homonym ad hominem

New website

2010-02-22T19:32:00.002-05:00

I needed something more versatile than Blogspot, so please check out the new website:
cheryljoan.com

Alas. yarn ball.

2010-02-12T23:20:00.005-05:00

I was on a roll with an enjoyable painting session. All too soon, another canvas was needed. Alas! nothing large enough could be found, and my cordless saw is pitiful against a sturdy 2x4. This must be rectified! Regardless the start of (or) something.

too many projects...

2010-01-20T13:41:00.001-05:00

I've gotten myself under a pile of work. Started teaching myself to make clothes, this is my first shirt and my 3rd or 4th skirt. Working with stretch jersey for the shirt was challenging to say the least, but I'll work with it some more and figure it out. Skirts are no problem, and I'll probably start patterning out a dress for my sister's wedding.

I've also been learning adobe Flash to do 2-D animation and graphic design. So far I've done the graphics for the Internet Bike Database. Have more projects coming on that end. Plus drawing and painting when I can. I need a bigger easel, and have been caught up in so many other things that I haven't had time to build one, though I have the materials.

I have more paintings and drawings to post later. Hopefully not 6 months from now.

Summer Works

2009-08-09T16:31:00.000-04:00

Dusk, Oil on Canvas, 30" W x 20"H

Headlights, Oil on Canvas, 36"W x 24"H

Having fun in my studio, inspired by my surroundings. I've also been working on learning to knit and sew. Its been a wonderfully productive summer. I'll hopefully be exhibiting one of these paintings at a gallery in Middletown in September, as I'm going to submit one for an open call.

Interior Gym

2009-07-06T14:47:00.000-04:00

Oil on Canvass, 24"W x 20"H

Interior of a gym Adam and I used to workout in a few years ago.

Glass and Metal Reflection

2009-07-06T14:42:00.000-04:00

Oil on Canvass, 30"W x 24"H

Still Lifes

2009-05-27T10:38:00.000-04:00

Still Life Bikes and Beer: Oil on Canvass 48"W x 48"H

Still Life White Chair: Oil on Canvass 24"W x 36"H

Still Life Window Reflection: Oil on Canvass 24"W x 36"H

Once I have a minute to breathe...

2009-05-20T17:11:00.001-04:00

I'll post new work within the next week, to satisfy my lovely friends who have been asking!

Me! or a likeness of...

2009-04-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

Fun with oil paint and a limited palate. My face and my legs, approximately.

robot sample

2009-02-10T17:46:00.000-05:00

Potential Album cover for Geomancer - Robots vs. Humans. I think a giant exploding volcano, a few robots destroying an army....maybe a flying saucer or two... possible Zelda Future world... these were the notes I took down from Danielle.

to be painted...

2009-02-10T16:16:00.000-05:00

Clayton. It seems I'll start with friends from Texas, since I've already done Anna.

new projects

2009-02-03T19:05:00.000-05:00

I've started working on a series of portraits to beef up on my face skills. Gouache and pencil on gessoed cardboard. I've amassed a small fortune in cardboard over the last year, and it seems to keep on accumulating in my studio, and so I'm putting it to use. I enjoy the throw away aesthetic, and I think it fits well with the portraits I am working on - mainly people that have been in my life that I no longer see. Both objects and people that have been disgarded over time, whether intentionally or circumstantially.

I'm going to keep these quick and simple - I have 5 gessoed right now, and when those are all filled up we will see what I have to say about it. I think this is going to be a very enjoyable exercise.

small work

2009-01-23T16:13:00.000-05:00

This was just a fun little ditty. I'm hoping to get some pictures taken this weekend so I can start working on a landscape. I'll post the drawing as it comes. Hopefully school won't get in the way of me painting too much!

the last of winter break...

2009-01-21T17:40:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of sad this one is done! I sped through it so I can try to start another painting quickly before winter break ends. I have only 4 days left till the grind of school begins again. All I ever want to do is paint.

