Update
The weather has been improving and it has been nice spending time at the studio without having to see my breath. I am currently working on some pieces to potentially show at the Shanghai Expo 2010 as a representative from Grenada. You can see more about the expo here: http://en.expo2010.cn/
I heard back from SMU that they prefer I not pursue my MFA degree with them. While disappointing I am not devastated. Here are a few reasons why:
1. The application process for art is subjective depending on the preferences of the reviewers. Not only is painting the most popular program but I work mainly with the figure which is a bit of an “F” word in the art world. People either love it or hate it. It’s either a refreshing reprisal of a classical subject which is timeless and relevant or it is seen as a passe expression and the automaton subject of art schools.
2. I have a certain perspective on art that is born from my experience as an entrepreneur, my upbringing in the Caribbean, my interaction with art and artists of the Caribbean, and my liberal arts education. This perspective is difficult to conform into the American art school conversation. For the most part I am much more interested in the communicative aspect of art as opposed to the long running inside conversation of art talking about art. (Let me know if you would like to hear more about this, this point is beyond the scope of this blog). I have felt the pressure from some of the classes I’ve taken to work harder on being “painterly” and asking questions about line, form, composition and color in a way that hasn’t been done before. Fair enough – but to me if you are not using these elements to communicate a message outside of itself, then you are engaging in artistic self stimulation.
3. I have been enjoying improving my technique (so as to better communicate my message), and I have been gaining momentum over the past few years in my art career. The main reason for an MFA is to teach, which I would like to do. I would especially like to teach art in Grenada from a West Indian artistic perspective. I do not need an MFA, however, to become a better artist. I can network with more mature artists and I can view and read about art in order to better myself. I can continue exhibiting my work and look for new arenas for my art.
4. With my liberal arts education, I can easily go from one field to the other. My plan B is to embrace my entrepreneurial leanings and pursue an M.S. degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Texas at Dallas. Not only would this degree enable me to run my current businesses better but that I could help others start and run their own businesses. I could also have the option to teach. Perhaps one of the projects in the future would be to start an art school in Grenada 
5. I really enjoy working on my own in my own studio. I enjoy the opportunity to explore and experiment on my own time. It can be very wearying to be critiqued at every turn or to adjust your style to placate an instructor.
So that’s where I’m at for right now! If you would like to come visit me at the studio let me know!
New Painting
I’ve been back in the studio and this is the latest fruit of my labor. It is 48″x48″ and I wanted to see what effect my technique has with larger subjects. I did a few things differently, including attempting a ‘dripping grisaille’ before adding layers of color. I think I have to let it sink in a little before deciding whether I will make it a mainstay of my process. I love the light in this piece and the emotion.
I think I am having to come to grips with the fact that I may be a colorist. This may be a result of my childhood in Grenada. My eyes are not satisfied with dull and flat colors. I initially did this piece in flesh tones and was unsatisfied with it until I added in some reds, oranges and blues.
Here is a link to some well-known colorists or fauvists: Wiki Fauves
Enjoy!
Fractals
I just wanted to put a quick post on my thoughts on fractals! For those not in the know, fractals are basically a visual representation of a mathematical expression that results in a pattern of infinite detail. Not only do we see fractal patterns all the time, like in nature (tree branches are an organic fractal) but we think and even live in forms of fractals.
I realized that there were some fractal-like patterns emerging from my paintings. See the pic below:
Expanding on the idea of “what exactly is it to paint people” is the idea that people are fractal expressions. Not only do we have biological expressions such as our nervous and cardiovascular systems but also in the way our brain processes and transmits information. Developing that idea – we live out patterns. Any one day in your life should be an approximate snapshot of a year of your life. Granted your life will increase in complexity from childhood to adulthood, similarly so do fractal patterns. It gives me a sense of purpose to consider that my daily activities represent my annual priorities which will ultimately determine my life pattern.
On that note – I think fractals are beautiful – in fact, most people do. Because of the way the brain processes patterns and aesthetics, fractals are biologically visually appealing. One of the factors that made Jackson Pollock’s work so compelling was that it was fractal in nature. This component of his work differentiates himself from many abstract expressionist imitators. Pollock’s work was enjoy long before fractals were “discovered” in about 1978.
I am going to be looking for ways to use fractals in my paintings more intentionally as another layer of meaning. To help conceptualize fractals I started using a program called fractal domains. Here is an image I created using this program:
What’s going on at the studio?
Since coming back from the Barbados show I have had some time to get back to the studio. The walls are more bare because a lot of my paintings are out in the world now. I’ve cleaned up the place some and had a workspace ‘reset’.
Canvas orders through http://www.stretchmycanvas.com has been steady but I would love some more volume. If you’re an artist that has been wondering about custom stretched canvas I would love to help!
As it is getting warmer I am continuing to get a feel for artists that may want to come in and share a model in a group drawing/painting figure session. I have a list of interested artists started and if you’d like to join the list, I can let you know when we get underway. Sessions will be about 3 hours and the number of times a week will depend on demand. We will probably do it for about $15 a session which covers the cost of the model as well as the cost of keeping the studio open. These will be non-instructed sessions where you can get peer review if you like, otherwise you can experiment and work on your own concepts outside of an academic environment. This is great if you need to brush up on your figure drawing without taking a semester of classes. Or you can supplement your classes with sessions at the studio and watch your teacher marvel at your quick improvement. You can contact me if all this sounds good! Also, if you have any suggestions about how to make the time more effective for you, I would love to hear it.
Otherwise, I’m continuing to paint with a couple shows in the future and wanting to get involved in some juried exhibitions. I enjoy visitors, if you would like to come by and see what I’m up to – let me know!
