SIOBHAN Mc DONALD

'Retreating Glacier.' oil on canvas. 60 cm x 60cm.
Taylor Galleries, 2012

 

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

 

I'm working on a couple of things: a commission for the New Science Centre at University College Dublin. I’m also working on an exciting collaboration with the international composer,  Susan Stenger and Professor of Geophysics at University College Dublin, Chris Bean on a series of paintings and soundworks synthesizing Monastic seismology practices devised by the Jesuits in Ireland since 400 AD. It represents a new and important evolution in my work and will tie together themes of volcanism through the unifying perspective of deep time. I’m also trying to put together a paper for the Art & Geography Ireland conference at NUI in Galway which I’m presenting later this month.

 

 

 

 

                 The Earth Institute, UCD, 2013. Works in Progress                 



 The Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin. Work in progress. 2011

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

 

I generally have 3 or 4 paintings on the go at the same time and aim to go to the studio every day. I’m Artist in Residence at the Earth Institute, UCD this year and I really love it. I try to attend some of the lectures in the Geo-science department so there’s never a dull moment.  Most days I end up randomly connecting with the researchers on campus and it’s invigorating to be part of a wider conversation in a place like this where so many disciplines converge.

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

 

 

I've moved quite a bit since 2011 but just settled into this new space. It's a supper building flooded with light and the ceilings are really high so I can view the pieces from all sorts of angles and rooms. The grounds are vastly covered with trees and green space, which is a calming contrast to my studio in the city last year.

The Earth Institute, UCD, 2013.

Left  'Measurement Valley.' Tree resin on graph paper.

Right Seismograph made by the Jesuits, early 1900's.

 Courtesy of The School of Cosmic Physics, DIAS, Dublin.

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve.

 

 

I’m interested in Time, Rhythm, different temporalities of nature and new forms of materiality.  I’ve been using smoke lately as I feel we have an innate relationship with certain materials & it’s an intriguing material because it’s one of the first things prehistoric man encountered. The other reason I’m interested in smoke is because its part of an alchemical system produced by the process of one element transforming into another. Lately I’m starting with ideas around the speed and violence of earthquakes and the slow incremental movements of icebergs. While my drawings and sound works are more conceptually based I find painting is much more conducive to the new space. I tend to build up layers of paint at a time and once they dry, I scrape them off until I find a starting point to build upon. Quite often I end up with a blank canvas again exposing the stain or memory of the previous layer. While I may have a vision in mind of certain geological processes for example, I allow the work to shift and change as time evolves.

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

 

I guess I’m finding it challenging to find a way into some of the library of ideas I’m collecting right now.  I love that sometimes you can find a something as simple as a line or a gap in a tiny structure that can become the map for a new piece of work.  John Cage used the imperfections of the piece of paper he was working as a starting point.  I’m also trying to find a structure to suggest the transformational processes in nature and lately I’m looking at Morse code and the sounds under ice breaking to try and find a way in. And all the administration stuff involved in exhibition making and applying for residencies & funding drives me crazy! It’s so time consuming and tedious.

 

 

 

 

 

'Sound drawing' Drawing produced using drawing implements

attached to the tips of three branches and sound waves recorded on graph paper.

The Galway Arts Centre, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

 

I started off working almost exclusively in oil & sumi ink but, lately I have opened up my painting practice to embrace drawing, photography, sound and collaborative-based projects. Right now I’m making geological ‘pours’ with a glass blower in the physics department at UCD. And the plan for next month is to experiment with growing crystals in the geology department. I’m also experimenting with the production of a sequence of drawings which revisit my study of Jesuit seismology practices to evoke the patterns generated by the invisible forces of nature.

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

 

In September I’m joining a team of scientists on an expedition to the Vatnajokull terrain of Iceland to bore into the earth and listen to its rhythm. I’m enjoying this experimental phase and my hope is that the new body of work will get a chance to travel to some interesting spaces around the world.  I’m also working on a book and hope to publish it in early spring 2014.

