New works

This will most likely be the last post of 2012....so, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Last week I attended a seminar sponsored by the Art Library Society of North America (ARLIS-NA). It was very good. The main topic was creativity in the library and how to integrate more creative programming into your library.

Among the many take-aways I got from this discussion was how to stay motivated and creative. This point was reinforced by the description to work on something everyday. This is a philosophy that I have tried to practice since art school. However, many distractions over the years have pushed me away form actually practicing this idea. I then resolved to paint something everyday.

Two themes emerge if you look at my art work over time. Railroads and the figure are two topics that I have returned to many times when practicing, and it was these ideas I returned to for my daily paintings. The image above represents one of the figure studies I have been working on. Below is one of the railroad:

And here is another:   

I like these images, but so far I think I like the train pictures better. What do you think?

Taking Stock

      It's pretty funny how I wrote that I was back... and then didn't post anything for a month. Whats up with that? I don't know. I don't have any real answers. As you may recall, I recently moved. And my studio is not back up and running yet:

      I have been spending time organizing, moving boxes, and getting things ready. Anyway, one aspect of this has been to take stock of what I have, what supplies are available, etc. I have been looking through my paint supplies and compiling a list of hues I will need to restock.

      I went home for thanksgiving, and stopped by the 710 Bookstore. This was the store I used all throughout my undergraduate and graduate art studies. It is actually a very good art supply store. I never fully realized or appreciated this fact until I moved someplace that lacks a good art store. I have had to rely on mail orders.

      Ordering supplies works, sometimes they are even cheaper than buying from the store. I confess that I never purchased all my supplies from 710. I have always relied on ASW as a back up ( I have been known to have them on speed dial). They are good to work with, but there are other possibilities. Jerry's Artarama
and Dick Blick come to mind. Although I don't recommend Dick Blick. I have not had a positive experience with them. If I am in  hurry I'll shop at Hobby Lobby, but I don't really care for this store either. Where do you buy your art supplies? Can you recommend somebody new?

     

The weekend before Halloween

                                                       Image from Louisiana State Library

     After an illness which included a brief stay in the hospital (bleh), I'm back! And seems that I am just in time to enjoy some of the festivities the weekend before Halloween. Halloween brings out the creativity in people, and many events and parties reflect this.

      The major happening this weekend in Baton Rouge was the 9th Annual Louisiana Book Festival. This event takes place on the  grounds of the state capitol building. There are events in the capitol, the state library, the state museum and all throughout the capitol complex. It doesn't do it justice, but here is a picture of the entire event taken from the steps of the capitol. You can kind of see all the tents and events happening in the background.

 

      You might be saying to yourself "What the heck! I thought this was an art blog! What's all this nonsense about a book festival!?!?" Well...let me just tell you, there were plenty of art happenings at the book festival as well. The most notable was an exhibition of works by the established Louisiana Artist George Rodrigue in the state library. Rodrigue was commissioned to paint a portrait of each of the distinguished authors who spoke at the event. A sample and guide to the images can be found below.

Image from Louisiana State Library

      I think books and art represent a winning combination. In addition to this, the Halloween parade in downtown also took place. This event brought out the costumers and the fun! There was a zombie lown mower club, the Ghostbusters, and a Voodoo N' Tutu's float. All very creative and all very fun.

Zombie Lawnmower club

Ghostbusters Float

VooDoo "n" Tutus Float

     

                                                     


     

      

Weekend Update

   These images were posted previously on this blog. However, they are now framed. I am applying to a gallery, and as part of the application process I must submit two original works of art in a framed presentable format. It always amazes me how a simple thing like a frame can tie an image together and make it feel more complete.

   The past two weeks have been total mayhem. I have once again made a move, and although this one was across town, instead of across country, my living space (including my studio) is in total disarray. It will be some time before I am up and running again. I'll keep y'all about what happens. Wish me luck on the gallery application!   

The importance of sketches

      The above is a watercolor sketch of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I think it nicely captures the vibrancy of the French Quarter particularly found at night. I'm not sure what I will do with this yet, but I think that represents the importance of making sketches and getting your ideas in some sort of tangible form.  I don't think one has to have a specific plan  when making art and sometimes random experimentation produces amazing results. 

