3 hours, booze and friends.

a few of us got together over at Sammy's new place. we hired his model from an earlier class. Sam provided some wine, beer, cheese and homemade quesadillas. Stephen charged through a nice portrait painting. James G, Hope, Jessica, Alex and Kate all worked out some nice drawings. James M. knocked out a couple of quick paintings. I managed to wrangle out a drawing i'm pretty happy with. all in all a very good night.

From Nine to One

i started this painting over a year ago. i was still in my senior studio space when i set this up and started at it. as you can see from the first picture, it's changed quite a bit. of course, it had to. i didn't get to put as much time into it before i had to move out of the studio. at that point, i put it away and only picked it up again two months ago. i had to rethink the painting with a new location. i fucked up the composition by eliminating the palette knife, and tried to compensate with the hammer. still not sure if that was entirely successful. of course, as with every painting, there are things that i am still unsatisfied with, but there is plenty to be happy with.

From Nine to One
oil on linen 12x24

hope you enjoy. and thanks.

Sean Cheetham Demo at LCAD

back in early december 2008 artist and instructor Sean Cheetham came by LCAD for a demo. he spent at least 2/3rds of the demo nailing the drawing and the shadow masses, measuring those transparent temperature shifts. working with a pretty simple palette, he moved into the half tones (this is where Sargent claimed all portraits were ultimately 'painted') working with a nice array of neutral colors, shifting subtly in temperature, color and value. only in the final minutes did he move into the lightest masses and highlights. unfortunately, the final photo does not do the demo justice.

overall, Mr. Cheetham came across as a very humble and capable instructor.








and just in case you missed the Steven Assael Demo...

Making Lines

my talented friend Rebecca had to do a project for class, and i don't know if she ran out of ideas or what, but she managed to make an awesome documentary about my work. i am really happy with how it came out. i especially love that i don't sound like a complete ass. i really couldn't be happier with it. thanks both to Rebecca and Jaimeryan.

check it!

Making Lines from Rebecca Ramage on Vimeo.

the style of no style

some of my friends know that for the last few years i've found inspiration and guidance in the writings of the martial arts. there is a kinship between the philosophies found in martial arts and in painting. when approached correctly, it is my strong opinion that the martial arts are perhaps the greatest form of art, not only requiring a great deal of knowledge, but physical and spiritual strength as well.

Bruce Lee was (and is) probably the most well known and most important proponent of these philosophies. after watching Enter the Dragon today, i committed another couple of hours listening to him extol the virtues of his art. it's fantastic to be reminded about how great our potential is. i wish he was still around today. oh, the things you could have taught us!

empty your mind. be formless. shapeless. like water. now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. put water in a bowl, and it becomes the bowl. put water in a tea cup, and it becomes a tea cup. now water can flow, and it can crash. be water my friend.



here are a couple of recommended short and easy reads:

Sword and Brush: The Spirit of the Martial Arts by David Lowry

Moving Toward Stillness by David Lowry

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

I'm going to have to pick up Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Mr. Lee very soon!


oh, and just for fun...

man's true profession...

and what are you now, Siddhartha?

i do not know; i know as little as you. i am on the way. i was a rich man, but i am no longer and what i will be tomorrow i do not know.

have you lost your riches?

i have lost them, or they have lost me-i am not sure. the wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. where is Siddhartha the brahmin, where is Siddhartha the samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda. you know that.

-Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

you just move your hands upon the clock

in the film El Sol del Membrillo director Victor Erice documents the Spanish artist Antonio Lopez Garcia's attempt to capture the effect of Madrid's autumn light filtering through a quince tree in his modest backyard. the documentary runs at just over two hours but follows Mr. Garcia over the course of three months. it begins with the ritual-like hand preparation of his materials. then he meticulously prepares his easel; driving stakes into the ground to mark his position, dropping plum lines, and marking the placement of branches and fruit with slight indications. he begins to record, transcribing what he observes, chasing the autumn light. eventually, the effect is gone, that time of year has passed and he has failed to finish the painting.

for the most part, the film has been lauded by artists, critics and film lovers alike. but, it has also been criticized as overly long, boring, mundane, a waste of time, pretentious, devoid of enjoyment, etcetera. ultimately, and overtly in some cases, this is a criticism of both the work of Mr. Erice and Mr. Lopez himself. the complaints i've noticed usually derive from the preconceptions people have about art making, the act of painting in this case. because Mr. Lopez fails to complete a painting over the course of the film these critics consider the film a failure; lack of climax/resolution, hence, making Mr. Lopez a failure in his own right (anyone with any actual knowledge of this well respected artist would scoff at that idea.)

so i guess this brings me to my point, these preconceived notions. the general public has all of this baggage they attach to art and artists, criteria. but this film is a perfect reflection of Mr. Lopez's work and the process of painting itself. ritual. process. observation. meditation. experience. life. this is what art is about. you can dress it with narrative, themes, social issues. you can make it shocking, absurd, ironic, sentimental, sexy but ultimately, the act of painting is something unique. it is experience, process and time transcribed through our human condition.

if you can't answer this simple question, you have no business making art in the first place:

why paint it?



ps. i now possess this film.

and in case you are wondering, i ask myself this question all the time.

sketch dump

water color & gauoche study

Marker (Phil Hale composition study)

Marker (Phil Hale composition study)

struggle

Listen, Kamala, when you throw a stone into the water, it finds the quickest way to the bottom of the water. It is the same when Siddhartha does nothing: he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he goes through the affairs of the world like a stone through water., without doing anything, without bestirring himself; he is drawn and lets himself fall. He is drawn by his goal, for he does not allow anything to enter his mind which opposes his goal. It is what fools call magic and what they think is caused by demons; there are no demons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goal, if he can think, wait and fast.

-Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Draw the Figure

friend, artist, instructor Hope Railey has started a wonderful blog that she describes as a figure drawing blog where I'll post in-progress drawings and technical tips. Check it out Draw the Figure.

Untitled, by Hope Railey

as for myself...well, i've got quite a few paintings i'm going to press on and try to finish over the next two months...we will see...

epiphany!

high noon art peek

during lunch i managed to run over to the Laguna Art Museum to check out their current exhibition Roger Kuntz: The Shadow Between Representation and Abstraction. i've been hearing many good things about the show, so i was pretty revved up to see the work. it was definitely worth it.

recently, i've been looking at a lot of work that most would consider a huge departure from my previous interests. i'm not going to go into detail here, but my interests have always been pretty eclectic (i know, such a cliche). i didn't go to school to learn to paint so that i can replicate crap ad nauseum. i wanted to learn to paint well, so that i wouldn't be limited by lack of skill. of course, representation is still a huge part of who i am as an artist, but i do not intend to create work as a mere exercise in facility. as a student or young artist in the world of representational painting, there's an unspoken pressure to prove or show off your technical abilities. with the resurgence in the popularity of representational art and an atelier or classical approach, we run the risk of becoming the academic school of Paris circa 1900. there is a lot to learn from all the schools of painting, shit, a lot to learn from all forms of art...in fact, let's make that life!

With all that said, Kuntz's Freeway Series was by far some of the best work i've ever seen in the museum. A sweet spot, somewhere between realism and abstraction with a heavy dose of pop . if you're in the area, i highly recommend stopping in for a long look.



oh, and if you're looking for some music check out crystal castles. good stuffs.

a refresher course

LCAD is hosting a free sight-size workshop (for LCAD students) with Matthew Riggs. i will be attending. you can never get too much practice or instruction. looking forward to this.

brain scraping

like i said in my previous post, i am renting a very nice studio space in the canyon here. i'm only renting it temporarily from Jeff Peters who is currently taking a stab at the big apple. he will be back soon, so i have little time. must make it worth it. i'm hoping to, at the very least, finish a couple of commissions i've started. if i can get through those quickly, i plan to throw myself violently into a new direction, a direction that is hinted at in this post. very discretely though. more to come soon. for now, enjoy.

