Black Velvet

I'm tired so, a quick post for a Friday evening. A drawing.

Martha Miller, whose work I do admire, is involved in an exhibit that deals with painting on velvet and I thought I would post a video for her.

Have a lovely Friday evening.

Brad

Bits and Pieces

I was going through some of my work and sorting it when I ran across these two drawings of the same model. One is on kraft paper and the other is on newsprint. I like drawing on kraft and this is executed in charcoal and pastel.

This drawing is charcoal or conte on newsprint. I like the way tones are easily invoked on both papers. I'm also a nut for defining the space my subject occupies. I like to push the perspective even though it isn't evident in this drawing but can be seen in the drawing I posted last week of buildings on the Dahlonega square. Comes from my drafting side. I read somewhere that it is 'good to exagerate, better to exagerate too much than not enough,' I've taken that to heart.

I'm feeling a little nostalgic for the 1960's so, here are a couple of pieces of music from that decade. The first from 1962.

Then a little country music from 1967.

Have a good Wednesday, er-r-r Earth Day?

Brad

Favorite Artists

Today, four artists whose work I admire and influence me. First Cheryl Goldsleger subtle work based on architectural design drawings. They are a combination of encaustic and parts formed by computer aided machining devices. Combining one of the oldest techniques and one of the newest she has executed a composition that bridges the gap between sculpture and painting and softens the technicality of the medium and the subject.

Cheryl Goldsleger   Higher Secondary School II for Girls, Chandigarh, India   Encaustic and CNC formed resin

Next Tamara de Limpicka, the epitome of Art Deco. Enough said.

Tamara de Limpicka   Saint Moritz   Oil on canvas

Tamara de Limpicka   Portrait of Arlette Boucard   Oil on canvas

Audrey Flack's airbrushed works on canvas are some of the finest examples of photo-realistic work from the 1970's.

Audrey Flack   Golden Banana Split Sundae  Acrylic on canvas

Finally a detail from a work by Marilyn Minter.

A detail of a painting by Marilyn Minter.

Have a lovely Tuesday evening.

Brad

Details

As I stated in a recent post, I am trying to find some focus in my work, trying to narrow what I am doing to raise my output and not be all over the place. I consider what is best about my work is my brushwork and my color selection. To this end I am planning work that will let me explore these affects. I have assembled some details from work that I have posted for this reason.

The brushwork in the pepper executed in the tempera painting above is a style that I find quite natural. It is a more sculptural style in that I push the paint around and shape it like clay. This suites my A.D.D. more than a more considered style.

 

Oils I treat a bit differently in that there is an under-painting but the fat is laid on in a more sculptural manner.

The tempera painting here is another example of defining the volume by pushing the paint around, mixing it on the canvas.

And again an oil with a lean under-painting then, laying the paint over to add a sculptural sensibility to the garment. Over all else the beauty of the paint itself.

I would like to know how you focus your work, writers and artists. How do you decide what is valuable to focus on? How do you go about discovering the aspects of your work that is exceptional but maybe you don't realize yourself. 

I imagine that working in a community of artists that you can consult on a continual basis helps greatly with this, but until I can surround myself with such I will have to struggle on and beg your indulgences my friends.

Have a fruitful and happy Monday.

Brad  

Friday Afternoon

Odds and ends for a Friday afternoon. First a drawing so there is some artwork.

Then a photograph. This is the ruin of a house on Jekyll Island. The construction is a local variety of construction called 'Tabby.' It is a type of concrete made of shells and lime made from burning shells. Oh, how I would like to be at Jekyll this weekend.

The movie State of Play opens this weekend and seems from the trailers to be a run of the mill conspiracy thriller and then they up the ante with Helen Mirren. What are you going to do? A little clip from 1980. No tittering or reading something into it.

Julita was kind enough to mention my blog in her writing so, for her I am adding a piece by sculptor David smith that inspired me to paint with spray paint.

Have a good Friday evening.

Brad

My Little Town.

A quick post today of a perspective drawing of the north side of the Dahlonega Square. Dahlonega is a tourist town with a great deal of history, primarily the gold rush of the eighteen thirties. There is also minor history such as Bill Miner, the old west train robber portrayed in the movie The Grey Fox was captured here in the Dahlonega Hotel.

The following is from the Dahlonega Bluegrass Festival. The musicians are playing on the square.

Have a lovely Thursday.

Brad

Counting the Cars

From the Simon and Garfunkel song, America, comes the phrase 'Counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike.' I use phrases such as this on which to base my work. I usually react to very visual phrases. The title of the piece is Looked Out Over an Open Field, I liked the paradoxical nature of the phrases. 

The work is a collage of inkjet prints with acrylic brushwork. I don't have a group of artists that I can spend time with and get and give feedback about my work on an ongoing basis but, from time to time I do have access to a talented artist that I can learn from and be inspired by. My lovely model, Hannah, is a fine artist and an incredible painter and printmaker. This is an example of her printmaking talent.

Have a lovely Wednesday.

Brad