Is it April Already??

I can’t believe how fast time is flying.  Rather then trying to recapture everything that has been going on for the last 3 months I will just post what I am working on now.  I took a brief sidetrack onto a portrait project but did not feel that they were working out the way I wanted them to so have put that project aside for now….

Smurfit Factory, Frenchtown MT

The painting above is 4′ x 3′ (Oil on Canvas) and was the first painting I did in the Factory series…

Industrial themes are not new in my work but over the holiday break, while home in MT I was inspired by a very controversial issue; the closing of Smurfit paper factory in Frenchtown (a small town outside of Missoula).  Growing up in MT I understand the importance of the jobs that such factories and mills provide.  My grandfather was a logger and many of my friends growing up either worked at the mill during the summer, or had parents or family members that worked in these establishments.  There are very few jobs to be had in MT and as the industry fades, with greater environmental awareness and fewer resources, (and arguably shady business) hundreds of family’s livelihoods are taken away.  On the other hand, I can not deny that the environmental issues are vital (with global warming, air pollution, water supply, and resources at stake).  It is crucial that we think of these things but when you are in MT and you read the paper and you drive by the soon to be closed factory and the hard hats are hanging on the fence with flowers and people who have worked their whole lives at the factory and now will have nothing and nowhere to go…it is hard to not be torn between the sides.

So, in my factory series I am not taking sides.  I am operating from the notion of depicting factory scenes “beautifully”.  I have been playing with color and degrees of realism in an effort to decide what exactly that means to me…but I am thinking about formal elements (composition, color, size, level of abstraction) rather than concept.  Of course there is concept to them but it is not a complex one…the concept is simply to add contradiction to the subject.  By painting these factories “beautifully” (of course this is subjective)  it will be interesting to see what reactions they bring.  It is inevitable that viewers will bring their own ideas about factories and industry to these paintings…and regardless of how they feel about factories they will have to think about it.

The next two images are the first two drawing in a series that I am currently working on.  More than studies, these are finished works.  Many if not most of these images will also be paintings.  I have already started the painting for the first one.  I like making drawings of them first because it is like getting to know them…like getting the small talk out of the way before embarking on a relationship…building that sense of commitment before beginning the painting.

A different view of Smurfit factory. Mixed media on paper 15" x 28"

Larger factory drawing 2 Mixed media on paper 18" x 28"

Below are a number of smaller pieces that I have been working on that are a process of examining what aesthetics and approach I want to take…these were all done in the last month.  Some will lead to larger or more refined works later on….

8" x 10" acrylic on panel

I have already started a large (6′ x 4.75′) painting of this image.  I particularly like this composition because the plume is about the size of a person.  As you stand before it you are face to face with the beautiful crimson area…it is an experiential piece for sure…I will post images of the large painting soon…it is still a little camera-shy.

Pastel on paper 8" x 10"

This was a little study I did…I like the idea of making a romantic scene of a factory…I’m not sure if I am going to go anywhere with this but it tickles my funny bone a little bit…on this similar vein I am working on a “saint factory” piece…those of you who have seen my “saint animal” pieces know what I am talking about…

Smurfit drawing...mixed media on wall paper 8" x 10"

Always a fan of pattern I figure…why not let the paper do it for me.  :)  I have others of these but this is my favorite…I am also doing a Lithograph of this same image…I am excited to see if it turns out or not…when it comes to printmaking I am still in the cross your fingers phase.

Ink on Mylar 8" x 10"

Also with printing in mind…I made a photo plate of this image…I plan on layering some other stuff with this image on the final piece…again…we’ll see how that works out.  :)

Well, there it is, a bit of an update.  It has been a crazy second term but I am feeling more in a groove now.  I am in the mindset of making as many works as I can…and seeing where it all leads.  That is the exciting part right…that things will always and forever evolve…