Hoodiekids paintings are situation art. Unlike most paintings the background
is the key. The characters are experiencing the situation, or what the background
indicates. The characters themselves could be anyone of that age, boy, girl, or any
race. Some of the situations may be fabricated from an adult perspective but are
plausible for a young child to experience. Why no faces? If faces were shown the
attention would be on the child and not on the situation. Being faces-less allows you
to assume the position of the child and share in the experience.
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The paintings in the Hoodiekids series are 24 inches by 30 inches, painted with
acrylic paint on canvas. They all have some similar features such as a 3/4 inch
white border and one or two white 3/4 inch horizontal lines going across the canvas.
In most cases one of the white horizontal lines is the horizon line. Other horizontal
lines separate the foreground from the middle ground and the background. This
allows each section to be a graphic element by its self, eliminating the transition.
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The title of each painting is obviously tied to the visual. The two elements the
title and visual typically occur at the same time. When sketching thumbnails
(small pencil drawings) a title has to come up or the painting does not get done.
Sometimes you get an interesting drawing but not an appropriate title. Sometimes
it is the other way around. An interesting title but no visual that is direct enough.
Where to the images come from? Some are from direct experience, some from
imagined experience, and some are from an interesting graphic element that
triggers an idea. Generally these paintings are the result of desperation, searching
for elements that will work within the confines of the idea at hand. In addition to be
relevant to the idea the images have to be decorative, have repetition, have obvious
brush strokes, and be an obvious image. Not all Hoodiekids painting make the
grade and are eventually the under painting for another Hoodiekid painting.
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Patrick Bulger, the illustrator of these paintings, has a BFA degree in Industrial
Design but has spent most of his time as technical illustrator, but has also worked
as a layout artist and illustrator for print advertising.
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