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

 

I’m delighted to be on this blog and would like to say a big thanks for asking me.

 

The Dock 2012 and detail  15 x 4 cm approx.

Graph paper, Oil paint, Sumi Ink and Fire.

A series of paintings made with the process Eninka:

a technique devised by John Cage in the 1980's,

where fire becomes fossilized in the painting’s surface.

 

 

 

 







VANESSA OTER

Everything is as it should be,

mixed media on canvas,

2010

 

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

At the moment I am enjoying a large studio space to accommodate a huge series of works I have had on the go for over 2 years. The works are predominantly landscapes that incorporate my interest in recuperation and the "stitch". I bought a house in the depths of country Victoria last year to be able to get as close to the ever changing landscape as possible. It has had a powerful effect on my work and the processes so far. Since I work (sew) on my (dry) painting drop cloths I am able to fold them up and drive to any location and sew. I use various colours and cottons of a diverse texture to almost mimic the textures I see in the rolling hills etc. they have become almost 3 dimensional.

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

I have a 5 year old little boy so my work routine has had to become quite scheduled, unlike the freedom of pre motherhood! I usually drop him at school then race home to do any chores etc/shopping...then head to studio to continue on with whatever i "feel" is needed.. i still love to paint so i have a body of traditional landscapes on the go too. My routine all depends on how I feeling towards any particular piece of work. There always a lot of works on the go. They all need their time to sit before i consider them finished. I can sometimes recycle old paintings too...works that have been idle for years even.....I am always observing...everything is a picture these days....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

My studio is my garage. I converted the entire space for my work after the previous owner of the house didn't put the doors in the right position for any car access so I had a wall built right down the middle with a door for access into both areas, one side is predominantly storage and where I put works to be free of flying paint etc. The other is where the action happens...lights...music.....I love it in there. Since I can do my work anywhere, my "studio" is the place the pieces get resolved and put together I guess. I always feel that if the studio is organised to some extent the work can breathe, I get messy, so sometimes its good to work out in the landscape too, it gives the work a whole fresh perspective.

 

 

 

 





Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.


This way of working, with the fabric and materials of choice all began when I had trouble fully painting when Luka was born. I decided to use cotton and I have always loved drop cloths and the randomness of the splattered marks etc. After my honours year at RMIT I was very involved with the idea of process itself and the documentation of the processes as art in themselves, as time went on I really wanted to make large-scale works and use paint and get away from constantly photographing. I wanted to create "paintings" without relying on only paint etc. so by using the sewing as a platform to create my own mark…they are evolving as such...I never fully know how they will look as the cotton and the stitches all bring the work into their own and "become" themselves but lately I see the landscape so much as I drive and walk the works are hugely inspired by it.

 

Wild dog valley,

Mixed media mounted on canvas

183 x 160cm

 

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

My pure painting landscapes, predominantly the large ones, I feel using stitching helps me to slow everything down and I can see the picture clearer as a piece of work. I don’t see my paintings like I used to, eventually I will chop them in half with an elaborately stitched drop cloth, difficult to explain....I find they eventually resolve with lots of perseverance.

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

I have always enjoyed "playing" with various materials. It’s important for the ideas to evolve. Even with my, what I call "traditional" landscapes I base them in oils, but there is always a variety of under painting which consists of pencils, pens, spray paint, crayons, anything to create a history and layers. I am experimenting right now with fabrics and placement, whether I am experimenting enough is always a question artists need to ask themselves.....

 

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

I am not sure but what to would like to happen is that I get decent gallery appreciation for these enquiries but I see it becoming more sculptural....its a very exciting evolution of work indeed!



