MAR week 4: Process Work and Post-its

As of today, I've been in Cincinnati for exactly one month. I feel good about the things I've accomplished so far, and I'm really excited about the direction my work is heading. I've settled into a daily studio routine, and I've started researching the next phase of my concepts.

Here are a few images from my drawing sketchbook from the last few weeks.

 

I've been going to the Manifest drawing center twice a week for figure drawing. Above is one of my recent studies. I crave the regular practice, and I have no doubt that this will inform my studio work, both technically and conceptually. Drawing is the foundation of all the visual arts, and it is an essential part of my practice. Sometime soon I'll write a complete blog entry about the drawing center and the relevance of figure drawing to all disciplines. Check back for that particular rant in the next few weeks.

... studies, oil sketches, random notes, and current state of painting table disarray...

Also, since I've been here a month, that means it's been a month since my best friend's birthday... with that in mind... see those delightfully bright squares of color in the photo above? Yeah, there are going to be post-it paintings. Because some things never change. <3

See you back here next week -

Paint Pulse Magazine

I'm honored to be included in Issue 3 of Paint Pulse Magazine! You can see the full list of artists on the website here: http://www.paintpulsemagazine.com/currently-featured.html

MAR - week 2; Open Studio Night

Friday was the reception for the Master Pieces exhibit and the first Open Studio Night for us as artists in residence. It was a fantastic evening and a great way to kick off this year! I loved meeting so many new people and having great conversations about art, the gallery, and the drawing center.

In case you couldn't make it to the gallery, here is a glimpse into my studio space. I brought two recent paintings from DeKalb (see above), but everything else on the walls was made at Manifest in the past week or so.

I really want to use this next year to push my work forward, both technically and conceptually; with that in mind I plan to experiment quite a bit in the coming weeks and months. I started with some small color studies on paper to play with composition and lighting. I did these with a palette knife (instead of a brush) as a way of loosening up and breaking some of my personal "painting rules."

The Manifest Drawing Center is an amazing place. I've started attending their weekly open figure drawing sessions, in the hopes of improving my skills and (eventually) bringing the figure back into my studio work. Figure drawing is one of my favorite things to do, and it is both a privilege and a joy to be able to do it regularly. Above is one of my drawings from this week's session.

Check back next Sunday for a brand new finished painting!

MAR - week 1

Prelude 12" x 12" oil on canvas 2015 

It's only been a week, but I already feel surprisingly at home here. My studio is set up; I've been to figure drawing at the Manifest Drawing Center twice, and I'm (slowly) starting to shake the rust that has accumulated on my figure skills from a year of disuse. I have gesso drying on newly stretched canvases, and I even finished this little baby painting yesterday. If the past week is any indication of how this residency is going to go, it will be an amazing year. 

 This week I met my fellow artist in residence, Marina Fridman. Her work is stellar and I am so excited to share this space with her. I think our work is going to grow alongside each others in very interesting ways. Be sure to check out her website here: www.marinafridman.com 

Some of my studio inspiration... these postcards have been in every studio I've kept since college. Why break tradition?

A good portion of Saturday was devoted to the usual prep work...

 ... and the first of many sketches in a brand new sketchbook. This is the view from one of the windows in my studio. All in all, not bad for the first week. =) Stay tuned - much more to come!