Save The Date

March 10, 5-7pm opening reception for my solo show at Fermilab. 

Also on that day, from 12-1pm I will be giving a lecture about my work.

Things have been busy and chaotic this month with moving, holidays, travel and sickness and I am very ready for life to settle back into a routine. I am finishing up a move into a new apartment which is very exciting as my new space for my studio (a section of the bonus large dining room) will be warm and have an abundance of natural light! Pictures to come soon (as soon as I can find the camera cord the is lost somewhere in the boxes). 

I have not been painting as my studio is packed up in boxes, but I have sent off two grant applications and just finished my application for Skowhegan. In some ways I feel like I'm sending these things off into an abyss, without any expectations. I think that's really the way to approach submissions: be thoughtful in your submissions and try for everything you have an interest in and don't expect any of them. That way you aren't let down and anything you are accepted for is a bonus!

Portrait of the Day

From CerealArt:
















"Breakfast of Champion" by Hank Willis Thomas and Ryan Alexiev, poster available here.

First snow

Last night Chicago had it's first snow, at least the first snow that stuck. A lot of people seem to really like the seasonal changes and are excited by snow. I might enjoy it too if I could afford to turn on the heat so that I can't see my breath inside my apartment. That will soon change though as I'm likely moving into a new apartment with heat included in the rent.

I've been working on continuing to submit: I've made one more submission to a gallery, one contest entry, and one grant application.

I've also started a new piece which I will have to add a picture of my progress later as I've loaned out my camera. I've been saving this larger canvas for a new piece and for a long time hadn't decided on what I wanted to use it for. I have this one shot that I took of someone I used in the double portrait series that has been begging to be put on that canvas. So I started it - it's much larger than the size I've been doing the rest of the portraits in so we'll see what it's like to be painting them bigger.

This week I will have very little time for the studio - it's the show week of the Chorus that I work for so I will be running around fixing costumes and making all those last minute props.

Seven Days in the Art World

I've recently picked up "Seven Days in the Art World" by Sarah Thornton - I've been looking forward to reading this for a while and finally was able to get it from the library. So far I've read the Intro and the chapters on The Auction and The Crit. I found the one about the Crit fascinating as I love the idea behind critiques however, in actuality find them questionable valuable.

A bit of the chapter discusses different perspectives on a critique- what is useful, what is not; some teachers of MFA programs use a crit to dig deep into the work and challenge the artist to defend themselves, their work and their ideas. Others use it for the artist to listen to what their audience/peers say about the work by not being able to respond. This also challenges the audience to really look at the work/text and as Mary Kelly says, it teaches them to read the work. "Ask yourself 'is this in the text or is this what I am bringing to it?'"

The chapter also delicately addresses the validity of MFA programs and the unfortunate hopes of the students for a ticket to success by receiving an MFA.

Here are a few things I've picked out. From the Introduction:

"Art is about experimenting and ideas, but it is also about excellence and exclusion."

From The Crit chapter: Legitimators of an Art Career:

MFA (better if from a top-ranking school)
Awards/residencies
Representation by a primary dealer
Features in art magazines
Inclusion in prestigious private collections
Museum validation in the form of solo or group shows, international exposure at well-attended biennials
Appreciation signaled by strong resale interest at auction

People often ask me what I hope to do with my art, especially people not involved in creative careers. I think people want to know if I hope to sell everything I make, or get it hung in a coffee shop, or if I make it for my own personal expression and don't care what happens to the actual artwork. I usually say I want to be a successful artist and to feel accomplished in my field, but what that looks like could be many things. I think the things listed above from "Seven Days" and describing them as "legitimators" is exactly what's in my head when I'm thinking about being successful and receiving some sort of recognition.

I think artists (especially young artists straight out of an MFA program) want recognition, but don't want to admit it. Or they think the are entitled to it and dismiss those that don't give it to them. I haven't met very many that will work for that recognition, but rather want to be discovered as brilliant rather than putting the work in towards being accomplished.

The chapter quotes Paul Schimmel, chief curator of the MCA Los Angeles: "Talent is a double edged sword. What you are given is not really yours. What you work at, what you struggle for, what you have to take command of, that often makes very good art."

One last point that I thought was interesting from this chapter was the discussion of the word creativity. Thornton's conversations with students at CalArts reflected their disgust with the word. They called it a "lovey-dovey cliche". Thornton then goes on to muse "Perhaps creativity is not on the agenda at art school because being creative is tacitly considered the unteachable core of being an artist?" I wonder if the students want to reject discussion about creativity for fear it would be revealed that they aren't creative.

