Update on this new painting I’m working on.
Watching Paint Dry
Update on the piece I’m working on for my August exhibition.
Well Hello 2018
Under drawing for my first painting of 2018 - five hours deep mixing Denver from my childhood with the real celebrities.
Mini Matchstick Paintings
it’s a challenge to imply movement on such a small picture plane.
Assembly Line
In the slim chance I actually get juried into the Cherry Creek Arts Featival I thought I would do a ton of small paintings. Here’s the first batch of 3 in x 3 in lucky rabbits feet. Still need to paint batches of burning matches, ocular prosthetics, and fireworks.
Now With Glow in the Dark
Just playing around with some ideas on small 5 in x 7 in canvas panals while I take a couple days off from working on the huge self portrait. Pretty happy with how the glow spray paint works though.
Feels Like I’ve
Been working on this painting forever. Oh wait I have. Still need to paint the rest of the tattoos and do a ton of glazes, then to finish it off with body hair. But first I might take time off for the holidays.
A Study of Objectivity
or
Self Portrait as a Famous Artist
or
I Wanna Tote Guns and Shoot Dice.
Research Sketches
I’ve spent more time on researching historic photos, and pouring over microfilm, than I have and actually painting. Juxtaposing Denver from my childhood with contemporary or historic images is eating up a ton of time. Hopefully the 43 percent of Colorado natives will appreciate the time and effort I’m putting into my 2018 exhibition. Here’s a few preliminary sketches but stay tuned for more weirdness and lost places of Colorado history.
Sneak Peek
Gonna be painting fire all day but here’s the progress so far on this 36 in x 48 in piece I’ve been working on.
Realism
36 in x 48 in painting in progress of on old Rocky Mountain News paper box but burning!
Fort Worth Community Art Center
I had the honor of being selected to be part of a juried show out in Fort Worth, Texas. The theme was “Courage” and was part of a fundraiser for the Choose Courage Foundation that helps victims of domestic violence. So here’s the pic of my painting during the opening reception.
Today in the News
Need to straighten out the angle of the door but here’s the general layout of an old Rocky Mountain News paperbox I’m working on for my 2018 show with Core New Art Space.
Denver, are you listening?
I guess the upside to rolling with the old school local art sect is - I’m not the only one that feels an open contempt by the city towards Denver artists. You wanna throw meaningless graffiti characters on every building, and bring cookie cutter public art to our parks? Go right ahead. But at least deal with the open air drug deals, and drunks that trash our open spaces. Support the galleries, studios and individuals, that made those questionable neighborhoods desirable for transplants. I know you have the tax revenue since everyone and their cousin moves here. Stop putting artist that don’t have roots here on a pedestal for the public to fawn over. It’s super disheartening to watch co-op after co-op fold and struggle to find affordable new space. So that’s what my next and most likely final exhibition with Core New Art Space is all about. Denver left its biggest champions behind for a new facade, the ones that saw beauty in the city before it got to big for its britches. You want to put us on a website about arts and venues to attracted money and tourists but never actually visit the exhibition, never write us up in the news or share our posts. Time to find a place that actually values the time it takes to create something of meaning.
~For anyone that actually reads this sorry for the rant.
Dear Denver
Denver... I miss how you use to be. Before you had a facelift and went back to college. Your flaws were what made you interesting. I was always there for you - having dinner with your Italian grandma on the north side, before your little sister Aurora turned trashy (she was always a little bit out there,) your uncle Boulder was so opinionated! Back before the area codes, when Colfax stretched from Israel to Mexico. But times change Denver and we all have to grow up. We’ll always have the memories of old men smoking cigarettes over coffee at Dutchboy Donuts, and the Barnes Dance downtown. Birthday picnics at Elitch Gardens and Celebrity or even setting off Roman candles in Globeville when the Broncos won back to back superbowls.
Note To Self
Never paint 6 - 1/2 inch figures, you’ll burn through five brushes and and never fully realize the faces.
Yes, Painting Tiny People
Is just as miserable as you would imagine it is.
Super Bummed
At the loss of Lawrence Argent, I had the privilege of visiting his studio multiple times and generally shooting the breeze about art. It’s a huge loss for the Denver art community and pretty tragic for the all of the art world. If you’re not familiar with his career - he was doing some pretty major projects in San Francisco and China.
Throw Back Thursday
To this 10” x 44” unconventional panorama from college. My control of oil pastels was pretty amazing.
Plans for 2018
Pretty much every painting I do these days starts out as a quick thumbnail. Here’s one for my 2018 exhibition. The Rocky Mountain News was the morning paper here in Denver and was always the better of the two. Shout out to the Denver Native life.
