Masterpiece In A Day 2011

Da-da-da-DAH!
It’s that time of the year again! It’s September! It’s the Fountain Square Art Fair, now known as Art Squared!

That also means…It’s time for Masterpiece In A Day. 

I’m a fast painter. As long as I sit still long enough and just DO IT, I can get a lot of painting done. But the key there is the sitting still part.  MIAD is an endurance test, by all measurements.

I like working with acrylics over oils precisely because they dry quickly. In the sun, on a nice 70-ish day, they dry very quickly. This is all very good, as I said, I paint fast. But…My attention span wavers, constantly. That’s why I’m not in Animation.

I always think about a painting for a while before a brush hits the canvas. I have a concept in my head. I have it mostly mapped out. I can “see” it before it’s even created. Then I compensate for the ‘short’ between my hand and my brain (nothing EVER turns out as I see it) and…Voila! The finished piece!

There’s been a lot of construction in the Fountain Square area all summer, extending the Cultural Trail that runs through downtown to the once-close-but-since-the-70’s-cut-off-from-downtown-by-the-interstate Fountain Square Arts District. The Trail will be a good thing…when it’s completed. This has been shown in previous districts. But it’s a tough trial for the local businesses. The project was supposed to be done in July but then they discovered a nice relic from Fountain Square’s connected-to-downtown-days: The iron remains of the train track that used to service the area, using the Fountain as a turnaround. Why no one already knew it was still there, buried under the pavement, I’ll never know. But they had to assess it for historical value, then rip it out, and continue constructing…and they have. They now say they’ll be done in December.

In the mean time, I get to see everyday one of the things I really really like to paint: Orange pylons! OF COURSE I’m going to paint a pylon for MIAD!

I took a picture of my subject that morning, after registering, since I didn’t want to actually sit in the construction zone to paint. Remy and I carried on our tradition of setting up shop outside of the Hero House comic shop by the Fountain and I started painting.

Remy, my dutiful assistant, assisted my by giving a puppy-face to passersby and collecting their affection. She’s a good helper.  (Last year she participated, this year she declined).

I’m happy with my work; at one point, I was scratching my head and wondering why it doesn’t look right! Every now and then, it’s good to remember to stand up, step away, turn around, and look at the painting fresh. You’ll see where you’re going wrong, and be better able to fix it. I did that, as well as my high school art teacher’s trick of turning the canvas upside-down—this refreshes your brain by forcing it to look at the painting anew—and I labored on.

People came, commented, left, Remy got fussy, went home with the BF, I painted on. I finished just in time for the 3pm deadline: Five hours of continuous painting. Turned in my work and went home to rest: I was exhausted! Whoever thought it could be so tiring! (Oh wait, I did this last year…and the year before that!). 

We capped off the day with Remy and I marching in the neighborhood art parade, Remy as the World War 1 Flying Ace, my holding her leash and holding her “Curse You, Red Baron!” sign.  Then it was time for the results…

Ok I didn’t win this year either. But I really like my painting, and, while there are things to fix, I’m happy with how it turned out. I did get it selected to be shown in the October First Friday show at the Wheeler Arts Center (where we registered and were judged at), so that’s really cool too!

Yeah…I’ll do it next year. I’ve got until then to improve my endurance and quicken my pace!

What High School Art Did For Me.

It's been a crazy week, with the 'day job,' but before it got all crazy, I got some cool news.
THIS appeared in my hometown paper, the Kewanee Star Courier.

I stand by it. I stand by my art teacher. And the best part would be the feedback I've gotten on Facebook and such regarding the article.  Sounds like there are alot of us that stand by our art teachers.

Here's the crummy part. Art is elective. You know, it's the catch-all for those little weirdos that most likely won't amount to much. They're not so good at English or Math or Civics class. Who cares, really? I mean, you can't test paintbrush-wielding to get the school's marks up for No Child Left Behind, right? And, you'll never make anything of yourself wielding a brush anyway. Those creative gigs, meh. Real work is in accounting...or engineering...or whatever it is that leads people to get an MBA (I'm talking about you, Booker ;)  ). So yeah, cut it. It's not worth anything. It's not teaching anything. It's just taking up resources, money and time that could be spent on scoring high on tests.