Submissions

Last night I began a process that I've been putting off for years. (Has it really been that long?!) After working this past year on my most recent series, spending hours combing the internet for galleries and curators that look credible, and lots of time procrastinating, I have started submitting my work.

About 4 years ago, I had completed at least a dozen or so pieces in another series I was working on, my "Ornament and Silence" series, and started submitting it to galleries for representation. I had dozens of packets put together in all different formats, trying to find the most professional and eyecatching combination of letterhead, business card, and CD label designs tucked in the most appropriate folder of printouts, cover letter and a resume which I probably re-formatted a zillion times to get the perfect level of clarity of information and aesthetic appeal.

After all this work and wasted paper, I really only submitted to five galleries, none of which accepted my work. I realized later that it was probably largely due to the work I was submitting which reduced in scale from 8 foot canvases to a 3 inch printout ended up looking like a fabric swatch. Something was lost in translation and I can see why the work was dismissed.

So I decided I needed to make new work, something that would be easier to understand through a small image on a screen or printout. I had also wanted to do this series of double portraits after playing with portraiture via an alternative monoprint technique. (See my "Corrugated" series).

Also part of the procrastination is that as a starving artist, I don't have much (any) money for submitting to juried shows (a waste of time anyway, in my opinion) and certainly no money to ship my work to anywhere, even if there is an interest in showing it. I have no money to pay for new panels or canvases to get started on my next series, so I'm stuck in this limbo phase, waiting for something to happen, but can't do anything to make it happen, and even if it did, couldn't follow through.

At least that's how it feels sometimes. I think the submission process is actually very fun. While for the most part I have only been rejected, except for the occasional juried show in Nebraska, the process of anticipating a response is exciting. Even if you receive a rejection, it feels like a notch on the belt and you can add that letter or email to your shoebox of rejections. The more rejection letters you pile up, the bigger the acheivement will feel when you finally get accepted. At least that's how I imagine it in my head.

So far, I've sent in 1 submission and 2 inquiries. 

"Best of" Blog

One of the blogs I follow is Joey Veltkamp's "Best of". Joey is an Artist in Residence in Seattle and his blog features artists, galleries, and general goings on in the Northwest art community and elsewhere. He has some excellent interviews with artists and has become a great resource for me in exploring the northwest art scene from my desk in Chicago.


He was kind enough to post my latest piece on his blog. Check it out here.

Also check out Joey's website of his art here.

Mural sketches

I mentioned in my previous post that I am helping with a benefit this week whose proceeds will be going to HIV/AIDS awareness and helping youth affected by poverty and AIDS in South Africa. There will be a lot of art at the event including an art auction by local and national artists, spoken word performances and a collaborative mural that people will be able to contribute to.

I'm designing the mural in which I'm going to lay out a basic design to give the mural (which will be on a king size sheet) a composition which people can then paint on and fill in the shapes in whatever way they want.

I sketched out a few ideas to work with the themes of bridging communities and reaching out, hope for the future, and interconnectivity. The organization hosting the fundraiser is called Ubuntu, which is an African word meaning "I am because we are." The organization is finding ways to build bridges between communities, specifically Chicago and Durban, South Africa where they have a program for youth that live on the streets to get food. They hope to expand this into developing a center where resources for dealing with HIV/AIDS can be distributed.

Here are some of my sketches:

Event Details:

Embodying the Change: WORLD AIDS Day Ubuntu Benefit Soiree

Join us for this awesome night of live music, live art, poetry and spoken word as we come together to raise support and generate positive energy for the healing of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, globally and locally.

Saturday, December 5, 7:00-10:00pmLive Art and Performances, Spoken Word Poetry
Gallery opens at 7pm with Chicago and Global Art auction
Door: $10-$25 Donation

Wicker Park Grace

1741 N. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60647
312-399-2081

Checkmark, etc.

I finally finished the piece I've been working on which I've titled "Songs of Optimism." It was basically finished a while ago but I needed to touch up a few areas in the clothing. I could probably obsess over it a while longer but sometimes you just need to step away and be done.

 

Just a few reminders of newsworthy items:

I had 3 pieces included in the latest issue of Leaf Garden Press's publication. It is a small independent press which features writers of prose and poetry and visual artists. 

