stories & tales (& theory)

For the month of March (5th - 31st) I'm part of a group show called Stories & Tales at artstream studios. The show also features the work of Abby Glassenberg, Alena Hennessy, and Tara Hogan. If you happen to be roaming around New Hampshire on March 7th, race over to Rochester and take in the opening from 5 to 7 pm; you'll find Susan to be a lovely host.

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And what a relief it is to be done all this work: fifteen pieces in total. This was a constant journey in message and techique, and I could feel things really sharpening by the end of it, as if I'd reached a conclusion. More likely, it was just a somewhat solid-looking landing spot. My artist's statement:

I paint misguided fables – those imagined (and remembered) dreamscapes of childhood, where icons of fun get twisted around with the glamour and dread of all things unknown, and the extraordinary just wanders in. The meanings of these self-imposed stories are mostly fleeting or fantastical or misunderstood. Naturally, in a realm where the perspective is confused (or just distorted by so much looking up), letters and words become physical things to be wondered at, the horizon appears limitless, and animals seem supercharged with magic. The string (most of these works are from a collection I call "the string series") is meant to divide the picture plane in a forced way – often the string falls in a troublesome area of the image, like the eyes or mouth – and add a strong dimension of texture. It also represents a window. And a present.

Why I bother doing all this thinking about theory is beyond me, especially when all I really need is this:

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Does she look familiar? Well, she used to be a Halloween painting, but I soon grew tired of that. Remember, subject matter counts! Superhero? Not today, mixed media on canvas, 8x8 inches.

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This week my own superhero, the bossy (but charming) C, started circulation of her new book, a compilation of interviews of professionals by students aspiring to work their fields. There's no vampires or car chases or Nazi gold, but it's interesting to see how candid people will be with their advice.

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A drawing for a story called Misery Guts. It's about another bossy girl (and a spoiled doggy who gets caught down a wrathful path).

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Yesterday, from my sister Mary Ann, I received some pictures of my nephew Shawn. Here he is pandering to the crowd on his birthday (it looks like the event was sponsored by Curious George).

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Speaking of birthdays, today is my nephew Landon's (that's him lurking in the background, with the ray gun). Happy birthday, mentalist! I sent him volume one in the Flight anthology series, which includes the fantastic work of Catia Chien.

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Not to brag or anything, but another treat I received yesterday was a hand-drawn Valentine from a girl named Pinkey (I know, the spelling seems a bit Welsh to me, too), the bottom of which featured a portrait of myself. One. Handsome. Dude.

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Last but not least (since I've been meaning to post this for awhile) ... the above painting, called Safari Park, is now in the collection of one Cara Vogel, as it was given to her (by me and C) as a recent birthday present. Congrats on your new job too, Cara.