Third Friday

Painted Desert Gallery will be open for third friday, which is this coming Friday, December 18th from 5 to 9. Stop by to see my art or to just hang out. I would love to see you there!

eggs and bacon?

Since the piece on the left here is called Because of Bacon, I get a lot of questions about it. It is not in fact named after bacon, the food. However, this makes me realize how much fun I can have in naming my paintings and how I'd like to become more mysterious. Every painting title does have a meaning though. Whether I am willing to share its meaning or not. The beauty of it is, the viewer can think it means whatever they want it to, which is similar to life and believing what we want to believe.

I like the open-ended aspect of these paintings. Makes them almost narrative but not definiate. Oddly enough, I could say the same for my life, in general. I think that is why I am drawn to painting the way that I do. I nudge at hints and clues but don't give an exact answer. The most important part of everything is to use your own judgement and imagination. Solve your own puzzle.



Because of Bacon was inspired by this fellow, Francis Bacon. His paintings got me interested in painting abstract and thinking about composition rather than subject matter. I owe all my work to him.

my show, along with a book obsession.

the opening for my show was great. a lot of friends came as well as some new faces. i sold two paintings and about a dozen prints. i think the best part for me was being able to talk about my art. i feel like when i am in the studio, i get so entralled but i have no one to share it with (however i might blog about it). it was nice to be asked about my thought process but at the same time it still scares me.

today it snowed all day so we only had 2 people stop by the gallery, which was perfectly fine with me. carol and i relaxed and talked about books and movies all day. there's something invigorating about discussing books. i suppose that's why i work at a book store. we searched for new authors to read for hours. i think instead of being able to discuss favorite tv shows like a lot of people do, it is easier for me to talk about books and art. the idea of the show was to use your imagination. books and art go hand in hand with that concept. and to be able to discuss this with friends is just absolutely amazing.

here are some photos from the show:

Ornaments for Sale at First Friday

 Holiday Ornaments to benefit the Child and Adolescent Fund at the Samaritan Counseling Center featuring original Constantine Kermes artwork,  $10 each


Imagination Ornaments featuring original artwork by Rose Principe, $5 each

Constantine Kermes

Painted Desert Gallery will be selling Constantine Kermes ornaments. I also created some ornaments for the show. Details to come this evening!

less than a week to go..

My show will be happening in less than a week. I am so psyched. Getting last minute stuff done but that is cake compared to what I have already done for this show. I think I am really just excited to be able to spend time with everyone.,,that is the ultimate reward to owning a gallery.

show hanging!

today is the day i am hanging my show at the gallery! i hope it goes smoothly with no problems..

yaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!

love this

strange place to be

I ruined one of my paintings today, out of frustration. Not sure what I will do, if I will finish it for the show or let it go.

I think I am just ready to be done with everything and be at the opening of my show drinking a lovely glass of red wine and talking with my friends.

art as a process

i think with each painting i do, the more i become aware of what i am doing. it's really a learning experience more than anything and i love to learn.

the most difficult thing is chosing colors for some reason. i think the worst place to be is figuring out which colors to use and which ones not to use. i mean, i suppose it's not all bad but it's frustrating when you like a color at first and then ten minutes later you think to yourself, 'this doesn't look right'. i think that happens to me more than it should. that's why i think for any artist starting out, you should start with painting in black and white to make things about composition and not so much about color balance..

however, i don't remember doing a single black and white painting. i like to make things complicated. i think if things were easy for me, i would get bored. art school was sort of like that. we were told to paint what we see. we had still lifes, models and landscapes. it wasn't until my last two years i was "allowed" to explore the realm of abstraction. i didn't like figure drawing classes because we were forced into making things life like. i always thought 'i know how to do that so what's the point?'

painting for me is like a suduko puzzle or a brainteaser. it stimulates my mind and makes me think outside the box. i like that. painting landscapes and figures exactly how they are- not so much.

morning is brutal sometimes.

coffee is such a comfort food to me. it helps me feel better when i wake up in the morning. i don't think it's the caffeine but rather the taste and the warmth.

i was up until 3 am again last night. the good news is, i finished two of my paintings. only one more that i have to edit and i am done! that makes me feel wonderful.

bacon!