Drawing Completed

2009-01-15T14:52:00.000-05:00

This was a fun drawing, and now I get to paint. I think that Jen will be very surprised. I love working on people. I should get this painted within t he next day or two, so that I may move on to other things.

new work, some in progress

2009-01-11T17:38:00.001-05:00

This is another drawing I am hoping to lure some new clients in with. George the Sphynx is from a breeder in NYC, and I will be mailing this out, along with my business cards, in hopes that the breeder will enjoy the image enough to give my business card to friends, neighbors, etc. I need to drum up some business for 2009, and who doesn't love a free cat portrait? If it were me, I'd be stoked to get this in the mail, and more than happy to pass out a few cards.

This will eventually be a painting of my nephew Cycle and niece Charlie. I hope to get the drawing finished early this week, but this is a good start. As Adam alwasy tells me "you better get the eyes right!" and I think this time I did - drawing people is a ton of fun.

RIP Yoda

2009-01-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

My friend's cat died yesterday, so I made them a little painting for a memorial. Yoda was a really sweet cat, and will be missed.

more work

2008-12-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

School's been getting me down - busy as hell. Got a few new works, and am working on a few more. I hope to get a painting done for myself over winter break - I have 3 weeks of freedom, and I want to do a landscape I'm been dreaming of. Hopefully building stuff for the house wont get in the way too much. Here's two new comissions, one finished, and one in the works.

in progress and finished recent comissions

2008-10-29T17:38:00.000-04:00

long time no post

2008-09-26T18:06:00.001-04:00

Wow I can't believe its been a few months since I've posted anything. Not that I haven't been working or keeping busy - moved across the country, got a house, put tons of effort into painting all the rooms nicely, and I only have to finish the bedroom before I can retire my wall paint. God I can't wait for that!

Started school again, got a job substitute teaching, started student-teaching middle-schoolers, I am mentoring a really awesome 8th grader named Nala, and tomorrow I will start volunteering at Epoch Arts, a youth-arts-center. Whew! Its been busy. On top of all that I've got a new commission I'm working on, and hopefully another one on the way. I have to start thinking about xmas presents too, and I think Eric will have to get a pic of Garbage for xmas to compliment the one of Dutchy he got last year. Oh yeah, we are hopefully getting another cornish rex in a month, which I'm pumped about.

So I'll try to update this more often with my own work - schoolwork is crazy time-consuming too, but I need to keep up with my commissions or I wont get paid!

Couldn't get a focused picture of this guy for the life of me, so the angle here is the best I could do.

best job ever

2008-07-25T14:18:00.000-04:00

Staying home and painting all day is the best job ever. Here's my latest creation for my parents -King Grundy - I think they'll be happy, and I had lots of fun making this. It references the painting Napoleon on his Imperial throne by jean August Dominique Ingres.

I'll be moving to Connecticut next week, so I'll be spending time painting our new house and getting settled in, and working on a series of posters for some Mtn Bike races between him and his brothers. I also will start the next mtn bike painting for the diptych. I wish I had screen printings materials and it might be something I invest in sometime in the future. Printmaking is fun too, and I like making posters. But hey, I want a lot of things. :)

I'm really looking forward to the change of pace and the quietness of living in the country again, and although I'm going to really miss my crossfit friends, I know that I will meet some cool people at school and people will eventually come workout with us at our own gym - Middlesex County does need a crossfit!

work in progress

2008-07-03T10:56:00.001-04:00

A Mighty Hunt!

2008-06-21T15:13:00.000-04:00

I'll be bringing this back to Chicago with me when I visit in August. As I was making it I was thinking about the different symbolism often found in olde-tymy hunt paintings. Caitlin is an awesome person, so here's a fun little lesson in these symbols, cause I've had a lot of fun reading about them.

The black and white magpie flying in from the left constitutes evil, or satan. While the swallow it flies with represents God's illumination. Together flying towards Caitlin, I think of them a
way to suggest both the good and bad within her. The hounds represent loyalty and courage, and are often associated with Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Horses are indicative of generosity and happiness. The Olive trees represent peace, abundance, longevity, fertility, and victory.

