Small Ones

Particularly in the gestational phase of a new body of work, I've had some success with smaller works on paper. So the thought, why not work really small?  The paintings in the photo range in size, but 5x5 inches and 4x6 inches are the two most common sizes right now.  Compared to my earlier work, they are absolutely miniatures.  (I even had to buy new brushes.)

I may talk more about the process later, but suffice to say they have actually taken too much time as I jump from one to another as a solution strikes me. While some of them seem to be following familiar narrative paths, I view each one as a story into itself, and they are not meant to be view sequentially.   I've finished a few and will post some samples shortly,

Lewiston Studio

Although the studio has been set-up and operational for about a month, I haven't posted any pictures.  Allow me to make amends with a glimpse of the interior in its fresh "decor by Dexter" state.  Note the abundance of natural light.  Somehow, I'm not missing the old cave just yet. 

413@536: End of an Era

It's been a long while.  Not only since the last blog, but since I first took up residence in the Artist's Studio Building at 536 Congress Street in Portland, Maine.  Monday I finally bade farewell to my mates old and new, to set up shop a little further down the road in Lewiston. I've inhabited the grand, windowless, cavern of studio 413 for eight years, after spending a year prior at the top of the fourth floor in the smaller, adjacent 412.  I've seen many great artists come and go, and I now find myself in the ranks of the the many proud alumni who went before.   I have a lot of guest through this space through countless First Friday events, and events sponsored by the PMA.  Of course, I've made a lot of art here in dark, happy seclusion, and had many inspiring conversations with my peers in the hall.  It has been, and continues to be, a great community and I send my love to all the fantastic artists who remain.  I'll see you and my stops down to Portland!

Studio, Twice Open

Friday night my studio building had a very well-attended open studio event as part of the monthly art walk. The crowd might be explained by the sunny weather that draws Mainers back out in the Spring.  We also only have a couple of events like this a year, so some town aficionados know if I door is open that they'd better stop by this rare event.   Maybe the sweet sound of live accordion music pulled them up the stairs.  I posted some photos of the evening over on the Facebook page.  In any case, I am usually exhausted after but I was on the move bright and early to play host to another event sponsored by the Portland Museum of Art today.

The symposium, "Art On-Site: Studio Practice in 21st-Century Art," began at 10. Joe Fig, author of the book Inside the Painter's Studio, opened the day with an entertaining talk about his work and his decade of interviewing some of the most established figures in contemporary painting practice. After lunch, I had a nice flow of attendees from 1-5pm who stopped by as part of a tour of four artist studio sites in downtown Portland.   I had some great conversations and it always great to meet more people seeking to learn a bit more about art. Thanks to everyone who stopped by both days asking so many thoughtful questions.

Dog Days

If you happen to think what an artist does in his studio is suspicious, imagine how my dog feels....
My way of saying I'm on still on the trail of new paintings with progress pictures to come soon.   Trying to get as much done before the metaphoric dog days of summer really begins.

Retro 05: Old Studio

Help! It's 2003 and my studio is a wreck!

Studio Pics

So, here's the current state of my studio. You can see how small the new paintings are with the room for scale. I'm used to painting large, so these are quite tiny for me. Below is an example of a couple of sketches I consider "complete."