I'm assisting with a benefit for World AIDS day this upcoming week. On December 5th, there will be a fundraiser including an art auction,  spoken word performances, and a collaborative mural which I am designing. Proceeds raised will support the Bridges of Healing Project and the Ubuntu Global Village. Their mission is one of empowerment for children and youth living on the streets of Durban, South Africa. More details can be found on their Facebook page including ticket prices and donation information. 

My upcoming solo show at Fermilab Gallery in Batavia, IL opens in March 2010 and will continue through May. Also during March I will be giving a lecture on my work at the gallery. 

In Fall 2010, I will be participating in a group show at LUMA (Loyola University Museum of Art) of artists of varying faith backgrounds.  Wicker Park Grace, where I currently have work on display, is curating a group show of interfaith artists whose work reflects something about their faith practice. 

Leaf Garden Press

I have a few images included in the most recent issue of Leaf Garden - a publication from a small independent press that focuses on poetry, prose and visual art. You can download the pdf version for free or purchase print copies as well at their website. My images are around page 25.

Things have been quiet on my blog as I'm in a place where I'm thinking more about next steps and researching opportunities rather than spending active time in my studio.

I'm also apartment hunting which somehow sucks up amazing amounts of time and energy.

One of the things that I have been neglecting is making it out to the galleries to see the shows that are up. At times I attend the openings religiously but have gotten out of the habit as I tend to do when the weather gets chilly and it's dark by 5pm. I've missed some openings that I really wanted to attend so that's a big priority on my to do list.

Time in 1:30 + Thinking about the title

Today I'd love to wrap up the Nell/Michele piece I've been working on. I've been using the title "Songs of Optimism" for it. This came to mind as something I've been thinking about personally which I'm sure has influenced my selection of the expressions for this piece. 

In this series, I want to allow for many interpretations and to represent complex psychological states. In this latest piece I see strength, transcendence, pain, power- contradictory emotions with the common demand for hope. I can't help but think of the title "The Agony and the Ecstasy" because sometimes those penetrating feelings manifest themselves in similar expressions. When I think of the word "optimism" I initially imagine happy hopeful faces and perky people picturing the glass half full. However in reality, optimism can be experienced as urgent demanding and severe.

. 

TO DO:

Nell: cool hot spot on right cheek

Michele: lips- volumize

Background: clean up white

varnish

photograph 

add to website

update news page on site

PLAYLIST: 

My chill mix tape

Murder Room by PD James

Bird York

Massive Attack

Bob Dylan

Styles of the Poor and Creative

My uniform (winter fashion for the starving artist):

Thrift store shirt from the boys section, textured with several holes in each armpit and crusted patches of paint across the belly where I wipe my brush, layered with a men's sweater from Target that smells like the basement and paired with unflattering jeans that don't fit quite right. Pockets are stuck closed with paint, and right pant leg also stiff with paint. The bottom hem has long since disappeared and the dirt from walking on the floor is slowly crawling up each pant leg. 

Time in: 9:15am + Side Street Projects

There's a NFP organization in LA that I've come across only through the world wide web, but have really been interested in their programming. Side Street Projects does incredibly interesting and useful podcasts which I've been listening to lately. Last year's podcast series was titled "What Do Curators Want" and consisted of interviews with several well known curators asking questions about what they look for, how they want artists to approach them, what do they love/hate about being a curator, etc. 

This year's series is called "Shop Talk". From the website:

Our new series— Shop Talk — debuts today and features frank conversations with your favorite contemporary artists. Hosted by artist Bari Ziperstein, you can think of Shop Talk like that “Inside the Actor’s Studio” show on Bravo, except for visual artists. What are some misconceptions about being a contemporary LA artist? How do you juggle deadlines, personal life, and your day job? Has your life suffered because of art?These are tough questions, and Bari gets some very honest answers from some of LA’s most celebrated and respected artists.

Have a listen. You won't be disappointed. 

TO DO:

Nell: right eye, move highlight, the pupil looks dead

Chin/lower lip too dark still

Glasses- thicken on right side

Shirt- make it look more like fabric

Hair- on left side, add under shadow on forehead

Michele:lips- they look flat, need to give them more volume

Nose- doesn't look quite 3D enough

Chin- work on it

forehead- blend more? fix area above right eyebrow, still not quite correct

Think of title

email Ezra regarding "Strips" 

Work out schedule for submissions

email about "talking reviews"

Research Puffin Foundation grant

PLAYLIST:

Air

Chet Baker

Thee More Shallows

Conjure One

Thom Yorke

Bird York

Beth Orton

Time in: 3:30pm + colleagues (is it possible?)

