Announcing The Incognito Project

I'm about the embark on a year long endeavor. The Incognito Project. It's an Art Event in two parts. The first is a photo shoot event where I have invited people to my studio to share their alter egos with me and the world. I'll do a series of paintings to be presented in a gallery showing in 2011 in Birmingham, AL, USA. Specific date TBA.

The first painting of the series is a self portrait titled "The Stake-Out", 16x16, oil on panel. It's the artist as human observer, why the cigarette when I don't smoke? Every time I thought about this piece and my paintings- they are "slow painting" exactly like a stake-out where cigarettes and coffee are required. I've always been inspired by film noir and in this reality I'm a cross between the hard-boiled detective and a femme fatale.

I've thrilled at the prospect of the interaction this is going to involve. This project has been percolating for about 3 years and I have been doing Incognito Series work for about 7 years and this will take it to an entirely new level!

Here are some quotes by others on this theme:

“So tell me what I see, when I look in your eyes, is that you baby or just a brilliant disguise?” ~Bruce Spingsteen

“Meet me in Cognito, darling, sure some may think it’s rash, but you’ll look chic incognito, with your fake nose and Groucho mustache.” ~Tom Robbins

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” ~Albert Einstein

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts…” ~William Shakespeare

“Well, we all have a face that we hide away forever, and we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone. Some are satin, some are steel, some are silk and some are leather. They're the faces of the stranger, but we love to try them on.” ~Billy Joel

“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” ~Oscar Wilde
 

“Most painting in the European tradition was painting the mask. Modern art rejected all that. Our subject matter was the person behind the mask.” ~Robert Motherwell

Are Figure Paintings Ballads?

I was for a moment speechless when a painting student asked "Who buys figurative work?" It was at the conclusion of a slide talk I recently gave about my work. I've been asked this numerous times but usually it's by my optometrist, realtor or someone who admits they're not interested in art.

I've been asked "Why would I want a painting on my wall of someone else's kid...  husband... brother... sister (fill in the blank)?"

I gave my usual response, carefully explaining that my paintings, as well as the work of other figurative artists, are not really portraits. The models are merely actors, sort of "everyman" in a given situation. My paintings involve human universal themes. I'm sharing concerns of human beings- life, death, love, trust, betrayal, humor and melancholy.

But this week as I listened to old Billy Joel music I realized that my paintings are like ballads. We relate to the people whose stories are being told not because we know Brenda and Eddie from "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" but because we remember being like them.

"Well they got an apartment with deep pile carpets

And a couple of paintings from Sears

A big waterbed that they bought with the bread

They had saved for a couple of years

but they started to fight when the money got tight

And they just didn't count on the tears."

We relate to the Plain White T's "Hey there Delilah" because we've experienced a painful long distance relationship.

"A thousand miles seems pretty far

But they've got planes and trains and cars

I'd walk to you if I had no other way"

Simon and Garfunkel resonates with anyone who's ever been lonely and cold in a distant city in "The Boxer".

"Then I'm laying out my winter clothes

And wishing I was gone

Going home

Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me"

How about The White Stripes, "The Cold Cold Night" singing about loving someone other people don't approve of?

"I hear you walkin' by my front door

I hear the creakin' of the kitchen floor

I don't care what other people say

I'm gonna love you anyway"

These are just a few examples of portrait-like ballads. The human figure is the most natural instrument for me to use for exploring the human condition.

I've had to learn to trust myself and paint what's important to me because chances are if I've felt it someone else has too. It's why my collectors say "Yes, I've felt exactly that way" when they look at a painting that resonates with them.

So from now on I think I'll call myself a balladeer!

It's a "Mad Science" Year

"Mad Science" has been recognized with an honorable mention in the Art Center Renewal’s 2010 International Salon. “Oracle”, charcoal, and  “Like Breath on Glass”, oil, were also recognized as finalists in this year’s competition. For my art to be included alongside these artist's whose work that I have stalked for years is an unbelievable honor!