Uh, yeah. Here's what art gives us, even the least deft of the paintbrush-wielders. Art gives us creativity. Art helps us to think 'outside of the box.' Corporate-types love that phrase, right? That and synergy...and efforting. God, I hate that term. Anyway, you can't think outside of the box if all you've been taught is how to stay in the lines.  Accountants have to come up with solutions...that requires creativity. Engineers have to come up with solutions and make diagrams and thoughts real. Not only is that creativity, but envisioning. And the MBA's? I don't know, but I'll sell them my art for their offices, if they know what they like, right? (HINT HINT).

And even better than deft-paintbrush-wielding skills, here's what I learned in art: I learned people management. I learned time management. I learned leadership and delegating. I learned strategizing. I learned negotiating. I learned how to make something out of nothing, be satisfied with my work, and then do it all over again. And I learned all of that from one teacher who trusted me to get my job done. I learned what it meant to do my job without micromanaging and to be trusted to accomplish that.  That's a feeling many professionals never ever feel, let alone a high school student taking confidence from it.

Sure, I learned artistic principles. I learned about perspective, two-point, one-point (we touched on 3-point but only briefly, I still got it). In fact, 15 years later, and about 3 weeks ago, I recited and explained the concept of perspective and vanishing points and horizon lines to a coworker that...comes from a more word-based background than I do.  I learned how to frame and compose a shot. That knowledge, something I picked up my freshman year in high school, has carried my through college and I use it every day in my professional career (read: my day job).  I know if I just just a slight step this way, a smidge that way; my shot composition just improved tenfold. And I learned that so long ago, I do it instinctively now. Thank you Mrs. Blake.

There are alot of jobs in this world that go unnoticed. Jobs you encounter every day without really realizing that someone had to set out to learn it, so that you could enjoy the fruits of that work. My day job is one of them.  People love to watch video, but few stop to think there was actually a person behind that lens. And that person not only learned the technical information required to operate the equipment (Math! Science!) but had to have an eye for it. An artistic eye. And that eye was nurtured by someone, probably an art teacher.

Many people preach the woes of this country. We're the best in the world!...Oh, wait, this other country is poised to beat us at ____. Wail! Wail!  50 years ago, a working section of our country set out to do what no other country had done before, and what no other country has (to date) accomplished since: Put a man on the moon.  There was alot that went into that. They were creating technology out of thin air. There were designs made, schematics, concepts, that were then created into something, that was then put through tests, then put into use and then, next thing we knew, we were walking and talking on the moon (and playing golf).  To make something out of nothing, to create an entire science with practically no precedent (like space suits and helmets), took creativity. They weren't all eggheads, they were artists. And we actually sent, probably without knowing it, an artist to the moon. Alan Bean. And with some pretty deft paintbrush-wielding, we get to experience what he felt and saw and his moment on another world. Art did that. Art and Science.

Budget cuts blah blah blah. You know what will get us ahead and keep us there? Creative thinking. Go hug an art teacher. For all you know, she may have taught thousands of kids in a nearly 4 decade career (and, as in the case of my teacher, will continue to do so part time) and instilled in us a creativity that's priceless and an outlook on the world that will carry us through life, and skills we never knew we'd use so much.

Thank you, Mrs. Blake, from your All-Stars everywhere.


PS And thank you Dave Clarke for the excellent write-up! K-e-w-a-n-EE!! :)

The Aviator Has Friends!

 Remember this guy?  He now has some friends.

I kept going with my “cut stencils and spray paint” technique and churned out three more.

The first finished is “Autopilot.” I have a confession to make. I love zany robots. The low-fi goofy kitchy ones are the best. And this guy is right in there with them.  I think he’s getting a bit of an energy overload, by the look on his face, but I’m happy with him.  He’s just a cool robot!

