Sandpaper Factory

I've been back in the Sandpaper Factory for a month now thanks to Scott Ketcham's artistically generous spirit.  This is the third Summer he has given me rein over the space while he is away at the Vermont Studio Center (I MUST go there someday).

I've been getting tons of work done and am absolutely thrilled about it.  I am also currently thrilled about the opening I will be having in the space on July 21st.  My girl Zheyu will have some work up as well; she has been busy making gigantic things in there lately. Check that link I made through her name in that last sentence, her work is amazing.

 Lots of portraits have been happing.  Originally I started making them as practice for a piece I am doing for a friend, but I've been getting into them a lot more than I imagined.  I'm having a lot of fun working the oil pastels in with the paint and searching for a rhythmic balance back and forth between them.  This portrait above kinda looks like there is a swollen mouth situation going on, but I think I'm over it.  I suspect that my precision in portraiture will increase with more practice.  While I do care a lot about the growth of that precision, I am equally as invested in the compositional quality of each piece.  I want to add another sentence here figuring out that equation and what it means for my paintings, but this is all very new work for me and I am still working on those answers.

Been getting outside a bit too:

And what I feel to be an obligatory "Serious Painter" portrait.

I truly hope that if you are reading this you will be able to come to the exhibition.

"Summer 2012"

July 21, 2012

7p-9p, party to follow

83 East Water Street.

4th Floor

Rockland, MA

What I've been up to in the studio

Visual Update

Images 1-6 are on 10x12" canvas painted with oil

Image 7 is on approx 40x26" stretched canvas painted with oil

Image 8 is on 16x20" canvas board painted with oil

(Don't know why this guy is washed out, probably because I need to work on my photography skills.) 

(In progress)

I've got some more things going in the studio but you'll have to check back later for those!

Amy Bennett

Been out of the studio for a couple days focusing on my Education textbooks so here are a few paintings from Amy Bennett who I just discovered surfing around art websites.

Trespassers, Oil on Panel, 18x18"

Evening News, Oil on Panel, 8x10"

Cold Compress, Oil on Panel, 12x16"

Stopped by Home Depot today to get some supplies to build a 4x5' stretcher so I'll be back in the studio working on that and other paintings tomorrow.

Forward Moving

Forward Progress!

Here is a fresh sketch for a new piece I'm about to start. I can't wait to get into the studio to try it out with some oils. I'm thinking I'll throw it out on a 16"x20" panel. More on this later.

My landscape series is continuing on, I have 10.5 out of 14 of them completed. As I work on finishing those up over the next week I'll be stretching a big guy (4'x5') to paint a large version of one of them. Can't wait to post the pieces I've completed recently. I'm proud of this series and have to give a shout out to my girl Arlee who's paintings are a great inspiration for me. I just checked around for pics of her work online but couldn't find anything, I've put a request in so hopefully we can see some soon up in hur.