 

 

 

Cats don't speak like dogs do,

mixed media on canvas,

153 x 153cm



TREW SCHRIEFER

Untitled, 32"x38" oil, acrylic, spray paint,

graphite, glitter and collage on canvas. 2012

 

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

 

I was recently in a show at Tracy Williams in New York, so I am still digesting the work from the show. I’m bouncing back and forth between some new ideas and pushing paint around in my studio. Most of my work lately has been smaller 18”x 22” or so, and I’m trying to work a bit larger to see how the work will function for me. Elements of the paintings are beginning to separate and each is gaining a more independent identity. Earlier work was at times very congested and I found myself editing out a lot of the painting. So, I am also currently wrestling with a more visually simplified or minimal painting.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

 

I am teaching a few classes here and there at a local liberal arts college and picking up other side jobs for money. This work schedule doesn’t allow me a structured block of time for the studio. I try to find big chunks of time when I can go up there and work. I have never been one that can go in the studio for a couple of hours. When I get those big 8-10 hour blocks I usually start pretty early. Make some coffee, turn on some music and sit in my studio for an hour or so. I usually start making some decisions to work on some pieces from past or start something new.

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

 

 

My studio space is located on the second floor of the house. It is considered the third bedroom and I had to put up some temporary walls, because the ceiling angles with the roof making it difficult to stand in certain areas. My studio is very influential on my work and working process. It isn’t necessarily the smallest of rooms but everything is within reaching distance and that is important for me. The information in my work comes from my immediate studio environment.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.

 

 

I usually need to sit in my studio for some time. I have to let my brain kind of clear out. Most paintings start by grabbing something off the studio floor and placing it down on the surface of the canvas. Fragments of old paintings, pictures from magazines, oil paint, and craft art supplies litter my studio floor. This is my environment and these are the starting points for my work. I think of myself as more of an action/reaction painter. I make a lot of intuitive moves in the painting process and then make other decisions in response to them. I get really excited when things go wrong in a painting for me. I like to be challenged in the working process to see where I can take a painting.

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

 

I probably have the most trouble trying to complete a painting to my liking. When I think I am making some pretty good decisions about something in the studio, I will make it a few times. Usually that feeling will wear off when I actually sit with the work and I can dismiss it easily. Every now and again I will make something that continues to sit with me whether or not I am in the studio. These moments are the most exciting and probably when I could consider a painting complete.

 

 

 

 

Untitled, 30"x38" oil, acrylic, spray paint,

acrylic grass and collage on canvas. 2013

 

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

 

The hierarchy of any material over another is absent in my studio practice. I am drawn to many different materials and what they do when they interact with one another in a painting. I don’t just throw anything into a painting, so I guess I have some rules when working. I still have respect for oil paint as a historical material in relation to the history of painting. But I am also very interested in mark making with different materials and tools. It is in this investigation that I seem to experiment more and more in my studio practice.

 

 

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

 

I don’t really know yet. I am going to spend more time with this work and make decisions when I am in the studio. I hope to explore some larger works to see how I will react to the scale.

 

 

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

 

I would like to thank Valerie and Studio Critical for this great opportunity.

 

 

 

 

Untitled, 18"x 22" oil, acrylic, spray paint,

crayon, graphite and collage on canvas. 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



JAMES AUSTIN MURRAY

 

The Dirty Parts of Heaven,

Oil on canvas, 24″ x 24″ x 4″, 2009-2012

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

 

I just completed another large piece and it feels like I’m figuring things out in this one. I have a show up and with mostly large scale works. One benefit is I have extra work space while the paintings are out. I also have four medium works that are in play but they're in an early stage of the process. They've been showing me new possibilities and I'm spending time with them. I don't want to rush through them because they're making me re-think some things.

