Monthly Studio Update - May, 2004

 

Non-Studio Update:

 

A few weeks ago I set up Naissance Atelier. It is an intensive fast-track apprenticeship program for talented artists; its aim is to give them the tools necessary to become contemporary masters of art.

 

Guest Teaching:

Next Saturday, May 8th, I will be a guest instructor at Daud Akhriev's Painting Classes in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I will present my approach to pastel still life. The class, limited to ten artists, is full. Melissa Hefferlin, Daud's wife, set up the class. She has exhibited at the Hunter Museum of American Art, was one of my Otis apprentices in the early nineties, and I am proud of her accomplishments.

 

The Rockford Lectures:

Last April 2nd Philosopher, Stephen Hicks, Ph. D., www.stephenhicks.org, and I presented talks to The Rockford College Philosophy Club. He conveyed in his talk, Modern to Postmodern Art, the reductionist path of contemporary art. You can read Stephen's aesthetic essay Post-Postmodern Art, which was also the introduction to my manifesto.

I gave the talk, The Quest For Sensuality, Truth, and Exaltation Through Art. I discussed the connections between the philosophical fundamentals of perception, ethics, and method with how I work with those concepts as an artist.

Both talks were documented by video.

 

Foundation for the Advancement of Art, www.artadvancement.org. The Foundation is producing a 2-DVD set of the Lectures given at its first conference, Innovation, Substance, Vision: The Future of Art in New York, October 2003. Kelley, Vaugel, Newberry, Koenderink, and Hicks gave presentations with visuals. The DVD is approximately 3 hours. It is your gift with a donation to the Foundation of $70 or more.

 

I am a member of a fantastic art site, Wet Canvas, www.wetcanvas.com, It has over 41,000 members and they have discussions, demos, lessons, images, and works in progress in a very well organized manner. The people are enthusiastic, kind, and knowledgeable. You can view the threads I have started and the comments that others have made.

 

 

Studio Update.

For the last few weeks I have been painting a still life, Toucan Table, work in progress, 12 x 16", oil on canvas panel. Since it is going well I thought I would show you the work in progress. Some of the images were photographed by lamp light and others by daylight, notice the difference in color! In real life the color is more like black/white and not sienna. In classical terms I am painting a griselle, it is a monochromatic underpainting. For this painting I am developing the griselle to a high level of realism. When I feel that is complete I will begin overpainting in rich color. The advantage to making the monochromatic underpainting is that it is easier to correct and get right form, light, and details. I am very excited to begin laying the color on.

 

That's it for May.