Monthly Studio Update - July, 2004

Non-Studio Update:

 

Traveling from June 30th through July 10th.

I will update July by the 15th.

Cheers,

Michael

 

June's Update below:

Last week my laptop died and now I am improvising until my new computer arrives around June 10th.

I will show four new drawings at the Solo Creo group exhibition at the St. Petersburg Pier June 25th-August 8th. One of them is below. Call the St. Petersburg Arts Center for more info, 727-822-7872, or visit them at www.theartscenter.org.

In the first week of July I will give the lecture Innovation in Art at the Objectivist Center's Summer Conference in Vancouver. For more info visit www.objectivistcenter.org.

I have just received the prototype DVDs of the lectures presented at Innovation, Substance, and Vision conference from October 6th 2003. The 2 DVD set, 3 hours of lectures about the future of art, is available through www.ArtAdvancement.org with a contribution of $70 or more. Simply contribute and the set will be sent as a gift. Allow a few weeks for delivery.

 

 

Studio Update:

Available works at www.RomanticRealism.net

Below are six new works, small oil sketches. I have painted similar works in acrylic but this is my first go with painting quick studies in oil. I plan to do a lot more in the future.

 

Ceramic Bowl, 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

Portfolio Case, 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

 

Easel (dark version), 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

Easel (light version), 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

Glass Jar (pale), 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

 

Herbs, 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

Toucan and Glass, 2004, oil on canvas panel, 8 x 10".

 

 

 

Several weeks ago I bought a bag of plastic cowboy and Indian warriors. Immediately I had a vision of how I would draw them. Here are the results.

 

Cowboys and Indians, 2004, pencil on white Rives BFK paper, 19 x 24".

 

I am still working on Little Goddess and Venus. With Little Goddess it seems I go one step forward and three back; each problem I solve seems to create more problems. Nonetheless I enjoy working on the painting...I get moments of huge emotional gratification when I get it "right". I hope to add finishing details that also bring out the expression I am looking for.

 

 

I have found a replacement model for Venus. We worked last week. I am not great at multi-tasking, what I would like to do later in the summer is devote all my attention to finishing her.

 

The portrait of Joseph is near completion; a few more sittings should do it.

 

 

 

Color overlay has begun! I find it unbearably exciting to lay on colors. The pleasure is so intense that I forsake lots of things to be an artist. With this piece there is a combination of direct perception and a very deliberate color theory/strategy.

That's it for June.