Things are happening, but slowly. I have been putting my energies into a lot of  business efforts and research, so I haven't had as much to document here. Things I'm thinking about: the next series, places I would like to show my work, possibilities for developing networks for artists. 

I was discussing with some friends today how one of the things that I feel is desperately lacking in professional life as an artist are colleagues. It could just be the nature of artists and people in art fields to be solitary and flakey, but I would hope that at some point I begin to build a community of people that I would consider colleagues. For some reason I've found it incredibly difficult in every city that I've lived in to develop such a community/network. 

What is it that I want? I would love to have people with common goals and professional pursuits interested in supporting/collaborating/brainstorming/ and working for professional growth. I'd love to have people around with both common and different experiences, yet it's so difficult to develop this and the established networks don't always effectively connect people. 

I'm just getting down my thoughts at the moment. Perhaps I'll return to this train of thought with a better idea of a way to move towards establishing some kind of network/community. 

I'd be interested to hear any thoughts from artists on whether or not you have what you would consider a professional network, would you even want one, and if so, what would it look like to you?

Gotta keep working

Time in: 12:30pm

I need to get back in the studio and finish up the Nell/Michele piece I've been working on. It's coming along so nicely and I want to include it in some of the submissions I'm working on. Rat removal is completed so I don't have any good excuse not to be in the studio.  This is one of those days where I just have to make myself go into work- if I want to feel like painting is a real job, then I need to treat it as such and not lay around just because I'm feeling lazy. 

On Monday I have the owner and store manager of Zella Brown coming in to look at my paintings, specifically the "Ornament and Silence" series. They are an art and design store on Milwaukee in Bucktown and I love their stuff every time I go in there. They sell paintings by local artists and I think some of my stuff would work for their clientele. They are also interested in the "I live in a duplex" series- we'll see what comes of it. 

TO DO:

Bring stuff down to studio

Around the Coyote registry application

New references for last piece

pick Janneke pic- get canvas (or board?)

Nell/Michele:

Michele- mouth area needs work, 

develop creases? expression is slightly off

Nell- right cheek, right eye needs work

finish up earrings

PLAYLIST:

Kings of Leon

Chet Baker

Ry Cooder

Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter

Spoon

Some worthwhile events happening tonight:

Last week was a whirlwind getting ready for my show- getting all the paintings in hanging shape, moving all the furniture out of the back bedroom into the middle one, and cleaning 8 months of dust off everything- not to mention how tiring (though incredibly fun) the actual event was. 

So I haven't actually gotten back into the studio yet this week. (The real reason is the dead rat in the trap in the back of the basement that hasn't been cleaned up yet. One down, probably 14 to go). 

There are a couple of events tonight in the Chicago area that I'm trying to decide between. Unfortunately both are happening at the same time, but then that's one of the great things about Chicago- there's lots of things going on. 

First of all, ThreeWalls is having an event tonight that is part of their current programming/exhibition called In Search of the Mundane. Their website describes it as such:

 In Search of the Mundane, organized by Randall Szott and the Institute for Community Understanding Between Art and The Everyday (InCUBATE) will feature extended conversation and programming about the arts of living. This exhibition's activities focus on mundane life, drawing upon the spirit of Allan Kaprow, Michel de Certeau, Jane Addams, John Dewey, and others. These  artists, activists, and thinkers will serve as a jumping off point to consider what constitutes “the good life.” In addition to  considering the perceived divide between art and everyday life, we hope to highlight how ordinary creative strategies in day to day life might enhance one's living conditions.  What might mark the difference between thinking of art as a career and living life creatively?  Associated programming will bring together a range of people engaged with this question to share their own strategies for artful living.

Tonight's event:

"Storytelling as an Everyday Art" with Megan Stielstra, 7 PM

Stalin wrote that, "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." Everyday we see this on the news--numbers, numbers, “us” and “them”--and it’s not until we hear the actual story, one person’s loss or love or courage or fight, that we start to understand what’s really going on around the world, a jumping off point to that bigger picture. Art is built around storytelling--a painting, a play, a novel, a film--but there are also the s

tories we tell day-to-day in simple conversation: in bars and at work, to strangers or loved ones, to explain where we're coming from and where we want to go. This lecture will explore storytelling as an every day art; how we connect, teach, bridge gaps, unite communities and find truth. How do you use storytelling in your day-to-day, and, more importantly, how can you?

