This Saturday, art at the Hive gallery

I show something every month at the Hive gallery and this month is no exception. If you're interested to go to the show, all the info you need is on the website here. Don't mind that I'm not listed in the 'artist' list, I've known Nathan since the beginning so I'm always in the show... I'm exhibiting a 6 by 8 framed plein air landscape from the top of Elysian Park, a beautiful view of downtown LA through the trees. I wish I had a picture of it but I forgot to take one before I dropped off the piece! It happens sometimes, but it's a good one and affordably priced.

So that there's something fun to actually look at in this post, here's a pic of a second color study I've started of Santa Anita, 18 by 36, for a painting of the same theme I intend to finish as a 2 by 4 foot piece for a show at the Pasadena Museum of History in August. I'm getting an early start! This second study is still 'work in progress' but the color is stronger than the first study...

drawing

Here is a picture of a portrait drawing of my friend Nick Griffin for his website. It's a piece that ultimately exists only in digital... an arrangement of a bunch of different drawings and paintings. I like how it's come out! Sloppy and true.

collaboration downtown

This is a painting that I did in collaboration with Airom Bleicher. Here's a little about the collaborations. I've always been someone who's been into doing their own thing but I met Airom at the Hive and he had this idea to go out plein air and work collaboratively. We've done it a number of times, and so far I've done it with two other painters I know: Antrese and Cassie. The experience of collaborating has always pushed my work in bold directions! Airom and I went out in the field, parked on Los Angeles St. past 2nd St., and rolled out to the sidewalk to take in the people and the view. As a team, I'm there at the visually inspiring location because I have an efficient mobile painting kit and I like to paint what is before my eyes, en plein air. Airom is more interested in other means of recording the moment (photo/video documentation, poetry, sound recordings, aural/linguistic impulses, passerby interaction. So when we go out someone else writes poems and someone else takes pictures, etc, it's a big crew! But for this painting everyone except, of course, Airom and I flaked so here you go, a great painting none the less! I think Airom has some pics of the location and the work in progress that he took with a disposable camera but I don't know for sure. Since most of the other people that Airom hopes would come and actively participate have never reliably materialized, I've been the one who's tended to dominate. I hope some time we can get a good crew together and do it like Airom'd like! More means of remembering the moment than my sloppy, bold, slap-dash, alla prima impressionism! That'd be a cool installation!

stages

I painted the people into the Echo Park painting and I'm happy with it! The piece started as a drawing from life. Then I drew that drawing very expressionistically onto canvas by eyeball only and then took the canvas back to the location and painted the color from life. I went back a second time to get a few details and also to take some random photos and digi-cam video on location. I liked three different pics from all the ones I took and composed them in photoshop to fit into the scene I'd drawn and painted from life. This I sketched onto the canvas and then painted as carefree as I could. I'll attach a picture that shows the progress of the painting from drawing to finished. Also, some of the "photo-reference" for the figures. These days I like to take little digital camera movies and then scroll frame by frame until I get just the right gesture. Then I do a drawing from that frame and work from that. It's lo-res, but that helps me avoid getting too detailed anyway! I started a different version of the Santa Anita painting, but it's too soon to show it! Very loosey-goosey... ^_^

echo park progress

I went back to the location and painted details and resolved parts. I also went specifically to take some snaps of people walking by so I could composite them in photoshop and then paint them in. I plan to do them really light and easy, 30 brushstrokes or less! HAHAAHA! Here's a pic of how the landscape looks now, and a digital composite with some people.

glue-gun craziness

Well, unless there's an unknown curveball yet to be thrown, this is how the joint custody piece turned out. Once the barbie doll got put on the piece, it was no holds barred. I headed to Michael's and went kraft-krazy buying butterflies and a hummingbird, faux-flowers and jewels and glitter and feathers all with the intention of be-dazzling this unintentioned street walker. I thought that all the attention around 'joy' along with the glorious wings are what help this barbie doll overcome her circumstances and be happy! Also I left flowers for Manet and pointed him out with a purple hummingbird

cityscapes

I went out to the corner of Echo Park Ave and Ewing St with a 4 by 2 foot canvas and my painting supplies (acrylic these days) and slapped this up plein air. It was really fun when the elementary school up the street let out and all the kids were walking by with their parents. I plan to go back and take some snaps of cars and passers-by so I can put some liveliness in it.

Also, here's the joint custody panel as I picked it up Tuesday night. looks fun! Exatly what I'd hoped they'd do. And the hooker barbie with the avenging laser morality mom is an interesting twist! Crazyness. I have no idea what it "means" but it's fun. AHAHAHAH!

joint custody 3

I've had the painting for the past 4 days and dropped it off again today for my “A” partner/artist to go at it. When I got it back, my partner added a couple more people in the lower corners which refer to a photo they affixed to the back of the painting. It looks like a family photo, maybe a baby picture?

I think it’s interesting how two random painters with a rectangular panel trading back and forth would end up with such a distinct “pyramid” composition with out ever being conscious of trying to do that? I feel like that means part of the power of the “pyramid” composition in painting is that things want to settle on a flat surface that way naturally... makes you wonder...

Since I didn't feel like painting any of it out, I added more to it by screwing a new panel to the back of the original. I painted a somewhat flat, simple street scene, inspired by my Echo Park drawings and paintings of late which I hope the A partner will feel free to add more people to, maybe even a self portrait? I tried to design the space so you could paint someone anywhere, any size really and they'd fit in the scene. Also I like the lost poster with another xerox transfer of Manet again since he's been painted over (click here for earlier image). Poor Manet is nothing but pentimenti and forgotten... No, I always remember him!! Also I started to put stickers and glue things on the surface, real staples and whatnot so it’s multi-media free for all! It's very loosely done and I don't feel precious about any of it so hopefully team A will feel free to go bananas all over it!!