Art Reception at the Faneuil Library

Me and my art

(Doggie Butt, Bull Terrier & Bongo on the Beach)

Last Tuesday was my reception for the first solo show that I've ever had. Quite a milestone for me! There were some familiar faces that came out (my parents and aunt were there) and some new fans as well. Over all we had a great turn out. Someone asked if I was going to do a "talk" but not really given any structure, I was more left to talk to people on a one on one atmosphere and I think that actually was better for me!

I would like to thank everyone who came and John Quatrale for putting it all together. The exhibit will be up for the entire month of August. The Faneuil Library is located at 419 Faneuil Street, (Oak Square) Brighton MA 02135.

A Solo Show at the Faneuil Library in Brighton MA

Luna in Oil

oil on canvas

16x20"

How do I explain how excited I was to read the email sent last month from John Quatrale asking me if I would like to have a solo show at the Brighton Faneuil Library?

Very excited. I will be showing 12 watercolors and 2 oils, including the one above of Luna. This is a very last minute thing and though the library isn't huge, a show is a show and this will be my first ever solo one. When we installed the paintings last Tuesday, John informed me that he listed it as more of an artist 'talk' and that I should be prepared to say a few things and answer some questions. Good Lord, I'm hoping that they'll let me serve some wine!

The Faneuil Library is located at 419 Faneuil Street, Brighton MA (Oak Square).

The show is up from July 18 through September 7, 2012.

Reception July 24 6:30-8

Hope to see you there :)

The Effects of Art

I truly believe that a successful piece of art is one that leaves you with emotion as you walk away from it. This could be disgust, joy, sadness, anger or anything really. I'm wondering if my art does that for anyone. Does it even do it for me?

"Horse Landscape Vermont"

Oil on Canvas

I will admit I'm more of a junkie when it comes to painting.... and it's not the art that I'm producing per say, but more of the medium: Can I handle oils? What can I do with salt and watercolor? How much can I stretch this composition out with out having it break apart in my hands? As you know I work primarily in watercolors. When I first started working with this medium, I would use colored pencils as well. Primarily  to correct some mistakes I had made, or punch out some values to make the piece more dramatic.  Slowly over time, I've stopped using those pencils because it was more like having a crutch - something to fall back on if things didn't turn out like I wanted them to. I have started using oils and looking at some videos regarding color mixing so that I can master this one as well.... But are my pieces evoking an emotion????

I've never been one wanted to "disturb" people viewing my art. Blame it on my 1990 experience of being in the middle of threat of the pulling out funding National Endowment of the Arts. I was in DC at the time of Maplethorpe's NOT being shown at the Corcoran Museum (my school). Too many people where figuring out how they too could make "shock art".

I was at Mass MoCA recently and saw this piece:

"You Are Loved"

Andrea Mortson

Oil on Canvas

I was thinking, "Oh my goodness. It's so beautiful the way she leans against him, how the tree encompasses both of them" and then I read the title and was just hit with a wave of emotion. That we should all feel loved.. Am I loved like the woman in the painting? I believe so. Is the artist loved? She must be, how else could she have captured this so perfectly? You might not feel the way that I do, but again, this is what I call a successful piece of art.

I hope to God that my art does this to people, and if not, will some day. Maybe I should start believing that it does and it will reflect in the art itself. But like everyone I need reassurance. And I guess I haven't got that in a while.

Allston is my home

Welcome to Allston.

If your not familiar with Allston it is the west side of Boston that is sandwiched in between Boston University and Boston College. The only place in the US that is actually named after an artst, Washington Allston, and is also home to Biogen and New Balance sneakers. It's also where I've been living for the last 15 years. Allston, unfortunately, has a reputation. Because of it's location, we have more student housing and renters than we do home owners. Our downtown is filled with restaurants of any ethnicity you can think of, bars and clubs as well as a couple of head shops. Because of this, there is a lot of underage drinking, basement parties and trash. I'm trying to change that. And I know I'm not the only one.

 Allston Roof Tops

watercolor

Don't get me wrong, I was in college too. I went to these parties when I was 22... (still going to some now!) But because of the more renters, I'm finding people are going to be caring a lot less about their surroundings. Everybody who went to school in Boston lived in Allston for at least one semester. It's kind of like a right of passage. But for those of us who have stayed, I'm tired of people talking trash about my neighborhood. I have the advantage of  being so close to downtown Boston. Jason and I walked to Fenway on the 1st game of the World Series back in 04. I would never want to live in a town that has only 3 restaurants and one of them is the 99 (ugh!). Jason who is in a band and has his own label, we are very much involved in the live music scene. I have 3 places within walking distance where I can go see live original music. I can walk to Harvard Square where I can check out any of the museums there. The Charles River is minutes away if I need to get out and have green grass under my feet. And the art scene is alive! 119 Braintree is home to over 40 artist studios not to mention the Rugg Road Studios right down the street! Allston Open Studios happens every November for you to come and check out the art scene in my town.