how awesome is this bacon scarf? (sometimes i question my own judgement)

music makes the show

after working on these "surrealist" paintings for about a year now, i have finally figured out what i want them to be about and that's all thanks to the style of music i am listening to. i was asked to come up with a soundtrack for my show. i figured i would find artistic instrumental music so it doesn't take away from the show. however, in my search i came across eerie, space-like music that fits perfectly with my paintings. it is all clear to me now that my paintings are not about compostition..that is only the beginning. they are about being mysterious lifeforms, perhaps from a different planet or universe. i am bringing them to life through my paintings and through music.

it's so wonderful to be able to feel everything come together! i am counting down the days until the show..

last night i was very overwhelmed since i have so many deadlines to meet. i was about ready to make a post about being stressed out and wanting to quit painting for a while. after hearing this music, everything kind of clicked and i couldn't be happier. 

i also think some of the books i have been reading have helped put the pieces together. i have been enthralled by a contemporary japanese writer, Haruki Murakami for quite some time. his work is so lifelike and yet it has surrealistic notions and characters. it makes me want to venture out into that realm with my art. also other writers have come into play: Franz Kafka, Ray Bradbury, HG Wells, to name a few.

i feel like my art is actually going somewhere, even if no one understands it. i don't care anymore because i understand. i think really that's all that matters. for now, anyway.

Show Flyer!

art prints vs original work

so i've always been on the fence about making prints. i do it so that i can sell my art in some form. a lot of people, especially with the economy can't afford to own real art. so i think in that aspect, it is a great thing to make prints and catalogues of work.

i was having a discussion last night about this with some artist friends of mine. their opinions were different. they said that it cheapens the art and if they can buy a print, no one will buy original work. i agree to some extent but at the same time, you have to make art available to everyone, not just people with money. some of us can't buy original art that we enjoy because we can't afford it. and that's a terrible thing.

buying a print or a book of art is the next best thing. at least you have some representation of that artist. i think it is a great thing.

at one point in time, i was totally against doing prints. but now that i've done various shows i have come to realize that the majority of folks cannot afford original art but are willing to spend money on prints. it makes me happy to have my art out there, even if it's not an original they are buying.

i hope i do sell some originals at my show in December. but with the economy, my hopes are not high. it's discouraging but at the same time, i can understand because i am in the same situation.

also- i'm throwing around the idea of payment plans for my paintings.. of course i won't advertise this but if someone is interested in a painting i will offer that option. i want to be as open minded and flexible as possible.

art is important and people need it in their lives. so instead of feeling like prints cheapen my art, i feel it is helping the economy by having affordable art accessible and not having consumers worry if they are investing their money wisely.

if you like a piece of art, buy it! even if it is a print, you can still enjoy that image any time you want.

november and albums on vinyl

i think i like the month november. all the leaves are at the point of no return. the air is getting colder and that means i can break out my sweaters, scarves and hats. thanksgiving cooking and spending time with family. black friday discounts.

AND--preparation for my big art show. i am really very excited. all new work from yours truely.
for once in my life i feel like i've accomplished something that i want to accomplish. i am hoping to continue with this series and send out slides to galleries for shows in 2010.

however at the same time i don't want to rush myself. i'd like to get comfortable with my style and figure out what the heck i'm doing. i mean, i have some sense but it's still new to me since i only started painting this way last year. and i'm sure it will take awhile.

also, another random thing..i like listening to music on vinyl far more than anything else. it's nostalgic. i like the way the record smells and the way it makes scratching noises. it's just something strange that i enjoy. i guess i'm old fashioned that way :) not like that has much to do with art but i thought it was worth mentioning.

insomnia

the only bad thing about being inspired is not being able to sleep. it's almost one in the morning and i'm wide awake, breathing in paint fumes and turpentine.

ah well, it's the life of an artist i suppose.

day of painting

Today was a good solid day of painting. I got lots of new paintings started and to points where I can hopefully get them done in time for the show.  I love being able to have a day to spend in the studio and not have to worry about anything else.  

These paintings really mean a lot to me.  They are about solving the problem of balancing a composition and making an "original piece of art". Whatever that means. It should be a great show. I think they really represent who I am and what is important to me, as an artist.

I am also thinking of creating a new catalogue of my abstract work. I am working on getting it done before the show.  I would like to combine some written work as well but we will see what time allows.

meeting deadlines

Sometimes when you have deadlines, I think it makes it even harder to want to paint. I am trying to get all of my paintings done for a show in December. This is a huge task for me. I only have 2 months to prepare at least 7 paintings.

