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!
You Tube from B’dos
Sorry I’m so late in putting this up – this is from the night of the opening:
Unorthodox method for stretching canvas
This article will not be interesting to everyone. I had a hard time convincing my wife that it was interesting. The traditional method for stretching canvases over a stretcher or strainer is to stretch from the center out to the corners. It’s logical, it’s traditional, it’s the way things are done.
James Bernstein is an art conservator and otherwise spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about how paint behaves on canvas and how canvas behaves on a strainer/stretcher.
This article he wrote is pretty revolutionary to me and I may start stretching my canvases this way. You can find his article here: http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/jp17article1.php
Hung Liu: My art crush
If you have not yet visited Hung Liu’s link I have posted www.hungliu.com, take a moment to see some of her work in YouTube format.
Some of the images seem to be faded with the quality of image but I think her work is absolutely beautiful. It hits all my points – figurative and political with undertones of impermanence.
Hung Liu is a Chinese American artist currently teaching at Mills College in Oakland California. She was initial trained as a Chinese Socialist Realist and her current work represents some balking against those traditional methods.
My Studio
I know there are some who have been waiting for pictures of the new studio! I finally have some pictures for you.
This is the door cracked open to my studio
This is just inside the door. The canvases on the sides of the room are 7'x7'
looking back towards the entry to the right
looking back at entry to the left
This is the left view of the back room. This is storage side
This is the side of the room I'll use for painting
Standing in the back room looking towards the entry
Needless to say, I’m very happy to have the space! I can work on stretchers and paintings without being cramped. This space was made possible by Rick Maxwell a Dallas sculptor and professor of art.
Love this quote
“We artists are indestructible, even in a prison cell or a concentration camp I would be almighty in my own world of art. Even if I had to paint my pictures with my wet tongue on the dusty floor of my cell” – Pablo Picasso
I found this quote on artist Banky’s site.
Photo
I was playing around on www.sumopaint.com. Here is a pic of me in Grenada earlier this year with my long time friends Arthur Daniel and Garfield Miller. If going to Grenada, make sure to make the trip up to Gouyave for the fish fry.
Art 21
Looking for some precision inspiration? I’ve been aware of Art 21 for some time but only recently realized how easy it is to catch up with online. This is a show that looks at the work of contemporary artists. It’s interesting to see the process, but also the high level of quality and thought that goes into their work. Visit the PBS site to view past episodes.
Here you can see contemporary artists at work and browse episodes by theme. I am eager to watch the episode on Identity soon myself.
Spring Schedule
In amongst my schedule of painting, making canvas stretchers for artists and students, bartending private parties and events, coaching high school swimming, I also take classes at Brookhaven College.
Here is what I am anticipating for the Spring:
Studies in Modern Art History: Monday and Wednesday 12:00 – 1:20pm (art styles and movements since 1940)
Advanced Painting II: Tuesday and Thursday 7:00 – 9:50pm
Figurative Sculpture: Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm (I was advised to take this course to help increase my understanding of the figure)
College Algebra: Mon. – Thurs. 1:30pm – 3:20pm (This is a two-fold venture. One is that I feel that I have become more analytical in the past couple years and I would like to try math again. The second is that with the business ventures I have been doing, I would like to work up to some more complicated math associated with business.)((This class also meets for only the last 8 weeks of the 16 week semester)).
Stay tuned to see how this schedule plays out!
Intro
Thanks to all who have been keeping up with my work. I have made the transition to a blog format to allow for more informality and “work in progress” updates. The website I was using did have a community option but I feel that it was not being fully utilized and otherwise was a static site. I am applying to graduate school for art early next year and I hope to be able to share with you some of that process. Also early next year is an art exhibit in Barbados. I will post the work here so those not able to make it to Barbados can share in the experience.
I look forward to sharing with you!
