Sunday, November 10, 2013

Why are my portfolios so diverse? You ask...

Okay, for that (phantom) reader out there who feels that the work in the portfolios in my website is very diverse, let me say that you are not mistaken. After many years working in a semi-abstract vernacular, while not abandoning my mixed-media explorations, I have returned to my first love which is the figure and, in particular, the face. How can one resist the human face - that pattern that is imprinted on us from the first moment of our lives.

Yet I cannot tell you, dear reader (are you there?), how often I have heard people dismiss the ability to draw and paint from observation - most of mine are from life - as being a mere "facility" that, with a little effort, anyone can pick up, like tracing a dot-to-dot in a child's coloring book, presumably. Mostly those people - artists working in non-rep modes - have not, so far, "picked it up" themselves. In the meantime others that I know, accomplished artists, have spent half a lifetime trying to chase down that elusive thing, the human face and, despite sharply honing their skills of observation and deepening their technical knowledge, continue to be eluded by that will o' the wisp: the life force within. Being able to see deeply and transform that knowledge into an image is not a facility, it is a gift - quite a rare gift and I am fortunate to possess it to some reasonable extent.

I am no hater of non-representational art - see my own Mixed Media portfolio on this website - and much of the art I write about is installation, assemblage, conceptual, and abstract. But all art is abstract, certainly in its execution. A case in point is Ellsworth Kelly, one of the most abstract artists of our time, still with us at age 90. His most well-known paintings tend to be vibrant monochromes on shaped canvases - no Rotho-esque romantic washes or soft edges. But Kelly is a superb draftsman who draws every day from nature and takes what he discovers there into his painting. When I read what Kelly says about his most abstract work, I think "but that is what I am thinking when I am painting a face." The difference is that he takes those shapes he sees in nature, separates them from their context, unifies the color, and reproduces them on a monumental scale. Here are some of his plant drawings:  http://mhsartgallerymac.wikispaces.com/Ellsworth+Kelly 

That is enough waffle out of me for now, so I shall leave you, Phantom Reader (may I call you Phan for short?), to draw your own conclusions.

Oh wait - while I have your attention. Do check out my commentaries about art on Roll Magazine online. Latest is about the new, massive show going on right now (until Dec 15, 2013) at Industry City in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn: Come Together: Surviving Sandy. The show is a fund-raiser for artists affected by Hurricane Sandy last year and includes both artist victims and those wanted to support the cause, 300 in all. Artists include a number of "Bold Face" names: Alex Katz, Chuck Close, Kiki Smith, Shirin Neshat and very interesting works by Shojo Azari, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Dustin Yellin, Diana Cooper, Corban Walker (from my old alma mater) among many others and also under-recognized and emerging artists. A good read, if I say so myself.

Also check out my article immediately before the Surviving Sandy piece - this is about a very different kind of art show: The Woodstock Landscape, Then and Now, and is worthy of note if you are interested in how Woodstock became "Woodstock" and why it all happened in New York State instead of, oh, North Carolina...



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Monday, November 4, 2013

Work-in-Progress and Open Studio news


Hellooooooooooooooo

I just started this new blog - annoyingly I wasn't able to upload my already existing Live Journal blog - and have decided to make this one about work-in-progress, news for what's going on in the Open Studio that I monitor at the Woodstock School of Art (WSA), and whatever else seems worthy of note including the occasional rant.

First Item of Note: check out my commentaries about art on Roll Magazine online. Latest is about the new, massive show going on right now (until Dec 15, 2013) at Industry City in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn: Come Together: Surviving Sandy. Artists include a number of "Bold Face" names: Alex Katz, Chuck Close, Kiki Smith, Shirin Neshat and very interesting works by Shojo Azari, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Dustin Yellin, Diana Cooper, Corban Walker (from my old alma mater) among many others and also under-recognized and emerging artists. A good read, if I say so myself.

Also Worthy of Note: I am scheduled to teach a class at the Woodstock School of Art (WSA) entitled "The Contemporary Portrait" - this will begin on January 8th just to coincide with all those New Year's resolutions so, Phantom, take note*. The class will run for 8 weeks - usually at WSA people pay for each set of four classes in advance and that works out at $140 or $35 per class. If there is an appetite for more, we shall continue for another four weeks. We will begin with drawing and, fairly soon, work up to painting. For more info and *to sign up, go to the WSA website (at this point, they still haven't put the new 2014 schedule up).

Life Drawing & Painting Open Studio - it is every Thursday morning at the beautiful Woodstock School of Art and only costs $20 including the model fee, or $50 for four sessions if paid in advance (no make-ups though). We have long poses that often continue for three weeks so many of us paint. Starting this Thursday (November 7th) we have a three week pose with Ann. And then, hopefully, a three-week pose (model TBA), thereby bring us up to the holidays.

WEDNESDAY GROUP: from November 6, four of us are starting an independent painting group also at WSA. Unlike the Thursday Open Studio which is open to all comers, we want this group to consist of seven artists, six committed to being regular participants + one guest or floating artist so that we always have good access to the model. At the time of writing we are still looking for our sixth. Like the Thursday group it will be a long pose - up to three or possibly four weeks per pose.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS: first is a mock up of the 12"x 12" profile photo project that I am working on with a mix of some finished 12 x 12s, and some cropped photos of larger paintings. I like the idea that it would be huge.
Below are two pieces I am in need of completing, first is a 20 x 20. Second is approx 65" x 24" full length portrait. The subject mostly needs facial hair at this point.

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I cropped the face for the 12 x 12 mock-up above.

Below are some images that show my process - this painting I just finished yesterday (Nov, 2013)





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