The next was “AM Radio.”  No, that’s not a teevee. That’s a radio! Really! It only has one antenna!  I was kinda going for an old school radio, but I am happy with how it turned out. Those cross-hatch marks on the yellow part? That means it’s a speaker!

 And the third is “Gone Pie.”  Its…a cherry pie. Ta-da!  This one offered a new challenge. I liked how the pie came out, but it was missing something. After staring at it for a bit, I realized that those black “ta-da” lines were lacking something. Like there was too much of them and not enough pie. I had a scale problem.  So I actually cut this one off it’s original frame and re-stretched it on a smaller set of stretcher bars, scaling it down to a smaller painting and cropping out some of those lines.  Again, I’m happy with this one too, (of course I am!) and happy I solved the little challenge this pie threw at me!

All three of these are hanging with their predecessor, “Aviator,” at the Art Bank. Come see their big debut, Tonight, at the Art Bank!

Alternative Galleries

This July is winding down and I had an interesting show for the month: I showed art in a tattoo parlor.  The 111 Arts Gallery and Tattoo Studio, to be exact.  I’m not a tattooed person myself, and I’m not too sure how well my style of art would translate into the tattoo world (although, if anyone ever does get a tattoo borrowing from one of my paintings, I’d like to know about it, that would be a fun kind of honor…Unless it’s somewhere covered by a bathing suit—Then I’m not sure I want to know).  I guess, in the end, this is an article about alternative art spaces.

Sam Koch and his sons, and Zack Starkey by the window

I had a good time showing at 111 Gallery on the First Thursday of July.  It had a nice atmosphere, I shared the space with two other artists: One that could do incredible things with wood working, Sam Koch, and another, Zack Starkey, who painted some nice pieces to fill frames built by Koch.  Koch brought his family

 

along for most of the evening, three small boys, and the littlest one enjoyed stuffing one of the cookies I had brought as refreshments into his mouth, running around, then handing half of the cookie to his daddy.  It really was cute.

 

Moreover, when you say “art gallery,” there are a few things you don’t really expect to encounter: Walls papered with tattoo art as a backdrop to the featured art, dudes discussing lotion applied to the front curb (so as to better grind a skateboard), and toddlers with cookie-mouthfuls.  In other words, I had a blast! 

Many people hear “art gallery” and think of people in the perfect black dress or a nice tailored suit, sipping wine or champagne from little fluted glasses, eating hors d'oeuvres that I can’t even spell (heck, I can’t even spell what they are—I had to google it).  Those people are making small talk about the stock market, stores I can’t afford to even enter, and…well…I don’t even know, I guess eventually the angst and existentialism of the art in front of them. Or something like that.

And frankly, I’ve never shown at such a place. Now, I’m not in New York, and I’m not even that high on the Indianapolis totem pole.  But it seems like I consistently show at “alternative galleries.”  My first show, ever, was at the Greenwood, Indiana, Public Library.  I’ve since shown at a café, a make-your-own-pottery place, an auditorium lobby and now a tattoo parlor. I currently have my art displayed at a high-end consignment shop, and have had it displayed at a hair salon.  My current home is a converted old bank!  In other words, if you can provide a wall and a crowd, I’ll show my art there.

Now, granted, I had to think about what work I would show where, and, luckily, my style really varies.  I was unfamiliar with the other artists at 111 Gallery, so I thought ahead and selected work that I hoped would go with the “vibe” of the place.  Next month, I’ll be showing at a Chik-Fil-A on Indianapolis’s southside, so I will definetly be picking pieces that have a family feel.  Clowe’s Hall, the auditorium, was massive, so I pretty much showed anything and everything, and then had to think of what would fit together.  The artists I shared space with at the café, I’m friends with, so I selected work I thought would fit well with theirs.  It’s just a matter of doing a bit of research, prior to hanging, asking the questions that need to be asked and putting some thought into it.  

