Via Beacon opens Saturday

The work is in the space. The final cut on artwork will be made Thursday, and then lighting... In its rough state currently, the show looks good. I'm anxious to see what Coulter, the curator will do with the work and the space.

And then, some more.

This is a very poor image of a recent state of this piece. I had reached a point within the last few days where I was really happy with the painting, with just a few modifications to make on the bottom half. The top half, though, I was pleased with. It did not look too different from this image.

Today I was looking at the piece, and realizing that I was satisfied with it, I decided to take it further. There were so many subtle layers emerging and disappearing, and there were some great areas of conte, and pastel drawing. I really liked it, but thought that it looked exactly like a painting I would make. I was satisfied....It is being made to hang in a show that opens in a week and a half. It will be carted down to the location within five days. It was basically marked with the big black DONE stamp.
So I made a mixture of a bright red, and laced it through out the top half, and into the bottom half. What is it if your are really satisfied with a piece? Sometimes it feels that (and this could be a case) there are times when I try to convince myself that something is done. When that happens, usually, I put the piece away, and move on to other work. Later, I dig it out, and see how it feels. I find that generally I will have, by then, reached a point where I can something that will truly inform and complete the piece. That process is unpredictable in terms of time. In this case, I have a time consideration, although, I am prepared to show other work if this one does not work out. So, whatever. I reached a point where I liked the painting, but was it existing as the piece it could really be?
I'll find out in the next couple of days whether it works or not....or if I just added several more days of effort on to this task. Either way, I am anxious to get back in there in the morning, and actually see what I did this afternoon.

In the Studio

Time in the studio this week has been really enjoyable. The tone of the time spent working in recent days is something I have not experienced for a long while. The deadline of upcoming shows is helpful, but there is a sense that the show itself is a bit of a nuisance because it presently stands as an interruption in the flow of work that exists right now. There is a certain state of completion, or at least stasis to be reached in time to install the work, but I am looking forward reaching the point after installation, when I can simply continue along on with the work I've been doing over the past weeks. I'm excited by this because I feel I have tapped into a stream of ideas, that is beginning to carry me along, and the extent of this current stretches beyond the near term reality of an upcoming exhibit. This is new a new sensation for me, and it's thrilling.
Today was a good day, as I was able to stay in the studio for a good seven or eight hours. I have been squeezing in a couple hours here and there recently, and they have been productive moments, but it was a real pleasure to be in there and not have anything drawing me out, or calling my attention as has been the case recently.

Angelika was back this weekend for the reception at Millbrook. Virtually noone was there, which we had expected, but it was fun. The GM of the Winery and his wife were great to talk with, and the evening was pleasant, as was the drive home afterward. There were few cars on the Taconic, and I had the sense of a really enjoyable summer evening cruise. Angelika returned to Syracuse this morning to finish her 2+ weeks of residency at Light Work.

Sell Sell Sell

It's been hectic this week. Trying to squeeze time in the studio while following through on logistical issues, and meetings, and simply being tied to the computer, has been tough. But I find that when things are as busy as they are, and I am pressed for time, I use my time in the studio much more effectively. There is something appealing about this pace I have been moving at, as long as these periods are short. We were asked to sell ads for the festival program that will occur in conjunction with Via Beacon. The advertising drive was successful, and I did the layout of the ads, creating a smaller Beacon section within the guide. I think it turned out well, but it was a lot of time in front of the computer....but that is nothing new these days.

We will be loading work for the Via Beacon show late next week, the opening, in two weeks, and my solo show is in three.

Push and Pull

This is the state of the painting as it was a couple of days ago. It's different now. More cut up, spacially. I added some layers over the past several days, and then began removing layers today. I had to stop, and work on something else. I made progress on parts of a couple of pieces for bau 6.




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