Inspiration - Art Research

 I've recently stumbled upon some much needed inspiration for my work on several different sites.

Acrylic on Canvas Painting, by Angela Canada Hopkins

The first person is Angela Canada Hopkins and she creates representational cellular paintings of cancer. She did this as a way of coping with her father's cancer diagnosis . Also having a father, who is luckily in remission at the moment, with cancer and having a huge cancer scare myself within the last few years it really hits an emotional button. It also though hits an artistic note with me since I've created works in a similar fashion with fibers and a way of approaching my work on canvas and printmaking.

Check out her website here. 

The second is Pharmacopoeia a group of artists who approach medications in a number of ways from how many pills we take in a life time to issues of dealing with lifetime pain treatment vs. surgery.

Sweetie - 2000 

I love how they approach medication and how it  affects our everyday lives. A majority of the pieces are created as garments or accessories to reflect how they are ingrained in our existence just like wearing clothing or even carrying a purse. I really love the garment Sweetie and how medication has been been coated in flavors in order for us to take it much more easily. I've reflecting upon the same idea in regard to children's medication and how they market them as almost candy. 

Check them out here.

Last but not lease I found a wonderful collection of pieces using pill bottles, and being a consumer of a minimum of 4 prescription medications a month, I've been looking for ways to use the vast amount of bottles that are stashed away. 

On left: “Corporate DNA” a helix shaped sculpture by Ron Jones; on right: Rocky Stroup’s “Borrowed Time (13 Years of Pill Poppin’)”

The entire show was focusing on consumption and waste associated with medicine. I'm looking this show as a way of thinking about incorporating the bottles into a new form much was the piece Corporate DNA is created. I've still got a lot to think about using pill bottles and the message I am trying to send.

Read about the show here.


I'm feeling mentally refreshed from looking at these pieces and its going to make my work in the coming months much more interesting. 

Lady Geodon

 Lady Geodon is a lady who will make you twist and turn while you look behind your back. She is not a good friend of mine while she sets you on fire.

Pocket Pill Portrait

It has been an up and down summer. There have been medication changes, switching of doctors, deaths in the family, and little experiments. I was playing around with these small wooden plaques from Michaels Craft Stores and found them an okay surface. I think I might use a bigger plaque next time.

The Paxil Twins

I completely forgot to post about the Paxil Twins when I completed the painting last month. So here it is the Paxil Twins, they are usually taken in multiple doses unless you have the Paxil XR then you only need one of these ladies.

Divine Inspiration

Our Lady of Lithium 

Work has given me a new and inexpensive surface to paint on when I want to make Byzantine inspired work  with pill people. Its just foam insulation covered in a clean foil backside. It cost me around $14 for an entire sheet that was cut down into 4 sections. Not a bad price to make faux religious art.

Oh yeah about the art... A lot of people treat medication like it is the end all solution to everything, sorta like how religion is to me at times. We rely on one thing too much when a combination of things are needed.