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

 

When I'm in my normal routine I've found that I work best in the early morning. I find that I can get more done in a good five or six hour morning before lunch than I get done in an 8-10 hour day if I start later. There's something nice about working in the early morning hours. There are less interruptions and I listen to the city waking up, people walking to work and leaving my building. My morning work ethic started because I used to get bad insomnia which is debilitating. I'd wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and not be able to sleep again till well into the day. My final solution was to go into the studio and work. At noon I go to my dojo and work out then come back and sometimes work more, sometimes not. This morning start cured my insomnia, and gave me more focus. Now I generally aim for 6 or 7 AM wake and start time. I wake up and get into my studio and work for a few hours then take a walk to the corner for coffee but not really break, just to get out and walk for five minutes. I usually take weekends off but not always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

I am acutely affected by my work space. Right now I work in at home. I have two 4 x 8 ft. pieces of plywood up to protect my walls, so I'm working on this 8 foot square. It's not really enough space and I'm about to expand it. I get good light which is not so important to making the work but is important to viewing the the paintings. The way my apartment is I get some direct sunlight and it's during these hours that the work takes on different personalities. I am running out of space. Due to this I'm about to restart a series of paper works, I started at Bemis last spring, but didn't get to explore enough. Residencies have been crucial to my work and it's progress. Working in these other spaces has allowed me to grow in unexpected ways and to make work that wouldn't be possible in my current space.

 

Visitor,

oil on canvas, 48″ x 65″ x4″, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.

My work has three distinct stages. I build the shapes and cover them with canvas using gesso as a glue. That's often the most laborious part of the process and maybe the least rewarding but it is also a pivotal part. The paint takes cues from the shape of the canvas and that's when the shape gets decided. I usually do thumbnail sketches but sometimes just dive in if I feel sure about what I want.

I then do an underpainting and this has been evolving but it's mostly so I don't have any color or white showing through the oil paint. Then I get to the oil and it's almost as if the work has a personality at this point and it kind of guides me. Sometimes it's a little antagonistic and fights me. When I've got good flow it's like the painting is a partner and we're having a discussion. It lets me know what it wants and I try to work with it. Once I apply the paint I have three days, then the paint starts to congeal and dry. When that happens I scrape it off and let it dry, sand it and start again. I never trust it to be done till I've slept on it and can view it with fresh eyes. To get the effect I've been searching for I've had to build my own brushes from already large brushes. I think I may go back to smaller strokes at one point but I'm still having too much fun with this really big motion.

As I've gotten older I've realized how important it is to edit. I don't let a painting get called done till I'm certain it cannot get better. I'm not afraid of scrapping the paint and starting over. In fact I have a number of old works that I continue to fight with. If I really cannot resolve a piece I'll eventually destroy it but only after giving it a worthy effort. That can last for years in on and off struggle. Some of my favorites are the ones that don't work with me at first. Eventually if I figure out what wasn't working, it's an aha moment and I've broken through. These are the ones you really learn something from which can move the work forward.





 

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

 

The edge of the canvas! I use black and people sometimes stand looking at these paintings and ask me how many colors I'm using. The reflected light can be very bright and colorful. I have experimented with adding color to the black but in the end that wasn't what I wanted and it wasn't even apparent. Last year I started giving color to the sides of some of these works and it's only happened after a long deliberation with myself. There were some early casualties but also some unexpected and happy surprises. I've gravitated to hot pink on the sides because this color really does make a white wall glow around the work. I still paint some black on the sides and my most recent work has just one of its sides pink. I feel like I'm getting there but am not quite there yet. I think it's important to have unresolved aspects of your work. The unresolved aspects of the work push you to do better, and maybe you'll figure out or maybe not.

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

 

It was when I set strict parameters that my work became far more interesting to me and in a way opened up a world I hadn't expected.  I resolved to stay with black for at least a few years. When I started doing them, they were little meditative side pieces. I'd often wipe them down after the day and start them again the next. It wasn't about finishing a painting but more about seeing what I could get paint to do with the reflected light. I still have most of the early ones. I don't sell those ones. They're the seeds to what I'm doing now.

 

 

 

 

Jam Exhibit, currently on show at the 

Narthex Gallery at Saint Peter's Church

 

 

 







What does the future hold for this work?


