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APRIL'S PEAK
INTO THE STUDIO
A GROUNDSWELL OF WORK
April 14, 2005 - Finally, after much anticipation and a little
bit of frustration building up the last few months, I've finally
started in on some serious new work in the new year. To
get going, I started in on some a series of 16x20 paintings that
will be character studies of rich, entitled folks. I
started out wanting to depict the unnecessary excesses and
overpowering sense of entitlement money seems to bring to
people, and use this series as a foil to the fun and successful
series of regular Americans eating hot dogs that I worked on
last year.
But recent events hung heavy on my heart, and with friends
and family members shuffling in and out of hospitals in the past
few weeks, they started to develop a remorseful, sullen and
somewhat introspective attitude, none of which bothered me as I
began to notice the tone shift on me.
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Six portraits that started out referencing the
repulsive nature of gross indifference and entitlement that
rich, fat Americans carry with them but turned into an exercise
in mortality. |
After I finish up these six portraits, I'm going to finish up
three larger pieces I've been laboring on the past few weeks and
then move onto some bigger and brighter projects. With summer
seemingly days away, I'm constantly reminded of my next big show in
August - a solo show of works that will hang in Hyde Park in a
gallery that has great walls, a supportive environment for artists,
and a good legacy of past shows, that includes
Philip
Trussell's blockbuster show in March. If all goes well,
I'm even thinking about sneaking a show of large canvases before the
year is out, and perhaps a smaller show of new and experimental
prints that have been ruminating in my head for some time now.
Its been almost six months since my last show with completely new
work, and the break feels great. I was completely worn out
from showing way too much last year, and stepping off the gas some
and coming to terms with my work in studio has been a big bonus this
year so far. I'm hoping to be as productive as ever this
summer, and between tearing through a bunch of new paintings as well
as making prints of some old work and a series of new prints, I
shouldn't have any trouble staying busy.
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Click here to check out
more prints
from my studio
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So I've begun some experiments
using my new printing press. I'm eschewing monoprints and
drypoints for the time being in favor of some good old fashioned
lino cuts, trying to get my printmaking feet back under me.
Its been fun and exciting, almost having to relearn a old
thinking process of developing an image from light and dark
without the aid and flexibility of oil paints and color.
I picked up an old painting I did of Town Lake a couple years
back, and started in on trying out my new tools. After a
few stages, its arrived at the stage you see to your left.
I've got some areas to work on, but I'm pleased with the results
so far.
Working with lino cuts is really a mind bending experience.
It seems you are always thinking three steps ahead, but then
backwards, and in reverse at the same time. I'd joke that
it is like trying to learn how to walk, but that isn't funny or
applicable these days anymore. So with the workload stacking up, my winter malaise washed
aside, its time to start producing a ton of work, because life
is too short and too precious to be stuck working behind a desk
or letting people with bad taste dictate what people are exposed
to in this world. |
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