Overall as I was making this painting I was enjoying the ideas of representing Caitlin's character, as well as the good wishes I hope for her life.

I think its pretty fun to look into traditional ideas and symbolism in the paintings I make, especially since I'm making art in the traditional format of portrait painting.

sketchbook, etc.

2008-06-04T17:13:00.000-04:00

I started a sketchbook this week, and other than lunch with Adam today, I've been drawing for 1 hour a day, and would like to keep it up, filling my sketchbook with my views from the park at lunch specifically. Its not necessarily a very exciting view, but I need to get back into the habit of drawing what I see - getting my eye to connect with my hand. Its like riding a bicycle, except it takes a few tries. My drawing Tuesday was better than my drawing Monday, and I think that tomorrow will be better than Tuesday's. As long as I keep plugging away, my eye-to-hand will connect back beautifully. I feel a lot more comfortable with my own hand now that I'm not in school - its easier to allow myself the stylization I create without the scrutiny of academia peering over my shoulder.

One of the things I love most about making art is the life-long process. I am not as good today as I will be tomorrow - as long as I continue to work, I will continue to grow, and I can document and visually watch my growth over time. I want to continue to paint forever, so I can see what I can do.

finally! more work

2008-06-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

Last week was pretty rough, lots of drama at work and at home - overall, a total waste of time. But Adam and I are starting to feel like we're on the right track again, eating well, working out hard, and getting closer to the finish. We both just need to stay focused of being healthy mentally and physically.

Tomorrow is 1 month until my birthday - the best day of the year. All I want is to have a BBQ with some friends, and hopefully have time to make a great pie for everyone to enjoy. I love making pie, and never have enough time or dietary room to eat it. But my day means that I can eat all the disgustingly delicious treats I can imagine.

Adam goes back to CT in 10 days to visit family - I wish i could do the same. I think I'll be able to in August, if I can get my parents to buy my ticket, I'd love to be able to spend 10 days, so I can have more time with my friends and my family. We'll see where life takes me.

Next up for artwork will be the drawing for Adam's 2nd mtn bike painting. Once I have these 3 drawings complete, I'll have tons of painting to do. I like keeping my hands busy, and I'll get to paint a lot (hopefully) when Adam is out of town.

sluggish

2008-05-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

I took the week off of exercise, because I felt like my performance was plateauing. I've been going to bed at like 8:30-9pm every night. Work has been painfully slow, no one even has any projects for me to do, and I've asked around. You know its slow when I'd love a good long tedious spreadsheet to work on, just to make the time go by faster. The whole week has felt very, very, very slow. I need to fill my time with crossfit every night just to feel enough energy to care. It makes the time i spend drawing and painting more valuable too, because those moments when I can sit down, I want to fill with my own work. I've been getting faster at drawing too, because its such a preliminary step to painting, I'm really glad I'm starting to whip it out without much effort.

This weekend I will do the drawings for the next mtn bike painting, and the painting for my parents. Then I'll have 3 drawings to get painting. Yay 3 day weekend!

Hopefully will have more work to post soon.

no stag

2008-05-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

fox hunt

2008-05-20T23:40:00.000-04:00

still need to add the hounds, the birds, and the stag before the drawing is complete.

Kaelyn's Tattoo

2008-05-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

Tattoo for Kaelyn. Obviously whomever gets to tattoo this on her will take some artistic license with it, but I think its what she wanted for the most part. Fun little drawing, it took longer to get this pic taken and uploaded here than it did to draw it. I've got more stuff in the works, will post later.

completed

2008-05-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

Having to wake up at 5am both Sat and Sun this weekend - got lots of work done. I actually might wake up hella early on weekends from now on, if I can work like this. I now officially have no drawings to work on until next weekend.

