Love is blind

Sailors  18"x 24"  oil and cold wax on canvas

The deadline for submissions to the BSSS Annual Juried Art Exhibition - Interiors and Still Lifes here in Staunton, VA was today. My abstract still life was completed and submitted in the nick of time.

There is this thing painters do to themselves all too often--they fall in love. They fall in love with their painting, and like falling in love with another human being or a pet, or a new couch, love often blinds us to an important overlooked truth. Like, this painting isn't really all that successful. or I can't keep a cat--I'm allergic to cats. or I don't need a new couch nor can I afford one.

Is this a successful still life or is love blind? We'll see. There is also one other overriding truth in the art-competing-with-other-art arena . . . the jury, or in this case, the judge. And in every case humans, like it or not, naturally harbor preferences, biases, likes, dislikes.

I submitted a second, smaller pastel in addition to the oil.

Light Reading  10.5 x 10.5 pastel on sanded paper

Updates on the competition will follow in early July. Wish me luck.

More than the sum of its parts

Jackson Art Supply has published a terrific article about repurposing a painting that just isn't performing as hoped. You can create something surprisingly successful using this technique.

Read Jackson's article on how to revive your painting

I'm just now finishing up an abstract still life using this technique. The BSSS Gallery is conducting their 2015 Annual Juried Exhibition: Interiors and Still Lifes, and I'll be submitting this oil and cold wax painting for consideration. More on the painting soon.

Mary Echols -- a gifted friend

If you are in the vicinity of Staunton, Virginia between now and July 19, 2015 be sure and visit the Beverley Street Studio School Gallery for Mary Echols' current exhibition of recent works. The show is titled Mary Echols and Friends.

Mary has a gift for capturing the human form like no other artist. She sees the human landscape foremost as light and shadow and captures each in curious, magical relationships to other forms and additional figures. Mary's spirit is light and playful and is realized in her finished work, fully sublime.

Read more about Mary . . .

Fortunate to be one of Mary's Friends and fellow students, I was invited to exhibit one of my Intersection pastels along with other friends. Thank you Mary.

Intersection #4  10.5"x10.5" pastel