Self-left 8.16.10

"Self-left (8.16.10)"
One of a few new self-portraits that I've taken lately.

New works

If you wander over to the Bridgette Mayer Gallery website, you can see some images of some of the paintings that have been keeping me busy in the studio for the past few months.

Studio visit: Paul Behnke (8.06.10)

Last week I got to visit the studio of painter Paul Behnke, who recently exhibited work in the "Philadelphia Painters" exhibition, curated by Matthew Farina, at the Painting Center in New York. We hung out for about three hours, talking art and life. During our chat, Paul was good enough to let me indulge my photo habit.

More images of Paul's work can be found here: Paul Behnke Paintings

Paul's art blog is here: Structure and Imagery

Studio portrait: palette knife

Paul Behnke stopped by the studio today. The ensuing conversation touched on many things art-related, including the items that painters tend to have around them for a long time.
I have a few things in my studio that I've had for a very long time, one of them being this palette knife. I've probably had this one for at least 20 years. The lumps are the build-up of acrylic paint over time. This is actually the second coating of paint that this palette knife has had. I peeled away most of the first coating maybe 11 years ago and let it go again.

The funny thing about this knife is that I don't use it in the application of paint to supports; I use it solely to mix paints.  

All dressed up

What a great splash of color in the city! I finally got to see this guerilla-knitted tree at 18th and Walniut Streets Monday morning while hanging out at Rittenhouse Square before going to work. The tree has been covered for a couple of weeks and, quite frankly, I'm surprised that it's still in this state. I'm happy that it is because the shock of color is really needed in some of our public spaces. 

Artist gathering 7.30.10 (Pam Farrell's studio)

On Friday, I took the chance to get out of the city for a few hours, courtesy of Pam Farrell, who opened her home and studio in New Jersry to a group of artist friends for lunch and a bit of 'show and tell'. She asked us to bring work that we might want to discuss with the group. I also got to meet Lisa Pressman and  Ravenna Taylor in person after a long time of us knowing of each other's work through the 'net. I caught a ride to Pam's with Rob Solomon and David Foss. We arrived a little later than anticipated, but still in time for lunch. Once lunch was over, the group of us convened in Pam's studio to talk about some of the things we've been doing recently. 


Thanks for Pam for opening her home and studio and to everyone for sharing your work and comments. There are more photos and commentary on Lisa Pressman's blog.

David Foss commenting on one of Pam Farrell's works on paper. LIsa Pressman is to his right, Pam Farrell (hidden), Rob Solomon, and Ravenna Taylor.

Pam discussing her work.

New works on paper by David Foss

Works on paper by Lisa Pressman

Discussing Lisa Pressman's work.

Here, I'm talking about one of my recent paintings, as yet untitled. To the left is Ravenna Taylor.  

A couple of Pam's neighbors dropped by for some snacks.

Studio 7.22.10

Some finished paintings and works in progress.

Time slips

I've been reading this book called, "A Painter's Life" by K.B. Dixon. The novel is a collection of biographical scraps of fictional painter, Christopher Freeze. There's no story, per se, but an odd mix of pieces of Freeze's life as seen through the title character's "unpublished journals", bits of exhibition reviews, and the narrative of the auther describing parts of Freeze's life.

I'm about 75% through the book and came across an interesting bit taken from the unpublished journals of Christopher Freeze where he's describing a local watering hole:

"A dingy, low-lit place filled with the unwashed, the uncommitted, and the unemployed, Arnold's is one of those existential hog-wallows that prides itself on a dubious set of bona fides. A sort of retro stage set, it paraphrases another place and time-a place and time we readily assume to be realer, more substantive than the one we now inhabit."

The latter part of that passage really caught my attention, about Arnold's being a place that recalled a time the we remember as being more authentic than the present. That's the rub about the present, we're always busy trying to figure out where we are because time just keeps marching on. The past provides us with a stage where we can stop time, relive or reconstruct moments in time and imbue them with whatever significance we want, all in the service of gettring away from the present. The present, where nothing is certain, aside from the standys-death and taxes. There isn't even a *now* since time is in perpetual movement and we can't even begin to decipher the meaning of the present until some time has past.