preliminary sketch for minnesota flashdance

who am i looking at? david schnell, jerome witkin, gerhard richter, robert rauschenberg, peter joel witkin, matthias weischer, and egypt. ssshhhhhh...

werkchoppn

for the most part, i've been keeping up with our regular Saturday Morning Workshop at LCAD. working on my life drawing chops, trying to implement everything i've learned and picked up along the way and digest it all. in addition to that, i split my time assisting prospective students who are working on developing their skills and portfolios. pretty enriching stuff for a saturday morning in the canyon...oh, yeah...picked up a studio space just up the canyon for a couple of months, hopefully longer. pictures soon to come...

now for some work.

women painting women

i've become aware of a new blog that i am very interested in. go check em out and let's hope they continue to post excellent artists...

women painting women

artist Thomasin Dewhurst

leaves hidden in shadows

i read slowly. partially because i read many books at once. one of the books i am currently reading is Hagakure, described as "a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction in the philosophy and code of behaviour that foster the true spirit of Bushido-the Way of the Warrior." these writings are drawn from Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a samurai retainer to the Nabeshima Clan, who, in 1700 became a Buddhist monk after tsuifuku (suicide of a retainer after the death of his lord) was deemed illegal. during his seven year period of seclusion he was visited by a younger samurai, Tsuramato Tashiro who transcribed their conversations.

for myself, the book acts as a philosophical treatise on leading a full and virtuous life. after each section i have taken some time for quiet reflection, something i have not had much time to do as of late. and so i share:

a certain swordsman in his declining years said the following:
in one's life, there are levels in the pursuit of study. in the lowest
level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that
both he and others are unskillful. at this point he is worthless. in
the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own
insufficiencies of others. in a higher level he has pride
concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and
laments the lack of ability in his fellows. this man has worth. in
the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

these are the levels in general. but there is one transcending level,
and this is the most excellent of all. this person is aware of the
endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never
thinks of himself as having finished. he truly knows his own
insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he
succeeded. he has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement
knows the Way to the end. it is said that Master Yagyu once
remarked, "i do not know the way to defeat others, but the way
to defeat myself."

throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful
than yesterday, more skillful than today. this is
never-ending.

now...quiet reflection...

the birth of a universe in cosmic catastrophe...

Work has been rather busy lately but, I have managed to keep up with my art (not as much as I would like) as well as local shows and events. I was very happy to attend Bo Bartlett's lecture at LCAD this past Monday, March 9th. His lecture was very informative, tending to focus more on his influences, life experience, and general themes in his work. This is a nice departure from the technique based lectures that many figurative representational artists tend to focus on. Mr. Bartlett is a very well respected and successful artist and his current show at the Forum Gallery in LA is definitely worth a look. I hope to get out there this weekend.


In addition to the Bo Barlett show, I'd also like to stop by John Asaro's show at the Bergamot Station: Track 16 Gallery (#c-1). The show, Bella Donna, will include 60 new life sized figurative oils.

Like I said, I have managed to keep working on my own projects. I have several paintings in the works (comp and study stages), including a commission that I am very excited about. Here is a portrait study for that painting. It's an early sketch and there will be many more before I jump into the real painting.



And then there is my sketchbook. More to come soon...

practice. it's important.

here are some studies. most were done at the Saturday Morning Workshop at LCAD. I've put them in chronological order, starting from the newest.

The Grand Bastard

The Grand Bastard
oil on canvas
30"x40"

it's been a while but, here's my first official post graduation painting. as you can see it's my favorite subject again, but it's a little more ambitious, it's bigger (and that's better, right?) and my palette has opened up a bit; brighter colors, bolder brush strokes. basically, it's my debutante piece. haha. essentially, it's a statement about my commitment to a life as a painter. Hope you like. Click it to embiggen.