sheepage

I've linked up with Technorati. I was on the verge of doing it for a week or so when I saw a post by Kesha Bruce and thought, "Yeah, why not?". I'm already involved in a bunch of sites around the interwebs and only have time to update a couple of them on a regular basis. The others I might look at once a week or so. I'm checking out My ArtSpace.com, but haven't made up my mind if it's worth getting involved with it or not.

I've not been in the studio much over the past couple of weeks but my brain has been buzzing with new ideas. I even broke out the sketchbook the other day to do a couple of quick sketches, something I haven't done much because of the nature of my work over the past couple of years. I use the sketchbook more when I'm working on more 'structured' ideas. The looser my work has become, the less I work in the sketchbook. I work out everything directly on the canvas and don't feel the need to work anything up from a sketch. I turn to the sketchbook when I'm working with more graphic ideas involving linear elements.

into the wilds

Wetlands at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education(SCEE)

This past weekend turned out to be a really good one. Particularily Saturday, which began on a very gray and rainy note. I'd made plans for E and I to go up to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education located on the northern edge of the Roxborough neighborhood here in Philadelphia. I woke up in a bad mood and seeing the rain and clouds only made things worse since I'd planned for us to spend some quality time outdoors.

My work schedule is such that I work every other Saturday, and on the ones I have off, I like to really take advantage of good weather by being outdoors as much as possible. I hadn't had the chance all summer to get out to the wooded areas around Philly and Saturday's temperatures were good for it. My wife and I spent the afternoon trying hard to not step on frogs crossing the paths we were on. It was a good time.




Installation of gourds by Katie Murken w/P'unk Avenue


The green speaker in the upper right is part of a project by Chris Vecchio for Green Machine.

Philadelphia Art Alliance installation shots

Left: Stratum I
Right: Plume
both: 2007, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 72"


Stratum V, 2007, acrylic on panel, 11" x 14"


Right: Stratum(blue)
Left: Stratum(light)
both: 2007, acrylc on panel, 9" x 12"

Delivered the work for my show at the Philadelphia Art Alliance last week and took a few shots after the paintings were installed. The Art Alliance's walls are very different from the more common gallery space I'm used to seeing my work hung in. The walls are covered in a tan-colored fabric that has a softer feel and look than the usual flat white walls of most galleries. The wall-covering is due to the Art Alliance being housed in a mansion on Rittenhouse Square that dates back to 1906. It's a great place to see comtemporary work just for the seemingly incongruous setting.

My exhibition, titled, Stratum, consists of 9 paintings, 8 of which were done specifically for this show. Stratum will be on view at the Art Alliance from Thursday, September 20-December 30, 2007. The opening reception is this Thursday, September 20th from 5:30-7:30pm.

image ≠ word

Favorite new quote:

"Art is a creation for the eye and can only be hinted at with words"
(text from a John Baldessari painting in a current MoMA exhibition titled, What Is Painting?)

That's how I feel about it most days.

work in progress

The beginning of a new, on-going work of art.

PAA art announcement

Eastern State Corridor

The Philadelphia Art Alliance has posted notices of their fall exhibitions on the website.

Glitchy glitch

Still here.

A couple of days ago, I purchased a domain name as the first step towards my own personal art website. I spent a few minutes getting all the information correct, including the domain forwarding. Unfortunately, I made a tiny mistake, an omission, actually, that led to a couple of days of teeth gnashing and furrowed brows. Thankfully, I figured the problem out this morning and everything seems to be working correctly now.