Two New Things

Two recent works. One is based on the mechanical objects that I saw in Colorado and vegetation in the lagoons at the peninsula. More of one than the other and so many don't seem to notice.

A painting done for a show on the upcoming eclipse that may actually happen in Erie if the clouds do not screw it up. In Erie, in April, that is likely to be the case, but we can hope.

Just had some spare time.

 

Antidote to Trump

Some figure paintings of late where I was playing around much more consciously with light and drapery. If I have to live in a world with something as vile as Donald Trump, I at least have the escape of painting beauty. I hope you have something.

 

Still Alive, For Now

Still playing with the technique of deconstructing/reconstructing images. Started off applying it to architecture a couple of years ago. Now expanding to applying it to different subject matter. So this first image is the city of Copenhagen. The image was created from hundreds of pictures taken of Copenhagen from the summer.

This image was put together from pictures taken of steam locomotives and abandoned mining equipment in Colorado from a trip the previous Spring.

Now applying the system to images taken from the lagoons at Presque Isle. Waterlilies, pads and various aquatic plants. Seeing how well organic forms translate in this style.                                                  

This last one is applying the technique to a figure. In this case my model who is the dancer.

So we'll keep playing with this idea for a while I think. I'm liking the results.

 

Sisyphus Revisited

So, the art making game has been pretty busy as has the exhibiting. Lately I was part of a couple of interesting competition/exhibitions. One in Ashtabula, the Tikkanen Painting Prize. I had two pieces make the first cut and one piece made it into the show. Unfortunately, I did not win, but it was an interesting show. I also have a piece in the NPAA Biennial, which opens tomorrow at the Erie Art Museum. Getting ready for a solo show at 1020 Holland in January/February, figure paintings. So that will be a first.

Below is the Beachwork for the year. Much of it survived the last Winter. Most of the right hand side of the structure is new. My goal was capping the window on the right side. I didn't get much new stone this year, as the beach topography was a bit unusual. Much of the old beach was covered by one or two feet of  sand and cobble, covering much of the stone that I would usually gather.

The image below is the piece that I put in the Biennial. Based on photos taken from the kayak in the lagoons at the 4-mile mark, it is one part of a planned three piece altarpiece. I have been working on several pieces using this technique relating to mechanical/geometric objects and  in these images, applying it to organic subjects.

Playing around with it below, combining color and monochromatic areas. Turned out OK. May continue to play around with the concept.

The other area that I have been playing around with recently is figure painting. I've arranged an exhibition at the 1020 Holland Collective. A great space that I have had works exhibited in the past and look forward to putting together a show of about 80-100 works. The Birth of Venus works and a frieze of 25 dancing figures will be the backbone. Below are two recent works that are exploring the relationship between the body and drapery of some kind. So, that is what the state of the art is. Also working on a couple of commissions. So I have been busy.

 

CANADIA BURNS STILL

My beach project miraculously survived the winter largely intact. So I've gone down maybe a half dozen times to continue the exercises of Sisyphus. This is where it stands as of June's end. While working the sun emerged out from behind a cloud bank complete with the rays reaching down to the horizon. Moments like that are an extra little bit of magic in a magical place.

 

Seriously

 

When not working on figure painting, I torture myself with the much more labor intensive works that I refer to as being architectonic...deconstructed and then reconstructed architectural forms, originally, then adapted to natural forms, starting with fish. So here are a couple of recent ones. 

The first one originated with a trip to hike in Colorado over the Spring break. While traipsing around I kept coming across old mining equipment and train/locomotives and such. So the mechanical piece below is a result...the second such experiment..."The Works"

The next two pieces are derived from some dead fish photos that I've taken over the years and have appeared in numerous paintings. There is a mechanical quality to fish that works well with the obvious organic qualities. A nice combination. So it goes.

This piece was based off of photos of lobsters, horseshoe crabs, which are insanely interesting as forms, and blue crabs. Just playing.

Bodies of Music

So, within the process of becoming a decent figure painter in watercolor, I started to play around with a thematic series involving musical instruments...Guitar, violin, sound bowls for starters. The forms are complementary to the human figure, so I just played with that idea for a while and this is what I've come up with so far. We'll see what comes next.