Splart (sleep+paint=art?)

For this remaining piece, I used a canvas 90cmx120cm. I covered my bed in an old sheet and laid my canvas on top of the sheet. The canvas became a replica of my bed-only a much more uncomfortable one to say the least. I used hair clips and an old bandana to cover my hair and ear piercings. Then I proceeded to cover various areas of my body with globs and dollops of coloured paint, as well as areas of the canvas. I slid onto the canvas, my bed for the night. The speedy drying time of acrylic paint became interesting in this work. In the beginning, I made sure there was some water spread out on all areas of the canvas to help the paint flow and spread as I moved. At one point, there was too much water on the canvas and it began to pool. I scrunched up an old paint shirt to use as a pillow. I started out sleeping on my right side, and I woke up on my back. I only remember waking up once during the night.


The dream: I originally wanted to include or intertwine the dream onto the canvas. I think that it would take away from the abstract qualities of the piece if I portrayed the dream in a literal sense. One of my summer projects is to actually create my own illustrated 'Book of Dreams' inspired by Federico Fellini's. As follows:

I was standing on the north side of our wrap around veranda at my old house. In front of myself is our large willow tree with a tire swing (which has since been cut down due to storm damage.) I do not know what I was wearing. Sitting to the right of the tree is a grey and white wolf. Just staring at me and standing there. I felt afraid, and I felt the urge to escape. I crept along the veranda against the outer wall of the house, still in view of the wolf. I ran to the door nearby that connects to the laundry room and locked the door. I felt relieved and stopped to catch my breath. Suddenly, I was on the other side of the laundry room staring at a huge basket/laundry hamper. The wolf had changed into a huge grizzly bear which was now sitting/laying inside this huge hamper in the laundry room I thought I was safe in. I was not afraid of the bear for some reason. I approached it slowly and noticed that my orange cat was in the basket too, cuddled up to this massive creature. He was playfully swatting at the bear's paws. My Mom walked into the laundry room, stood at the door, and just stared at the two creatures in the basket without saying a word. This was a very short dream, probably due to the small amount of hours I was actually asleep for, and since I went to bed at a relatively late hour. Nevertheless, it was extremely realistic, but not a lucid dream.