Also happening tonight is a reading series that a friend of mine is involved in. It's called “This Much Is True” and is a writing group of probably the most talented writers I've heard in Chicago. It's usually side-splittingly hilarious, touching and just downright good writing. 

It's taking place at the Hopleaf in Chicago at 5148 N. Clark St. and begins at 7:30pm. 

Preview Exhibition

Last Saturday I hosted a one night only Preview Exhibition of my latest paintings. With the help of my Art Preparator (boyfriend) we were able to clear out one entire room of the apartment as a gallery and hang work throughout the rest of the place. I even cleaned up my studio in the basement and hid the rat traps for the brave souls that were interested in venturing down there to see some of my work still in progress. 

The place was filled with people from before 5 to well after 10pm. Five of my models/subjects were able to attend and see the completed portraits for the first time, (as well as many of their friends and family, and mine too!). I had a total of eight of the twelve double portraits displayed with three of my single portraits filling in some empty wall space. 

One of the things that is always great about showing this series is how diverse people's reactions are to the expressions in the portraits. There were a lot of people that new the subject's personally and were able to have, in some ways, a more intimate connection. 

A lot of the comments that I received were about how I chose to portray each person- for example, some of the men that are known to be comedians and always seem to be laughing and smiling are portrayed in more serious moments. Another guy that typically looks pretty serious is shown laughing. One person described it as showing their vulnerability- that the shots I chose to portray of them are maybe not how they usually come off to people, but a side that is not often seen. 

It's always great to have people look at your work- otherwise the motivation can run dry and you can start to wonder why you spend so much time making these things that are getting stacked up in the basement and take up half the moving truck every time you move.... I'm not represented by a gallery and haven't really started to pursue gallery representation. I've been waiting so long to develop work that I felt is strong that now I'm wondering if that is the next move I want to make. 

I know there are a lot of artist's that don't go the "gallery route" and do just fine. They participate in shows in non-commercial spaces and develop a collector base on their own. While I think the gallery is an important part of that thing we call the Art World, I'm starting to realize that for so long I considered getting into a gallery the goal and hadn't been considering the many alternatives. All that to say that this exhibition, though small and in my home, was one of the ideas I came up with. 

If you missed it, the next show lined up is in March 2010 at Fermilab Gallery. The series will be on display through May and at some point in March I will be giving a lecture on the work (date TBD). 

Networking (sfhdsifsdikfjl!)

Time in 1:30pm

"Networking" is one of those dreaded words for artists. It's that thing we know we should be doing, but aren't, can't or won't, depending on your temperament. I've been actively working on being a better networker even though I'm not sure exactly what that means. I'm finding ways to network (or the uglier word, schmooze) in ways that I am comfortable. Everyone says to go to galleries and just start talking to people. Go to the openings, go during the day, chat up the gallerists.... I love talking to people, but can't do it if it'll seem like I have an agenda, especially when I see their eyes glaze over at the mention of ANOTHER artist that wants to meet them.  

It is much easier to invite everyone over to my place though, to look at my work and hang out without the gallery aura of status climbing. So if you are in Chicago this Saturday evening you should come by. Find my email in my profile and I will send you the details. 

Continuing with the networking, I've come across some very interesting artists and want to share them with you. Renee who I have actually mentioned before is having a couple of openings this weekend (which you should check out) and Tom Gallagher is a photographer working on an interesting project:

Renee Prisble Una-

I met Renee at the Open Crit program at the Hyde Park Art Center. She is an installation based artist that uses various materials from ceramic to iron to recycled thrift store items in her work. She has work in two shows this month with BOTH openings on this Friday evening. Here are the details:

Perimeter Gallery
October 16th to November 14th
Opening Reception: Friday October 16th, 5-8pm 

Perimeter Gallery
210 W. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.266.9473
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10:30am-5:30pm

Northeastern Illinois University, Fine Arts Center Gallery
October 5th - October 30th 2009
Reception: Friday October 16th, 6-9pm 

The Prayer Wheel Project was curated into a group show at Northeastern Illinois University. The show, Fast Forward, consists of artists whose work looks past the somber events and conflicts of the past several years towards an optimistic future. While recognizing the impossibility of a utopia, the work focuses on concepts such as community, spirituality, and democracy.