I have no idea and I like it that way. OK, maybe smaller for the near term. But, I like that I've been able to be surprised. I hope the work will continue to do that for me. Normally I need to change things up after a few years, but I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of what I'm doing and it's very exciting. I have some large sculpture projects that involved reflected light that I'd like to make, but I need to find a place and funding for them, I think if that happens it will bring change to this work

Dragon Sex,

oil on canvas, 30 x 50 inches approximate 2012

 

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think it's important to spend as much time looking at our contemporaries and with the internet it's easier than it has ever been. I have found other really great artists through a few blogs like this one and through Facebook. There is no comparable to standing in the room with a painting but you can still get a good sense of work in photo-images. I feel my contemporaries are as important to me as my predecessors.

 

Some of my favorite living artists today are Susan Carr, Mark Zimmermann, Alex Couwenberg, Wess Dahlberg, Robert Kingston, You – Valerie Brennan, Erin Lawler, Christopher Rico, Brigid Watson, Svenja Deininger, Wendy McWilliams, Mark Hollis, Jason Mones, Hernan Ardila Delgado, Diane Scott,  Matthew Dibble, Megan Geckler, Rodger Stevens, Ryan Cobourn, Joanne Mattera, Jerry Thomas, Katie Grauer, Duane Paul Davidson, Kokichi Umezaki, James Little, Julie Mehretu, Ayessha Quraishi, Kevin Finklea, Jason Michael Hackenwerth, Lisa Von Koch, Cristina Popovici. You know, just by making a list I'm already pissing people off who I'm forgetting to include. In fact I'm pretty sure I didn't name half of the artists I admire. The point is, some of these people I know many I do not. Some are friends and other distant acquaintances, all of them influence me in some way. It's very important for us artists in todays world to do exactly what this blog is doing by supporting living artists, and giving us a voice. Thank you for that and the opportunity to be a part of this.





BRIAN EDMONDS

Leif Eriksson

36 x 36 in. acrylic, pastel, and oil stick on panel

 

 

 

 

What are you working on in your studio right now?

 

I am currently working on a series of panels ranging in size from 12 x 12 in. to 48 x 48 in.  The hard surface lends itself to mark making and aggressive methods.  The paintings are loosely based on maps, historical references, and the landscape.  Of late historical maps have played a greater role in the process.  

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

I constantly work and rework paintings. I surround myself with influential matter but not too much.  I will insulate myself from artists and things that might have too much influence.  I study color, line, shape, and form but not to the point of losing my identity.   
Sometimes a random color from a magazine or a phrase from a book will stir something from within.   Painting on a consistent basis allows me to create a cohesive body of work.  Although taking a few weeks off when I feel out of sorts allows me to refocus and regain momentum in the studio. 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?

 

My studio is a room on the lower level of my home.  It is by far the best space I have ever had.  I previously painted in a small (11 x 7 ft.) room in an apartment and a unairconditioned/unheated garage with a single light bulb.  My newest space is around 20 x 20 ft.  Five windows measuring 7 ft. in height provide a lot of natural light.  The natural light has allowed me to see and use color in a new way.  The palette is much brighter and bolder than in previous years.  


 

 

 

 

Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.


Like many artist I am influenced by my surroundings.  Seeing the lay of the land on a constant basis has intentionally/unintentionally shaped my work.  I once worked from photos and drawings.  Things were much more structured.  I now work directly on the surface.  Often drawing with pastel, paint sticks, or other materials.  Things evolve from the marks, forms, and color I use.  The erasures and remnants left by overpainting and scraping coalesce in to the “end result.”  Many times the “end result” doesn’t last very long.  I obsess over the smallest detail.  I scrutinize the paintings before I go to bed and when I awake in the morning.  Brushing my teeth or ironing my clothes I critique my work.  If the painting does not find a home soon enough it will be reworked many times over during its life.

Russian Ballet

48 x 36 in. acrylic, pastel, and oil stick on panel

 

 

 

 

 

What are you having the most trouble resolving?

 

The goal is to create more expressive and free flowing work.  In the beginning my paintings were expressive to the point of being almost naïve.  As I refined my methods, things became more about the forms and less about the painting as a whole.  At times the painting would suffer from this attention to detail.  I want to allow the work to breathe and be more open.  The best work, be it my painting or someone else’s, flows effortlessly.