It's no wonder that human beings cling to memories, real or imagined, of times and events gone by. The present is filled with so much anxiety and uncertainty because we can barely wrap our minds around how fast the present becomes the past. Things are happening that may take years to understand. We have little understanding of whatever is going on in our lives or around the world. Situations change in the blink of an eye and we have to retune our minds to accomodate the new reality. It's no wonder we like to retreat to "a simpler, more innocdent time"-whatever that might be for us. Trying to imagine how rapidly tthe present is changing is like tyring to understand the vast distances that light travels from places in outer space to Earth. Mind-blwoing, really. The idea of the ungraspable aspect of the present is what inspired one of my exhibitions, which I titled, "When Is Now". There is no now. We say that there is because it's in our nature to categorize things and time is one of those mysterious things that we have a very tenuous grasp on.

Interview on Doublethink Design

A recent online interview I did with Doublethink Design has been posted: Follow Friday Interview: Tim McFarlane, Artist

“Follow Friday” Interview with Tim McFarlane (represented by Bridgette Mayer Gallery, PA).

http://timmcfarlane.tumblr.com
http://www.timmcfarlane.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-McFarlane-Art/54626267630
http://www.bridgettemayergallery.com/artist_mcfarlanehome.htm

DD: How would you define your style?
TM: I guess I’d say that my work is a kind of organic abstraction, at least at this point.

DD: How long have you been creating art for?
TM: I’ve been painting since high school…about 27 years or so.

DD: Were you formally trained in art or are you self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
TM: I was formally trained. I began studying art in high school and later in college. My first two years in college were spent attempting to major in subjects that might lead to jobs to bring in money. Of course, that didn’t work out. I dropped out after those two years, worked and continued painting and drawing on my own. I wanted to get a college degree and found a way to return to school part-time and work. The only thing I was really interested in studying was art, so that’s what I studied when I went back.

DD: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
TM: As a child, I didn’t really have any real ideas about what I wanted to do when I grew up. I liked school and my parents encouraged me to study hard, but I wasn’t like other kids around me who wanted to be firemen, cops or whatever. I was something of a dreamer, read a lot of comics, and I think that I was more into imagining and creating other worlds, which I get to do now.

DD: How do you deal with creator’s block?
TM: I usually deal with creator’s block in a couple of ways. The first is to maybe work on projects other than painting, which is my main avenue of creativity. I’ll delve more into photography or maybe do a lot of works on paper. The other way is to just take a break from the studio for a few days and read, go and see some other art, or maybe do something else in the studio that needs attention, like rearranging the space, cleaning up, and so forth. Usually, a little time away will recharge me enough to get back to work again and continue.

DD: Aside from art, what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that you are passionate about?
TM: I mentioned it above, but photography is a big passion of mine. I use photography as a medium unto itself-I don’t use it as a precursor for my paintings or anything. Besides photography, I love riding my bike and take every chance to do so. I love reading and still read comics and graphic novels because I’m a sucker for a good story with pictures. Music (especially deep house, and other types of electronic music), dancing and generally having a good time when I can.

DD: Do you think that the internet is helping or destroying the art world?
TM: I think that there is a little of both, but largely, I think that the internet is helping the art world. The ‘net has made it a lot easier for people to discover artists and art that they might not have done so easily before. From my own experience, it has helped me connect with artists from all over the world. Also, the ‘net has enabled artistic collaborations to happen much easier, and take aritistic collaborations to new levels, like being exclusively virtual. New forms of digital art have come into being because of the internet, as well.

Some of the downsides, as I see them, include the theft and unauthorized use of images for commercial or other purposes and the posting and reposting of images with no attribution or source information. The former issue is pretty serious and annoying but the latter gets under my skin as well, because I come across thousands of images that I might like on sites like Tumblr, but often there is no way to find out what the image might be of or who might have made it, etc… Sometimes, that information might not be necessary, but if I come across an image that looks like a painting, I like having an idea of size and scale and most of the time, that information isn’t readily apparent from just the image itself.

