September 7 - 2.5 Hours

Friday - Work.  This first work week of my 2+ hours/day in studio has been...exhausting.  But oh oh oh so rewarding.  Yesterday I took my one alloted evening off and went to see the MIA's Rembrandt show.  It was ridiculously crowded and filled in with non-Rembrandt works, but it was also awesome.  It's amazing how much we can learn from simply looking and examining.  I'm sure much more could be learned through instruction by the master himself, but as he's dead...well, I'll take what I can get.

Soundtrack - David Byrne & St. Vincent (Love This Giant), Fleetwood Mac (Rumors), Deerhunter (Halcyon Digest), and Grizzly Bear (Shields)

Piece(s) worked on - Nik.  My goal is to be done by the end of the weekend.  Experimenting with new trying-to-be-more-Remrandt-y techniques, I had a very successful night.  

Side note -- I'm really enjoying painting beards.

September 5 - 2 Hours

Wednesday - Work -> Studio -> Meditation -> Studio - My studio is thankfully across the street from a wonderful meditation center.  And on a day like today (in a week like this week), it's quite amazing that I could paint for an hour, meditate and learn for 2, and then come back in a more aware state to tackle the task at hand.

Soundtrack - Father John Misty (Fear Fun) and Feist (Let It Die)

Piece(s) worked on - Just Nik today.  I'm still struggling with getting the expression just right.  However, there were moments of triumph today along side the usual throwingpaintbrushonground moments of frustration.  This one is getting quite the thick buildup of paint, which can hopefully been seen by the texture :

At this rate, I'm hoping to finish this weekend (crazytalk, but let's go with it and have some positive thoughts) and boombang onto the next one.  For now, I'm exhausted...  Oh and Nik, you have a very lovely nose.  I'm sorry for never telling you this before.  

September 4 - 2.5 Hours

Tuesday - came to the studio straight after work.  This is going to be the routine for a while: Work 8-6, work in studio from 6:30-9, lather, rinse, repeat.

Soundtrack - TuNe-YaRdS and Sharon Van Etten

Piece(s) worked on - I added a layer for Lindsay's background and sketched out the composition for Eric's piece.  Mostly I worked on Nik; getting his expression just right.  It's currently a bit too lamenting and not enough smoldering.  I am quite happy with the simplistic accuracy of his right ear.  And after another layer or two, those forehead wrinkles will be just right.

Nik

***Personal note - I'm glad I didn't fail on my first day of scheduled rigorous painting.  More to come tomorrow....

September 3rd - 6 Hours

Monday - Day off of work which equals 6 hours of studio time

Soundtrack - Radiohead (Amnesiac, The Bends, Hail to the Theif, In Rainbows, Kid A -- yes, alphabetical) - I was feeling a need for consistency today.

Piece(s) worked on - Nik & Lindsay; both wonderful, beautiful souls who let me photograph them months ago.  I'm feeling great about both of them.  With Lindsay's, I'm taking some abstract pattern chances with the background, which have so far been successful.  With Nik's, I've struggled with proportions quite a bit (sometimes they just come on the first try, sometimes not) and since I don't believe in stencils, grids or projecting the image to save time, I really spent a lot of time.  Now, the eyes are in the right spot (whew!) and I just have all the details to put in.  I'm playing with depth of field with Nik's, as I did have use of his fancy camera for the reference photo and his face is actually out of focus. 

Lindsay

Nik

The concept

Every good body of work requires cohesion - a common thread, theme, visual element, etc that ties the pieces together which makes them read as a collective creation.  My thoughts have over the past year lain heavily with the concept of space.  No, not outer-space, as that frankly just scares the bejesus out of me.  As a being on this planet, I occupy space.  All the time.  This, thank you Science, is something we can't escape from.  Now, this space we occupy, it can feel comfortable, inhabitable, scary, unwelcoming, tight, daunting and about a million other adjectives.  Space affects us, and in turn, we affect it.  In taking a "placemaking" workshop for public art opportunities in St. Paul, the idea of spacial ownership was discussed at length.  No direct answer that would hold in the court of law was discovered, but the idea never left my mind.  Who owns space?  And if you do (legally), why? And how to stake claim to a spot that you haven't purchased?

Simultaneously, I've been desiring to incorporate my community into my artwork.  My last major project (Basic Needs/Creature Comforts) featured myself as model, out of no desire to look at myself that much (because, believe me, it isn't easy or awesome), but out of necessity for the project.  The series before that, I used and abused one dear friend for multiple portraits combining her face with others' bodies and personalities.  Since I have so many talented, interesting and deep friends, I want to paint them - as themselves.

And herein lies the new body of work.  I ask any willing soul with whom I have a close relationship to figure out what place is theirs.  This can be the place they own or lease, a public space, or something more ambiguous.  Additionally, to the willing couples, I have asked that they find the place in which they collectively feel ownership of (it's harder than it sounds, believe me).  The idea of capturing the creature in their own natural habitat is very key, as I believe that people are the most genuine when comfortable.  And where else would someone be more comfortable and at ease than in a place they feel they own?  The hope for the result is 20 unique environmental portraits that communicate the spirit of the person or people depicted (and hopefully get me into graduate school!).

Here are the 3 that are completed so far:

Hilary

Nate

Self Portrait

Back to School

Well, that's the goal anyway.  And the hope.  And the focus of this blog for the next 4 months.  "Woah, 4 months - that's a bit excessive" you say?  No doubt I should have been focusing on it many months ago; maybe I would be feeling a bit more prepared and confident about my applications.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda, etc etc, story of my life.  So here we are, September 3rd.  3 paintings done, 17 to go.  Applications in by December 31st.  Yes, I'm aware this means 17 paintings in less than 4 months.  With collecting my CV, perfecting my artist statement, and figuring our where I'm even applying...well, it's all a bit overwhelming.

I've done what any anxiety-ridden person would do and broke it down: 4 paintings a month; 1 painting a week.  Seems ridiculous with the full time job, friends, family and using oil paints.  But, no matter, I will try.  This blog will keep me accountable and you all (whoever you are -- Mom?  Just you?) can watch me unravel and hopefully succeed.

Check back frequently for updates, there will be updates, and I'll see you in person in 2013!

Evolution of a painting

I promise one day that I will finish blogging about my travels through Argentina and Chile (what, a year ago?!) but here's some art (what I'm currently up to).  I thought it would be interesting to show stages of a single piece.  So here goes, from image to finished project: