Monday, July 11, 2011

Welcome to Somewhere off Center

A new direction in life calls for a new blog, so this is where you will find current information and postings about my artistic endeavors and discoveries.  I will post fine art pieces as well as illustrations to this site. In my mind, there is only a slight distinction between the two art forms.  Illustration often crosses over into fine art, and fine art very frequently contains a strong visual narrative.  I consider myself a visual storyteller, so the marriage of art and illustration makes perfect sense to me.

Below you will find the first three canvases of a new body of work I call "The Balance Series".  These are large mixed media pieces dealing with man's utilization and manipulation of the earths resources.  Visual/compositional inspiration comes from Egyptian hieroglyphics as well as the work of Joseph Cornell. I hope that this theme will keep me busy for some time and will result in a group of works that will be exhibited on a broader basis than I have pursued in the past.  Please let me know what you think.  I love to receive comments and constructive criticism.

 48 in. x 48 in.
Mixed Media on Canvas

 48 in. x 48 in.
Mixed Media on Canvas

48 in. x 60 in.
Mixed Media on Canvas

4 comments:

  1. I like the series so far, and I like how the canvases are segmented. The small repetitive elements really make the images...
    Constructive criticism?
    There seems to be a slight disconnect from the main image (say the cow) and her environment; same with the chicken. Perhaps more lost and found edges as seen in the tall tall tree?


    .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Richard, Thanks so much for a really great comment.

    I understand completely by what you mean by a disconnect, and it is somewhat intentional by nature of the media and collage application that was used on those two animals. The Bull is drawn on a brown butcher paper in charcoal which was sealed and applied to the canvas. the Rooster is actually a thick collage layering of watercolor paper and old wall papers. Choosing different media to construct these animals out of helped to enhance the idea of their status as an object of human genetic manipulation and human consumption. They are not natural in any environment. We altered them and put them there. It is also why they are relatively isolated. It strengthens their "objectness"? The tree was drawn directly on the canvas in charcoal, sealed, and then the sky was added in as a glazing layer which helps to create the lost and found edges. It is also isolated for the same reasons.

    I am not try to comment on the good or bad of these human relationships, just the reality or fact of them, the "IS".

    I really appreciate a good meaty constructive comment like yours! Can you tell that I love to talk about this stuff? :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good luck with your new blog! I like what you're doing, and your explanation. Makes me wish I could see it in person to visually feel the layers. I especially like the top piece, but like all of them, with the different but related elements.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like all of these...very nice...solid thinking here!

    ReplyDelete

I am a comment junkie! Please tell me what you think!