Next To Do:

Tattoo drawing for Kaelin
Pet portrait for my parents
Hunt scene for Caitlin
2nd Mtn Bike painting

progress

2008-05-04T20:42:00.001-04:00

So I didn't get as much work done this weekend as I had hoped, and the background still needs some work - the bikers need a good polishing in particular. But I'm happy with what's happening, and next weekend Adam's getting Crossfit certified, so I'll have all day Saturday and Sunday without interruption to paint.

The flash on the damn digital camera always washes out the paintings more than I'd like - but if i don't use the flash then its all blurry. Dumb technology.

Drumming up some Biz

2008-04-30T17:34:00.000-04:00

Perhaps a tad premature, but I'm STOKED that I got an email today from someone who saw my paintings on Flickr and was interested in a custom portrait. Just having the interest feels good.

hooray for ghetto old digicams

2008-04-29T00:09:00.000-04:00

This is the work I did this weekend. The hardest parts are out of the way. It will definitely be finished this weekend. Its really hard to get the lighting right at night with the old crap camera, but I'm happy to have something to post/stare at while I'm at work.

More work, no camera

2008-04-27T12:08:00.001-04:00

I've gotten the faces filled in for the Mtn bikers, and boy does it look awesome! I actually did a really accurate portrayal of both Clem and Adam while still keeping it in my own stylization.

This week I created both an Etsy.com store, and a flickr account, to see if I can drum up any business for my pet portraits... gotta start somewhere, and people are so much more inclined to have pictures of their pets than themselves.

Go to Cheryl's Etsy or Cheryl's Flickr

Hopefully I'll get my camera battery charger this week and be able to post pictures of my latest work.

Next up:

- Horse Painting for Caitlin
- Tattoo of Birch Trees and maple leaves for Kaelin
- Pet Portrait for my parents
- 2nd painting of mtn bikers for the diptych

I need my own studio

2008-04-20T01:11:00.000-04:00

Today is a perfect example of how much I can get done if I am able to hold my concentration. Usually Saturdays I get to paint for a few hours, but it is so broken up with Adam interrupting me every few minutes wanting me to do something for him, or to annoy me. Its so challenging to stay focused in a tiny one bedroom apartment with no doors...

But Adam's been out of town and I woke up this morning with the intention of getting stuff done. And boy did I! This painting was started and finished today, in about 7 hours time. And I love it! I hope Joe will too. Now I have to look at his photos and make the difficult decision of which picture I'd like to trade for! I can't want to have one of his photographs.

Tomorrow morning I go trail running with Alice, then I'll hopefully get the Mtn Bikers transferred and possibly started.... I want to keep the paintbrush in my hand as much as possible this weekend.

had some time off...

2008-04-16T14:26:00.000-04:00

So I've not painted in over a week, possibly stretching to near 2 weeks. Bummer! Adam's in CT for a week, but I've still had no time after work to do my own stuff. Hopefully tonight I'll get a little bit done, but I have to make a cheesecake for another bake-off tomorrow.

Friday night I'm staying in to paint, all day saturday I'll paint, and sunday too! I'm hoping to get a bunch of stuff done. I must get Cosmo started and finished, and i need to transfer the Bikers so I can start painting that.

I will be posting work this weekend. Can't wait to feel productive again. Life without painting is hardly living.

drawing from portfolio...

2008-04-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

As I was preparing a slide show I decided to pull out some of my old figure drawings. I'd really like to take some classes in this again. I really feel like I didn't learn how to draw until I did figure studies. You just LOOK at things better with this kind of practice.

Time to transfer

2008-04-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

This drawing is all set - this weekend I'll get it down onto the paper at least, if not start painting it. I also will start painting Cosmo. I need to start thinking about drawings for my parents and for the horse hunt.

more work on biker drawing

2008-03-30T21:43:00.001-04:00

one finished, one started

2008-03-30T00:10:00.001-04:00

Lined up

2008-03-23T19:15:00.000-04:00

Paintings lined up to work on:

Finish the Pugs - literally a few shadows.

