Busy Day

Wow, I have had a beautifully busy day.​

​First off, I had create flyer for my upcoming show at Cha Champagne & Wine Bar (see previous post) and finish it in time to create a Facebook Event for it and post it around lunchtime (so that people might actually see it).  Luckily, it was all finished in time.

Then, I found out that it wasn't too late to submit artwork to the 7th Annual Art4Life auction to raise money for the AIDS Foundation Houston​.  So, I got busy filling-out submission forms, revamping a short Bio, Artwork description, and image.  I'll be putting "Seraph" up for auction, he needs a good home.  here's a photo, but it doesn't do him justice without the wonderful frame.

Two of my friends are co-chairs for the event, and when I asked one why they didn't ask me to donate, he said that since I am starting-out, I might not be able to afford to donate a piece​.  I completely understand where he was coming from, but I figure that I don't have money for a publicist, but what I do have is artwork, and if I can donate a piece to a very worthwhile cause and get my name/artwork out into the world, I've pretty much saved money.  LOL!

Regardless of all that, I'm overjoyed, not only to be able to participate in ​the event itself, but to have my work sitting alongside such distinguished fellow artists. And it's an excuse for my wife and I to get all dressed-up and step out for a night.  It's sure to be a lovely evening.

Tomorrow, I get to run over to Art & Frame Etc. to see the ten pieces I dropped-off a little over a week ago, I cannot wait to see how everything turned-out.  I took a suggestion of a friend and stopped doing the standard "gallery" framing and really got into designing the mattes and frames to add to the vibe of each piece​.  Hopefully, it will enhance each piece and really make them each something extra special.  We'll see at my next show.  Hopefully, the extra money was well-spent.

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Don't forget to go out and support your local artists and business-owners for White Linen Nights in the Heights this Saturday!  Maybe I'll see you there!​

Save the Date - New Show

Alas, looking all over town for a venue to hold a three-man show with my friends was not in vain, there was some good that came out of it.​

I will be showing several of my Constellationism renderings Tuesday, August 14th, from 6-8pm at CHA, Houston's only champagne and wine bar.​  The reception will take place during their usual Happy Hour, so expect great prices on sparkling wines, non-sparkly wines, craft beers and nibbles.  Houston's own DJ Sun will be weaving melodious, down-tempo tracks for your listening pleasure as I reveal new works and older works that have not been exhibited before.  All the pieces will be wearing their fancy new clothes (custom frames, beautifully executed by Mike & Heather Welsch at Art & Frame Etc.), so stop by after work and have a look at what I've been up to, have a drink and chat for a while!

Hope to see you there!​

Post Script - this is also a Facebook event, see it here.​

Upcomming Show UPDATE

So Micah and Sean and I met with the folks over at Winter Street Studios yesterday afternoon, to talk about renting their gallery space for the day of our show.  Unfortunately, there was a horrible accident a few weeks ago during a show that another group had put on in the same space.  Due to the accident, anybody renting the space is now required to have full insurance as well as two police officers at the show (for a minimum of 4 hours each).​

I feel really bad for Winter Street, even though it wasn't their fault, and I completely understand their situation abut covering their butts on all future shows, but his unfortunate event has now raised the cost of putting on a show there to beyond what our group is willing/capable of paying.​

So, we're back to finding a venue, with less than 2 weeks until the show.  We brainstormed last night and I have exhausted all my obvious, immediate resources​.  Now it's time to get creative, like maybe a restaurant with a banquet room for large parties or something in that vein.  We have a friend checking out a location today, and we'll see how that goes, but I feel like I should be out, driving around the Heights, looking for a place that wouldn't mind having three artists hang work on their walls for one day and perhaps promote some foot-traffic into their business; however, I have so much to do today, that it makes my head spin a little bit.

I finally took photos of my recent work and I will be posting them later today, but for now, it's off to my framer to discuss how I need this stuff presented.​  If there's anyone out there, wish us luck on the venue!

Upcomming Show

So, I've been busy busy busy, but that's good good good.​  There was so much going on these two weeks past; between finishing my most recent (and largest) rendering, a long weekend trip to California for the wedding of two wonderful friends, and my son being ill with a cold,  I barely had time to breathe.  But now I have a little time to blog and mention that I'll be participating in a show August 4th.

​Two close friends, photographer Sean Blake, and painter Micah Simmons, and I are putting together a show called "Ars Farrago 618" at the gallery space upstairs at Winter Street Studios.  We're meeting this afternoon to discuss the logistics and arrangements of the show.  It's the same night as White Linen Nights in the Heights, but I'm sure we can drum-up some foot traffic and get some people in the studio, after all, WE'LL have air conditioning.  =)

I need to get pieces framed in time for the event; the extremely talented folks at Art & Frame Etc. have been closed for a family vacation, but they are getting back to business tomorrow and I need to see them as soon as possible!  Hopefully, Mike can hook it up like he always does.