DD: What has been your worst experience with art?
TM: I don’t think that I’ve had a “worst” experience with art. I guess I’ve had a few disappointments here and there but nothing that severe.

DD: What has been your best experience with art?
TM: Being able to do something that I love and having other people love it enough to buy it.

DD: What does your work space look like?
TM: My work space is on the 4th floor of an old warehouse space in the Old City section of Philadelphia, not far from the Delaware River to the east. It’s about 350 square feet and pretty basic. The space is very old and doesn’t have insulation, so it’s really hot in the summer and cold in the winter. There’s heat, but I don’t use it that much because of the expense. I just wear a lot of layers of clothing in the winter.
Photo 1 / Photo 2.

DD: Is there any advice you would like to pass on to other artists?
TM: If you love making art, it’s your life and not just a passing fancy. it’s tough making a living at it and you have to be resourceful. There are what I call the three Ps: Persistence, Patience, and Professionalism:

- Persistence: Your work is the priority. Keep making work, period. If you love what you do, then do it and make no excuses nor apologies.

- Patience: Everything about art takes time-time to make the work, time to develop as a creative person and time for the work to develop. Art is a lifelong endavor and there is always something new to learn, no matter how long you’ve been doing it. A lot of what it takes to ‘make it’ in the art world, whatever that means to you, depends on creating and maintaining relationships with people which can take time. I also believe that it’s important for young artists to develop support networks amongst their peers- go to each other’s shows, do studio visits, collaborate, do whatever it takes to have a support network. Also, develop relationships with people who might not do what you do. If you paint, make friends with people who are writers, photographers, filmakers, dancers, etc… You’ll be surprised by how much you can learn from people in other disciplines. Remain open to new experiences and you’ll be surprised at how much good it can do for your creative process.

- Professionalism: I can’t stress enough about how important it is for artists to be professional in how they interact with the rest of the world. A few things to keep in mind:
• Reply to emails and return phone calls in a timely manner. Deadlines and other people’s time do matter. Example: If someone contacts you about an exhibition opportunity, even if it isn’t something that you can do or aren’t interested in, it is better to respond than not. It is never cool to keep people waiting because they will remember and in the future, you might miss out on an opportunity and in the future, you might get passed over for something that you might want to participate in. The art world, whether local, national, or global is small and people have long memories. The same goes for just being tactful. You never know who might know someone else, so watch what you say about other people, online or in the physical world.
• Know how to write well. If writing isn’t your strength, then find someone to help you with writing artist statements, essays for grant applications, proposals for exhibitions, etc… Leave the emoticons and other types of ‘net spak for your personal friends on the web.
• If you are thinking about approaching a gallery to show your work, do your homework. Visit the gallery a few times to see what kind of work they show and to see if what you do might fit into their programming. It’s simple, if you are a realist painter, don’t approach a galley that shows mainly abstract or conceptual art.
• Document your work and have good reproductions to show people. Learn how to photograph your work correctly or have a profesisonal do it for you.
• Always be prepared. Have copies of your art resumé, artist statement, and images of your work at hand on your computer or other drive to send out. You never know when someone might email or call and request some information about you and your work.
• If you are shy, find a way around it and learn to talk to people about your work. Most of the time, people want to know something about the person behind the art and that can help them have a deeper connection with the artwork.
• “Please”, “Thank you”, and “You’re Welcome” can go a long way

—

If you are an artist, designer or photographer and you are interested in being interviewed you may contact me through Tumblr or drop me an email at doublethinkdes@gmail.com.

Tamra Davis's "Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child" at Film Forum

Photo courtesy of Benno Friedman / Corbis Outline

I'm going to try and catch Tamra Davis's documentary, "Jean-Michel Basquiat:The Radiant Child" at the Film Forum in New York. The film has a two-week run from July 21st-August 3rd with daily screenings at 1:15, 3:15, 6, 8, and 10. Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston (west of 6th Ave.)

