I Don't Drink

I Don't Drink, Chaz Howkins, 2016, pen on brown paper bag

A drunken revelation that it's okay to be a person who doesn't drink.

Tipsy Art

Frustration at Stereotypes?, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Awful, Chaz Howkins, 2015, paint

Frustration, Chaz Howkins, 2015,  mixed media

Binaries, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

I created these pieces the morning after a night out and think the results are very unsuccessful, but interesting and humorous nonetheless.  Inspired by Heather Cassils, I painted my knuckles pink and proceeded to punch a lump of clay onto a sheet of paper to express my frustration concerning gender stereotypes.  For the next piece, I filled one hand with blue paint and one with pink paint and proceeded to smear them on paper - the colours didn't overlap as easily as I intended so the piece seems to support the idea of gender as binary, which I do not agree with.

I took a photo of my hands afterwards as I found it interesting how barely any pink was on the blue hand, whereas the pink hand had become much darker and bluer - mirroring how it is seen as acceptable within society for women to express masculine traits, however men are viewed negatively for expressing feminine traits.

Drunk Painting

Drunken Demons, Chaz Howkins, 2015, acrylic and poster paint on board

I wanted to further explore the concept of reverting my mind to a childlike state, so I created a larger (A1) paintings whilst drunk.  The colours ended up quite muddy due to how I mixed them together with my hands.  The figure appears demonic due to its simplicity and large, dark eyes.  I scratched away some of the paint with my nails to create and sense of anger and violence in a childish way.  I also scratched vague figures into the background which appear ghost-like and give the piece a greater sense of depth.

Unplanned Self Portrait Series

2 Many, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

'Quidditch Selfie' Apparently, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Okay, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Ooh Interesting, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Disjointed, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Demonise, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

On both Saturday and Sunday morning I woke up to find several self portraits in my sketchbook which I had very little memory of creating the nights before.  My usual style is fairly clean and precise, so I always find it interesting how free and careless my drawings are whilst under the influence (and how narcissistic my subject matter is).