Progress: Painted Over Color Studies

I don't know whether I'll keep these two together or not. I started the right one without the intention of making it a diptych. We'll see. Let me know what you think.

Progress: Painting No. 7.5

Progress: no. 7.5

The semester will be over in 3 1/2 weeks. I don't feel that I've accomplished enough in this independent study. After looking through the 14 or so pieces I've worked on all I could think was "Shit, none of these are done. None of these are strong enough." Next semester I will hopefully be working with Cliff Peacock to build a presentable portfolio for when I graduate, for grad school, for an artist in residence program, for anything, because after I graduate I won't have access to these minds and their wealth of knowledge and experience. After this I'm on my own.

Outcome: Painting #14

And the tape comes off! I LOVE this painting, and apparently I'm not the only one.


(I'm going to rant now, so please feel free to skip this part)
I've had problems with people not respecting my studio space; storing their supplies, 'borrowing' my palate knife, using my paper towels, that kind of thing, nothing major, just annoyances. However when I got into the studio this evening someone had MOVED my paintings and TAKEN my easel. I realize it's not MY easel, but there are plenty of easels in the main studio. Maybe it's not that big of a deal, but every semester I've painted I've had at least one painting spoiled by someone's negligence. GRR.

(Now back to the story)
George has occupied an independent study space for almost as long as I've been taking painting classes at the college. He graduated in the spring... but he's still around. He's been working on developing his portfolio and redying his applications to grad school. John Hull, the department head, who was teaching a class at the time, walked by. He joked with George about making him pay rent and made some disparaging comments about the painting he was working on, all in jest. Later in the evening George was looking at the painting above as John walked by. John said, "Oh, so your looking at a painting I actually do like," causing me to throw my arms up in victory. John, at least with me, will not offer his opinion unless asked. So I was really jazzed to hear he liked it.

You can see some of George's older paintings here. (I don't like his website)
And look here for John Hull's work.

Also Cliff Peacock, one of my favorite painting teachers, is currently on sabbatical. He is a finalist of the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2009. Which means that he'll have his painting up at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in DC. THE F-ING SMITHSONIAN! Very proud to call him my teacher.

Progress: Painting #15

This color study has come into its own, deserving to be counted among the rest of my work. Yay progress!

Progress: Painting #12 ( no longer a diptych)

Painting #12 has been sitting in my studio mocking me for the past few weeks. Taunting me with the possibility of what it could be. As a diptych the contrast between the two panels took away from the surface quality. I singled out the linear panel, flipped it upside down and went to town. Here's the result. We'll see where it goes from here.

Progress: Painting #14

Here's some fun stuff. I can't wait to take the tape off.

Progress: Painting #13

You Know, 'The South' is OK Sometimes

Scenes like this are quite distracting while driving.

Color Studies

Do forgive me for the long pause between posts. These are all 12'x12' pine plywood. Multiple teachers have been coercing me to change up my palate. So I stepped timidly forward in these color studies (which, ummm, let's just say they're less successful in my opinion). I chose to work in a close value range in each of these. As the cream on cream study shows, the close values make the contrast between wood and paint more palpable. The viewer has to struggle to accept the illusion.

Segway: Wait, Wait, This One Too

Segway: A Little More

Here's a little more work on this one. The text was difficult to read on the previous. I think this is better.

Segway: Advertising Project

As a semester long project my advertising class has been split into groups and each group given a department within the School of Business to create an advertising campaign for. My group (if you hadn't noticed) is working on the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management. We've done all of the boring stuff, the product identification, target market profiling, media outlet identification, and blah, blah, blah, but now we're moving on into the creative aspect of actually producing. This is one of our themes (we're also working on a mustache - based theme (seriously)). I was procrastinating this afternoon and decided to take a crack at it (by procrastinating I actually DID work, I'm such a nerd). Images from Corbis.

Photoshop Hero!

Progress: Painting #12

After another few hours of work.

Progress: Painting #12 Diptych

Here's an update on the diptych. Not feeling great about it. They aren't playing off of each other the way I'd like. I guess it's time to nab another easel from main studio to work on these in tandem, rather than keeping one on the floor next to the easel while working on the other.



