Finding the Path. Using the Path.

 The main problem with having a studio space away from home is the limited blocks of time that can be spent on production. I can't afford to drive there whenever I have a break. Besides, the space is used by other folks from time to time. There really isn't much choice; I can't do any work, of any preferred scale, in my small home and my painting materials would freeze and be ruined (I never keep the heat on over night, so it's routinely below freezing every morning when I get up...even in the teens!).

I started a new version of my "excavation series". The intersecting lines have been compressed and are more interwoven; creating a type of maze. This advances part of the message of  an "excavation" piece: pathways. The roads blend and overlap with different colors and in different directions. There's still structure, but the order is impractical...the paths take you nowhere and, like in any maze, it's easy to get lost.

I started this new approach without knowing why and, now that I understand the personal connection, the execution is frustrating. It gives expression to my convoluted path of the past 6 years: wondering, trying one door after another, going from one dead end to another. Some doors are nothing more than a painting of a door. For me, the art offers no answers but accentuates the frustration of my life these days.

The piece to the left is in process. It's from a photograph of a friend of mine when he was at one of the lowest points of his life. As you know, every piece that an artist makes is a bit of a self portrait.

The maze pathways in the shirt have already been filled with the second layer of plaster and are made up of cool colors. The background will be darker, with the top portion broken up into those attacking or emanating electrical charges. Looking at it now, they seem like distorted figures in some sort of Mayan delineation. I began working on the face itself today.

It's my hope that through this confusing journey the Lord will speak to me and lead me to a new experience of Himself. Until then...I'm learning to be content in the maze.

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; 

the Lord gives both grace and glory; 

no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Psalm 84:11          

"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber."

Psalm 121:2-3        

"The Lord will protect you from all evil; 

He will keep your soul.

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forever."

Psalm 121:7-8        

I added this followup image (right) to show some development. More has been added since then, but it involved filling with the second layer, obscuring the portrait. This all becomes a part of the "building up, digging down; excavation" process which is indicative of my technique. The image will be resurrected after all has been filled, dried, and then sanded.

This step shows the final layer having been added and drying. This 32x48 inch panel will next be sanded down to reveal the original plaster line "drawing", but I will have to wait a few days until the snow melts and the ground dries a bit (besides, I'll be going to an evangelistic convention during the end of the week). That is due to the fact that such sanding must take place outside.

After vacuuming the surface, I'll seal it with a polycrylic and then decide what acrylic glazing needs to be done to enhance the image (eg, primarily shading to clarify form). Then another polyseal coating and a simple frame made out of firing strips. I'll be sure include a picture of the completed piece.

      

The Weather has Forced a Move

These cold temperatures are too much! I moved my supplies to a warm storage location a month ago and plan on resuming production next week. Don't mean to be secretive...but it's at an undisclosed location (no, I won't be underground for another couple of years!).

Mosaics Festival of the Arts

 

The Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps. 

This was the best festival of the season for me. The set up was easy, the weather was great (and the rain held off until I was totally packed on Sunday), lots of good visits with friends, good interaction with fellow artists (especially a reconnection with David and Ann), record breaking pack up time, excellent sales (enough to make up for the 4 flops preceding this show), and a special stay over with the Outlaws for the weekend (visiting their church on Sunday morning as well).

Even though I had good sales and a couple of commissions, I knew that this was going to be my last festival (officially). I'll do another here or there as the Lord directs, but this was the end of this part of my art business...and a great way to close!

Art on the Riverfront

Well, even though sales were not what they've been like over the recent years, the opportunity to visit with family and friends is always worthwhile!

What a beautiful venue for a festival...and that's not just because Grand Haven is my home town! Right on the waterfront boardwalk, with a cool breeze, the sound of river traffic, and a laid back park-type setting.

The Waukesha Blues Festival

Here are just a couple of images from the festival I displayed at the weekend of Aug 10th.

A view of the main stage under the big-top.

Waukesha is a Gibson guitar town and has displayed a number of these guitar sculptures in the downtown area. This is their one dedicated to Carlos Santana.

The antique car display.

Sales were down for me considerably this year, hm... maybe that's why I forgot to include a shot of my booth!

Recent Art Production

 My studio space is such a limitation, especially when it comes to the weather. I wasn't able to get back to any serious making of art until early May! A lot of what I need to do in my technical process requires outside facility. So, once the temperatures became favorable and the rain stopped, I was able to get some pieces under way.

This abstraction was started as a demo piece during a PSAD open house in April. Again, it's a transitional piece and one where I wanted to introduce some subtle delineation; creating a contrast between the organic and geometric elements.

In "Helmet Boy meets Bird Man", I simply wanted to play with the layering of squirted lines of pigmented plaster. These lines were laid on a dry under-painting of my typical multiple layered plaster, tempera paint, and fabric dye. I was aiming at a more formal Paul Klee feeling.

Well, I just have to keep exploring the Icon motif! This was a commissioned piece from a customer who stopped by my booth during the Paducah festival. "St Lawrence, the patron Saint of Cooks" as an appropriate piece of art to be displayed on the wall of a commercial kitchen! And so it will be.

I think that I'm going to create some of my own "saintly characters" for vocations that don't have specific patron saints and see if there is an interest for such pieces (I guess, Icons on the lighter side!).

Here is a late addition to the post. I discovered it in my small storage unit, saw that it was unfinished piece from 2012, decided to seal it, and add some glazing. It's one of the larger (32x48) "excavation" series pieces but with a little influence from Delaunay and the Futurists.

Is Winter Over?

This has been my first complete Winter spent here in Paducah. Hopefully the temperatures will stay above freezing, and with workable temps in the day time I'll be able to resume creating some art! I should have a post in a month or so showing some new paintings.