So I ended up submitting a study for "The Aerie" and a monochromatic demo of Percy the Chinese horse (who lives on the front stoop of the house), the latter of which I did for some of my NHIA students. These small oils will be at drawing room tonight along with about 20 (give or take) other artists' works (one or two pieces each).
I will make another post about life drawing this weekend (I think.. I'm a bit booked), but suffice to say, I have attended the past 2 weeks and it's always worthwhile. Hopefully, attendance will stay up so Alex can keep it running.
So, tonight! Beer, wine and et cetera plus LOTS of art. 142 High Street near the corner of Congress. Studios 532/533. Hope to see lots of cool folks in attendance.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
New Projects
Is anyone is ever going to read this thing? I wonder. I know that current opinion has come around to the conclusion that blogging is no longer cool - rather, it's self-indulgent. That said, I have to ponder the worth of this medium.
Well, I shall soldier on for a little while longer. Funny, I think I planted a suggestion in my own head with that last post in that I engaged in a bit of "Artist's Way"-style cathartic writing the other night. I was a bit morose in regard to the current state of things at my workplace. That being, the new year is already starting off with a "bbbth" rather than a "bang" as regards the concepting phase of what we do. It's basically the same old thing. I came to the realization that I really have zero room to stretch on the job, and that I must exercise this elsewhere. I will always continue to put out professional-looking work, but the fact is, I am just a solid pair of hands with a brush (or Wacom, depending) for the company. I must accept this as my reality, and move on. But the other night, I had to write it out in a rant of self-examination regarding my artistic state of mind. It helped, oddly enough. But I didn't re-read it, I just tucked it in the pages of Andy Wyeth's bio and will probably forget about it (I read that book around 5 times).
So, I was at Berehaven most of Saturday, and I completed the preliminary work on "Gnomon." (If you want to know what that is, you have to come visit me, or wait 'til it's done.) I have this unusual (perhaps) practice of naming a piece before I even begin, because it allows me to develop a narrative in my head as the painting progresses. It keeps me interested and "inside" the painting, if you will. I've gridded it up from a plein air study, old-school style. If I had my druthers, I would do this 100% of the time, as it really completes the vision when one revisits it in paint, rather than, say, having the source material be purely photographic. A certain kind of translation needs to happen there, and often, one can misinterpret the mechanical facts of what the camera sees.
I'm also submitting an oil study and perhaps a drawing to drawing room for the next show there. I'm hopeful that some of my students and friend-artists will do likewise. $100 takes it! That's damn cheap compared to what my former gallery charged for my work! I'm happy to show there, though. It's a great thing to have in this town.
Okay, time to imbibe some more Chateau de L'Abbaye de Saint-Ferme . It says its a Bordeaux Superieur, and it is lends credibility to the title. Perhaps a bit much Cab Franc in the palate leadoff, but for 10 bucks, I can't expect the weight of a classified growth. It's just that I'm achy from playing mixed doubles this afternoon (I got roped into the Leagues again), and I need some liquid joint-loosener, if you get me. Cheers!
Well, I shall soldier on for a little while longer. Funny, I think I planted a suggestion in my own head with that last post in that I engaged in a bit of "Artist's Way"-style cathartic writing the other night. I was a bit morose in regard to the current state of things at my workplace. That being, the new year is already starting off with a "bbbth" rather than a "bang" as regards the concepting phase of what we do. It's basically the same old thing. I came to the realization that I really have zero room to stretch on the job, and that I must exercise this elsewhere. I will always continue to put out professional-looking work, but the fact is, I am just a solid pair of hands with a brush (or Wacom, depending) for the company. I must accept this as my reality, and move on. But the other night, I had to write it out in a rant of self-examination regarding my artistic state of mind. It helped, oddly enough. But I didn't re-read it, I just tucked it in the pages of Andy Wyeth's bio and will probably forget about it (I read that book around 5 times).