On the way back from the library this morning, this rather large falcon was sitting on the sidewalk. He is holding a squirrel, a very much still alive squirrel. I couldn't get close enough for a good picture unfortunately.

Progress: Painting #12

This weekend I went to the hardware store and got some new wood to paint on. I've learned that the pre-cut plywood, whether pine or birch, comes in 3 sizes, 2' x 2', 2' x 4', 4' x 4' (of which the 4' x 4' doesn't fit in my car). So I got 3 pieces of 2x2 pine and 2 pieces of 2x4 birch (the birch is very pretty). The 2 pieces of birch are going to make a diptych (for real this time). This is the beginning of the right half. More tomorrow.

Painting #9 (Rethought)

Sometimes it's important to get a fresh pair of eyes to look at your work. Tonight Max came into my space, we talked about my work for a bit, then he turned this painting on it's end and voila it became something completely new. We'll see what Phillips has to say tomorrow. What do you guys think?

Umm... Revisited: Painting #7 1/2?

So apparently I didn't put this painting up, because I hated it so much. Here it is after some revisiting.

Progress: Painting #10

Painting #10 after another couple of hours. It feels stronger, but I'm starting to think that the negative space is too prominent and might need to be toned down.

Progress: Painting #10

Phillips and I talked about the ease of my work. He stated that he wished he could work as easily as I do, to which I rebutted that I struggle through each piece until it's done (even after that sometimes). Take this painting for example, I am not comfortable with it. I am completely uncertain about it's outcome or whether or not I'll scrap it, but that's how I feel about all of my work. Phillips thinks that my work looks effortless (a positive trait I'm told).

Outcome? Painting #11

As promised here are some photos of this plank painting. Phillips gravitated towards this one especially. The play between the high illusion-ism and the severe shape of the board make this work a little less comfortable to look at.

Progress: Painting #11

Here's some fun. Obviously not any dimension I usually use (12" x 72"), but walking past this in the hardware store, I had to stop. It's certainly the nicest piece of wood I've worked on. The surface is immaculate. Needless to say, this is how I first lay out the painting. I ended up working on it for about 3 hrs tonight (and aloof as I can be sometimes forgot to take a picture before I left for the evening). Updated pictures tomorrow I promise.

Progress: Painting #10

Upon the persuasion of student who stopped by my studio space, I'm trying something a little different. Here the grain of the wood is providing the horizon line. It's a little out of my comfort zone. We'll see what Phillips has to say on Monday. Definitely in progress.

Outcome: Painting #9

Sorry for the absence. This Business degree keeps getting in the way of my painting (sigh). After some consideration on this painting (mainly thinking to the successes of Painting #8), I decided that while the atmosphere was certainly a way to go, darkness is more dramatic. It's done (probably).

Hiatus

I'll be heading back home for fall break this weekend. So no new work. However I'll be back in Charleston on Monday for the Andrew Bird Concert! Tuesday in the studio.

Until then...

Progress: Painting #9

After 1 hr.

After 3 hrs.

After 4 1/2 hrs.

This week was quite hectic, all leading up to fall break. So this afternoon, finding myself without immediate pressing demands. I wondered over to the painting studio and worked for about 4 1/2 hrs. Cathartic to say the least.

On another note I finally found out the new Painting 1 teacher's full name, so that I could look up his work. Here's his website. Me likey. You should take a look.

Outcome: Painting #8

Some 'real' pictures as requested.

Progress: Painting #8

Here's something a little different, one of those 'can't see the woods for the trees' type things. I'm still on the fence about it. Some of the professors have been suggesting I branch out a little. I like how the trees shift back and forth, are they the light areas or the dark areas?

Progress: Painting #7 (Diptych)

This is going to be a diptych with something much darker and heavier on the right. I didn't have much time to work today, so this photo was taken after about 20 min of work. I'm also working with a warmer palate (you'll notice it's not so blue).


Since my description may not have been the best. It should look like this (^here), in the bottom right corner. Also, I thought you might like to see how I start thinking about a painting so I've included a few other poorly taken pictures of the thinking process.