Work in Progress: "Conception"

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Oct 102010

Here is an oil painting in progress.  It began as an experiment in using an untreated wood panel.  I began applying colored ink washes to a the wood with some attention to the patterns of the wood grain that suggested forms in the loose sketch.  I used a coating of acrylic isolating medium to stop the absorbency of the wood before applying white and black acrylic to build up body and line respectively.  I then applied another layer of isolating medium (“gel coat”) and began to refine the forms in oil colors thinned with walnut oil.  I find the walnut oil very agreeable to work with.

The topmost image shows the piece after the completion of the acrylic layer, and the bottom photo shows the image after its first layer of oil paint.  The composition is an improvisation, and next I will continue to improvise by adding a layer of white oil and black oil to further develop the composition.  Then I will complete it with colors, and whatever touches are needed throughout.

Work in Progress: "Conception"
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Work in Progress: "Conception"

A Collection of "Series I" Prints

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Oct 082010

Set of six prints from the "Illumination" series. This set corresponds to the set of images that was shown at Burning Man 2010. The prints are part of the "Series I" signed limited edition. Prints are made on 310 GSM Hahnemuhle watercolor paper via Epson R2400 printer. For further info: http://normal.bz

Set of six prints from the “Illumination” series. This set corresponds to the set of images that was shown at Burning Man 2010. The prints are part of the “Series I” signed limited edition. Prints are made on 310 GSM Hahnemuhle watercolor paper via Epson R2400 printer.

I made this set of prints for a couple in Kansas City, Missouri.   They had seen my work on display at Burning Man 2010 and were quite impressed.  The wife purchased the set as an anniversary present to her husband!

Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity that registers it within the limited edition series.  .



Series I Set
Series I Print (13 x 19 in), 310 GSM Watercolor Paper, Signed Limited Edition of 100
Price: 250.00 Shipping: 10.00

"Illuminations" at Burning Man 2010 recognized with award by "The Necklace Factory"

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Oct 042010

This is a photo of the award, certificate and medallion, that was presented to me by the "Necklace Factory" at Burning Man 2010 in recognition of my "Illuminations" installation at the Festival.

This is a photo of the award, certificate and medallion, that was presented to me by the “Necklace Factory” at Burning Man 2010 in recognition of my “Illuminations” installation at the Festival.

On the night before the Burning Man festival I was introduced to the folks at the Black Rock City Post Office (they are a real post office with a USPS cancellation stamp that sends and receives mail at Burning Man!).  My assistant, Damo, had made friends with them over the course of several days we had spent putting the installation together.  After making their acquaintance they came as a group to see my installation, and then after a brief while they  began to say to me, “We want you to come into our tent for something.  It will only take two minutes, and then it will last for eight minutes after that.”  I was quite apprehensive about this invitation and kept deferring.  I suspected that they wanted to give me DMT to smoke, since it sounded like they were describing the short acting hallucinogen’s effects, and I was not in the mood for taking a powerful drug like that.  They kept persisting, however, and so I acquiesced at last.

They brought me into a teepee like tent of modest size that was well appointed with oriental rugs, embroidered cushions, antique trunks, and other quaint furnishings that seemed to evoke Sir Richard Burton’s lodgings on an expedition to Arabia.  I thought the DMT pipe was to be produced at any moment, and  was nervous, and so it was to my great relief that they produced an award for me (pictured above).

My understanding is that the Post Office’s legacy is intertwined with something called the Necklace Factory that provided people the facilities to make necklaces to exchange as gifts at Burning Man.  At some point the Necklace Factory started giving awards to their favorite artists at Burning Man.   Every year they create a different certificate and medallion and present it to artists.  The award I received was 173 out of 350.  Damo also received one for helping me with my project.    Since many Burning Man projects involve large numbers of collaborators, potentially many awards are given to single projects.

I am very honored to receive the award.  It is in fact the first award or prize of any kind I have received since I won an art contest when I was in high school – 25 years ago.

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