Friday, May 18, 2012

Paint Party Friday: Week 10, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Charlie Corrigan

image courtesy of Charlie Corrigan

Welcome to Week of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!) Our featured artist this week creates imaginative paintings that invite her viewers into a beautifully painted world. Please welcome Charlie Corrigan of Barnum's Winter!

1. Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I've always loved pretty things and I've tried a lot of different ways of making pretty things since I was a kiddo -- cake decorating, cross stitching, sculpting, crafting, etc. But, I started drawing when I was a teenager and started painting about four years ago in my senior year of college. My husband is a musician and frankly I needed something to do in the long hours that he's playing guitar at home (other than sit by his feet making doe-eyes and being impressed -- in spite of vague teenage fantasies, that is only engaging for just so long). So, I decided to focus on painting.

Over these last few years, I've been trying as hard as I can to improve, to teach my hands what to do when my brain gets an idea. Mostly I've learned patience. And, I've gotten a lot more ambitious about what I want to make with my paints. I've gone from just wanting to make "pretty things" as decorations to wanting to make an entire world of my own, like an epic novel series, but in pictures. I'm not there yet, but I'm on a mission. I still want it to be pretty though.

2. What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
I keep it pretty simple. I use mechanical pencils and a sketch book for drawing and unmounted canvas and acrylics for painting. And, I only use four colors: Cadmium Medium Red, Cadmium Medium Yellow, Cerulean Blue, and Titanium White. Everything I've painted in the last two or three years was made with those four colors.

3. What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
I like to make up characters and give them personalities in my brain and try to get those personalities through in their expressions and postures. The strange thing is that almost every character I've imagined dislikes sitting for portraits, so they always seem to have a tiny bit of contempt, impatience, or reluctance in their expressions. But, as lame as it might sound, in the end, my favorite thing to paint is simply anything that turns out attractive and at least somewhat close to what I meant to do.

image courtesy of Charlie Corrigan

4. What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
In January of 2011, I made myself do a Painting-Everyday-for-a-Month challenge, actually inspired by Kristin Dudish of Paint Party Friday. Not everything turned out well in such a mad rush, but a couple of my favorite paintings of all time came from that challenge, including a couple of pretty robots and an epic apocalyptic scene. And, I really learned to stretch my creativity muscles having to come up with some new idea each day. I still haven't recovered over a year later, but when I do, I'll do it again.

** A note from Kristin: I just had to hijack Charlie's interview to say that I was lucky enough to be able to purchase one of the paintings that Charlie created during her challenge and it is even more amazing in person! Everyone who sees it hanging on my living room wall comments on how fantastic it is! **

5. What's next in your painting future?
Practice! And more practice! A little further down the road, I also think it might be really cool to illustrate a children's book or make my whole living from making and selling art. But for now, practice.

***

Thank you Charlie! If you would like to see more of Charlie's artwork, please visit her at:

www.barnumswinter.com
www.barnumswinter.etsy.com

**Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Click here for details!**

What great artwork, paintings and fun at the party last week at PPF! Now, here is our check-in for this week's party:

Please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page URL address as there are many late visitors who get confused as to which post is for PPF when they arrive (after Friday) at your website. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 Check-Ins.


Have a great time at the party and for those who have it as a holiday on Monday - Happy Victoria Day!

45 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting! Charlie does wonderful work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely paintings, Charlie!
    Congratulations on being the featured artist this week!!

    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful work Charlie. Love your characters and you do give them life. Great interview. Thanks Eva and Kristin for hosting. Happy Paint Friday to everyone. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great to get to know a bit more about Charlie... and only uses four paints... she is the colour mixing queen and I tip my hat to her... that is some crazy skills...xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Inspiring interview. Love Robot Girl..:)) Happy PPF.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the interview and her work is gorgeous. Thank you for hosting another PPF!

