Working my tail off

So I haven't been here in a while, but you can check out a great deal of my activity on my blog for Painting for Preservation.  I began this artists' movement in March, and it took off.  Check out Broadway-Fillmore Alive video interview about the project.  The last month or so though has been a real return to serious art production... I've finished 5 new pieces in rapid succession and have another 3 to go before the middle of October!  Some will be on view at The Statler Towers in an exhibit I'm organizing with participants of Painting for Preservation, and the others will be on view at The Carnegie Art Center in N. Tonowanda in an exhibit that I'm curating and participating in titled City Strings and Lines.  I'm really excited about both, but City Strings and Lines is really pushing me in some cool ways.  I'm including an image of one of the pieces for that exhibit here (Please excuse the photo quality)

Coming Apart at the Seams

 

 

 

 

 

"Bolt and Screw"

Bolt and Screw (2011) Oil, gold leaf, pumice stone on canvas 24" x 24"

So this painting is a little different in that it is more abstract and more textural.  I used goldleaf to add a sumptuous important quality to this very ordinary overlooked element in bridge architecture.  There is pumice stone mixed into the acrylic base to give it a gritty texture.  This rusted bolt and screw are on a walking bridge that traverses the thruway at Riverside Park in Buffalo.  Riverside is a Fredrick Law Olmsted Park, and it was the "park with a view" looking out over the Niagara River.  You can still go down to the river, but you have to walk over a bridge over the 190 to do so.  This bolt and screw was honestly the most beautiful thing I saw in this location.  I'm looking forward to doing a few more of these that sit on the abstract fence.  I'm finding that all of my work is seeking a history, a true history, a false history, a skewed history, but a history nonetheless.  I'm excited to work on this series as I think it has real potential to juxtapose the intention of the space with it's current condition in a way that relies more on perception... in taking this "park with a view" and confining the viewers' view, I think I can make some pretty decent commentary on city planning, shortsightedness, and the destruction of a piece of art for commercial gain (as a well designed city or park is).

Finished Storefront

I completed Storefront Comtemplation a couple of days ago.  See the previous posts for the progression.

Drained

I'm working on a new series of intimate portraits that explores the female in the role of mother and wife.  The series seeks to communicate the draining aspects of these roles on women.  This is not to say that these roles don't also bring tremendous joy to women, but there is no doubt that it is possible for women to pour all of themselves into these two particular roles, thus losing or subjugating other aspects of their personhood.  The series is intended to be graphic and at times seemingly inappropriate as a juxtaposition of how motherhood and wifehood are normally portrayed. 

The first in the series is "Milked."

Milked
Oil on Canvas
30 x 24
2010
NFS
All rights reserved

Mattress Factory Visit

I took a trip to Pittsburgh this weekend with my little ones, and in addition to visiting the children's museum and the aviary, I brought the kids through the Mattress Factory.  The main show was Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art.  My brother, who's is an historian and knows a bit more about Cuban history and culture, was a  great source of information at the museum -- much of the commentary would have been lost on me without his help.  There was one artist whose work I found particulary powerful, René   Peña (nudity).  His striking large injets are quiet yet screaming.  I loved Black Marat in particular.  Although, I didn't understand the piece at the time, I was struck by Acending City by Roberto Diago.  Now that I read about its statement, I'm even more impressed.

An update on Girl at Storefront

So I've made some compositional changes to this painting... I've simplified and am enjoying working with color fields -- more adjustments to come, but I'm happier with the simplicity.  This one will be a stand alone piece and not part of the series I mentioned earlier.

work in progress

Workshop with Tom

I took a fantastic still life workshop with artist Tom Kegler this weekend.  We watched a demo in the morning, had lunch at the Roycroft (I loved talking with other artists again... they also have convinced me that I need to visit California at some point in my life), and then in the afternoon, we went to work on our own still life.  The painting below is my result -- it's not quite resolved, but I don't think it will change drastically.  It's a bit more classical than I usually work, although I was still careful to remain true to my colorist self.  There are some colors (browns mainly) on this palatte that I don't normally use, although I seem to be starting to use Burnt Umber in more of my work.  Learning more traditional, realist painting is quite a different experience from my initial background... trying to incorporate both without loosing my sense of identity :-)

Work in Progress

A month or so ago, I went to a workshop on children's portraits.  After that workshop and revisiting some Edward Hopper pieces , I've started work on a new series... (that currently makes 3 series in progress!!!)  I've posted the first of the series here as a work in progress... I'm really enjoying painting this piece as it contains architectural elements and a figure!