MURAL PAINTING DIARY. PART TWO

Strong and Silent Mural. 10x20 ft. Acrylic and latex on masonry. 2020
Location: SE Alder St between 14th and 15th Avenues, Portland, OR

Say hi to the babushkas, they are finished and here to stay on this Portland wall for the next three years!

Many many thanks to everyone who's supported this project!

It's been an amazing experience. In a way I can't believe I've never worked this large before. It feels so normal and natural now. And all I can think of is where to find another wall to paint ?

I had to take a break for a week because of the rain. A little drizzle isn't a problem for painting a mural, but the downpours we've been having are problematic for applying water soluable paint to an outside wall.

Thoughts and reflections

I am learning yet again that I am an alla prima painter. Not that all my paintings are done in one session, but my approach to making a painting is to move quickly, making changes in response to what is happening on the surface. Plein air painting is like that as well: gotta chase the light while it lasts, make a gesture in one breath.

I am glad that I created a smaller painting first before approaching my first mural, but for my next one I definitely plan on using my normal studio approach of just winging it. The spontaneity and discovery are too important. Also this larger scale and the public nature of the work demands attention also demands much more thorough consideration.

My image selection is the same as my painting process: intuitive and reactive. I don’t consciously consider too much, I intuitively respond to an image that I find compelling. But making something this large and this permanently installed in a public place makes me feel like I need to take a step back and really consider.

I’ve heard it time and time again that most of contemporary figurative painting is about identity politics. I’ve been toeing that line, dancing around it for a while now. But something about putting my work in a public space pushes me to fully admit that it applies to me. I am working with heritage, cultural inheritance, norms and customs passed through socialization and unconscious absorption from the environment. Painting this mural, and especially stepping back and looking at it now that it’s done, brings into focus the need to clarify and put more words to anchor the images I make.

I paint archetypes, I create my own pantheon. But it’s not a particularly diverse one. Perhaps I am a worshiper of a chthonic matriarchal cult of the crone. 

But then I am not a worshiper either. I bring forth to examine and clarify as much as to pay respects and acknowledge. 

More of an archivist really, whose work is both to preserve and critically examine.

Prints are on their way

For those of you who have selected mural design prints as perks:

I am working with a local fine art printer on the print proofs right now. As soon as I sign off on the proofs, I'll have a better idea about the delivery timeline. 

And for those of you who haven't grabbed one yet, or want another one, please claim them soon. I don't want you to miss out on having your own hand signed and numbered limited edition prints just because the campaign is over.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

My Eyes are Full of Art: Venice Biennale, Museo del Prado, Thyssen and Casa Sorolla

I went to Europe and all I have to show for it are these two thousand photos of paintings on museum walls.

Where to begin?

I love travel. Most of us do.
And it’s been a few years since I traveled internationally.

My last trip to Europe was also an art trip to participate in the 5th Odessa Biennial of Contemporary art.
Two years later I finally got to see the granddaddy of them all, the Venice Biennale. I also managed to visit all the major museums in Madrid. It’s a lot of art to take in!

There was no way for me to post about everything I was seeing as I was trying to see and do so much on my short trip. So I am going to create a series of blog posts about all the renaissance and baroque masterpieces as well as the stunning line up of contemporary art from the Biennale.

Oh, and it’s strictly forbidden to photograph art at the Museo del Prado, but you won’t tell on me, will you?

Solo Show at the Joinery

Please join us for an opening reception at the Joinery

on May 23rd, 5-7pm.

About the venue:

The Joinery began as a one-person furniture refurbishing and repair business in 1982. Today we are proud to employ a team of highly skilled people operating with a strong sense of shared values to design, build and sell our furniture. We use time-honored joinery techniques to create masterful pieces in a variety of modern and traditional designs. We challenge ourselves to continually improve, innovate, and create wood furniture that is as functional and durable as it is beautiful. We invite you to drop in to our Portland, Oregon woodshop and watch our craftspeople at work.  

The products you will see here represent only part of our offering. If you need modifications to a standard piece — or you have a vision of something entirely new — we invite you to talk to us: our team will work with you to make sure you get exactly the look, feel and function you had in mind.

Refreshments are provided by the venue and the artist will be present.

The Joinery

922 SW Yamhill St, Portland, OR