    ReplyDelete
  7. what charming art, wonderful style!
    thanks charlie!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awesome interview! So nice to meet you Charlie. Your work is wonderful. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Terrific interview and wonderful paintings. Great to meet Charlie. Happy PPF, Annette x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi, came back to say I cannot leave comments on Liz Powley's wonderful work, not sure why. But her latest WIP is terrific. x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Charlie's work is beautiful, so quirky and reminds me of Tim Robbins movies for some reason!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my what beautiful work. What impresses me the most is that she only uses a few colours to get such wonderful results. That is truly a talent. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for the party! The featured artist is really beautiful.
    Rinda

    ReplyDelete
  14. wow...amazing art...i love that robot girl...gobsmacked...xxx

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love these interviews!! I'm so impressed by your work Charlie and the stories you are creating around your delightful characters. This is such a wonderful place to spend a Friday :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. LOVING the interviews - GORGEOUS art :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great Charlie! He is a great artist that conveys their enthusiasm, also have been watching the previous Stephanie Corder an artist you admire and I got lost, greetings all

    ReplyDelete
  18. How amazing and inspiring that Charlie has leaned patience through her art! I love that. I need that~and then for it to overflow in all aspects of my life.:-)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Only four colors!?! For all that gorgeousness? Wow...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Once again ~ thanks for hosting and love your interviews ~ enjoy the weekend ~ namaste, ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  21. Kristin and Eva, I can't say thank you loud enough in text to express my gratitude, for featuring my art this week and for everything you do! And, thank you fellow partyers (that's a word, isn't it?) for your kind words! Happy PPF!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Also, reading through my interview I realized I forgot that I have an exception to my four paints rule -- metallic paint for robots! My robots simply MUST be shiny metallic! That's all.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Beautiful work Charlie!! Nice to "meet" you! Happy PPF everyone!! Thanks again Eva and Kristin for hosting and for bringing a new lovely artist to us each week!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. happy PPF you guys, Charlie's art is wonderful. Sorry i have been away.. it's because (drumroll) I retired!!!!!



    Mimi Torchia Boothby

    ReplyDelete
  25. I loved that interview - Charlie, your art is just beautiful! Happy PPF!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Really pretty girl with the bird. As you said on your blog Charlie, I would rather be off with the birds and other animals, too rather than sit in a parlor! I enjoyed your interview and wish you continued enjoyment in your artistic endeavors. Thank you Eva and Kristin for your interviews with other artists. Happy PPF

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow.. Fabulous Charlie! your work is stunning..I am in love with the first painting..so very enchanting..shine on and congrats on your interview!

    Happy PPF
    And Happy Victoria Day !
    Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great interview. I love that you have such a distinct style... something I continue to struggle with. I'm amazed that you create such beautiful work and that you've only used 4 colors for several years. I'm often overwhelmed by the color choices out there and go overboard with them. I think you've inspired me to try an exercise in color restraint! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm in love the chocolate robot. At least that's how I see it. :) And wowed by the fact you only use four colors. That's creativity in action!
    Catherine Denton

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hello again, so happy to be back with you here! I enjoyed the interview very much, so great to meet all these artists here, just loving it! Thanks to both of you!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Beautiful, beautiful work! My artwork this week sure isn't PRETTY!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh wow, I am loving Charlie's work! Just beautiful!

    Happy PPF!
    ♥Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  33. I utterly adore all of Charlies's characters and creatures! My painting this week is abstract but full of whimsy and love, nonetheless.

    ReplyDelete
  34. great interview I shall go now and visit charlies's blog
    you are very good and have a real talent
    -KAT-

    ReplyDelete
  35. Charlie, your work is FANTASTIC! i had found your blog a while ago and loved your stuff immediately. When i read your interview and learned that you only used 4 colors for much of your work, i smiled. One of my favorite art teachers taught me (years ago) that i had to learn to paint with the basic 4 colors - yellow, red, blue and white. Once i could master those colors (painting everything from steel to skin!), I could add more colors if i wanted. :-) I totally love your work. Your 2nd little robot girl reminds me of the work of Mattias Inks (Mattias Adolphsson). Your hands are absolutely perfect. Thank you for sharing! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  36. happy Paint Party Friday! Love visiting all the new artist blogs! So much beauty and inspiration!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm checking in really late. Eep! I've had my nose to the grindstone. Have four portrait paintings on the easel this week. Busy!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. It's taken me all week to create my mixed media canvas, doing a bit every night as I work full time, hence why I'm late with posting it to PPF. Going to check out everyone else's makes. Michelle x

    ReplyDelete
  39. Inspiring interview! Nice to get to know about you Charlie...to be using just 4 colours and still come up such hues n shades is just fantastic...I had to back and look at ur works when you said that :)
    Thanks Eva and Kristin coz every week we get to know an artist and they all inspire us in some way or the other!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Love the abundance of creative juices that flow in your blog !

    ReplyDelete
  41. I did work on this this past weekend, but I didn't finish it until last night. Hope you like it! Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete