On New Year's Eve, 2015, I went into my studio to turn off my lights, and bent over to reach the switch under my easel..........(don't know why I had it set up like that) and the painting I had just spent the previous week trying to finish, fell off the easel onto my back! It was a heavy mounted board, with thick impasto paint, which was then in my hair and all over my sweatshirt.....I managed to catch the painting before it hit the ground, (balancing it on my back, lol) so I tried not to have a total meltdown, and check the damage.
The brushstrokes, which were important to the background were totally messed up, and because of my three cats, and landing in my hair, the big problem was getting the hair unstuck from the paint...ha ha! It actually didn't take that much time, and luckily the figure was not wet, so other than having to fix some hair, (on the figure and myself) and smoothing out the background for a fresh layer of paint, I think the painting is salvageable. Although I decided to put the painting on hold, to dry, and move forward into 2016 with a fresh start!!!
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| "Pies", 12" x 12" |
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"$$$$", 12" x 12"
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Last year was an interesting year, as the painting landscape continues to change. It seems every time I feel like I am hitting my stride, and painting exactly what I want, the pendulum swings, and I am once again faced with not only painting to the best level I can, but also painting something that people will want, and as much as I hate to say it.....work that will sell. I have written about this before, and although I am pretty sure that most artists would like to paint what they want, damn the public, we do have to keep in mind what is selling, and the current "trends" in the market, if we are to remain relevant, and make a living with our art.
Having said that, this year for Art Mrkt San Francisco, I painted 7 small 12" x 12" paintings, (with only 4 actually making it in time for the opening) that incorporated obvious Pop Art in the backgrounds of my beautiful models. I am calling them "Pop Portraits". What I realized is that a 12" x 12" painting takes me almost as much time to paint as a 24" x 24" painting.
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| "Target", 12" x 12" |
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"American Woman", 12" x 12"
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| "Hot Tomato", 12" x 12" |
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| "LOVE", 12" x 12" |
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| "Heartbreaker", 12" x 12" |
I am actually quite proud of those little paintings, and besides showing in San Francisco at my gallery;
Scott Richards Contemporary Art, and
Tangent, 4 of them are now in Denver, showing at
Abend Gallery, along with 2 of my still life paintings. I am very excited to show my work in Denver; an amazing city, and where I was born.
Along with the small "Pop Portraits", I managed to finish a few larger paintings with the same format. I love Pop Art, and painting in the style of my favorite Pop Artists, allows me to pay homage to Warhol, Thiebaud, Dine, and Johns, just to name a few.
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| "Mousetrap", 24" x 24" |
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| "Calling Me Home", 24" x 24" |
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"Sovereign", 30" x 24"
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Then to finish off the year, even though looking around my studio I have 4 (or more) paintings in progress, I painted another Day of the Dead painting just for myself. I don't know why I am so fascinated by that cultural celebration, but I think I will always paint Dia de los Muertos images. A great reminder of those who have gone before us......
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"Dia de los Muertos II", haven't came up with a better title yet, 24" x 20"
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Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who follows this blog, and all the people who support me and my artwork! I really do feel lucky to be able to call myself an artist and to paint every day. I would like to say thank you to my gallery
Scott Richards Contemporary Art in San Francisco,
Abend Gallery in Denver, and of course my wonderful, beautiful models, Amy, Harmony, Deserae, and Ayla, who help make my work possible. I am looking forward to 2016, and have many new ideas I am currently working on, as I write this. Happy New Year!!!!
