Featured Painting: Like Minds.

There's nothing quite like no plans and a weekend in the studio completely focused on art. 

Setting up shows is fun; discussing future shows is exciting; experiencing an opening is always fulfilling; but nothing replaces, at least for me, escaping the physical world during a great studio session. 

The last couple months have been busy, and while I've still made a decent amount of art (and enjoyed it), the mindset while doing it has been more on the "stave off anxiety" side of things rather than challenging myself. That doesn't mean the art has suffered...it's just different. They tend to be a bit more manic and "all over" rather than "scenes with intent" for a lack of better wording. There's an abstraction to them that is altogether different from my more typical figurative work.

This past weekend I got to work planning a new show that will open at Scout Gallery April 4th. 

For the first time in a few months I felt inspired and optimistic toward new art happeningsrather than anxious. Images of new work cascaded through my mind and from the second i got home I started putting together a few new canvases. While, as usual, I didn't have a specific sketch or composition in mind I wanted to do pretty much the opposite of what i had been recently. Rather than starting with a bright and vibrant background color, I wanted raw canvas and I wanted that to show through to the end. Instead of the directness of drawing, I wanted the ethereal qualities of watercolor and washes. Figures would be paired with nature in a somewhat voyeuristic, gauguin-in-the-tropics sort of way that carry a mysterious, almost mythic or spiritual atmosphere.

Like Minds, I'll admit, wasn't easy to start despite the inspiration. I worked on two additional "Level" paintings yet to be released before I worked up the courage to make the first mark. I knew the feel I wanted...but wasn't exactly sure how to get there.

A common trick I use? Spill some paint. ​The large blocks that became the people started, essentially, as barely controlled stains.

I sprayed the canvas with water until it was well saturated and took a large brush, making undefined and unspecific marks, that flowed where the water took them. I didn't care too much about composition; that would come later; I just needed some colors to break up the emptiness and provide a stage. 

I decided to make the figures read for a couple reasons; First off it can represent some very different emotions.

Some will think of curling up with a beloved book in front of the fireplace with light rain, low light, a blanket and a warm drink; Some will think of adventure and action, imagined worlds, frightening characters, and turning pages at record speed; Some will think of learning, educating oneself , challenging growth and preconceived notions.

In addition there is the voyeuristic aspect of reading; rarely do you come across someone deep in the pages of a book without wondering what it is that captured their attention.

Lastly, there is the freedom of choosing what to read, what that can mean, and also how reading can play into some of our less-positive tendencies like judgement and assumption. It's not just the internet that breeds self-righteousness. At some point we've all had to choose between the biography or the latest espionage thriller; social commentary or comedy; history or fantasy; and most have, at some point, judged the decisions others have made in that regard. Reading is a great microcosm of society in a way. It presents an almost ideal opportunity to better oneself with no need of outside intervention, yet we often choose easier routes, judge other's decisions, and create division where it's completely unnecessary.

The great thing about educating oneself is you have the ability to form individual conclusions and make truly educated decisions about your life. The paradox of educating oneself is you have the freedom to choose what you read, what you believe, and what you do in turn. The possibility does not guarantee the ideal outcome, but the opportunity, at least, puts it in one's own hands, to a degree.