Add to that, my art friend, Carmen Hurt, has now established a store on the Zazzle.com website. What's a Zazzle store? She can take her art imagery and have them applied to merchandise, such as mouse pads, coffee mugs, IPod covers and...shoes! Yeah really! I've been encouraged to explore the site as well, so who knows, before long, some kid can be rocking the Mee-Ba shoe collection. Now THAT'S an alternative showcase for art!

I also recommend this article on the IDADA website, for tips on showing in alternative galleries.  And since THIS article is getting long enough, you can go click and read it yourself!  

So for August, mark your calendars!  Joy Art at Chic-Fil-A on Southport and Emerson on Indy’s southside, and First Friday, August 5^th at the Art Bank! Gen Con will also be occurring downtown, so feel free to take an adventure! (And don’t be intimidated by Stormtroopers, the ones here are really quite harmless).

I've Moved! ..Well...Sorta...

I've been showing at the Art Bank on Mass Ave in Indy, now, since February.  I really really like it there, its just such a cool place.  Up until now, though, I've been in the "Incubator," AKA The Upstairs.  I liked The Upstairs, it was alot of fun.  The people are all cool and I had a blast painting the rooms with my friend Miranda Gabbard. We painted colors in those rooms our parents would have NEVER let us put on walls! (And better yet, we put them on the floor!)

But now....I'M DOWNSTAIRS!!!  YAY!!!! Even better, I'm right by the front door, on the right side, ready to catch your perepheral vision as soon as you walk in.  Score!

 So what you see here is a continuation in painting walls colors that your mother wouldn't approve of, in this case: Black.  It was suggested to me to do so, because I use alot of thick black lines and bright colors in my work and those would only be enhanced by a straight-up black wall.  I like it!  Also, I get the entire wall, plus the little bit of wall on the corner.  The white side is actually the front door of the Bank, so, again, a prime position. 

In addition to the main wall, I also get the little closet (minus the door) on the wall.  A visitor to the Art Bank, last First Friday, called it an alcove, so I'm stealing that name: I get the Alcove on that wall. I painted it black as well, and decided, in a moment of great insight (yeah right) to paint the ceiling black. You know, adhering to all those HGTV shows that say that painting a ceiling expands the room. The ceiling in there was pretty low too, so I figured what the hey. Yeah. All went well until I realized I needed to stand on a ladder one step to reach the ceiling...up I went...sticking my head straight into the CFL bulb dangling from the middle. The bulb exploded, I didn't get electrocuted, and glass rained down every where. Lucky for me, the owner of the Bank, Dan Haynes, is an electrician by day.  He made sure we weren't going to die and then helped me pick glass out of my hair. Thick Hernandez Hair saved the day--no cuts to my scalp!  Of course, the Boyfriend shook his head in exasperation, later, when I told him this story. "Who does that??" "I do!" Yeah.

To round out the usefulness of the Alcove, I got this little gem at Goodwill!  It locks and I even got the keys to go with it!  I spray painted it a more olive green color at first, but then I learned a big lesson in spray paint + humidity = a crackle finish. Not the look I was going for.  Dash to Lowe's (Valspar paint smells just so good) and I come back with some nice glossy paint in a color I thought matched the spray paint... and turned out to be hella-lime. Hey, lime's cool, I like lime, painted the handles bright blue (I love that blue) and added a red polka-dot rug I got at Wal-Mart (on sale! haha) that is actually for Remy to lay on when she visits, since the floor has a nice tile finish, not so nice to fuzzy feet.  That basket is an Asian newspaper-woven basket from Hobby Lobby (again, SALE) to hold my greeting cards (FOR SALE, a pack of 6 for $5) and my business cards and we're good to go.

I like my new wall, it rocks.  I'm really happy with it and the increased traffic it holds. I can hang work on all three walls of the Alcove, plus the wall outside the Alcove, plus the main wall, so it turns out I have a ton more increased space than I had upstairs, and I had an entire wall up there!

