Exhibition in Japan

I teach at Western Oregon University and the art department faculty has been offered a wonderful opportunity to have an exchange exhibition with our sister school, Saitama University in Japan.
Each faculty member submitted 1-3 unframed works on paper. We shipped our work to them while they had their faculty do the same thing and ship it to us. Thus we will be able to have exhibitions in both our University galleries from each faculty. Our work will be up in their gallery during the month of February.
The opening reception for the work from SAITAMA {JAPAN} TO YOU will be at the Cannon Gallery on Wednesday from 4:30-6 pm.

Gallery hours 
M – F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and by appointment
(we are happy to accommodate group visits)

The Cannon Gallery of ArtWestern Oregon University
345 N. Monmouth Ave.,
Monmouth, OR 97361
(503) 838-8607
e-mail: boothp@wou.edu

Image Credit: Gendered Biology, Charcoal on Bristol, 18 x 24"

This is one of two works of mine that will be n display in Japan.

How can I sound smart when critiquing art?

Here is a funny resource that will generate statements for you to sound impressive the next time you find yourself in a situation where you have to talk about an artwork.
The Instant Art Critique
For example, I put in the following 5 digits (23564) and this was my generated response:
I find this work menacing/playful because of the way the optical suggestions of the purity of line visually and conceptually activates the inherent overspecificity.


I hope my students do not find this resource because I think it will be painfully obvious.

Movies into Books: I Can Read Movies Series

This is a great collection by spacesick of his retro-esque book cover designs that are based on movies. This designer is a pop culture maniac and I love it. Can you guess the movie being referenced without looking at the titles?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacesick/sets/72157614482499746/
He also has a blog: http://spacesick.blogspot.com/

No holiday is complete without Jell-O

*Image Credit

Season's Greetings

The is a beautiful ink drawing done in 1937 Disney artist Hank Porter.
CLick to see larger version and be amazed by the detail and line quality.

Shout Festival! Exhibition

In November, my work was featured at the Shout Festival held in Birmingham England. Artists submitted work from around the world on the theme of "Censored." Accepted work was then projected onto buildings in Birmingham City Centre for four nights at the start of the SHOUT festival. I wish I could've seen in in person but I could not afford to fly over to England. Maybe next year.

Merinthaphobia, original drawing is graphite, Prismacolor and gouache on Paper, projected to approximately 30 x 40'

Dissolution of a Fairy Tale, original is charcoal and gouache on Bristol, projected to approximately 30 x 40'

Just for all those snow globe enthusiasts out there...

Haddon Sunblom's Santas

As you may or may not know, I am a big fan of drinking Coca-Cola. I am also a fan of one of Coca-Cola most famous illustrators. Haddon Sundblom is best known for his Santa Claus illustrations for the Coca-cola company from the 1930's through the 1960's. His iconic realization of Santa Claus is still used by the company today.

According to the company, "For inspiration, Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of St. Nick led to an image of Santa that was warm, friendly, pleasantly plump and human. For the next 33 years, Sundblom painted portraits of Santa that helped to create the modern image of Santa -- an interpretation that today lives on in the minds of people of all ages, all over the world."
Here are some excellent links for further perusal:
Article on Coca-Cola's website
Article on Lines and Colors blog

Images scanned from 'Twas

Great collection available on Amazon, Dream of Santa: Haddon Sundblom's Advertising Paintings for Christmas, 1932-1964 (Hardcover)

Artist I have recently discovered: Jonathan Queen

Jonathan Queen shows at the Miller Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was introduced to him through the March 2009 issue of The Artist Magazine. I am really drawn to his beautifully crafted paintings of vintage toys in classical shallow spaces.


Good Intentions ,2007, oil, 14x11"

Atomic Disintegrator, 2008, oil on panel, 8x10"  

Great Quote by William Kentridge

"The first promptings to work as an artist are still there. The questions haven't changed. How does one find a way, not of illustrating the society one lives in, but allowing what happens there to be part of the work."

_William Kentridge, on his work now that he is in his fifties.

I have always admired South African artist, William Kentridge. He has consistently pushed the boundaries of drawing in addition to pushing the theme and content of his work. Follow this link to a great article on a recent exhibit and here is another on the progression of his work.

Artists that Inspire Me, Part 4: John Currin

Thanksgiving, Oil on Canvas, 2003

John Currin is a controversial figure painter that uses beautiful technique to create images that beg to be questioned and dissected. They often have heavy sexual overtones and play to the American sensibility of stereotype and judgment. There is a hint of Norman Rockwell in his use of narrative and some of the stylized surface of Maxfield Parrish.Homemade Pasta, oil on canvas, 50 by 42 inches, 1999

'It is interesting to me that people feel automatically guilty, kind of uncomfortable, when they look at that painting. An image of two men has a strange authority, an ability to make liberal people cringe and get nervous about what they are going to say....'"

LINK to interesting essay on his work.

Great Collection of Exploitation Film Posters

In case you did not know, I am a sucker for propaganda images. The Golden Age of Comics blog has recently posted  fantastic collection of posters from 1928-1968. In addition to getting a kick out of reading the titles and tag lines, some of the design choices are quite inspirational. Most of them come from a time when illustrators created the images without the sophisticated digital photography available today, nor software programs like Illustrator and Photoshop. Some of them are offensive because of sexist, racial or classist overtones, but looking at them in context as evidence of design, typography and drawing is quite satisfying.

Featured on Twitter

Utrecht Art Supplies will be using my work as their background today on Twitter. See it here.

SketchCrawl

SketchCrawl is an international marathon drawing event. This year it is happening on November 21, the fifth anniversary of the event. Details on participating and submitting your sketches can be found here. Get out there and draw!

Featured on Feminine Moments Blog

Feminine Moments is a resource site about works of fine art by lesbian and queer artists. It is based out of Scandinavia and  maintained by a wonderful woman named Birthe Havmøller.
I was honored to be asked to contribute for a post featuring my latest body of work. You can see the article here.