      My sketchbook is never very far from me, and I will very often pop-a-squat and start sketching a random building, scene, or natural object. Sometimes, if I am in a very crowded location, people will stare and look at me funny. I have yet to be confronted or told to stop, however. This practice of random sketching has resulted in a number of sketches that I have later used in finished works and is good for brainstorming various ideas for further development.

      My sketchbook is more a sort of mini studio which has a compartment for the sketchbook itself, but also has pockets, and storage for pencils, pens, erasers, and a portable watercolor set. It is made from scraps of canvas I had and is pictured here:

    
      Some other sketches that I have made and later used include the image below of a cathedral in Shreveport, LA which you may recognize from this painting. 

And this sketch of a garbage truck:

for this painting:

      One other thought before I go. As I was scanning my sketchbook, the scanner actually picked it up upside down. After seeing it from this point of view, I think it is just as interesting as right side up!

     
     So that gives me something else to think about.
 

Knitting/fiber arts and t-shirt designs

      This week's post is about a recent exhibition discussed on NPR this past Sunday, and an interesting Web Site I discovered that allows artists to submit and sell their own t-shirt designs. The discussion on NPR was titled "Are All Young Artists "Post-9/11 Artists?". In it, Neda Ulaby discussed the possibility that the events of September 11, 2001 have shaped our culture to such an extent that all artists under 40 are influenced by these terrorist attacks. She profiled three artists from the "40 under 40" exhibition at the Smithsonian, and described how each artist drew inspiration from or about 9/11.

      I'm not sure I agree with her thoughts. I certainly think that the terrorist attacks early in this century have influenced many things, including how art is made and what it is about, but I don't think you can say that all artists under a specific age are "9/11" artists. What struck me most after hearing/reading this article, other than the fact that I was not included in the exhibition (Haha! Just kidding. Sort of...no, no definitely kidding...maybe...heh heh), was that these artists largely seem to be working with fibers as a medium. Olek and Cat Mazza, in particular are using crocheting or weaving as their vehicle for expression (hence the photo above. It's the only woven piece I could find, but it was hand made in Greece so I think it counts). But even the other artists profiled (the folds of Erik Demaine, or the quilts by Anna Von Mertens) used some kind of fibrous material in making their art.

      I think the fact that these artists are using fibers along with such trends as Yarn Bombing, speak about the art being made today as much as the fact that it is produced post 9/11. Why all the fibrous art? I don't know. Perhaps in an increasingly technological world, filled with cold and impersonal machines, people are expressing an inherent desire to return to natural materials. I think this aspect is something the author overlooked, or possibly didn't really think about. It might be interesting to investigate. What do you think?

     The second thing I wanted to mention was the Web Site TeeFury.com.

      This site allows artists to create and submit their unique tee shirt designs. When I was in college I won the tee shirt design contest for my dorm. It was great fun. I especially enjoyed seeing the project go from sketch to reality. This site makes it possible to experience that concept with each submission. I think it is an excellent opportunity, and one more way to get creative.

      Well, that's it for now. More will be posted next week.   

Hurricane!

      One week ago today I got to experience my first hurricane. I didn't really know what to expect, having only read and seen images from hurricane zones on the news. In the hours leading up to the storm when everyone announced closings, people were stocking up on fuel and supplies, and there was a feeling of expectation, I found the whole experience  be very similar to the moments before a big snowstorm in the Midwest. The storm itself was noisy and unpleasant. Afterwards, when the damage could be surveyed it was the total opposite of a snowstorm (no frolicking or fun here). The image above was taken near my apartment.  Here are some more damage photos:

     

  I live on the high ground, so I didn't really have to deal with the flooding issues that many others had to deal with. The power went out during the storm and was out for days. I didn't really know what else I should be doing, so while it stormed I made art. I finished the self portrait I started the previous week:

Then I completed two other portraits.

I think that these second two look a little strange. Mind you, I painted them after the electricity had gone out and it was difficult to see. So that may explain why they seem a little off. In addition to these paintings, I sketched out an interpretation of a dream I had this past winter. I thought it would be a good idea for a painting, but now that it is sketched out I'm not so sure. What do you think?

If rain makes for creativity, then that seems doubly so for hurricanes.