The Fine Arts Center Gallery is located on the NEIU campus, check the website for parking instructions.
5500 N St. Louis Ave
Chicago, IL 60625 
(773) 442-4944

Tom Gallagher:

I have also come across the work of a photographer here in Chicago who specializes in portrait photography. Tom is working on a project right now in which he is photographing artists in their studios/workplaces. This potentially will be displayed in a show or a book format in the future and I'm considering being involved in it. (If you are an artist that is interested in participating you can contact him through his website). I'm not posting any pictures here as I haven't asked permission, so go take a look at the website to see what I'm talking about. 

Still raining, still dim

Time in: 9:00 am

TO DO:

Bio/images for Leaf Garden Press

Continue with Nell/Michele tasks from yesterday

Nell (eye!) Michele (give face volume!)

email AC about commission

frame another piece- pair? (need more wood)

PLAYLIST:

Shivaree

Built Like Alaska

Camera Obscura

Music from "Aspects of Love" by ALW

Bob Dylan

Velvet Underground

Time in: 4:30 + Tom Robinson

It's dark and rainy today. While I love the rain and quite often wish I lived in Seattle, it reduces the natural light in my already dim basement studio. I'm trying to decide if it will even be worth going into the studio today. I need to get better lighting for down there, but have so many higher priorities on the shopping list. 

Over the weekend I went to the opening of a show being held in Tom Robinson's studio space. He is an artist that, among many things, is making these amazing wooden portraits. You have to check them out. 

TO DO: 

frame "Joking"

finish E.G application*

finish exhibition emails

finish White Columns registry submission

Nell- right eye- what is going on?

her right nostril seems high

Michele- get back expression between eyes

mouth/chin area needs work

Brighten shirt color

Earings on both

PLAYLIST:

June Tabor

Niko Case

Bad at Sports podcast Episode  214: Constellations

Chopin's Nocturnes

One big check on the to do list

Time in: 1:30pm

I finally finished this piece of Tom and Scott. I've titled it "You think I'm joking?" and am so pleased with how it finally turned out. Scott's facial expression, as I mentioned, was challenging and I thought about changing it completely but I'm glad that I didn't. It feels good to complete this one- it's one of those that's been in progress for too long. 

TO DO:

mock portrait for Janneke

Continue with Nell/Michele

West Prize submission

Choose references for final piece

Sarah/Asher: Asher- forehead needs work

eyes

Sarah's cheeks- smooth and shape

PLAYLIST:

The Shins

The Velvet Underground

My Morning Jacket - Z (new favorite song: Wordless Chorus)

Jessie Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter

I am Sam movie soundtrack (Beatles covers)

Time in: 1:00pm + Sandor Private Collection

This morning I was able to take a tour of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Collection here in Chicago. It's one of the largest private collections in America and focuses mainly on photography. We spent about 2 hours there and there was so much to see that it was overwhelming, to say the least. Photographs filled the walls, floor to ceiling, in every room, hallway, cabinet door and anywhere else that would hold a picture hook.

Although there was so much work that was amazing and it's hard to even begin to list the artists I saw, I particularly enjoyed seeing Man Ray's photography and the photograph he took of Rrose Selavy, Duchamp's alter ego, after having recently read Man Ray's Montparnasse. I also enjoyed seeing some of Diane Arbus' work (inluding a painting) as I've been doing some research on her. 

On the right are some "in progress" shots of the Nell/Michele piece I'm working on currently. The first picture is after my first session on the painting, and the other two are from the second.

TO DO:

Michele/Nell- Keep developing

build frame

Work on Sarah Asher

Think about images for next piece

Get photographs for new piece

PLAYLIST:

The Murder Room

My Morning Jacket

Ray LaMontaigne

Laura Cantrell

Cat Power

Time in 11:00am

TO DO:

Tom- Left eye- black line in crease too dark

Eyebrows- to painted on, make to look more like hair

Lips- bottom lip color needs highlight and to be toned down (too pink)

Scott- highlight on left cheek too "L" shaped- check reference

Nell/Michele- develop 2nd layer

Asher- chin

Sarah/Asher- work on Asher's face, 

background?

New project: Start large Scott? 

Submit images for Banner Art on CAR

Work on West Prize and EG Foundation submissions

Think about email newsletter

start working on submissions; goal of 1/week?

PLAYLIST:

M Ward

My Morning Jacket

NPR

The Murder Room by PD James

Norah Jones

What's wrong with this picture?

