Upcoming Class

In my art classes I encourage students to play and have fun. Why do art if it isn't fun? It can be hard to get started painting. In our society of hyper-competition, to do something that you might not be good at can feel risky. Sometimes students feel nervous about having someone even see their artwork. I have a few tricks. I will give you some ways to paint with out risk. I give assignments. I don't make you do them. I don't grade you on them. But I build myself in as a scapegoat. If it doesn't turn out as well as you wanted, you simply didn't connect with the my assignment. An assignment also lets you stretch your wings when you get too caught up in something. I often give myself assignments to get myself out of a rut. Students have freedom to explore their own interests. In those times I serve as a technical adviser. I offer constructive criticism to help push your ideas more.

Working with Water-Based Paints:
Watercolors, Acrylics and More

8 Thursday nights 6-8:30pm
September 27-November 29 no class November 15, or 22.
Members $75 nonmembers $90
Maude Kerns Art Center
1910 E 15th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97403
541-345-1571
http://www.mkarcenter.org

Teague's Beads


I have a new Studio-mate! Teague Cohen is from Portland and a graduate of Colorado College. She is a bead maker and sells her beads on ebay and etsy. I have been fascinated watching her work. She uses a process called lamp-work. Each bead is built on a steel rod by melting glass with a torch. She carefully works each bead with class rods, powdered glass and metals. Then the beads are placed in a kiln to cure. Teague has an online store where she sells bead sets and focals for jewelry makers and collectors.
http://www.TeaguesBeads.etsy.com

I started a new blog called DaddyFriendly. This is where I an other contributors review products that are "daddy friendly". Many of the products out there are geared toward moms and thats great but some things work better for dads.

http://www.daddyfriendly.blogspot.com/

In The Studio
Here is a photo from the studio showing a painting of four house shaped blocks. I like this idea of using objects that have a symbolic value. I treat it like a still life with the lighting and arrangement. Simply by using house shaped blocks it brings ideas of landscape. The simplicity of the block shapes themselves and the primary colors seems to reference childhood.

Last Friday Art Walk

It is time again for the art walk. I don't have too many posts between art walks since Henry was born. Hmmm. Below, I put in the link to the video that I made for those of you who have never been to the studio. It can be tricky to find. I think it will help you find me.

Next week I will have a new studio mate moving in, Teague Cohen. I will give a little intro about her next week. She makes glass beads.

As I was rearranging for Teague to move in I found a variety of older work of mine. Many people are surprised to see work when I stray from the still life paintings that I have been doing for the last few years. I have explored many many styles and ideas since I have been making art for a long time now. Gallerists like to show an artist's cohesive body of work but I think most artists like to explore and try different things. It is hard to develop a completely new body of work that is ready for a gallery. It feels like going backward a little to think about doing it. When you visit my studio you see more than the commercial package. You see my widely straying mind and all the experimentation that may never make it to the gallery.

World Mini Print Annual

I have been getting back into printmaking in the last couple years. I have always done prints such as etchings and relief prints. Some of you may know that my father was a printmaker and for a time was an artist in residence at Montpelier Cultural Art Center. I have a very tiny press that I use for printing relief prints and mono prints.
I have three mono prints on exhibit this year in Sofia, Bulgaria at the World Mini Print Annual at Lessedra Gallery.

Web Cam Chat

I created a chat room for those of you that just found my web page from watching the Owen Park Rose Garden web cam.

http://www.chatzy.com/444505157830

I will join in after I get back to the studio.

Upcoming Classes

I am going to be teaching two classes starting next week at Maude Kerns Art Center (541)345-1571.

Watercolor and Acrylic Painting
Thursdays 6pm-9pm
8/2-9/20
members-$75 nonmembers-$90

Plein Air Painting On Location
7/31-9-18
Tuesdays 9am-12pm
members-$75 nonmembers-$90

To promote the classes I am going to be doing a plein air painting demonstration from 12pm-1 Friday July 27th at Owen Rose Garden come by or watch on their web cam.

Last Friday Art Walk

Its time for the art walk (get a map) and I am hosting a CD release party for Sound Visionary. He will be performing his electronic music 6-9 at my studio.

Studio C
245 Blair Blvd
Eugene, OR

You will have the chance to see this new painting I have been working on. I hope to see you here.

Brendan York

The experiment seemed to work. I thought that Last Friday Art Walk could be more than an excuse to clean up my studio. New venues are joining. The count is up to 25. Unbelievable! Although my studio is a little hard to find. I get a lot of people strolling through. I advertise on Craig's list to find musicians looking for a place to perform. Guess what? There are a lot. Brendan York was the guinea pig. He even made some tips including a pack of bottle rockets.