Band of Bikers - drawing is started, barely. This is priority #1

Cosmo - I have some reference ideas to start this soon.

Something for my parents? I feel bad I've done this painting for Adam's parents but not one for mine. I've got some ideas.

Horses? Caitlin gave me a great starting point for a recreational/olde tymey hunt scene. I'm gonna rustle up some reseach on what I want to do. Good times.

I haven't done any work this weekend. Adam and I had a really awesome weekend mtn biking, and we staying in a beautiful mini-suite in a very nice hotel, and ate good food and drank good beer. It was wonderful, and he's too good to me :)

Next week my parents come in from Tuesday - Saturday, Adam and I will be mtn biking again next Sunday, I have one full week of work, and the following week we will be going to Chicago to see my paintings hanging at the Blackstone Hotel. I'm going to be busy as hell, which is good. Time flies faster when you're too busy to watch it go by.

sketches started

2008-03-20T00:21:00.000-04:00

Bad angle, bad lighting! I can't take a picture for crap in my apt if the sun's not shining. wish i had my spotlights that are in storage in chicago. those would solve my lighting woes!

this is going to be the 1st panel of a diptych themed on the mtn biking rivalry of adam and his brothers. this is probably going to expand into additional illustrations of inside jokes - adam was really excited about some different hilarious ideas. i love to keep my hands busy!

It will be fun practice too, because I need to get the faces very, very accurate. The angle this picture was taken doesn't do justice to adam's face here - I've surprised myself with the ease I've been accurate at drawing this up so far. Obviously, there's always room for improvement, but I need stuff that will challenge me and hone my skills better. This is going to undergo lots of transformations while it gets drawn up and painted.

Got joe's painting in the works. Cosmo's going to be the epitome of a dandy gentleman. It'll be lots of fun. I think after that I'll do a portrait for my parents.

I'm still brainstorming ideas for the next painting for myself - need to spend more time google searching and people watching - its nice to do work that I know I'll be giving to people (hopefully making some money too). Although I do love the heavy thinking and looking involved in portraying out post-modern identity, I dislike being my own personal collector - I don't want my paintings hanging on my wall forever, they need to be put out into the world. But the only way to do that is to keep painting, develop a series, and then try to get some shows (hopefully solo).

weekend work

2008-03-17T23:38:00.000-04:00

just a few finishing touches and its done. I must find a way/time to photograph my progress without the flash - it washes everything out just a tad.

BooYa!

2008-03-17T14:11:00.001-04:00

Pug painting almsot finished - haven't hada chance to post the updated pics. Will be starting new paintings this weekend.

another day off training

2008-03-14T10:50:00.000-04:00

ah, day off of training

2008-03-13T00:54:00.000-04:00

I've got a bum shoulder right now - need a deep tissue massage to get this muscle stretched in my shoulder. Stayed in from training for tonight, so I got to paint during the week. Hopefully with ample rubbings the shoulder will be back in biz soon. I'm still going to training tomorrow, regardless.

Here's Nipper n Smudge thus far. I think Adam's parents are going to love it, even if the doggies look hilariously disabled. They were old, fat, blind and def. Cute pups.

More Ideas

2008-03-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

Adam and I came up with a fun diptych of him and his brothers mtn biking, based off the style of early 20th c. propaganda posters. It'll be really fun to work on, and I'm looking forward to getting the drawings ready.

Despite these side projects, I'm still brainstorming for my next painting for the whole strange american pastime paintings. Its nice to feel busy.

Pics up soon, probably staying home from training on Wednesday - hopefully I'll start painting, instead of going to bed super early like last week.

new drawing

2008-03-08T17:52:00.001-05:00

This is the start of the painting for Adam's parents. Hopefully I can get it painted before he goes home at the end of the month.

going nuts without paintings to work on

2008-03-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

I can't stand this schedule of never painting until Friday night and Saturday morning - I'm not productive enough, I need a stack of drawings to paint!

