This week I went from working on a 56” x 78” painting to three 4” x 6” paintings. Such a vast difference in scale! I was recently invited to participate in a show that required the size of all paintings to be 4” x 6.” Not one to turn down a challenge, I welcomed the chance to create something outside of my normal painting practices. In the end it was a good exercise in scale, and it allowed me to work on some new ideas for larger pieces. Needless to say, I enjoyed this small challenge.
Here’s the info for the upcoming the show:
Micro Whitney Counterweight 100 Artists in Mail Art Show
H215 Gallery, 55 Bethune St, New York, NY 1001
Opening March 12, 7-11 PM
I wanted to share these photos that I recently rediscovered cleaning out my desk. A collector and friend of my mine had sent me these photos from an evening flight right after takeoff above Charlotte, NC. It is a nice reminder of the dreamlike serene qualities of airplane skies, reflecting the current direction of my work. Stay tuned for a glimpse of my most recent paintings, posted here soon.
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Artist in his Studio, c.1629.
I was recently reminded of the Rembrandt painting, The Artist in his Studio, posted above. I have always felt a connection with this painting as an artist. The fondness and peace Rembrandt must have felt for his studio is clear in this painting. A quiet simplicity and warmth exists in the space. Rembrandt’s painting sums up exactly the way I feel about my studio. Hundreds of years have passed, yet the emotion remains the same.
The studio of an artist is sacred and magical. This is where the dreams, thoughts, and ideas are brought to reality. It is the medium between the mind’s eye of the artist and the realization of that vision.
When I am in my studio, time stops. It is just my vision and my work. I am entirely at peace and all worries are forgotten. I believe that everyone needs a sacred place to think and create.
“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” –Paul Cezanne.
Recently I came across the above quote, and it resonated with me. I have always believed that if my work wasn’t emotional, it wasn’t anything; it simply becomes decorative.
I view my paintings as diaries from the period of my life in which they were created. I place every thought and emotion I am experiencing at the time into the work. Looking back at older works, I can recall feelings from the time that they were created.
Typically artists have been branded as being very emotional and sensitive, and I am no exception. However, I have to question why this stereotype carries a negative connotation. Isn’t it the artist’s role to communicate emotions and ideas through art? I think it makes life all the more beautiful.