Brandon Voges-Upside Down Faces

"Stacy" ©Brandon Voges

Photographer Brandon Voges tackles the basic portrait from a different angle with his series, Upside-Down Faces. Voges doesn't seem to have his own website, but he is on Flickr: Upside- Downy Faces

Below is a behind-the-scenes video of Brandon's Upside Down series:

.

Two more summer shows

Mark Brosseau

Capricious, 2010
Assorted Watermedia on Canvas, 20 x 26"

Mark Brosseau has a new solo exhibition opening this week at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery. Mark's show, "Wondrous Spaces" features all-new paintings and drawings in accordian books in the Vault Room-"Wondrous Sequences".

Mark Brosseau

"Wondrous Spaces"

July 6-July 31, 2010

Opening Reception:

Friday, July 9, 2010

6-8:30pm

Bridgette Mayer Gallery

709 Walnut Street, 1st Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19106

"RSVP" at LG Tripp Gallery

Group Exhibition

July 9 – August 21, 2010

Artists Reception, July 10, 4 – 7 pm
First Friday, August 6, 6 – 8:30 pm

LG Tripp Gallery

47-49 N. 2nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Philadelphia Painters

If you're in New York during July through mid-August, check out "Philadelphia Painters" at the Painting Center. Curated by Matthew Farina, this show features some great painters from Philly, many of whom I know. It's sure to be a good one, so put it on your list of must-see exhibits for the summer.

Philadelphia Painters

curated by Matthew Farina

July 6-August 17, 2010

Opening Reception:

Thursday, July 8, 2010

6-8pm

The Painting Center

547 West 27th Street

NY, NY

Studio: 6.30.10

Floor_boards_wall

John Millei

I just found out about the work of L.A.-based painter, John Millei, through a completely random blog link. I love how that works out for the better sometimes, because I'm really enjoying discoverying Millei's varied bodies of work. In this video, Millei talks about some of the ideas that helped him develop his Maritime and White Squall series.

You can see more images of John Millei's work on the Ace Gallery website: John Millei at Ace Gallery.net

There are also some photos of John's studio courtesy of Dennis Hollingsworth.

Studio break: 6.23.10

Taking a much-needed break. There are times in the studio where I'll work and suddenly realize that I've completely zoned out while studying a painting in progress because I've forgotten to eat for a long period. The watermelon was all that was left of the food I had, but with the heat of the day, the most welcome.

Studio: 6.21.10

"Your post post-modern blank stare of conceptual indifference is no match for my Art-fu!"

Just a little goofing before getting down to business. Today was one of those days where I really needed to get a laugh to excorcise some personal anxiety and getting this photo down and coming up with that caption did the trick. That, along with some Tool, made things go along pretty well.

Tool-"Stinkfist"

Tool-"AEnema"

Tool-"Sober"

Last week and into the weekend, I stretched my first canvas in over a year. Most of my recent work has been on wood panels. However, the last thing I want to have to deal with is a five-foot square panel, so returning to canvas was a must. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with keeping the corners square while stretching it, but things went much better than I imagined. I hope that I'm not jinxing myself, but this was one of the easiest stretching jobs I've had at this size.

My Art-fu is winning, so far...at least I think it is....sometimes you can never tell. This is very much in an in-progress state with many more changes to come.

Studio visit-Vincent Romaniello

Last week, I met up with Vincent Romaniello at his studio. It had been a long time since I'd last visited and there was a lot of new works completed and in the making, which was exciting to see. My main experience of Romaniello's work has been through painting, which always had an edge of materiality about them. One show that comes to mind was one he had at the Philadelphia Art Alliance maybe three years ago, where he showed large, mixed-media works whose surfaces read more like Japanese rock gardens with furrows of sand, gesso and other materials activating the painting surfaces.

Since then, Vince's studio practice has grown to include assemblage projects where he makes use of building materials like insulation foam and everyday objects, while expanding his painting practice to include poured paintings like those in his 'Tectonic' series.

