Design From Line - Foundations Exhibition

This week we had the reception for "Design From Line", an exhibition of NIU Foundations student work. This was the brainchild of Eric Fuertes, and it was a great insight into the connections between the four Foundations classes (Drawing 1, Drawing 2, 2D, and 3D). Check out some photos below:

The show explored the element of "line" across the four core classes, and showed how the curriculums overlap and build from one another to give the students a solid foundation.

a reel of 2D animations

 a sample of Drawing 1 work, including observed linear perspective and contour studies

 Here you can see some Drawing 2 projects; while we are currently focusing on color, a line is merely the separation between two planes. This was a good opportunity to remind the students that all the elements and principles are interrelated. The skills they acquire in our classes will give them the necessary foundation to succeed in their upper-level courses.

This was one of my favorite 3D pieces in the show. The center wheel actually spins to mimic the motion of a combination lock. 

sketchbook study pages

sketchbook pages from recent life drawing sessions

compositional studies, after Uglow

portrait study, after Uglow

Color Studies

These are detail shots of a recent color experiment... which really only served to reaffirm my intense aversion to the color pink. It was a fun diversion though, I must admit.

Well, one show is installed, and I have about a month until the next one opens. So, it's 'nose to the grindstone' for the next few weeks. My goal is to make five new pieces for that show. More information and sneak peeks to come!

Meanwhile, I got to spend some quality time with my favorite guy this weekend. Love that dog!

RESIDUE - Solo Show

I installed my first solo show post-graduate school on Friday! Many thanks to Eric Tucker and South Suburban College for this incredible opportunity. Their school gallery is beautiful, with gorgeous hardwood floors and brand new lights. Check out the installation shots below. Enjoy!

so much pink...

studio shots from this week's painting sessions

details of a new painting in the works... I hope the color makes you smile. :)

Materials and Techniques: Palette

My palette changes with every painting. There are a few colors I can't live without, but I always like experimenting with new colors and brands. Some experiments work better than others... so I thought I'd write a little this week about what materials I've been using lately.

Being an artist on a budget, I tend to use whatever's on sale. So, I have a wide variety of brands of oil paint on my table. Utrecht has always been my favorite student-grade paint. I like its consistency - it's thick yet fluid, without too much oil. It's also affordable.

Williamsburg and Old Holland both make excellent professional paints... there are a few colors of theirs that I can't live without. King's Blue has long been a favorite of mine, as has Courbet Green and Italian Pink. The difference in hue between Williamsburg and Old Holland in the King's Blue is really quite astonishing: the former is a cool blue, while the latter is decidedly warm.

I was given a few large tubes of Georgian brand paint last year, which I've been using in spite of how cheap and oily it is (you just can't beat free paint). Recently I found a jar of Dorland's Wax Medium that I'd forgotten I had; adding a little of that to the Georgian colors has made an extraordinary difference. Cold wax medium extends the paint, absorbs some of the oil, and gives it a buttery texture that I find particularly satisfying. It does give the paint a more matte finish, so if you're into glossy mediums then this probably isn't for you.

I've always been a fan of the spanish palette: titanium white, yellow ochre, venetian red, and black. I like adding ultramarine blue to this for a basic limited palette; I find it extremely helpful in simplifying colors, temperature, and tones. This is the palette I start from most often.

"Palette mud" is perhaps one of the most useful colors on my palette. After each painting session I scrape down the excess paint and mix it into a grey-ish neutral, which inevitably gets used during the next painting session, and so on. Sometimes it harmonizes the colors in a most intriguing way. It's fitting, I suppose... gray has always been my favorite color... so many possibilities.

Painting Progression

I made progress on this little painting this week. It needs another session or two, but it's almost done. I really like where this series is going. More soon!