I think its just that without anything to dabble with during the week, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. Its a big challenge balancing out the workout schedule with painting. Plus I have to do everything else at home all the time, so I feel like I've got 3 jobs, and they're all getting done half assed.

I either need to up my ritalin dosage, which I really don't want to do, or figure out a better balance of my time. I took a day off in the middle of the week from working out, but ended up just going to bed at 8pm, instead of getting any more artwork done.

I'm getting myself 2 sketchbooks and 2 pencil sets today, so I can sit in the park and draw instead of doing crossword puzzles. I like a certain kind of paper, and drawing in my Steno-pad from work just doesn't cut it. I'd like to get back into figure drawing, and i should be able to find people sitting on park benches to do quick studies of during my lunch hour.

revised artist statement

2008-03-05T14:13:00.001-05:00

In the never ending battle to articulate my current thoughts....and i needed to revise my statement for the exhibition at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. Maybe this will sound like I don't feel like i have my thumb up my ass....

My work explores my immense fascination with how people represent themselves, and how they are in turn understood within a larger context.

Capturing an individual’s appearance through painting allows me to investigate how appearances define a person within our contemporary American culture. I am very interested in the whole notion of identity, or lack thereof, in associating oneself with a mass-stereotype - an individual's expression of self within the confines of a cultural past time. Working from memories and photographs to reconstruct my images, I find myself removing individuals from their personal contexts. It is through the process of painting that I find myself questioning how we represent ourselves within our culture.

While thinking about Fredrick Jameson’s theories on postmodern culture, as well as Baudrillard’s ideas of the simulacra, I see painting as a means of removing a person’s likeness from the context from our current culture, which their lives poorly attempt to represent because our current culture is only a coagulation of past ideas. Thus I am creating a representation of a representation of our culture, within the abstracted idea of portraiture. So what is portrait as an idea? Identity, idolization of appearance, a symbol of importance, vanity, self-awareness, documentation, a sociological study of human condition…

Through my artwork, I hope to come to a better understanding of what makes us American, and how our complex cultural identities give us our rich environment. Just as my representations of a person imply the conventions of our culture, these images are again imposed with what the viewer believes they represent, ultimately drawing out our assumptions about appearances and how we all fit into the cultural puzzle we live in.

one down, infinity to go

2008-03-01T20:53:00.001-05:00

This one's done! Time to move on... I at least have 2 more papers mounted to start new works - just need the time to get the drawings started...tomorrow Adam and I are mountain biking all day, and in the evening I have the weekly preparation of our lunches (meatballs and chicken breasts).... Getting any drawings done tomorrow might be a stretch, but hopefully I can get everything organized for a drawing extravaganza next weekend.

need more focus?

2008-02-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

I hate going all week without painting - by Friday I feel a little behind. I'd like to finish Christine's painting this weekend, and get a drawing started for the next people painting - I think I'm going to do a mtn biking one - I've got an idea involving a closer perspective and movement, without a lot of negative space. It fits into my sporting.hobby theme, and I tried to do one for adam before that was a pretty poor attempt. I've also got to start a drawing for Adam's parents dogs.

I need to just not paint one night, and get all these drawings done for new paintings. Then I'll have a lot to paint for a while, and wont need to sweat starting new stuff. Its always starting that's the least fun part!

Perhaps putting a to-do list up here will be conducive to productivity, since other people will be seeing what I do or don't accomplish on it...

* Finish Christine's Cats
* Start drawing for Mtn Bike painting
* Start drawing for Smudge and Nipper

Lets see where I stand Sunday evening on this list....

new pics, more work

2008-02-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

I can safely say I'm done with the fishermen. I thnk I'll be doing a bicycle portrait next - had a great discussion with Anna about theories behind my work, and challenges with effectiveness I'm trying to sort through. We'll see where it leads.

