building. My old father said he would go down to pray for all the poor people who were in danger. our dog Maya followed him. I was watching the  through the large bay windows After a while I saw him from above, carried away by a gigantic wave, and the dog too.Between two waves the water was very transparent and I could see them both under water, but at different spots, fighting for their life. Somehow the dog succeeded coming out of the water, but then he git mad, searching for my father, and drowned again… My mother was screaming at me that I should go down and try to rescue them, but  I could’t move, and anyway I knew it had no sense….”

Needless to say I had a tremendous headache as I woke up, and  deep guilt feelings. Aspirin helps against physical pain, but not against guilt…

And don’t tell again

“This was only a dream, this is not real!”

because then I will engage you in an endless hot discussion about what “real” is. When a dream has such consequences, so intensely measurable  in my reality, then it must be real! At least, as a scientist, this is my position.

Anyway, here is a nightmare painting, recently created. It is not a reference to an actual, concrete nightmare, but it does symbolise very well what my nightmares are normally about (not like the one from tonight, which was quite realistic): supernatural kind of ordered nonsense, and scary like hell. Full Stories worthy of the most fantastic film scenarios.

I don’t really like this painting, but well, my art is not about what I like. I have noticed that I better sell the paintings I don’t like than the ones I like! This is why I decided, once and for all, to publish everything I do and let the rest of the world be the judge of it.

But don’t misunderstand me: if you don’t like it, you don;t need to tell me. Just keep quiet! 

So, if you like it, and like it so much that you want a print, you can purchase one directly online, on paper or canvas, and in many different sizes. it is even available as greeting card, if you want to make one of your enemies a bad surprise… Just click on the widget below

And more generally you can see many of my dreams, nightmares, passions, loves and hates by going to my gallery “Miki’s Enchanted World”

Birds on Fire

Birds on Fire - by Miki

Acrylics painting

One of my latest creations, a mixed technique between natural random and my fantasy.

This is how I imagine birds came to life, arising from the surrounding randomly floating and flying particles. As I did that work, i was amazed how I gradually saw the birds appearing from the background, from something which looked like a giant fire, pulling free of the initial chaos flames. I just enhanced then a little, so that the observer does not need ages to understand what the painting is about, and in fact gets bored before it clicks with them.

Prints in different sizes on paper or canvas can be purchased directly online.

The Sower is A Woman

The Parable of The Sower

About one year ago, I presented in this blog my new series called “Biblescapes”, inspired by stories and parables from the Bible, and painted in the style of my Fantascapes. It was originally an idea from a church man from the Lake district in the UK, who contacted me asking if I could so such a work. As an example, he gave me “The Parable of The Sower”.

As you can in my first post about the Biblescapes, I did not start with this parable, but eventually, leaded like always by fate and associations chains, I came to  paint The Parable of The Sower. Really, that man knew what he was speaking about, as that painting has become a big hit. Many prints have been purchased already, and the painting has often been shown at several occasions in different parts of the world.  The most relevant to me so far being perhaps  the one purchased by a church congregation in the USA,  as a farewell gift  to one of their retiring female pastors, Here is a photo of teh Farewell ceremony, with my painting standing on the easel.

The Parable of The Sower... a Farewell gift

For some reason, this painting seem to speak wonderful words to people. 2 days ago I was again contacted by a woman, who sent me a wonderful email

“Dear Miki,
Your painting on the parable of the sower is exquisite in its movement and color.  I am a teacher of the parables and your image depicts the extravagance of the sower so beautifully.  I plan to show this image to my students and would love to include some of your own thoughts on the painting.  Would you be willing to write back to me and share some of your ideas about the work?
Thank you and be well,”

I must say that I am very pleased that my painting will be used for educational purposes. I answered

“…  I thought that in my painting, the Sower should be a woman… I don’t know exactly why.. perhaps because The Sower is always depicted as a man, and I cannot see why. Perhaps also because I feel that sowing the right seeds in the right place and in the right moment is a deeply feminine ability… but as I said, I did not think very much about it.
As to the movement in the painting, well, you will find it in all of my paintings: For me life IS movement.. everything I paint moves, even houses or coffee mugs!
As to the colours, also all my paintings are rich in colours… I just need them!, they are for me THE LIGHT OF LIFE… “

By the way, for those who know the place: the background of the painting is based on a stylised sketch of Turre (Provincia de Almeria, Spain)!

This artwork is available directly online as Giclee print in many different dimensions, on paper or canvas, and also as greeting cards. Just click on the widget below to access my FAA Gallery

Dreamscapes

It has been a long time since I didn’t enter this Infinity here.. well, I was on some other, perhaps more exciting, or at least with much more people there. I am speaking of Easelspace, the artist community Adrian, jean and me are leading. A great place I must say, and not only because it is ours! It is a community created by artists for artists, a welcoming place of extreme artistic creativity. The site has many great functions that allow people to exhibit their art and actively take part in the community’s artistic process. And now we have extended the activity, writers and poets are welcome to write about the Easelspace paintings which inspire them.