I get so overwhelmed that I find excuses not to paint when it shouldn't be that way at all. I should paint to escape my stressful life, not feel stressed by painting.

Then why does it feel this way? I suppose it's because I am a perfectionist and need to feel that every painting is complete. After all, you are displaying your own art, your own creation, your own "flesh and blood" to everyone. And it scares me to death sometimes.

I know I shouldn't care so much about what they think. But I do because I spend so much time in my studio. I just don't want to get hurt in the end...

new series is coming together..

I have a solo show coming up in Decemeber at The Painted Desert, a gallery I run with two close friends of mine. I am working on brand new paintings for the show. It really has me working to get new work finished and ready to be framed. It is hard to work under pressure but it does give me a reason (although making art shouldn't have a reason other than because you are inspired!)


It's hard to work full time and take care of other gallery business AND make my own art. I am considering getting another part time job just to have some money to buy supplies. Life is craziness but I suppose this is why my paintings are the way that they are..they resemble my life. I like that. Perhaps that may become part of the artist statement...hmm...

tattoo

i've gotten mixed reviews on my new tattoo. in my opinion, it was a good choice. i'm hoping to get a half sleeve of my favourite paintings..as soon as i can afford it.

finally!

a new painting is being worked on!! finally!! my artist's block is gone..for now.

road trip/new inspiration

i am going on a roadtrip to florida this coming wednesday to visit my grandma. i really have no plans as to what i want to do while i'm down there. thought i'd take the time to relax and make art. i really think i'd like to get into landscapes but approach it completely different. this has been on my mind for quite some time. in fact, i've been thinking about it ever since i started my abstract painting.

i think out of anything, abstract painting is the most difficult. people don't realize the process behind it and sometimes that gets to me. now i know everyone isn't an artist and we are all different but it's frustrating. i put a lot into my art.

but anyway- with all that aside..i think i need this trip and i am so happy that i have a full week to do whatever with! i'd like to eventually even start a sketchbook again although that will come in time since i haven't been interested in sketchbooks for years!

old idea- new approach

so for a while now i've been playing with the idea of making art based off of books. i've been reading a lot, well, as always and after seeing the francis bacon exhibition, i have a sense of how to make these paintings into something that i want them to be.

i don't want them to be straight forward yet if the viewer is familiar with that particular book or story, they will understand it right away and feel a connection. after all, art is about connecting with your viewers..and books are near and dear to my heart. what better way is there to show that?

i am really excited to begin the series. i want to have a few done for exhibition late fall or possibly early 2010. man, thinking about 2010 already.. this year has flown by, but it's been a good year to say the least.

battle wound

yesterday i was cutting title boards for an art show and sliced off a chunk of my finger. i was in the ER for most of the day. i think it is my first artistic injury so i thought it was worth mentioning. very painful.

Why Francis Bacon matters

Francis Bacon is the artist that got me interested in abstract art and is still my all time favorite painter to this day. Seeing his exhibition at the Met in NYC confirmed that a million times over.

His paintings are like nothing you will ever see from anyone else, yet I felt that I could oddly relate to these paintings. Being able to stand in front of each piece of art was amazing. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I might go back a second time though before the exhibit is over in August.

Recently, I have been struggling to find my place in the art world. Being able to see his paintings and how powerful they are gave me the confidence I was looking for. I feel like we have the same mindset. Funny thing is, he didn't go to art school. He painted on his own because it interested him. He didn't care what others thought of him. I want to be that kind of artist. I want to paint what I want to and the hell with everyone else.

I keep making excuses for myself: it won't sell. people around here have no interest in my kind of art. i don't have time. or money. As Francis Bacon proved to me, that is all wrong. If you really want to do something you can. He did. And he didn't let anything get in his way.

I owe all my painting to Francis Bacon. Without seeing that exhibition yesterday, I think I'd still be lost.

