When we asked each other what Mr. Watson would like for his birthday we both said “an original Jackson Pollock painting.” So we set out to make one—since we couldn’t get a hold of Pollock on a Sunday, not to mention Monday was a holiday!
Click on the first picture then scroll through to read about this fabulous adventure!
We start with Watson brand paper
All our supplies are laid out laboriously, in order to appear clean and neat.
David (birds) spends 3 hours figuring out how to draw a “w.”
We originally thought the card would say “happy birthday Mr. Watson,” then we thought we could just write “Watson.” Then when it took David so long to make a “W” by itself we thought we better stop there.
Perfect W.
We taped out the “W” using words like “parrallel” and “sticky.”
We had to carve out the extra tape with a knife
and scissors
this is our new logo, er, Watson’s new logo.
W in yellow
Sunset W
Sunset W driving really fast.
We commence blow drying
We’ve been trying to find music that Jackson Pollock would listen to, and have decided he definitely wouldn’t like Joanna Newsome.
I dry my hair for a little while
Ah! Now we cover the perfectly gradiated W with paper so that it won’t be splattered when we go all Pollock on this shit.
I want our readers to know that it was pretty up close
even at this stage.
the first series of splatters is immensely rewarding.
“Have you ever spent this much time making a present for either of your parents?” – Christy “No.” – David “Neither have I” -Christy
Earlier today my roommate asked if I wouldn’t mind sweeping the floor.
I said “sure!” and then we came home and did a splatter painting in the living room.
Pretty good.
At this point we’re thinking that Mr. Watson’s really going to appreciate the time and effort we put into his birthday card… even if it looks like a pile of trash.
I have an idea! several! (light bulbs.)
“We gotta take this on a walk in the park!” -David
We decide to hang it on the clothesline instead and see what falls off.
We start throwing paint at the canvas and the neighbor dogs start barking.
The paint splatting against the canvas sounds like the repeated cracking of a whip. As the dogs continue to bark concernedly next door David moans “please stop! No more!”
The thickness of the paint is gripping.
We surround the painting with furniture—barricading it from dogs, cats, roommates and each other.
In the morning we remove the paper “W” revealing…
the orange “W” below.
David starts to mix the green paint so that it can be drizzled perfectly across the page like a special icing!
Looks good, but it could look better.
Jackson Pollock loves Justin Timberlake’s “Bringing Sexy Back.”
We do end up taking the painting to the park and throwing fistfulls of paint at it.
Then we let it sit on the table…
and soak up some rays in the backyard…