But well, I haven’t been totally inactive artistically. As always, when I have a serious life of business woman, I need a balance which concretely  manifests itself in random weird paintings. No control about what I paint -and no need to!- I let the fingers do what they want.

All are filed now in my “Dreamscapes” series…

Here are some of the results

The Dream of the Fish That carried His House on His Back

I hope nobody here will try to analyze it. But of course you are all welcome to put words on it, poems, short stories, whatever , and to join me at Easelspace!

La Ménagerie

The Slavery of Freedom

(“The Dance of The Universe”)

Wondering if I am turning myself always more towards Digital Art… The process started at the beginning of this year, using the blossoming almond trees as a pretext to extend my world of classical painting to a mixed technique involving digital art.

I am a little bit confused. I feel myself in the meanwhile more attracted by Digital paintings, when they are well done -  Paintings by other artists or in my own creative process. They seem to satisfy much more my needs of mystery and impossible possibilities.

And… it is soooooo clean!

It allows me to be wild without filthying everything on and around me, clothes, tables, walls, floors,… of course I am missing the sensuality of paper, brushes, water… but there are computer tools which produce similar sensitive effects on my brain.

I know that I am running the risk to lose my faithful fans and clients with this new direction, as most people don’t accept digital art as art. At least I can say that my stuff is not solely digital art. It is strongly based on classical art.

Anyway: first of all, I paint for myself, and I have to do what I have to do:

This is the slavery of freedom!

Mildew Bookworm

Last week we introduced a new feature in the gallery. You won’t believe what it is… A Guess? No chance!

The new feature is…. Internet!

Ha ha Ha!

Well, since we have moved here we had no time to work on our internet connection and we were still working alternately on the net, being connected via wires. Now we have got an airport, and of course, the gallery being next door, we are able to steal from our own connection.

Considering the fact that most of the works I have done this year (series such as The Fantascapes, The Eroscapes, the Fantasprays, The Aquagames, The Pastel Games and finally “La Création du Monde”) are only available as Giclee prints, I thought that the best strategy would be to have some Giclee prints framed, as samples, and to show my online gallery to the clients, to allow them to choose what they want to order. Actually I have put my laptop there, but I might one day install a more sophisticated device, such as a projection screen… we will see.

Anyway the first day we had internet in the gallery we had the visit of an English singer and her art-loving daughter. Seeing one of my paintings, “Mildew Bookworm” she said:

“This would make a great character for a story!”

Well, the truth is, that  about 2 years ago, Kevin wrote a short story, “The Thief of Hearts and The Firecat”,  based on a series of my paintings, and made a little video out of it, in which Mildew narrates the story. And this is exactly what these 2 ladies and Kevin are laughing at on this photo:

So, if you want to have a laugh too, look at the following video!

And if you want to look at Part 2, Mildew says

“Find it yourselves!”

The Eroscapes – #1 – Parallelism 5

As I said in my last post, each of my original Eroscapes has one or more Parallelisms.

No pretension behind the name nor the result, just my own fun and pleasure.

Many times people would love a painting if only… if only the dominant colour were red and not blue, if all the colours were different, if they were lighter, if the format were different, etc…

My Parallelisms are an attempt, beside pleasing myself, to please more people. One might say it is just a commercial trick, it is not, although it will surely help! But it is is above all creature pleasure and the resulting excitement to discover many different facets of the same painting.

And here I want to say a big

“Hurrah!”

to computer technique, which allows us to do such things without having to go through the boring process of drawing and painting the same things again and again!

The one I show you today is the last, at least for now, of the series on Eroscape #1… I don’t know how it happens, but it keeps installing itself as the background on my gigantic screen, and honestly, it looks fabulous as such. Perhaps it is just meant as such, only a background…

but well, backgrounds are very important, aren’t they?

All Eroscapes are available as Giclee prints on Fine Art Paper. Please contact me if you are interested. Have a look too at my page :The Giclee Prints: The Story”

The Eroscapes – #1 – Original

Don’t ask me how how it came about, but I suddenly felt the urge to paint some naked bodies lying around.. Me, who is normally so prude (at least in art!), believe me, it is a real revelation!

In fact I think it came naturally from my series Fantascapes where the blossoming almond trees last Spring suddenly took the form of dancing women, kind of…

Anyway, I took my pen and my watercolours, painted some naked forms, males and females and black and white, put the whole stuff into the computer, – you know, like in a washing machine- and here is the result:

The Eroscapes

I have worked a lot on them in the last few days, almost in a trance. During the creation process my naked bodies naturally moved  into parallel universes, parallel in colours, shapes and lines, but all considered in the same point of the time space.

I will call the first Universe “Original” (very original, isn’t it ? 

And the following ones, Parallelism 1, 2, 3…

Reminds me of my mathematician youth and this is great!

(All Eroscapes are available as Giclee prints on Fine Art Paper. Please contact me if you are interested.)

Fantascape #16 : Bird of Hope

And when all seems lost and dark in your life

just look up to the sky

and a bird of hope

might appear

illuminating your world

with rainbow colours

*****

Please follow too Susan Cornelis’ Fantascapes Series