Here's the upated pics - obvious I quit in the middle of working on one of the cats - poor thing has eyes without a head. Can't wait to work it out.

also, new tattoo, i'm in love. and I'll also be in an upcoming issue of Tattoo magazine - photoshoot on March 16th. Booya!

i have no life outside ambivilance

2008-02-24T01:48:00.000-05:00

Adam and I are in an interesting conundrum - he works at home all day, and goes crazy after being inside for too long. I on the other hand, rarely get to be home or work on my own stuff, and so want to be inside working as much as I can. Weekends are a time I want to paint, since my week day evenings are entirely taken up with training. We need to find a better balance, so that I feel that I am getting my work done, and that he doesn't feel so stuck either. With all the weight lifting, we also have slacked on a good running schedule... time adjustments are needed!

This weekend I did get a lot of work done, and will be posting pics tomorrow. But with my busy fingers, I need to start new things. My hamster wheel's squeaking through some ideas for another portrait, and I feel as though this sporting-theme perhaps should continue, simply for the sake of well, continuity of a series. Plus there's an interesting egotism involved with male-dominated sports that I'm drawn to... the whole notion of identity, or lack thereof, in associating oneself with a mass-stereotype - an individual's expression of self within the confines of a cultural past time. Though eventually I will expand beyond this specific idea of representation of identity, as there are many cultural associations beyond the male-dominated activity that I would be interested in addressing.

Perhaps as puzzling to me as sporting associations is the female "trixie" phenomenon, particularly as expressed through snapshots of drunkenness paraded on the internet as a source of pride and cultural identity - the drunken sorority mess of "girls gone wild" on the most basic level of the heavy drinking, twenty something female. But I digress....

Its a possibility for a future series. As of yet I feel it would be premature to discontinue ideas surrounding the sporting - recreational theme. A series of 6 or within this same stylization would allow me the opportunity to hopefully put up some more shows this year. Gotta work fast to get a lot accomplished.

In other works, pet portraits will continue. Finishing up Christine's, and will soon begin work on a gift for Adam's parents, since their last dog Smudge recently died. Good for the portfolio, and they'd really appreciate it. Then probably one for Joe, and hopefully I can give Graham's father a deal he can't refuse.

Day off = worky work

2008-02-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

Having a day off from the office means I get to stay home and paint, which is all i really want to do with my time anyway. I believe the Fishermen is finished, and I've gotten a good start on the next cat portrait. I wish every day could be so enjoyable.

Digial photography is very limiting - in person, the sky is more purple - I didn't want to photoshop anything though, so with the flash (cause the lighting in my house is so poor) - this is a little less saturated looking than it really is - but I'm still very happy with the finished product.

I will hopefully get to work on these cats sometime this week - I'm loving it so far though.

ugh, sick.

2008-02-13T13:45:00.001-05:00

I finally caught the cold that has been going around. Adam was sick as hell last week, and I thought I had avoided it, but now I feel like a sack of poo.

I WILL be finishing the Fishermen this week - the water has already been worked on more than the pic in the last blog, and the few finishing touches should only take me an hour or two more.

Then I will finally be able to start full force on Christine's painting. I also need to start drawings for a few other pet portraits, one for Adam's parents, and possibly one for Graham. I also have to narrow down ideas for my next human-based painting. More to come!

still wet

2008-02-10T00:12:00.001-05:00

There's still some darkening to deal with in the sky, and the highlights in the water need to be worked out a bit, some more blue thrown in - But I'd have to say its probable that I could finish it tomorrow. We'll see, its one of those things where its hard to tell - my eye is too good at spotting bits I want to improve upon.

slow progress

2008-02-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

Adam's brother Eric and his friends Zac and Dan are coming in this weekend, so the likelihood of me getting to paint are nill. This guy is really just aching for a few more highlights and shadows, and its done. As I wait for their arrival, a few thoughts:

I was thinking on my bikeride this morning about the context of my paintings. I wish i could remember the clarity of my thoughts at that point, but i’ll try to summarize, though its a very poor attempt.