Later this fall "Mad Science" will be in Direct Art Magazine along with my painting "Enlightenment". That is an annual NY bookazine,  since 1996, that highlights 23 artists each publication. It is always an interesting and edgy group of artists from all media so I am thrilled to be included!

The drawing "Oracle" is still available. "Like Breath on Glass" has sold to a Lebanese collector. How cool is that?

ARC 2009-2010 International Salon Competition

There's a New Figurative Arts Website

There is a new directory celebrating figurative arts. It's www.figurativeartist.org
and I'm thrilled to be included with such wonderful artists. The directory is the brain child of Canadian artist and figurative art lover Paula O'Brien.

Her words about the site. 

Figurative Artists Directory
"This free site showcases a talented figurative artists group with one common passion - the human form. Through many mediums and approaches, each artist offers their own unique style of figurative art for your discovery. There is something for everyone; from serene and sublime to gutsy and raw to quirky and surprising."

It is a great way to lose some time and explore some beautiful work!

Hyper Realism Show Opening, Mayer Fine Art, Norfolk, VA

 Here are pictures from the opening of the show April 10, 2010. My work is included with the work of Michael Fitts, Sharon Moody, and Reineke Leenders. The show will be up through June 13.

It is a well conceived show with quirky still life paintings and figurative work. We had a packed house on Saturday night and I got to meet some very interesting people. Afterward we went to Havana restaurant to continue the stimulating conversation with gallery owner Sheila Giolitti and other local artists.

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Hyper Realism Show, Mayer Fine Art, Norfolk, VA

I'll be participating the "Hyperrealism Show" at Mayer Fine Art in Norfolk, Virginia. The opening is Sat. April 10, 7:00-9:00pm. I'll have seven works in the show and am one of four artists included. The show is the brain child of Sheila Giolitti, artist, and gallery director/owner. The show will run through June 13, 2010.

Sheila has chosen the following works for  the show. Fresh off the easel, Don't Blink, 30x40, oil on panel.

A few details.

Oracle, 22x30,  charcoal on toned paper.

 Flight Plan, 23x32, oil
 On With the Show, 30x22, oil

 Near at Hand, 47x32, oil

Enlightenment, 24x24, oil on panel.

And lastly a small study for the Don't Blink painting, Strike Two, 3.5"x5.5", oil.

I'll be in good company with other artists Michael Fitts, Sharon Moody, Rieneke Leenders.

While I'm in town I've been invited to give a slide talk about my work for Mark Miltz's Painting 1 & 2 classes at Thomas Nelson Community College. Mark and I are long time friends. We met when we were both silk screen artists for the imprinted sportswear company "World Class" in Florida.
Mayer Fine Art 

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Contemporary Realism Workshop

I'll be teaching a six week oil painting workshop at

Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, AL.

"Evolution of a Teleportation Device" 10"x20"

This is a “back to basics” class for all skill levels, appropriate for any student searching for the right tools to paint in a realistic manner.

The class will emphasize core skills necessary to create convincing illusions in oil paint. Working from still life we’ll explore color theory and paint mixing. Students and I will explore the tried and true skills necessary to render 3-dimensional forms and capture light with oil paint. Class size is limited to 10 students.

The center is located at 402 Palisades Blvd, Birmingham, AL beginning May 4, 2010, Tuesdays 9:30-12:30, $195. To inquire or to register email me at terrystr@terrystricklandart.com

 

"Enlightenment" ponderings

 A quest for enlightenment must include a questioning of traditional thinking and a search for something deeper than what's apparent on the surface. That's a rather intangible idea to communicate in the visual world of paint. What better way than with the use of chiaroscuro and an expression of wonder?

 I love the symbolic nature of light and darkness; its near perfect analogy for opposites and its power to evoke the struggle between good and evil. The sheer drama of it is tantalizing and seductive!