So, August 5th is the next First Friday. Come see! Come see! It has even more awesome in real life!

Requiem For A Paintbrush

  Oh Paintbrush, I knew you well.  You were such a loyal, hardworking paintbrush.  You were 3 inches wide (I mistakenly said you were a 2 inch) and were very useful when it came to gesso-ing canvases. In fact, that is how we first met. You were a class-required purchase, and on sale with the employee discount at Hobby Lobby. I was taught how to build and gesso canvases, with you at my side.  You were quick to learn as well, and applied a smooth, even coat to every canvas placed in front of you.

But you quickly picked up more than that. For any large area that needed a good blending, you were there. You were the king of skies, merging the purples to the blues, to the whites.  They always turned out smooth, as if pulled from the sky itself.

You were not daunted by the size of a canvas, in fact, the bigger canvas, the better. Large work spaces were your forte.  You were not cowed by the fine detail from the small, itty bitty liner brushes; they could fill in the flower petals in the fine field you could create.  There had to be you, before there was them.

You wore your dried paint and gesso marks well.  It showed your character, the number of pieces you assisted on.  And you always owned the gesso.  I had to look today, for a brush to take on your duties. This new brush was also on sale, though not on employee discount. Those days are passed.  This brush will be adequate, but not the same. It will not have the handling ease you possessed, or the thickness of bristles.  They just don't make brushes like you anymore.  But it was those very bristles that did you in. I wish I could glue them back!

Good Paintbrushes don't die. They simply loose their bristles.

Latest Works

While I've been so busy, lately, I have managed to churn out a few new pieces. Without further (FURTHER) adieu:

 This lil happy piece is called "You Can't Do That On Television."  It was actually painted last fall, ...but... I wasn't able to finish it until this spring. It needed a healthy coat of spray gloss, that, with the winter being the winter, could quickly become an unhealthy coat of spray gloss--not just for my own oxygen consumption, but because I've found that when you use aerosols under certain temperatures, they tend to make little bubbles as they dry. Not cool for the amount of work I put into it...so I waited. Anyway, it's my crumpled paper technique AND it just sold today! Woot!

 This agitated fellow is "Aviator." Kind of a take on the Red Baron, or of fighter pilots of old. I explored a new (for me) technique here: I made a stencil, painted the background, then the fill in colors for his hat, skin, scarf and goggles, then laid the stencil over to make any black lines with aerosol (actually the black is appliance spray paint, interesting texture/sheen). I'm currently using this same technique on a companion  piece to this one, tentatively called "Autopilot."

 This one is "Faith 7," named for the Mercury capsule of the space program. I saw the real thing hanging at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and took an AWESOME pic of it (it's on my facebook if you really want to see the original). This is my pop art-stylized way of portraying it. I'm digging the style, it may reappear.

This one is called "Re-Entry" and is of Apollo 17, you know, re-entering our atmosphere.  Again, seen at the JSC in Houston, and, again, in a broader pop art manner. And if you look reeeeally closely in the background (though you can see it easily in real life), you can see my fleck-art stars.  White paint. Randomly applied. I likes it.

And now for the second wave of Mee-bas!

The red/green/blue one is "Mee-ba 5.0," the pink/navy/yellow one is "Mee-ba 6.0," and the white/grey/black one below is "Mee-ba 4.0."  The first three Mee-bas were sold, and my mommy suggested I make some more Mee-bas. She even suggested the white/grey/black color combination, but later claimed to like the RGB one better. They vary in size, as Mee-bas do, and are sold seperate and as a set. Mee-bas are actually really fun to paint, and I see a really large one down the pipe somewhere. You know, after I clean all the other stuff off my plate!

That's about it for now, back to work on "Autopilot" and other plate-fillers. I've finished painting my new wall at the Art Bank and get to hang my work there tomorrow. AND I have the sniffles. NOOOO!!! I am NOT catching a summer cold! Just sayin'. I have too much work to do!