Illustration Friday: Foggy

Let Things Be Foggy, ink on paper, July 2008.

I began this sketch during my stay in Canadian, Texas over the Fourth of July holiday. I don't have any major shows planned or new projects in progress at this point, so I feel a mite bit purposeless. (It's been a long time since my schedule was this open.) Plus, I'm exploring some less graphic, more painterly stylistic ground. This foggy place is the perfect environment in which to let some new ideas germinate.

See more of Illustration Friday here.

Here is a snapshot of my desk upon completing the drawing, where you can see my collage sketch:

How I Spent Memorial Day Weekend

Inspired by Indexed. (Auxiliary thanks to GraphJam.)

In a nutshell, I've upped and moved myself from Norman to Oklahoma City to be with The Guy. It's awesome.

Oh, and by the way, the NaBloPoMo theme for June is "Home." (Not like I'm putting 30 posts on the web this month or anything. Pshaw! Who has that kind of time?)

Related: Sarah's del.icio.us sites tagged visualization.

Art 365 Documentary Preview Online

As part of the year-long Art 365 process, filmmakers Melissa Scaramucci and Cacky Poarch produced a documentary film about the seven artists. You can see a 15-minute preview online at Google Video. If you're new to Art 365, this is a great introduction. The film premiered in its entirety at the Art 365 opening in Tulsa last month. There will also be a screening in Oklahoma City on July 3rd.

Click here to read more about Normal, OK, my series for Art 365.

Related: Sonarta also has footage of the Art 365 process. Part 1 is below; here are parts two, three, and four.

Not What I Meant

Not What I Meant, acrylic on wood panel, 2008. Click image to enlarge.

A few years back I came into a whole pile of these 8 x 22 inch wood panels. I think they were raw cabinet doors that hadn't been shaped and finished. Usually I paint on them vertically, so this is the first time I've used one in its wide format. Just in time for Illustration Friday: Wide.

Not What I Meant, detail view.

This panel was actually a so-so painting several years back. (In fact, it was one of a series of paintings I did that turned out so poorly that I realized I needed to go back to school and learn to paint. Hence: graduate school.) To start the painting you see here, I sanded the previous painting's surface, then added the red and blue. I scratched the fish shapes away with an exacto knife (and many many blades). It's so satisfying to transform a failure into a success.

In General, In Progress, In Situ

In General, acrylic on found wood, shown in progress, 2008.

In General will be in my upcoming solo show, Idiolect. (Idiolect is a word that means personal language.) Idiolect opens Friday, May 2, at AKA Gallery in OKC's Paseo District. The show runs through the end of June and will be open during the annual Paseo Art Fest.

Here's a closer look:

In General, shown in progress, detail view, 2008