....And that is why Francis Bacon matters....

time

I'm still not finding the time that I need to paint and make art. I am really struggling right now. I have a solo show coming up in September and I am not prepared with any new work. Sometimes being an artist can be so stressful. :(

book sale

library book sale today! got a bag of books for $10! made this humid day a million times better since it's a little too humid for art making.

instead i am working on my webpage while watching fox news for its comical reports. not a fan of fox news but it entertaining to say the least.

ah the pleasures of being off from work.

calling it finished

what i think is a very hard task is finding a point in which you are finished with a painting and can hang it on the wall and call it a piece of art.  yesterday i worked on the same painting for an entire day and having worked on it previously.  i want to call it finished but it is still missing something.  it's a little frustrating to have to look at the same work day in and day out.  i've started other paintings and yet i still go back to this one with uncertainty.  i even accidently poked a hole through the canvas out of frustration.  it seems the artist always knows though, when a piece is finished.  i think a lot of work i have hung in galleries is not finished and the only reason i hang them is to have something to hang.  it is very hard to deal with but that is the downfall of showing in a gallery to represent yourself. there will always be deadlines you have to meet.  

art is expressionless?

art as solely a painting process is what i am comfortable doing and what i know how to do. it helps me get all that i need to out on a canvas. recently, i've been reading a lot of contemporary art magazines and books and it seems that to actually be able to make it in the art world, you have do everything but paint on a canvas. it seems a little foreign to be but i'd like to give it a go.  it's just hard to find a starting point with something so new.  i like to think of myself as a creative person but when i try to find ideas that are different from what others have done in the art world, i am completely lost.  

contemporary art feels like it has no emotion. it is produced based on idea. i'd like to think art is much more than an idea. does that make me more of an artist or less of an artist? 

i thought about the idea of making a painting and then making it in 3-d somehow, almost like an installation. i realize it would take a lot of time and money but it might be interesting. the whole point of my paintings is to make something out of nothing, hence the title of my series "the metaphysics of nothing".  it's almost like tongue and cheek humor- a cartoon or a mockery of our society.   to be able to get that point across in a single piece of art would be fantastic. i think that at this stage, my art is too new and i need to make it more than just a painting for it to be classified as "contemporary"or for it to even do well in nyc galleries.  

i do like painting a whole lot. it's just not cutting edge anymore. i need to somehow make it that way. 

rainy day

today is the perfect day to be cooped up in the studio to paint. but i'm working my day job all day long. it's very discouraging to an artist who is inspired. have to deal with angry customers instead of painting like i should be. i can't wait for the day i can make art full time. that will be the greatest day of my life.

Contemporary Art

I've always been fascinated with thinking "outside the box". Contemporary art is a great way of doing that. I got this book entitled 'The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contempory Art'.

I've only just started reading it but it is really a great book for artists who don't really understand contemporary art and even those, like me, who love it.

painting

taking hours out of your day to paint is an amazing feeling. it's great just being in the "zone" and make something you want to make. 

i finished two paintings today! i'm hoping to finish at least one more for first friday.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

spring cleaning

decided to clean up my studio and sell some things for our neighborhood garage sale.  i feel so much better now that the clutter is gone and i have everything organized! i highly suggest doing some spring cleaning if you have the time. it's like christmas all over again..you are surprised with what you find. 

i've also been putting material together for classes i am teaching over the summer. should be a lot of fun. details to come.

commission work

i don't know how to feel about doing commission work. as an artist, i want to do the art that comes out of my own mind but yet i have to make money to be able to make this art. i like being able to make people happy by doing art that they enjoy but does it truly fill my artistic yearning? i think as long as i don't become an artist that solely does commission work i will be okay but it still seems unsettling. but i suppose in this economy i should suck it up until i can afford to paint what i want to.

a rewarding experience

its always great to meet people who actually want to meet you. today, i was at my gallery's reception and a woman came up to me and shook my hand and was thrilled to have the chance to meet me. she introduced me to her family and asked a bunch of questions about my interests and my art. it really makes you feel good, makes you feel like you are doing something right. i think it also makes you realize that there are people out there who do like what you do and to never doubt yourself. makes me want to quit my day job and paint all the time.  financially, that's not such a good idea. some day though. 

keeping my art as mine

being an artist is pretty tough these days, especially with our economy. even though i know my art won't sell i do it anyway because it is what i feel is best for myself. i want to get better at the kind of art that i like making. i started doing small bird watercolors and got bored with it because it's not the type of art that i enjoy.

however most recently, i have been working on abstract work which is strictly based on composition. it is a matter of figuring out what to do with a blank rectangle that is my canvas. i use a basic outline of a figure and add elements of other shapes, adding them and subracting them throughout the painting process. what i would really mean to accomplish is not to have a painting that is easily readable and identifiable but rather one that is mysterious, interesting and thought provoking.

art is supposed to free the spirit not smother it. i think a lot of artists should take the time to realize this and do the art that they truely want to do. even though art is a selfish act in a way, it is something that can be shared and hopefully be inspirational.