I am well underway with work on my latest Cinefield®. When I first finish a piece, I definitely need to take a break as I reach the point of seeing tiny pieces of cut out paper in my sleep. After a certain amount of time, my batteries recharged, I feel ready to do another.
Upon the start of a piece I am immediately reminded of how labor intensive the work is, and how much space it takes up.
I can’t do paintings at same time as a Cinefield®. The Lyra medium allows me to keep up my painting chops but takes up no more space than my nightly drawing woodshedding.
Getting the painterly (although monochrome) effects with Lyra sticks makes it “easier” to achieve when using my regular paints.
I do view this medium with equal seriousness and enthusiasm as painting. Never a second class citizen, here are some quick pieces while I work on current project.
Always looking for interesting things to draw, email me if you think you have something which might be of interest. Worst case scenario, I politely pass.
Back from the road. I finally had success in getting raw fuel for my next CINEFIELD® pieces. The amount of time it takes to do them combined with all other things I also work on means that I am now fully booked as far as they go until December.
It sound weird to say this in the tail end of August but it’s matter of time to actually creating plus all other things I will work on concurrently. It does not bother me.
With social media and the internet in general, whether its work being seen or responses, it’s easy to get instant gratification. My work would have grown stronger quicker back in the day had I actually gone slower.
I know this seems counterintuitive and definitely hard to do with the temptation of all those eyes available to check out a work immediately upon completion. My advice to anyone up and coming, let the process come first, let the process add to the chops then start to really worry about site numbers etc. Long run your work will be stronger and you will be able make longer term schedule which lends to work growing organically (chops too).
Even though I can now start a CINEFIELD® it will be a bit before its ready. This space will show what I am doing concurrent to that work.
Well, still have not been able to take photos to serve as raw fuel for my Cinefield® work. Ironically, I have managed to do my fine art photo work, but that’s a different animal.
I am fortunate though, I have enough other mediums to work in as to stay out of trouble. I have been doing paintings, switching styles of paper. The loose knit theme behind the pieces is the portrayal of flesh.
This piece is white * French Cotton paper 5×7 inches.
* I had a buddy in Paris who worked at one of my favorite art stores. I am lucky that right around my place are many, each one has different purpose for me: “my pencil place” et al. We would chat & he would give me employ discount, sometimes even more than that. I would load up on equipment.
I was reorganizing one of the tabouret in my studio. This block of white cotton paper he gave me had been hidden under yellow legal pad on which I had written an idea for a sculpture.
I realized that it had been many, many years ago he had thrown a bunch of landscape sketchpads into a backpack and pursued a boho girl to Ibiza. A few postcards and then even people he had worked with for years stopped hearing from him. I don’t know if he ever got the girl but I still haven’t used up all the stuff he gave me.
I am not a fan of The Byrds. However, they do have one album I enjoy. It is unique in their catalog and the artistic direction was abandoned, never to be touched upon again in their body of work
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
It is largely informed by the artistic leanings of new member Gram Parsons. Stylistically, it is the nascent version of alt country-rock. During the recording there was a lot of infighting within the band and a jockeying for control which is in contrast to the overall sweetness to the music.
Listening to it now, whether you like it or not, it does not come across as something which would be controversial. In 1968 though, it was. The brief tour was disastrous, made worse by some of the personalities in the band. This version of the band imploded and the countrified direction jettisoned.
Gram Parson would form The Flying Burrito Brothers with Byrd bassists Chris Hillman. The ‘Burritos would be influential, echoes of what they did rippling out to later groups such as the Eagles, Wilco and many others.
I have always followed the maxim of Duke Ellington, there are only two kinds of music, good & bad. I have big ears and although jazz & classical are my main things I have many things I enjoy which would surprise people. ‘Burritos being one of those things.
The latest birthday cake from the Cakettes is a masterpiece. I would like to point out, nothing was molded. Every little piece was done by hand. The cowgirl & figures were constructed of individual pieces.
More info on cake:
Almond joconde
Grand Mariner Italian meringue buttercream
Dark chocolate ganache
Cowboys made from grand Marnier royal icing
Sweetheart and band label are thyme shortbread cookie
Flowers are meringue and homemade marzipan
Written tablets are homemade marzipan
Album title is meringue
Addendum: I know having my name on image sort wrecks effect. Generation Instagram has no problem taking images they like for content w/out attribution. To take something someone worked hard on for your site and write “I don’t know who did this” is not a get out of jail free card. I would say to anyone, if you see an image you like and dont have info on who created it, if it is not public domain then it is stealing.
Still in painting mode. I am literally hours away from short trip which in theory will provide me with photographs to use as raw material for my Cinefield® work. Having had an enforced break, initially I chafed, since I was not controlling the tempo. I now see a positive in having had wait what feels like a long time before creating my next one.
The wait has allowed me to have some new ideas and allowed me to approach my Cinefield® work feeling refreshed.
It will be interesting to see what next one is like as photos dictate the flavor of the piece.
In the interim, here is new painting.
