One of the favorite things in my studio is "Chester", a mask from Guatemala (gift from my friend Grace Thornton). I thought this was Halloween appropriate.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the MoMA in NYC. One thing I love to do in museums is to capture how a painting 'feels' in person. It is a completely different experience than looking in an artbook. You get a real sense of scale, texture, and subtle value changes that reproductions can't capture. I attempt to capture the feelings by sketching/making notations in a moleskine sketchbook while walking around the gallery. Here are a few shots of me nerding out taken by my wife (who is probably ready for me to hurry up and move on to the next gallery):
This is a portrait of my little sister that was on display at her wedding. I scattered some personal symbolism throughout the work including: The Quarterman Crest, old family dog, her birthday, wedding day, an allusion to a previous profession, and an image of her new husband.
I recently found out that I will be participating in the 1st Annual Town Creek Arts Festival this October at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson. Look for my booth...more details later.
I recently took a trip down to San Antonio with my wife, Bonnie, for her Birthday. One of the things on her list was to visit "The McNay"--an art museum in the former 24-room Spanish Colonial-Revival home of heiress Marion McNay. If you ever find yourself in San Antonio this place is a must-see for the architecture and grounds alone. Her 700 piece art collection left to San Antonio wasn't bad either. The collection includes Rivera, Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Kirchner, Dufy, and the list goes on.
Blocking in a new 'herringbone bluesman' painting. I thought I ended this series in 2006, but I've recently had a lot of ideas that might produce a second round. Herringbone Bluesman Part 2...