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

Currently I use a variety of materials and methods.  Acrylic, pastel, paint sticks, cattle markers, house paint, etc. find their way into my paintings.  Sennelier is my favorite brand of paint.  I do like the matte quality of cheaper paints found at local craft stores.  Often times laying down a layer of paint like Sennelier or Golden with a matte layer on top.  I find it much easier to draw on top of the matte layer.  It has an almost chalkboard surface.  House paint is sometimes mixed with the matte paint to varying degrees.  The glossy nature and full body of black house paint is something I have yet to find in artist quality paint. 

I prefer wood or hardboard panels to canvas.  I am very hard on the painting surface.  I use kitchen knives and other crude objects to gouge, carve, or scrape the surface.  Years ago I would nail random pieces of wood and other objects to the paintings.  Eventually my work shifted away from these constructs but many of the methods remain.    

"The paintings intentionally and unintentionally inform one another. 

I like to put them up together to see how they play off one another."

 

 

 

 

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

To create a cohesive body of work built on drawing and mark making. I feel my educational background as a history teacher indirectly affects my work.  Historical people, places, events, and maps have been a focus of mine for close to 20 years.  My current work includes primitive markings found on maps.  I remember completing history assignments as a young boy, using crude symbols for mountains or singular marks held together by a horizontal line to form fencing.  I began using these symbolic features about 15 years ago.    I recently began reusing these forms.   

 

I will also continue to explore pattern and line within set parameters.  I do not want the paintings to become ornamental or design based.  Abstract or not a sense of place is always the driving force behind the painting. 

 

 

 

 

Wrapped in Rainbows,

  36 x 36 in. acrylic, pastel, and oil stick on panel

 

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I appreciate the opportunity to share my views on painting and my work.  I would like to invite people to visit curatingcontemporary.com, Painters Table (Brett Baker), and the Structure and Imagery (Paul Behnke) blog.  PT, Structure and Imagery, and blogs such as Studio Critical have impacted me to varying degrees.  The ability to read, hear, and see what other artists are doing has been an indelible source for me.  Curating Contemporary is an online exhibition space dedicated to showing work of contemporary artists here and abroad. The goal of curatingcontemporary.com is to garner more attention for artists and curators alike. To make new connections and inroads with artists, curators, and galleries.

 

I would also like to thank Julie Torres for including me in the ALLTOGETHER show in Brooklyn this past summer.  Showing with such a talented group of artists working in different manners caused me to rethink art in both personal and general terms.  The ability to bounce ideas off a group of painters is something I sorely miss at a local level.    

 

JOEL LONGENECKER

Cigar Envy, 40" x 30", oil on linen, 2012 - 2013

 

 

 

 

What are you working on right now?

 

 

Since last January 2012, I’ve been working on a bunch of medium sized canvases ranging from 40” x 36” to 54” x 50”.  As I finish some I start others, so I’m now at the point where I’ve got maybe two dozen or so finished paintings. This is the first work I’ve done since moving upstate in 2010 after living in New York for 20 years. I had to put my studio work on hold as we made that transition. When I started working again, I began where I had left off, but it just didn’t feel right.  I went through a period of rejecting and reworking everything.  When things did finally fall into place, I ended up with the densest, most heavily-worked surfaces I’ve ever made.

 

 

 

Can you describe your working routine?

 

 

When I start my day in the studio, I usually have a pretty clear idea about what I need to focus on from the previous day’s work.  It’s usually midmorning before I’m in the studio, and by that time, I’m anxious to get started.  So mornings are generally not my time for serious looking and thinking.  I wait until I’m done working for the day and then I’ll sit down and look things over and plot my next move.  Once I’m into it, I like to keep the momentum going.  Spontaneity is everything, and it’s a struggle to find the path from control to freedom.   I try to get to the point each day where I’m working freely, taking risks in the work, and letting the painting lead me where it wants to go.  When all of these things come together, I’ve had a great day in the studio. 