Come visit us! You'll love it! Just pick up the trash when you're done, thanks!

Roxy

black watercolor

One life to live

I was going to write today's post about how things are starting to pick up in a business sense. I've been painting right along and below are two of my latest paintings. An oil and a watercolor. Then I read on line today that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys had died of cancer today at the age of 47.......47!

Beau in Oil

8x10 inches

Kitty Dreams

5x7 inch watercolor and colored pencil

This news has effected me in a way that I think MCA (Yauch's stage name) would be okay with. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE - WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT? Apparently Yauch had been battling with cancer for the last few years and it finally won and took this man's life. A man who, mind you, got to the public eye with songs like "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" and other white boy rap songs about partying and girls.

But as the boy became a man, he directed his efforts not only towards his creativity, which grew so much into a funky hip band, but toward Buddhism and for the independence of Tibet. He also helped form Oscilloscope pictures, a successful independent film production house.

There's only so much time that each of us has on this planet. Please use it wisely. Do something creative. Help someone out today. Donate to a charity. If you really believe in something, make your voice heard. Don't watch junk TV. Don't eat at McDonalds. Tell the person you love that you love them. Paint a painting. Write a poem. Support the arts. Don't laugh at someone when he tells you he likes ballet. Adopt a cat. Volunteer.

And download Check Your Head. I think its one of their best albums.

I saw the Beastie Boys back in 1986. I was 15 years old and it was one of my very first concerts. I had so much fun and loved how obnoxious they were. The turn tables that the DJ was on was made to look like a giant Jolt cola. And I vaguely remember a huge penis on stage. Too much.

Pay to Play

I received an email recently from publishers of AKC Family Dog (according to them, "the most widely distributed canine magazine in the world!"). In the email, they tell me that my work has been recommended by the editors to be included in the July/August issue.....

Trout Dreaming

8x10 inches, watercolor

But of course, this isn't free. $395 to "offset production costs". Hmmmmmm. So basically they've chose me to pay for space to advertise. Then not moments later, the CAG crew emails came in. Apparently the majority got the same email which made me think that I wasn't very special anymore and this was a blanket email. I'm not going to do it, mind you. It's just too expensive... but they way they worded it, it did make me feel kinda special.

Then there are the vanity galleries. Vanity galleries (not to be confused with co-ops which are another thing) will approach an artist like myself with the space and location that all artists dream of. They want to take your work and hang it for a couple of months, like an exhibition, but you have to pay a fee up front to be there. No guarantee that your work will sell, hell, they don't have gallery people there to help you. YOU do all the marketing, selling, working.... wait, isn't this what galleries are supposed to do for me? Why should I pay someone to hang my work in there space? Sure they may claim that they have tremendous foot traffic... but how do I know that? Or they have testimonials from other artists that this was a great experience and "I learned a lot." I don't need to pay to learn a lot anymore. I finished paying student loans years ago and have no intention of doing it again (anytime soon anyway).

Bands have this to; it's called Pay to Play. There are organizations out there who will get a couple of bands together... and give each player x amount of tickets. Then the band players have to go out and sell all their tickets to their shows. Wouldn't be so bad if the bands didn't have to charge their friends $10 for a ticket. But because there are venues that will have bands play, maybe give them discounted beer if not a free one, and the profits made at the door is split by the band. It's never a lot of money, but I think it's better than putting your friends in a awkward position by having to buy a ticket for 10 bucks ahead of time.

I've only heard bad things about vanity galleries and pay to plays. Maybe you have a good experience you like to share with me? I would love to hear about it.

Trying new things

Someone told me once, to keep everything fresh in your art, you MUST try new things. Whether it be a different medium, or even subject matter, it will help you grow as an artist.

When T gave me that box of water based oils last Christmas, she also gave me the tiniest canvas that was 2x2 inches. It even has special cute little staples in the back to hold the canvas in place. I recently painted some flowers on it. I brought it to my office job to remind me that I am an artist first.

Flowers

oil on canvas

2x2 inches

Another thing I've been doing is experimenting with different backgrounds on the pet portraits. Salt is a great thing to play with in watercolor. Science will tell you that salt absorbs up water if place on it (that's why they spray salt on the roads when it snows.... to prevent freezing and ice). So if you sprinkle some salt on wet paint and leave it there for a couple of minutes, you'll get this really cool texture that almost looks like rock or something. I did it on the background of this collie.

Playing with Salt


Tri Color Collie
watercolor

5x7 inches

I've also been ditching the pencil overlay on the watercolor pencils. I think I was using them more as a crutch (as in: oh, I'll just fix that highlight later with pencil). I finished up that ream of reams of Cotman paper where I would ALWAYS use the pencil and I think that had a lot to do with it as well.

Salty detail

Pretty cool effect, huh? Looks like the paper has a texture almost....

What are you going to do to break out of the box?