I've also been looking to get a small studio space.  Realistically, it only needs to be about 10'x12' or so, enough to have a big drafting table that can go flat, a slim filing cabinet for paper storage, a few chairs and maybe a mini-refrigerator.  Originally, I was looking at Hardy & Nance Studios, because they are part of the annual Art Crawl in Houston, but they don't have anything available right now.  But I did get my name on the list once something does become open.  I also need the price to be right, I cannot afford an expensive studio right now, as times are tough.

Anyway, good, happy thoughts and it will work out, I'm sure.  For now, I just need to get cracking on a flyer for the show and throw some more ink so I have stuff to work on while I wait for things to be framed.​

When everything is set, I'll post about the show to include the exact details and the flyer, et cetera... ​ Talk to you soon!

Treading Water

​So I've been so busy this last week that I haven't really gotten much done and I feel crappy about that, household chores, a holiday, and al those little things seem to be eating-up my time.  I have this huge rendering that I threw ink for almost two weeks ago, it's 34" x 25" and it's just been sitting there, daring me to finish it.

Actually, I think that I'm just putting it off, it's so big compared to most of my other work that I think it just scares me.  It is a great blotting, all the features are there, I just have to bring it out, but I'm letting it psyche me out.  So, I've just been working in my art journal​.  

I keep an art journal in a big book, where I write on one page (about 3 letter-sized pages) and then I blot on the following page, this gives me a way to track how I'm feeling and what's going on in my life in order to see what type of blots I get, and to see if there's any correlation.  This gives me a back-log of smaller renderings on which to work on those days where I don't manage to get much time for art.  Although ALL my art is self-exploration, these pieces stay in the book.

And here I am, blogging instead of working on the piece, but I'll get to that as soon as I'm done.  That's what I keep telling myself, but I have to do it.  I also need to get pictures of my recent stuff so I can put them in my portfolio and start making the rounds in order to get a show.  I need the money!​

Here are some local galleries I'd like to get into:
​NEW GALLERY
​MOODY GALLERY
​INMAN GALLERY
​DARKE GALLERY
​BRYAN MILLER GALLERY​
​BARBARA DAVIS GALLERY
​BERING AR COLLECTIVE
HOOK-EPSTEIN GALLERY
​REDBUD GALLERY

SO I have to get my act together and get this stuff done!  Gotta get a show or two between now and my show next year.  I cannot sell anything unless people see it!  ANyway, that's my rant for today.  I'd chat more but I have plenty of work to do​!  Until next time...

Lost Work

​I was going through my portfolio, because I had some recent work that I needed to look at and give titles to, when I found an old piece I did back in 1999.  Actually, it is dated July 19, 1999.  I remember the piece and that I wasn't thrilled with the outcome, but looking at it now, I think it's just fine.  I have a tendency to be quite critical of my own work.

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Matrones Inexorabilis 22 x 18 inches 07/19/1999

So here's a quick photo I took this morning (please excuse my monkey toes at the bottom).

I always got a sense of a "triple goddess" from her and loved her steady gaze, so when I realized she was dated and signed, but had no name, I went to work naming her.  "Matrones Inexorablilis" is Latin for "inexorable matrons".  As far as what "inexorable" means...open a dictionary!  Just kidding, it was just the right word.

Anybody who knows me knows I take great care and effort in naming my pieces, because it offers a whole new dimension to the overall tone of a piece.  Even if people don't get the connection I'm making, they are usually pleasantly surprised my the reference and/or meaning behind the title. ​

This work is also in line for photos along with all the new work from this Spring​, so I hope to have new images posted in the 2012 Renderings section soon.  Please be patient with me.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day!​

Letter to Mrs. Barton

​So, since I've been blogging, I have thought about my hIgh school AP Studio Art teacher, Mrs. Judy Barton.  Maybe it's because she was the last teacher I had in regard to any kind of formal art training, or maybe it's because I've just been feeling a bit sentimental lately, but either way, this has been the case.

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Artist Judy Barton 1999

​I tried finding her via Facebook and the usual social media outlets, but I could not seem to connect with her.  Therefore, I decided to write her a letter.  I looked her up in the white pages and found that she's still living in the same house, in the same town where I lived during my high school years.  And since online searches yielded data that she is a director of the Boulder City Art Guild, I assumed that this was all current.  I also she had a show a few years ago, exhibiting watercolor landscapes of her travels around the western United States​, so I assumed she was still working on her art.

​I thought, that since I'm now pursuing my art full-time (aside from husband and fatherly duties)​ I would drop her a note to let her know how her former student was doing.

Letter to Mrs. Barton

That was my letter!  I also send her a disc with past work and flyers, etc.  I am curious to see what se might think of what I'm doing.  I wonder if she'll gently smile and shake her head like she used to do.  Looking back, I think I was one of the few students who took the class seriously as most of the other teens treated it like a goof-off ​time, or were doing their homework for their next class.

It was a great concept for an Advanced Placement class:  the first semester we had assignments and experimented with various types of media, the second semester, however, we would basically write an artist's statement about what we planned to do for a show at the end of the year, then we spent the whole time working on art for that show.  Very free-form​ and exciting and unlike any class I have ever attended.  That was the one place in school where I could just put my headphones on and listen to music while I did classwork.  How cool was that?

