Bella Perla to Brian Marki

My solo show at Bella Perla is over. Since the owner of Bella Perla, Julie Martin, is going to sell the gallery as soon as she finds a buyer, I decided to look for another gallery. I am happy to announce that I found a new home in Portland. I contacted Brian Marki to tell him about my impending transition to a new gallery and see if he was interested in my work for his gallery. He is! I already dropped off a couple pieces. There is a group show planned for May.

Upcoming class

Basic Drawing taught by John Holdway
At Maude Kerns Art Center
Class ID #1575
Embark on a journey of drawing discovery! In this Basic Drawing class, you will learn and review drawing skills in a series of lessons and exercises designed to introduce you to the concepts of line, shading, perspective, and composition. Each week, you will build upon the techniques you’ve learned to create sketches and finished drawings. With practice, patience, and a positive attitude, your efforts will be rewarded as you watch your drawings improve from week to week. Be sure to sign up early for this popular class.
Thursdays, April 9-June 4, 6:00pm-8:00pm*
*There will be no class Thursday, May 7th.

Bella Perla Gallery

I will be having a show at the Bella Perla Gallery in Portland, Oregon in March. There will be an artist reception Thursday March 5, 7-8:30.

Last Friday Art Walk

Its time for Last Friday Art Walk again. Teague and I will be open. Come by the studio 6-9.

Other People's Shoes

This painting of Garth Marriott's Hosoi Vans is part of a series of other peoples shoes. In a way I started this project over 22 years ago.

When I was a freshman at MICA in Jim Hennessey's Foundation Drawing class in 1986, we were to chose a series to work through in our homework. For some reason I chose shoes. I was board with the idea pretty quick so I started borrowing other peoples shoes. Since I started a new series of shoes. I started thinking about those old drawings. My mother found a pack of the drawings in her barn and sent them to me. Not a moment too soon. Some had been gnawed by mice to make bedding. Here are a couple that I liked.

I borrowed Council Nedd's Creepers. He had quite a few pairs of nice and very cool shoes. I was already friends with Council when I got to MICA because he was the only other freshman from my high school. Council left MICA but went on to become a Bishop in the Anglican Church.

Spoon Popkin used to wear those shoes that you could buy at the Chinese grocery for $3. They were black cloth with a hard red plastic sole. I borrowed a pair of her old beat up shoes for this drawing. I used heavy rough watercolor paper and painted a lot of it in my bathtub with ink and water.

Actually Jim Hennessey talked me out of quite a few of my drawings from that class. I wonder what became of them.

Andrew Wyeth Dies

I just read that Andrew Wyeth died. I went with my father to see Andrew Wyeth's Helga paintings at the National Gallery in 1987. As I look back that experience was formative. The quiet mood and visible dedicated work ethic apparent in the images has always stirred me. When I started art school in the fall of '86, realism wasn't hot. MICA always put an emphasis on the "foundation." At the time I think that it was thought that it was important for artists to follow a period of development such as masters of Modernism. Picasso developed strong observational working skills before developing his mature styles. The photographers complained that they we required to take life drawing. I loved then and love still the "foundation". I came to base my work on what what was called fundamental.

My Name in Lights

Here is a pic of my name on the reader board in front of the Hult Center.

Upcoming Classes

I have a few classes starting next week.

At Amazon Community Center:

Drawing Dynamics Ages 16 & up
Mondays 6-7:30
Are you a 'wannabe' artist but afraid of the blank page? Here is your chance to become a confident artist. This class will help train your eyes and hand to work together. You will look at line and mark making, tone, gesture & object drawing, space, drawing portraits, and more. The real thing!

Explore Your Inner Art Ages 16 & up
Tuesdays 6-8
Through simple exercises, this class will help you will explore your unconscious, opening up your ability to create. Beginners and experienced artists can use this technical knowledge of image making to help strengthen and push their work as far as it can go. Have fun creating and discovering in a relaxed and nurturing environment.

At Maude Kerns Art Center:

Drawing in Color
Wednesdays, start day postponed, 6:00pm-8:00pm
John Holdway
Class ID #1553

Beat those winter blues and discover what color can do for your drawings! With the help and guidance of instructor John Holdway, you will learn the importance of color in your artwork. Experimenting with both charcoal and pastels, you will review techniques to make colors “pop” as well as methods to control color and tone in your drawings. Whether a beginning or experienced artist, this class is a wonderful opportunity to have some fun, learn new skills, and bring a burst of color to your art. 8 Sessions.

Skill Builder in Drawing & Painting
Thursdays, Start Day Postponed, 6:00pm-8:30pm
John Holdway
Class ID #1552

Take advantage of this unique classroom setting to build your skills in drawing and painting. Open to community members and Northwest Christian University students, this class offers a more academic approach to drawing and painting. Each week, you will complete exercises to help develop your drawing techniques and explore the art of watercolor painting. You will review concepts of composition, line, color, and perspective, and benefit from both in-class demonstrations and individual instruction. A great way to develop and strengthen your skills in two fundamental art forms! 8 Sessions.

Jacobs Postcard

I just got my stack of postcards for the show.

Count Down to Jacobs

I just got finished dropping off my paintings at the Jacobs Gallery for my upcoming show Consuming Vison.

Jacobs Gallery Office
Hult Center for Performing Arts
One Eugene Center
Eugene, OR 97401

The opening reception is this Friday January 9,2009 and starts at 5:30 and goes until around 9:30. I and the other artists will be giving an artist inside talk from 3:30-4:30. I hope to see you there.

Here you can see a large four foot square painting that I finished just a week ago. It is called Three Oranges. Besides being the largest piece in the show it has a little different point of view than the other pieces. This one is a view from above looking down. There is not a backdrop just the surface the oranges are sitting on. Most of the other paintings have a horizontal line separating the two which is a strong compositional element that I use often.