Boccioni

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Boccioni – Umberto Boccioni is one of my ‘art heroes.’ His use of color and brush strokes I find to be very inspiring and something I aspire to do somewhat similarly in my own works on some level.

David Thomann Memorial Painting

David Thomann Memorial Painting
Oil on Wood Panel
© 1998, Jeff Thomann

This is a work that I created about a semester before I created David Thomann Memorial Installation

This work was created just before the time that Photomosaics really became popular. The painting was basically a bunch of photos that work together to create an portrait of my Uncle Dave. However, I painted the photos individually. The images are from a variety of sources.. family photos, and a variety of other scenes, some which were not actually derived from photos, but were scenes I had lived through in person or had some knowledge of… The inability to really tell the whole story that was behind my reasons for creating this work led me to create the Installation later. I might try to get a better photo of this painting later since there appears to be some glare on this one.

BFA Show – Comic

Comic
Oil on Canvas
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

This image was one of the 3′ x 3′ works I did for my BFA show. This, along with the other images in the show were derived from dream imagery. I had started several dream journals in college, and the images for this show were painted versions of some of the images from those journals.

Capturing dreams in a journal is not always easy. I ‘cheated’ a little some of the time that I was doing these images since I had to come up with some of the dreams to put in to the paintings. I did this by sleeping with the lights on and covering my eyes when I slept, and I kept the sketchbooks and journals next to me within an arms length of where I was sleeping, and would start writing as soon as I awoken from a dream. Covering the eyes while the lights were one forced me to remember the dreams as I awoke when the light hit me eyes. However, I had to work quickly to put the dreams down in the book as quickly as possible before my conscious waking mind took over the subconscious train of thought and started putting too much ‘real world’ left brained stuff in to the images and cause/effect relationships and stories beyond what the dream actually contained that I was trying to capture. You have a very short span of time to do that sort of thing if you dream journal as the waking mind sort of takes over within 5-10 minutes or so after you wake up.

There is a lot I learned about dreams in doing this. My dreams are very much based on architectural ideas and archetypes. Many times multiple people in real life will join in to one being in a dream… creating a construct of sorts.. and these archetypes/constructs play roles. Dreams really do have a meaning and reflection that comes from the waking world, and there is a method to them. If you every try to dream journal, you can learn this methodology and the meaning behind the dreams. Most dream interpretation books are way off. It’s much much more personal than any of those can every really get to the real reality of because every person’s personal archive of images that they draw upon from their own waking lives is unique to them… I might make more posts about this in the future. There is a LOT to dream journaling.

On the Road

On the Road
Oil on Canvas
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

For a while in college I was fascinated by the idea of driving and the metaphor of how the car becomes a part of one’s self – an extension of the inner self in a variety of ways. Much of my art since that time has revolved around the idea of the journey, and seeing the landmarks on the road we see daily both in cars and outside of them. Roads that parallel highways and exit ramps and overpasses – tunnels to new places, and exits and entries on the highway of life fascinate me both visually, spiritually, and emotionally. We are all on journeys every day. Do we take the time to see what we are passing or just let it pass us by?

Simplified Face Study

Pastel on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Self Portrait with Cabin in Background

Self Portrait with Cabin in Background
Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel, and Charcoal on Cardboard
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Broken Mirror Self Portrait

Broken Mirror Self Portrait
Acrylic on Canvas Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

After Titian

After Titian
Acrylic on Canvas Paper
© 1998, Jeff Thomann

Side Lit Self Portrait

Side Lit Self Portrait
Graphite, Charcoal, Conte Crayon and Pastel Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Figure Drawing on Watercolor Paper

Figure Drawing on Watercolor Paper
Acrylic, Pastel and Charcoal on Watercolor Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Vampire

Vampire
Marker and Ink and Salt on Paper
© 1995, Jeff Thomann

If I Could Walk on Water

If I Could Walk on Water
Ink and Acrylic on Paper
© 1995, Jeff Thomann

This is one of the few projects I did in Typography Class before I dropped out of that class because I decided that I’m more of painter than a graphic designer.

Hand Study

Hand Study (Self Portrait)
Pastel on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Draped Figure Drawing

Draped Figure Drawing
India Ink, Colored Ink, and Charcoal and Tea Stains on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Pastel Figure Drawing

Pastel Figure Drawing
Pastel and Charcoal on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Back Study

Back Study
Pastel and Charcoal on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Acrylic Figure Drawing

Acrylic Figure Drawing
Acrylic and Charcoal on Watercolor Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Back Study

Back Study
Pastel and Charcoal on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Reclining Figure Drawing

Reclining Figure Drawing
Pastel and Charcoal on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann

Reclining Figure Drawing

Reclining Figure Drawing
Pastel and Charcoal on Paper
© 1999, Jeff Thomann