CEMENT & CONCRETE IN ART

Art Fossils created by Marlies Hoevers. Found materials set in concrete. See website here, and etsy shop here.

Have you noticed how many artists are using cement in their art lately? Anselm Kiefer has been a favourite of mine for a long time but since joining Tumblr I've become aware that many of the artists I'm drawn to, incorporate cement or concrete in their work.

Latin Quarter by Andrew Crane. Cement, plaster, paint, varnish and graphite on canvas. See Andrew's website here.

Andrew Crane uses thin layers of cement as a ground to his compositions. He admits 'that his lack of plastering skill is a help rather than a hindrance in the birth of a painting – the resulting surface, with its imperfections and anomalies, providing pointers and structure to the composition of his paintings.'

I love this one by Andrew Crane. See more here.

William Hall discovered the versatility of cement while working on the construction of his home in Texas.

"There were many masonry task that need to be done, pouring slabs, laying tile, finishing sidewalks and driveways. As I worked, I noticed how good cement felt, how versatile it was. It began to speak me. It revealed to me textures, colors and surfaces that I had never seen before! My brain began to whirl with all the many applications this new medium could foster in my work." - William Hall

Warrior by William Hall. See an interesting video about William's process here and website here.

Stefano Nanni. See Stefano's Flickr photostream here.

Erik Sommer. Website here and more beautiful photos here.

More from Sophie Cauvin, here.

Sophie Cauvin. More to see here.

Doris Salcedo. Found on Mansuetude's Tumblr blog here.

Cement Sculpture by Ruth Hardinger. See her website here.

Just a box of cement? ........ but I like it!

*Click here to see Juliana Santacruz Herrera's pothole and yarn art in Paris.

ART DIARIES AND WORK LOGS

It was quite a battle for me to actually get going with the commission I'm working on. This is not unusual! The angst I feel at the beginning of each commission almost takes the joy out of it but I know that if I soldier on the work begins to flow and I can't wait to wake up each morning to get back to it. This time I decided to journal my way through the resistance to help me focus on the task at hand.

I find artists journals about their day to day trials and triumphs very inspiring. I've been reading a self taught artist's blog for several years now and though there are times when I worry about Paula's struggles I am more often than not, spurred into action by her sheer guts and determination. You have to take your hat off to Paula ....... A few weeks ago she stopped the mayor in the street and asked him to display her art on his walls..... and maybe sell it (with commission of course). That story kept me giggling for the rest of the day.

Here are a few of the many inspiring images that have motivated me into keeping a record of my work day.

Notebooks by Jacque on Flickr. See more here.

Notebooks by Jacque on Flickr. See more here.

Tiempo al Tiempo IV by Argentinian artist Carlos Gallardo. See more of his art here.

Finale XV by Carlos Gallardo. See more of his work here.

My Secrets by Zea. See more on her Tumblr blog, Working Log, here.

My favourite artist at the moment is Sophie Cauvin. Though the next three images may not be old dusty artists journals I like to think that they are.

See more of Sophie Cauvin's work here.

......... and one more image I found on Tumblr.