It's been awhile since we spoke

It's been far too long since my last post to the chronicle of this blog. I have been training for a new post within my company and have left art to itself for far too long. Recently I excepted a commission that will take me on a journey of self discovery through my own faith. One that if I put the necessary effort into it will take fourteen months at best.

The fourteen stations of the cross. A Catholic Icon and a personal challenge for me to say the least. I have never attempted such a massive collection of paintings in a suite and it is proving to be quite the undertaking. The painting part isn't new but all the logistics of the work as a whole is the daunting part. Matching the colors from one piece to the next, Making sure the light and time of day are accurate , etc. But the biggest challenge of all seems to lie in the weather. I keep the studio during winter here in SD at a chilly 55-60 degrees. This keeps the paint from freezing and the conditions just so as to facilitate some speed in which to work. Motivation in the cold is difficult, painting when one's fingers are numb is difficult to say the least.

I have tried to do as much research on both the subject as well as the methods they used as I could. I am starting with black primed canvases and tinting them like they did back in the last part of the 1800's. Although they didn't use black then a Grisaille is a tinted canvas and I wanted them to have a richness to them as time went on.I have chosen to stay close to the original compostions that have been in this church for close to a hundred years. They are Italian paper prints glued to canvas backings. I changed the compositions where I felt shortcuts were taken by the printmakers. The process is different obviously between oil painting and process printing done back then so I wanted to correct anything I saw that I could. The bold flat color layed down by their process has it's place but is too stark for me so I soften it when I could. Here is station One

The living in a small town thing really works for me personally for many reasons, but the one thing that doesn't is the fellowship. I have no one other than my wife in a town of fourteen hundred people in which to learn. I do art shows and traveling art fairs here in SD but that is only about six times a year at best. The nearest mecca If you will for art is two hours from here. Let's face it when gas is this high the thought of driving anywhere unecessarily makes me cringe.

We all need fellowship to learn and grow as artists. We need to bounce ideas of one another and be ourselves away from the left-brainers. So I decided to try giving a beginning art workshop to try to breath some life into these people. I have yet to set a firm date but it is going to happen. Thoughts for those who might attend would be to focus on what it is there trying to say with their art and don't let outside influences get them down or in their way. I just finished the book "The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri which although is a little tough to get through sometimes is well worth the effort. I would like to pass on some of his pearls to those brave souls who would come and try to inspire them as he did me. Another great read is the book "The Artist Manual" by an author that escapes me right now. ifound a lot of great info that I didn't know and it wasn't that expensive.

With the next post I want to start with the tips section I have been working on. I have been gathering little tidbits for some time now and I would think there is benefit for anyone just starting out. How to avoid certain pitfalls with supplies etc.

A Small Town Bohemian Life

Born in Wyoming and raised in California I moved to a small rural town in the lower right hand corner of South Dakota in 1992. My father was born and raised here so it was not by chance that I chose to live here when the rest of my life was falling into ruin. When I saw the people of this quaint spot with adult eyes for the first time in fifteen summers I knew I had found something special. There was peace here and something I never knew I was missing in California, a community. My Black, Asian, and Mexican friends all had one but I never did. A tragedy in the family brought me back but my life made me stay. I needed this place and I hoped there was a need for someone like me here.

I found all the things that I needed here over the past fifteen years and then some. I married again to the one person with the same kind of brain I have and understands when I want to talk art. She is the one person I have in a town of over 1400 that really understands me. With my blog I hope to explore the differences between my friends in the cities where art seems to flourishes and here in a small town where it seems to struggle all the time.

I've included a photo of my overcrowded work space. I feel very fortunate to have the space to spawl my stuff out and just get creative.

The beginning

Hello,
This is my first posting on my new blog so forgive my rambling. I would like to devote this to all the people who are passionate about a form of art or craft. I find myself passionate about many art forms like painting, pastels, sepia photography, and of course cooking.
I have for the past fifteen years chosen to live in South Dakota, before that I was in California where I grew up. Since my move to SD my art has found a voice and has improved quite a bit. A peaceful life has given me the focus to concentrate on becoming a painter.. I would like to invite the few of you that might read me to give me your stories of your art lives and I will share my insites from a small rural state.