 I tried several different boxes to house the light, finally choosing the open crate. It seemed to acknowledge the fact that this matter, symbolized by the light, is alive and to be shared.
It is appealing to me that light is a vague enough metaphor to be interpreted by the viewer as their own quest for enlightenment.

This painting is 24x24, oil on panel and part of my Building a Life Series.

Uniquely Louisiana Collectors-David and Nicole Holcombe

David and Nicole Holcombe have a selection of 24 pieces from their amazing collection on display at The Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. The work will be on display in the Focus Gallery through May 23, 2010.

Two of my paintings from this wonderful collection were selected to be included. "Fledgling Portal" and "Make-Way" are both from my Awakening Series.

The Holcombe's have been called "visual arts powerhouses" and have had a mission to passionately collect southern art for the past 25 years. This passion is evident in their choice of works as well as in the voice of the collection. David and Nicole have forged long-term relationships with many of the artists whose work they have acquired including me and my family.

David gave a talk at the museum highlighting 6 principles of collecting, principles that explain the "Hows" and "Whys" of their collecting.

1. Original art is always better than posters. Even bad original Art is better than a poster. (Yipee!)
2. You don't have to be rich to collect art. You just have to be attentive and interested. (Absolutely)
3. Never buy art as a financial investment. Art is a human investment. (I could not agree more)
4. Don't buy anything from dead artists. (I like this!)
5. There's no one gold standard for art. There are two common elements and they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. One is passion and the other is technique. (Two parts that make up the the whole in inspired art!)
6. When your house is full don't stop buying. (Yes! Yes! Yes!)

My husband and I use these same ideas when we add to our own art collection!

This was taken when we delivered the second painting to the Holcombe's at their beautiful Alexandria, LA home where we were treated to their wonderful overnight hospitality last fall.

This is what David had to say about "Make-Way":

“Make Way (Portrait of their son, Kyle Strickland).” We saw this work in a Masur Museum of Art Annual Competition (in Monroe, LA). The work was a stunning combination of feeling and technique. After much thought, we decided to purchase it. Terry Strickland and her husband, Dan, were delighted…the acquisition took on the character of an adoption more than a purchase. They insisted on delivering the painting in person, seeing where it was to be placed in our home, and revealing lots of details about their son. It captures that moment when young people pass through the portal of childhood into adulthood.The marbles represent the dangers of the world and the Christmas light symbolize the reassuring warmth of family.

And about "Fledgling Portal":

“Fledgling Portal (Portrait of Shannon).” This was another in Terry’s coming of age series. We so enjoyed “Kyle” that we decided to add this companion piece many years later. Originally, we thought it was Kyle’s sister, but Shannon proved to be a close family friend. It has the same attention to detail as the portrait of Kyle.  Unlike Kyle, the lighting comes from below and creates a more ominous effect.  Shannon, her wings attached, stands with her arms crossed, as if resentful and undecided about going through the “Fledgling Portal.” 

Becoming friends with my collectors has been an amazing aspect of this profession that I had not anticipated before I became a full-time painter. To be able to hear a family's story and know why they relate to a piece is such a privilege.

When David and Nicole say that buying a piece of artwork is an investment in relationships they are so right. Our lives are enriched on so many levels by all of our collectors and patrons of the arts...I hope they know they are appreciated!

Here is part of David's gallery talk about their collecting practices. 
 Thanks to David and Nicole for use of their photography!

Life in Shades of Gray

Fog is fascinating and contradictory. It's clearly there yet intangible. It feels claustrophobic because we can't see our path but calming as a kiss in its stillness. It plays havoc with our senses obscuring our vision and magnifying sound. It is life in shades of gray.

I usually paint the figure or still life but felt compelled to do these two small studies. They are 8"x10" and oil on panel. Both are views from our home. The first is "Fog on Heather Ridge" and a detail below.

The next is "Suburbia Obscured".

"Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us." ~ Henri Matisse

  This is a subject I will revisit.

"Strike Two" - New Painting

This is a tiny painting all about a few things on my mind these days. It's 3.5 x 5.5 inches and oil on canvas.