Time in: 2:00pm

Sometimes I have a hard time with a piece (have I mentioned that before?) and I have to take a break from it and return to it. Sometimes I just have to start over. I've been trying to figure out what to do with this one. I'm really happy with how Tom (left) is coming along- I think he'll be really good once I tweak a few of the shadows. I really like how the picture of Scott (right) works with Tom, but I'm struggling to capture him successfully. 

I mentioned before that I think the captivating part of these portraits are their eyes. When they're closed or squinty, they don't have the same effect. I really want to make this one work though. I just keep painting and painting though and it's not getting to where I want it. 

TO DO:

Tom- shadows around right eye and mouth, make contrasts more subtle

chin too big? 

Scott- ?? 

Eyes- up the contrast

L Eye, open up more and round out undershadow

left cheek- make more interesting?

Hair- refine

Build frames

PLAYLIST:

M Ward

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Galactic- Coolin' Off

The Piano soundtrack

New Piece/s

Time in: 1:30pm

I started a few new pieces this past weekend. I'm pretty excited about this one, although I really only have a very rough underpainting done. I plan on developing it much more, but I like the energy it has right now- hopefully I can keep it.  

I went back and forth between using these more serious shots, but I am really drawn to them. I am particularly drawn to the shot of Michele (on the right). Typically, I don't paint people with their eyes closed because the eyes are usually a significant part of the piece. I loved her expression though- it could be pain, sorrow, rapture... she could be singing, praying or maybe just have a headache- it could either be seen as negative or positive. 

And then the shot of Nell (on the left) always grabs my eye too. These are both very pleasant, happy women and some part of me wants to portray them as such, but I think these snapshots are much more powerful at this moment. 

TO DO:

Michele/Nell: 2nd layer

Asher: finish up?

Sarah/Asher: Change background- white out

Finish Scott in Tom/Scott- 

Start thinking about titles

Build frames

PLAYLIST:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Sublime

Mix Tape from Margaret

Laura Viers

Early Start + thoughts on Andrea Fraser

Time in: 8:00am

In checking out some other artists' blogs, I came across this link. Unfortunately I don't remember where I got it so I can't credit the blogger, but here it is:

Craziest Moments in Modern Art 

It lists many of the absurd, controversial, attention-seeking artwork produced in the last century or so. I think it's a great conversation starter as I'm sure many of us have had that "but my kid could do that" argument and have been baffled by some of the more extremely graphic performances and artworks. 

Whatever your opinion on the artworks, you can't deny that they have triggered thought and dialogue and challenged many accepted understandings of Art. I had the opportunity to hear one of the artists give a lecture recently. I heard Andrea Fraser at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and it was one of the most stimulating lectures I've heard. 

She is an artist that is known for her work with "Institutional Critique." It was clear in her lecture that she is dedicated to the field of art while also being conflicted at what it means and how it affects her to be a part of it. While the piece listed on the blog about her selling a sexual encounter and DVD of the event for $20,000 is most definitely controversial, she was making a point that this is what the Artworld asks of you. 

Andrea Fraser was visibly disturbed during her talk while explaining how she arrived at that point. It was hard to tell whether she was upset at the fact that she had done it or that it seemed the only thing she COULD do with the path that being involved in the art world led her in. 

It's still a little early in the morning to be getting deep into this for me, but I remember being provoked by her work and discussion and wanted to remind myself about it. And now back into the studio. 

TO DO:
Start Sarah/Asher
finish Asher single
Work on Scott
Start Michele and Nell? pick images!
Update website

PLAYLIST:
NPR 
The Murder Room by PD James
Lizzie West- Holy Road
Norah Jones
Nick Drake
Chet Baker

Gross

Yesterday I gessoed a new panel and left it on the floor to dry. 

Work, work, work

Time in 1:00pm

I've got to get some work done today. I finally once again feel energized and motivated to work, and even behind on things (in a good way). I've got a lot of projects that I want to get going and a few more to finish up. Just as I hoped, having an exhibition (even if it is just in my apartment) is putting the pressure on, as are tight finances so I've got some side projects in the works to start filling in the empty spots in my bank account.  

I've just cleaned up the basement and have a rat trap down there waiting to be broken in. C'mon rats...

TO DO:

gesso paper for Asher portrait

Get board for Sarah/Asher

Start Michele/Nell piece

Continue Tom and Scott

Title for Dyptich?

PLAYLIST:

Ray LaMontagne

Nick Drake

The Raconteurs

Bob Dylan