Something about the context of the people I’m painting.... How their representation of culture is really a farse, because of Friderick’s and Baudrillard’s ideas of the simulacra and postmodern culture being a representation of a representation. And so I’m removing their likeness from the context from our current culture, which their lives poorly attempt to represent because our current culture is only a coagulation of past ideas, and so I'm creating a representation of a representation of what our culture might have been at some point in history, and it all kind of cancels itself out into this abstracted idea or portrait. So what is portrait as an idea? -identity-the idolization of appearance – a symbol of importance – representative of wealth, vanity, self-awareness – a document of our lives, a personal history – sociological – human condition – representative of its culture....

Then in terms of the fisherman, they too represent our ideas of wealth, abundance, fertility (particularly male), the symbol of fish is found in all religions in reference to god... In terms of my ideas about fish in our culture, the phrase "there's more fish is the sea" is very representative of our culture of waste, our belief of endless resources - both in our personal and public lives; greed...the sociological implications of fishing group a certain stereotype as well, as fishing is often associated with a back-woods, country lifestyle...trophy fishing as a means to express masculinity, as trophies often are expressions of might, will, and worth in our society.

That is somewhere in the proximity of where my portraits stand in terms what they are attempting to represent, up to this point. Obviously there's a lot more thinking to be done on the subject, and a lot more painting.

new

2008-01-27T19:31:00.000-05:00

I started Christine's cat portrait today. She wanted something pretty simple, so I decided to have a little fun and recreate Manet's Olympia. I've transfered the drawing onto the paper, which is about 15" x 17", but its faint, so I took a pic of it on the tracing paper. Obviously its the bare bones of the painting to come, but I think it will be fun.

I'm still working on the fishermen. should be done this week - i just keep hacking away at it. its not where I want it to be yet, but its getting close.

baby steps...

2008-01-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

I hope this will get finished this weekend. I'm going to continue this portrait work, but also have a few pets to paint, so will probably resume a new recreational-male-dominated sporting-painting-of some-kind once the commissions are finished. looking forward to seething this baby all pretty and complete.

I also think I'm going to start to gesso my paper before I guache on it - I like the large paper more than canvass, but I'm working it pretty hard - i think a thin coating of gesso would help the paper take my brush strokes better. And I have so much paper left over from printmaking, I don't want to spend money on canvass.

closer to the finish...

2008-01-15T01:50:00.000-05:00

Poor lighting late at night, but it still looks good. Some work left. I'm thinking of continuing this fishing/hunting theme. I feel like there's an interesting combination going on, with the idea of trophies and male dominated sports - trophy hunting and fishing as a representation of a cultural/personal identity. Trophies are a representation of accomplishment, benchmarks of time, a representation of a bygone situation/act. Much like a painting, a portrait, which only shows an idea of the seemingly "real" person, who is only real because of his benchmarks marking his passage in time....makes me tired. more thoughts to come. Would like to think more about what attracts me to these recreational themes.

In other news, I'll soon be getting started on another pet portrait for my friend Christine. She found one of my other portraits on Adam's Flickr acct, without even knowing it was my work. We'll be doing a trade, my watercolor for one of her photographs. Good deal.

I caught you a delicious bass...

2008-01-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

work in progress: more fun to come

allegory/symbolism of fish= abundance, creativity, inspiration. freedom, faith, fertility. Aphrodite, Poseidon, Buddha and Christ.

Pet Portraits

2008-01-07T15:37:00.000-05:00

At the requests of friends, I have painted several pet portraits, shown here. Normally, the kitch that oozes from the idea of a pet portrait would be overwhelming, but these have been fun to paint, and are a great side project to my portraits of people. I am interesting in building this portfolio up as a side business for pet lovers of all kinds. If you would like a custom portrait of your own pet, email me and we can work out the details.

Golden Boy

2008-01-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

At the Beach

2008-01-07T15:34:00.001-05:00

Pool Shark

2008-01-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

South Union Arts Center

2008-01-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

"Summer Vacation" 2007

Dodgeball Slurpee

2008-01-07T15:28:00.001-05:00

Austin

2008-01-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

Golfer

2008-01-07T15:25:00.000-05:00