So, I was at Berehaven most of Saturday, and I completed the preliminary work on "Gnomon." (If you want to know what that is, you have to come visit me, or wait 'til it's done.) I have this unusual (perhaps) practice of naming a piece before I even begin, because it allows me to develop a narrative in my head as the painting progresses. It keeps me interested and "inside" the painting, if you will. I've gridded it up from a plein air study, old-school style. If I had my druthers, I would do this 100% of the time, as it really completes the vision when one revisits it in paint, rather than, say, having the source material be purely photographic. A certain kind of translation needs to happen there, and often, one can misinterpret the mechanical facts of what the camera sees.
I'm also submitting an oil study and perhaps a drawing to drawing room for the next show there. I'm hopeful that some of my students and friend-artists will do likewise. $100 takes it! That's damn cheap compared to what my former gallery charged for my work! I'm happy to show there, though. It's a great thing to have in this town.
Okay, time to imbibe some more Chateau de L'Abbaye de Saint-Ferme . It says its a Bordeaux Superieur, and it is lends credibility to the title. Perhaps a bit much Cab Franc in the palate leadoff, but for 10 bucks, I can't expect the weight of a classified growth. It's just that I'm achy from playing mixed doubles this afternoon (I got roped into the Leagues again), and I need some liquid joint-loosener, if you get me. Cheers!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
A Formality
A New Year seems like a good time to begin...
As an introduction, I would like to announce my use of this blog as a slightly more formal (and more efficient) way to publish not just my ramblings, but - more importantly - my experiences and thoughts on being a working artist. (I was doing this via Facebook, but I think this medium will allow for more cohesiveness... that's the idea, anyway.)
A few years back, I had used the journal-writing exercise as put forth by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." I put out about 2 and a half year's worth of writing (3 pages daily) until some difficult times intervened, and I stopped. Things are better, but I don't plan to revisit that kind of writing in this public format. This is not to say that The Artist's Way is not an excellent program - it certainly is. It got me out of quite a rut when I followed the proscribed steps. I have a different agenda in mind here, and it really revolves around teaching.
The Facebook profile helps me to keep in touch with students, and I've tried to implement a bit of teaching through that - but the format is a bit distracting for such efforts. I hope some of them (possibly you!) will visit here as well, for I want to offer to any who may be interested my knowledge and experiences in the art world, such as they are.
Berehaven is my Portland, Maine studio. It is a sanctuary for me as Berehaven's Dunboy Castle was for the O'Sullivans in time of war. Just like the great Irish Chief Donal O'Sullivan, I have more than one enemy:
As an introduction, I would like to announce my use of this blog as a slightly more formal (and more efficient) way to publish not just my ramblings, but - more importantly - my experiences and thoughts on being a working artist. (I was doing this via Facebook, but I think this medium will allow for more cohesiveness... that's the idea, anyway.)
A few years back, I had used the journal-writing exercise as put forth by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." I put out about 2 and a half year's worth of writing (3 pages daily) until some difficult times intervened, and I stopped. Things are better, but I don't plan to revisit that kind of writing in this public format. This is not to say that The Artist's Way is not an excellent program - it certainly is. It got me out of quite a rut when I followed the proscribed steps. I have a different agenda in mind here, and it really revolves around teaching.
The Facebook profile helps me to keep in touch with students, and I've tried to implement a bit of teaching through that - but the format is a bit distracting for such efforts. I hope some of them (possibly you!) will visit here as well, for I want to offer to any who may be interested my knowledge and experiences in the art world, such as they are.
Berehaven is my Portland, Maine studio. It is a sanctuary for me as Berehaven's Dunboy Castle was for the O'Sullivans in time of war. Just like the great Irish Chief Donal O'Sullivan, I have more than one enemy:
- The art establishment/critics, with their support of the nihilism and nullification of art, not to mention their crusade against beauty;
- The balance between commercial and fine art, as my "day job" comprises the former, while my heart lies with the latter;
- And my creative self, as there are times when it all gets a bit much - all this balancing - and the creative juices become a murky sludge.
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