"Story Within" at Peterson-Cody Gallery

The day is finally here!

"Story Within" Peterson-Cody Gallery Opening Tonight.

I'm very excited to be in Santa Fe attending the opening tonight of "Story Within" at Peterson-Cody Gallery. Stop by if you are in town and say hi. 

Peterson-Cody Gallery
130 West Palace Avenue
505-820-0010

The Magazine

Here are images of the work in the show and links to posts about them.

Our Dancing Days, 30x40, oil on panel

The Bribe, 11x14, oil on panel

Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour, 18x24, oil on panel

The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom, 43x49, oil on panel

Ode to Melancholy, 24x36, oil on panel

Power Struggle, 30x40, oil on panel

The above is a screen shot of the Santa Fe Gallery Association coverage of the show. You can read the article on the SFGA Web Site.

Serial Artist

Count Down to "Story Within"- 2 days to go!

How do you know when a series is exhausted? If the subject still has appeal for me I'm willing to continue exploring it. 

Our Dancing Days, 30x40, oil on panel, is a large piece created for this show "Story Within".

Here's a post I did about Our Dancing Days. I realize I've done three other paintings at this point that were initially inspired by the clearing in the woods near my house. The models are my son, my daughter and my daughter-in-law. I think each painting has a different feel, at sometimes being playful, sensual or mysterious.

"If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On", oil on canvas over panel, 32x39

"The Clearing", 24x18, oil on panel

"Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour", 18x24, oil on panel

How do you work in a series? Some artists work on one series at a time, designing them all as a cohesive group. I seem to have several series going at the same time and work on them for years.

I did The Clearing and If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On in 2009, and just finished Our Dancing Days and Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour this summer 2011, with many paintings in between. 

Why even work in a series? For me it is hard to say everything I want to say about a particular subject in one painting. It takes the pressure off knowing that it doesn't have to all be said within the borders one piece, especially if it's a complex subject. 

The Changing Series. Interestingly enough sometimes the series fizzles out and I know I'm done with it, but other times a series get a crazy spin off series, kind of like Torchwood from Dr. Who? or Pinky and the Brain from Animaniacs... Anyway you get the idea!

For example the Incognito Series of paintings that I've been working on since 2005, spawned The Incognito Project in 2010. It's a very specific Event and Show. 

I'm still working on that project, having completed 15 paintings with 14 more in the works. The collection will be shown here in Birmingham, AL, at a date TBA. The work is also being documented for a book.

But in the mean time come see me in Santa Fe at the Peterson-Cody Gallery for my opening on Nov, 4, 2011 with Forrest Solis, I'll be in town.

I am interested in the hows and whys you do serial work, so let me hear from you. Until tomorrow!

"Our Dancing Days"

"Our Dancing Days", 30x40, oil on panel

 A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it, girls!

More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up;

And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.

Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.

Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,

For you and I are past our dancing days.

How long is't now since last yourself and I

Were in a mask? 

Romeo and Juliet 

As with most of my paintings the title comes well after the painting is underway. I have a vision in mind as I'm designing the painting and working on it, then brainstorm during the process and after it's done to come up with an appropriate title.

In this case Shakespeare won out again. Dancing and masks are hallmarks of mystery, enchantment and dream-like experiences, romance is in the air.

The mythology of the Roma was on my mind as well as an idea of the Halcyon Days, happy and carefree times.

I could site many song lyrics and am surprised how often the word Gypsy came up in music I regularly listen to. The romantic appeal of that nomadic life style is strong, and while not many of us have the actual desire to chuck it all and join a band of merry mysterious travelers, it's mesmerizing to fantasize about for a short while.

I've done a couple other paintings on this theme, The Clearing, and If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On.

Our Dancing Days will be in my two person show with Forrest Solis opening November 4, 2011 at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

Romantic Realist, Really?

My work was featured on the ArtistADay website on July 16. It's been fun reading the comments by various viewers. A couple have mentioned Romantic Realism as a genre for my work. Curiosity piqued I turned to Google and Wiki for a quick definition. 

Ann Rand defined romantic realism as a portrayal of life "as it could be and should be." She wrote: "The method of romantic realism is to make life more beautiful and interesting than it actually is, yet give it all the reality, and even a more convincing reality than that of our everyday existence."

Today's realists have many modifiers attached as we and others try to categorize our work. Contemporary, Traditional, Social, Political, Hyper, Photo... If Romantic Realism means a love of beauty and discipline of technical skills then I'm fine with the label. Does it also include work of a conceptual and symbolic nature like my work? 

Considering the piece that is on my easel at the moment they may very well be right. This piece is in progress, 30x40, as yet untitled and is for my two-person show with Forrest Solis at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, in November 2011.

I invite you to visit the ArtistADay website and rate my work by clicking on one of the boxes 1-5, five being the highest, You can also share that page with your facebook friends by clicking the like button under Share.

ArtistADay is available as a Google gadget for your Google home page. I have it on mine and enjoy seeing a new artist each day from all over the world.