Doodle Art revisited

When I was a kid, I remember my older sister, Kim received what I thought was one of the coolest gifts ever.  It was a long cardboard tube.  Inside that tube was a package of felt markers and a large poster in black and white.​

In 1973, Doodle Art started selling these posters as one-page coloring books.  The posters always had scenes with several things in the background, mid, and foregrounds​, they were very complex and would require hours and hours of coloring to complete, so much, in fact, that one's markers usually ran out of ink before they were completed.

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Doodle Art Poster - Mythology

What I remember most about this event, was that the particular poster my sister had was full of mythological creatures.  As a kid, I was always fascinated by these creatures from fairy tales and various mythologies.  Needless to say, I coveted that poster so very much.  Despite my begging and childish negotiations, my parents weren't able to get a duplicate for me; as diplomatic as they were, they suggested I helped Kim complete hers.  If memory serves, I think I got to spend some quality time with my big sister suggesting colors and occasionally getting to help with the coloring.​

As usual with my personality, I voraciously read everything I could that had to do with mythological creatures.  I checked-out every book from the local library I could and read as much as my adolescent mind could handle about the various beasts concerning their strange forms and fantastic magical powers (sorry, no "ligers" back then).​

With all that reading about the animals of mythology, I learned the stories of mythology, and with all the mythology came the religion, and with the religion came the symbols, etc.  And about ten years ago I heard of Joseph Campbell and all of his work in comparative religion, The Hero's Journey et al., and suddenly all these stories came flooding back and I saw them in a new light.​

When I started doing my Constellationism again in 2010​, the images that came to form had new meaning in this respect, it was easier to see that they pointed past themselves to something deeper and more meaningful than I previously comprehended.  I recognized that, since they were coming out of the subconscious, they (like myths and dreams) mere made of the same gossamer material.  The historicity of a myth is irrelevant, because when you try to read a myth as fact it loses all of its' meaning.  To read myth as poetry, in a language of symbols, is when the story comes to life and all of its' meaning becomes brilliant.  Even if you cannot explain quite why it affects you, you know that it has, and that is what art does.  It doesn't have to make sense, but it has to reach you on that same level.

Thanks to my parents, for being cool enough to buy the poster and for selecting that particular one, and thanks to my big sister, Kim, for being cool enough to share!  Who knows what I'd be doing with myself if it had not happened exactly how it did.​

Show Next Year

​Good news!  I received an email yesterday from Barbara Ryan of the Jung Center to lock-in the month for my exhibit next year at the gallery.  Survey says....... October 2013!
​
​The month-long exhibit will feature Baton Rouge artist Scott Finch in the main gallery and yours truly in the adjoining side gallery.  

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​I've looked at some of Finch's work and it's quite interesting and very vibrant; I can tell this is going to be a great show!

I hope to see you there!

In the meantime, I've got to get a few more shows organized and a lot more work to do!​

Take care, see you soon!​

Transcendence: Opening Reception - Aftermath

So the show went well, there were heaps of people there and I was fortunate to chat with several people about my art and my technique.  Two of my collectors attended to show their support which was very sweet.
​All in all, it was a great show​.  some of my friends came to the show, and I am very thankful for that because there is SO much going on with our friends this weekend.  The only problem is that I kinda felt like celebrating (at least with dinner) because we paid the babysitter until 10pm.  Alas, but it wasn't in the cards, everybody had other plans, even my wife couldn't celebrate with me because she had to go to a friend's bachelorette party.
​So I just came home, and sent the babysitter home early.  Maybe I'll treat myself to a pizza...

Transcendence: Opening Reception

​Tonight is the Annual Group Show of works by members, students, and staff of The Jung Center of Houston.  Come by for some great art, food, and drinks!

I am so excited, and many friends have told me they would try to stop by.  I know there are lots of things going on today/tonight, so I understand if more people cannot make it, I'm just thankful for those who are able to come out and support.  I love you guys!​

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Ascension, by Nancy Kern

Group Show @ The Jung Center

Two of my three submitted pieces will be shown at The Jung Center of Houston's Student and Member's Group Show.  They have selected "Seraph" and "Mirror in the Labyrinth".  The exhibit runs from June 5 - July 17, 2012.
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​The opening reception is this Saturday, June 16th from 5-9 pm.  Although Justine and I have a busy day and many events to attend, we are excited about the show.  I'm about to run to the post office and mail-out some flyers.  Hopefully, I can get some people to see my work.  The Jung Center has graciously asked me to have an exhibition in their gallery space next year (which month is yet to be determined), but I would like to try and get a show somewhere else between now and then.​ I need to get my work in front of people!  Wish me luck with the flyers!

A fresh start

​Okay, so here I am, doing a free trial on Squarespace.com.  I'm trying to configure a website to show my work.  Right now, I'm trying a blog entry.  Let's see how this looks...