Reflex 11×17 inches Watercolor & Tan Paper. I did a study for this which I don’t do with all my paintings.
Annnnnnnnnnnd I am off. Always looking for interesting things to draw & paint email me if you think you have something to offer.
I was reading an article by a modern thinker or what some would label as a philosopher. He pointed out that in modern society happiness has now become largely defined in North America as when things go 100% one’s way. Everything coming up roses with zero effort, resistance or work required is not what one should aspire to. The rare if not impossible occurrence of such a state existing aside, a little bit of tension, setbacks, challenges, these things foster evolution. Grit creates pearls and pressure diamonds and to avoid these aspects of life is to miss out.
The weather has still not been on my side for traveling and getting new photos for my Cinefield® work. I continue to use the time I would have spent creating my next Cini to paint and do various experiments with water soluble graphite.
I was initially a little annoyed at having to back-burner working on my next Cinefield® but it has allowed me to add to my painterly technique. It turned into an opportunity even though I had not initially viewed it as such.
In about two weeks I will be on the road and hopefully getting some photos to utilize.
Here is latest painting. It’s 11×17 Watercolor & tan paper.
I want an audience not customers. Social media platforms more and more force artists into being merchants or coming across as attention starved with “the numbers game” of chasing likes views et al. I have been getting emails asking what pieces I have for sale which is nice as it’s not info that i bombard people with. For anyone interested:
The short trip I had planned to take photos for my next Cinefield® had been put off. I took the time that I would have been working on that and painted. For two plus weeks now my area has been in the grip of triple digit heatwave. Getting more photos further stymied, I have continued on with painting.
I usually switch between Cinefield®, painting and other visual project, so working on so many paintings in a row is novel for me.
To keep it fresh, for each painting I change the type & size.
This one had an unique compositional balance to it. I find beauty not necessarily in what is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but what is real.
This piece is 7×10 French Cotton paper & watercolor.
I am always looking for interesting things to paint & draw, if interested send email.
I was supposed to do a short trip as to take photos for my next Cinefield®, but circumstances beyond my control pushed it back. With no raw fuel for next Cinefield® I have spent some of my time painting.
As to keep things fresh, I keep changing the size and type of paper but also the subject matter. With so much time before I can get my shots, were I to just keep doing portraits it would start to become mechanical or feel akin to putting together Ikea furniture.
My last painting was a traditional portrait with straight up compositional balance. When mulling over what to do next I decided I wanted to do something beautiful but sort of off-putting too. I was very pleased with the results.
I dedicated this to Laurie Lipton. I have been into her works for about a year. What makes her special aside from her massive chops is that in her oeuvre the medium of pencil is the star. It is not second class citizen nor merely something to train with between painting.
Although nowhere near her level, viewing her works has made me up my shading game (which definitely improved).
Often her pieces have a mordant bent to them but you have to do a double take on some of them before this is apparent. Existentially tortured housewives and queues of skeletons conjured up by her hand are beautiful but also induce a sort of dread.
My piece is not an image taken directly from her body of work. Laurie’s work was starting point for me, the inspiration for having dichotomy of terrible but beautifully done.
Terrible Beauty is 7×10 watercolor on French cotton paper.
Among my greatest pleasures is to portray flesh with paint. It is not a salacious thing, it need not be a nude. I’ve done many hands and other body parts. I have done closeups on things so that they verge on abstractions, the viewer initially not knowing what they are looking at.
This is an aspect of painting which consistently keeps me engaged. The wonderment of it, one starts with a flat two dimensional square or rectangle. With pencil & brush you conjure up not only volume and mass but the suggestions of warmth as blood rushes to the surface in areas or through the veins. It is akin to a sort of magic trick and no matter how many times I do it, I still marvel at it.
I switch the types of paper I use as to avoid lapsing into mere mannerisms. With everything else that I do creatively, there are still times that certain types of paper or pencils fall to the wayside temporarily.
This piece is 9×12 and on a white paper which was main one I used to use most of the time. I have finally circled back to it once again. After such a long break, the one which had been the de rigueur found itself the new-thing challange.
I was very pleased with results.
L 9×12 Watercolor & Paper
I am always looking for interesting things to draw/paint. If you think you have something email me.
The news is bleak. One can take their pick as to why this is an apt description. It is during these times that artists in every medium have a duty, do your thing. You need not insert political message nor program of the zeitgeist into your work.
Creating something for others to experience via one of the senses serves as a reminder. It’s easy to forget that there are things worthwhile outside of the current strife, there are things bigger than ourselves which are more important, culture in all its forms. Culture seems almost to be an insult now in some quarters, it’s now wedded to elitism which is a different thing.
Things which seemingly are not one of life’s necessities, such as art, offer the chance to get out of our own heads. At a minimum, art & culture can be a brief respite from the grind of daily life. It’s always my hope to be able to offer this via my work.
“B” Watercolor & French Cotton Paper 5×7
I am always looking for interesting things to draw/paint, drop me a line if you think you might have something.
Paper Life Painting 