 

 

 

Tell me about your process, where things begin, how they evolve etc.

 

 

I’m after an organic, generative process where one thing slowly leads to another with each piece resolving itself in it’s own way.  Working like this makes it impossible for me to duplicate what I’ve already done, keeping the process open and alive.  I always start several things at once, but am careful to quickly fold them into the work that is already in progress.  In a sense, my work never “starts” or “stops”, but instead is more like a continuous loop in which things are cycled in and out.  Ultimately, what I want is for the paintings to look like they’ve created themselves, much like a tree, or any other bit of nature, that slowly grew into it’s final form.   

 

 

 

 

 

Can you describe your studio space and how, if at all, that affects your work?


As I mentioned previously, we moved in 2010 and building a studio was part of that project.  My wife is also an artist, so we needed a space that would accommodate both of us. The building is barn-like, with my studio on the ground floor and my wife’s on the second floor.  We were able to design the studios to provide maximum storage and working areas. My studio has a wall of glass on one side, two good walls with high ceilings, and the fourth wall is lined with painting racks. I work in the same spot by the bank of windows every day.  It’s been very different working here compared to working in the city. It’s so quiet, and the feeling of open space and the light is very different.  Strangely, my work has become denser and darker in this setting.


What are you having the most trouble resolving?


Over the years, I’ve made many large paintings.  I like working on a large  scale because it enables me to create an enveloping space.  Whenever I make smaller ones, it seems like I have to work longer and harder to resolve them, which I always find a bit ironic.  Now however, I have the opposite problem. As the surfaces have become denser and the marks smaller and more embedded in the ground, the larger paintings have become more challenging for me to resolve.  On the bigger paintings, the individual marks play a lesser role, especially when interacting with the dense surface, making it more difficult to clarify the structure and space.

 

 

 

 

Do you experiment with different materials a lot or do you prefer to work within certain parameters?

 

 

I like using traditional media; watercolor, pastel, charcoal and especially oil paint. 
I work with these same materials year after year.  I love being able to pull a painting out of my storage racks that I made years ago and think about how it relates to what I’m doing today.  The fact that my materials have remained constant becomes a kind of equalizer, enabling me to see more easily the changes in form, space, light, and color that have happened over the years. 

 

 

What does the future hold for this work?

 

 

In the short term, I’m looking forward to the next step as I bring some larger canvases into the mix and expand upon what I’ve done this year.  And in the long term, I know that it will take what seems like an eternity for me to be able to “see” my own work.  So, it’s too early to tell what my work from this past year will lead to. What I do know is that this is an excruciatingly slow process, one full of contradictory and opposing forces, like the immediacy of the day to day work, juxtaposed with the slow process of gaining insight into it.  It’s kind of like a scroll, unraveling bit by bit, revealing more each day.

 

 

 

 

Magic Mountain, 54" x 50", oil on linen, 2012 - 2013

 

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

 

Thank you Valerie for giving me this opportunity to talk about my work.  And thanks for creating this blog which has introduced me to the work of so many great artists!

Here are a few images that relate to what I’ve been thinking about...

Vincent Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885

 

I love the empathetic relationship that Van Gogh has with his subjects. When I look at a Van Gogh painting, I forget that I’m looking at a painting. 

 

 

Soutine, Hill at Ceret, 1921

 

Soutine’s juggling act of balancing structure and control with total abandon is a constant source of inspiration. I love it when he stops describing things logically and the paint takes on a life of it’s own.

 

 

 

 

Marsden Hartley, Evening Storm, Schoodic Maine No. 2, 1942

 

I love Hartley’s spiritual connection with nature.

 

 

 

 

Philip Guston, Black Sea, 1977

 

I love the way Guston pushes paint around on a surface as if he’s modeling forms out of clay.  I always get the sense that he’s surprised himself by what’s emerged.