Graduation!

Well, I did it! Finally got that MFA...even though it took me 30 years! The intensity of the year has left me exhausted (dealing with stage two of a 2 week long cold). Although I won't be able to maintain the level of production attained over this year, I will keep it up and will share more likely monthly postings on the blog.

It was such a joyous time waiting and waiting... and waiting in the SLU gym in preparation for the graduation ceremony.

Colleagues Rebecca and Jennifer in the background.

There I am in the second row on the left side. Not a huge graduating class, when you consider it includes both under graduate and graduate students.

Here are am with my host "parents" Jean and Gordon. If it weren't for their generous provision and assistance, none of this would have happened.

I was thinking of becoming a Dominican Monk (use the handle "Friar Myer")

I'm going to revisit this piece: cut the right side off and add pencil diagrams of a generic family tree chart in the open space in the lower central section. Got to work quickly on this seeing that I'd like to enter it into a regional competition by tomorrow's deadline!

The Final Stretch!

I'll start start a new set of images here. Plus, I'll carry over any further progress on pieces featured in the last post. And I just realized that I've been neglecting my ceramics class. So, here's the first pic:










It shows fellow student Misha under a plaster mold for future
face mask slip castings which I'll use in clay sculptures, as well as being incorporated into one of my paintings.
Scott showed up for moral support.

Here's the immediate extraction-1st casting. When bisque fired, these look spooky real!



DISCLAIMER: do not try this at home! No matter how exciting you think it would be to make a plaster mold/cast of your friend's face. I have disaster  stories of students who tried it on their own (eg., a trip to the ER!).

 

As promised, here's a set from my ongoing fossil series in ceramics class.

Here's the next step of that other "fun" abstract piece I started a couple of weeks ago. It's all about industrial image of mechanic/speed; sort of retro futurism (now that's an odd pair of words!) within a 1950's design formula.

I did some shade/glazing over it to define forms and clarify the "motorcycle" parts. Low level challenge with simple satisfaction.

 I've done a bit more with that Mayan portrait set against a raised abstract environment. I was somewhat limited by the composition, but it has worked out quite well, none-the-less.

Just needs another glazing or two.

Yep, still working on that ecorche! Leg and arm at this point.

More development on that landscape painting from Castlerock Park.
















Other antics in the ceramic classroom: Misha accepted a dare to bite a piece off of Hannah's Gollum figure (to get a reality effect).

Not sure if I'll be able to finish this painting of the little falls at Creve Coeur Park.

There's a better chance of finishing this painting of the Page Overpass at Creve Ceour Park. Just one more week...all critiques, all classes. Everything has to be done!

For the most part, the ecorche male figure is complete. Just need to smooth everything out.
This course was the most beneficial one of the semester!
I'm planning on making a mold/cast of it in latex, later in May.







I used a scrap of lauan, sized it, and put some of my KY clay over it as a support for this little landscape oil painting. I'm going to spread some highlights on the raised texture portions with a roller.

Spring Semester Production

Hopefully, this post will grow like the previous. Except, I will try to limit the step-by-step development of pieces and focus on finished pieces (so much for that attempt!)

I have some old, very large panels that need to be "used up". So, I fell back on my preferred stand-by on this 40x60 inch panel: non-representational abstract imagery. Oh, that's just plain FUN! I think that I will glaze some on this piece, simply to create a sense of depth on the picture plane.

It may be hard to see, but I've altered this piece a bit, adding a steam freighter, then turning it into a refinery, then cutting out sections where ceramic fossil tiles can be attached. Not sure if I should go back to the ship subject.

And another large "fun" abstract piece is underway!  

                 

  I will be adding a few extra steps to the Pisa Portrait and thought that it would be best to re-post the "sealed" stage and show the progress that is made from week to week. I'm trying to glaze with acrylics this time: you have to really move quickly and restore highlights almost immediately. One advantage that I've noticed is that the plaster texture shows through with greater clarity than when glazing with oils.

Finished image for now (awaiting group critique next week). By the way, if you haven't already figured it out, it's "God photo bombing my selfie at the Leaning Tower of Pisa."

 

Here's an old piece that I revisited, selecting an image suggested in the abstraction and turning it into a ballerina on stage, complete with stage lights.

Here are some pics of early progress on my generic male figure for 3D-Ecorche class.

    

      

Here is an example of what I'm doing in landscape painting (a scene from Queeny Park in West County St. Louis). Just the second level of under-painting. Oh, I had to glaze white over almost everything to convey "fog", and darken the pond. The heavy stuff goes on next week (really!).

I may deepen the look of the water, but it's pretty much finished.

 

And I've started a second landscape, this one from a photo of the bluffs at Castlewood State Park.

Also, I decided that this older painting, in its previous state, had too clear of an edge around the human figure. So, I broke it up and softened the water boarder at the bottom.