Vince's work can be seen in two upcoming shows:

Campfire Art

Presented by Winkel & Balktick

June 19, 2010

Brooklyn, NY

Philadelphia Painters

Curated by Matthew Farina

July 6-August 17, 2010

Opening Reception:

Thursday, July 8, 6-8pm

The Painting Center

547 West 27th Street

New York, NY

Researchers Identify Bones as Caravaggio’s - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

Researchers Identify Bones as Caravaggio’s - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

Guess what? Caravaggio did die...and is still dead.

Ross Bleckner on "Work of Art"

Ross Bleckner sums up most of the feelings I had about the first episode of Bravo's "Work of Art".

"Sarah Jessica Parker's show on Bravo,Work of Art, is a joke. Albeit an inside-the-art-world kind of joke..."

Romanblog II: Sigmar Polke, RIP

Romanblog II: Sigmar Polke, RIP

New York Times slideshow of Polke's work.

From the studio: untitled

Untitled, 2010, acrylic on panel, 24" x 24"

A new, as of now, untitled work on the studio wall.

My work on "My Daily Thread"

All this week, you can see images of my work featured on the 'Daily Galleries' over at "My Daily Thread". Each day, different images will be shown, so check back each day to see something new: Tim McFarlane on "My Daily Thead"

Also, if you're in Philadelphia, be sure to stop by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery to see this month's benefit exhibition for Ready, Willing, & Able. I have three new works in the show and there are 100 10" x 10" panels by national and local artists on view. The show is up through July 2nd.

Marina Abramovic Answers the $64,000 Question: "How Did I Pee?"

Jane Levere: Marina Abramovic Answers the $64,000 Question: "How Did I Pee?"

Studio: 5.31.10

Louise Bourgeois, Influentual Sculptor, Dies at 98 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

Louise Bourgeois, Influentual Sculptor, Dies at 98 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

This is the full obituary for Louise Bourgeios, who died earlier today (Monday 5.31.10).

This was really sad to hear. She had an amazing personality and was a great artist.

Why preserve Van Gogh's palette? – Telegraph Blogs

Why preserve Van Gogh's palette? – Telegraph Blogs

This is a great blog post from Lucy Davies on the Telegraph.uk site. I hadn't given much thought to the existence and availability of the painting palettes of artists such as Vab Gogh, Delacroix, and Goya. Looking at the photos of the palettes can give you something of an insight into how the artist worked and their approach to color.

Using a traditional palette set-up hasn't been a part of my studio practice for years, but I remember really enjoying lining up my colors from warm to cool on my newly scraped down glass palette at the beginning of a painting session. Once in a while, I might have a couple of piles of left-over paint on it, but usually, I just scraped off what wasn't used and put it in a jar with water. That was when I was working with oils exclusively. I liked having a clean palette to work on and could not deal with having dried paint from previous sessions still there. I didn't care about how messy the palette became, while I was painting but it had to be relatively clean when I started.

I still have those glass palettes, even though I haven't used them in a long time. I also have a couple of traditional wooden palettes as well. I think that they are packed up in the apartment or at the studio.

Lately, I have taken to using disposable palettes when I want to mix small amounts of colors that I don't already have stored in containers. I started doing that while working on 'Lagoon'. The disposable palettes made it easier to deal with movng back and forth across such a large piece.

studio 5.28.10

Studio corner with works in various stages of resolution. I'm starting to pick up steam now and am looking forward to jumping into some larger pieces in the coming weeks.

From the studio for Ready, Willing, & Able

Cherryripe, 2010, mixed media on panel, 10 x 10 inches

After The Storm, 2010, mixed media on panel, 10 x 10 inches

Two new paintings that will be shown in the upcoming Benefit Exhibition at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery. The beneficiaries of this year's exhibition will be Ready, Willing, and Able, which provides transitional housing and paid-work training for homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals in Philadelphia.

The exhibition runs from June 4-July 2, 2010. The opening reception takes place at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA on First Friday, June 4th, from 6-8:30pm

For more information about Ready, Willing & Able, visit: www.rwaphiladelphia.org