“Searching for Oscar” Painting

It’s been a while since I last wrote on my blog site and sent my holiday greetings to everyone. This year I’ll post more spontaneously, most likely once a month – still about art and the creative spirit.

Today’s post is timely since I watched the Academy Awards last weekend. Each year I try to see every movie eligible for an award, and look forward to watching the Oscars on TV with good friends (who cast a ballot predicting the winners) and eating a delicious meal together. Just call us film and food fanatics.

As a tribute to the many films that entertained me in 2012 and Sunday’s 85th Academy Awards, I recently completed a painting called, “Searching for Oscar.” It is part of a body of work I named the Emergent Series. In one of my blogs, I described this creative process:

• From many layers of under painting (up to 25) and canvas-length drips, spaces gradually start to emerge – at least to my eye. They’re like gaps in a colorful abstract universe that are asking to be filled. In these spaces, I draw faces and bodies. In this particular case, it’s all about images of the actors and directors from the nominated films.

Here’s the painting:

Emergent Series: “Searching for Oscar”
Acrylic on canvas | 48” x 48”
Artist: Meg Fitzpatrick | 2012
(photo: Meg Fitzpatrick)

In “Searching for Oscar,” anyone can play the Emergent Series game. Try to locate:

• Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
• Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
• Isabelle Allen who plays Cosette as a young girl, Les Miserables
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
• Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
• Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (my fave JenLa won for best actress)
• Christopher Waltz, Django Unchained
• Ben Affleck, Argo (so glad he won for Best Picture – a travesty Affleck wasn’t nominated for Best Director)
• Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
• Denzel Washington, Flight
• Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
• Adele, Skyfall
• ….and finally, Golden Boy Oscar (of course)

Here’s the drawing of Steve Spielberg close-up:

detail from Emergent Series: “Searching for Oscar” (photo: Meg Fitzpatrick)

…and, another detail. This one of Jessica Chastain from Zero Dark Thirty:

detail from Emergent Series: “Searching for Oscar”
(photo: Meg Fitzpatrick)

Many thanks to the lovely North Dallas family who purchased this painting for their living room – perfect timing to watch the Oscars and enjoy “Searching for Oscar” which now hangs over their fireplace mantel.

Until next time…. Meg