one cute baby.

how can anyone resist this cuteness? 7 teeth and counting. but he still cant crawl, which i guess is a good thing. but we're excited for when he's able to start moving around a bit.
he talks all the time - always so earnest - like he is really trying to tell you something important.

thank you all.

thanks to everyone who came to see my art exhibit at sips. and thank you especially to those of you who bought paintings. i sold out over half the show!
if you are still interested in any of the remaining pieces or a commission, let me know.
thanks again.
up next - jazz paintings at the little cafe in september.

mixtape :: march 2009

this is my newest mix. the perfect group of songs for the beginning or end of the day.
you can buy most of the songs on itunes, and the others can be found for free through google blog search.
also, i'll be happy to make you a copy if you give me a blank cd.

[the above image is taken from cgtextures.com, a wonderful, copyright free library of textures from around the world. you should check it out.
i just cropped it, tweaked the tones, and added text.]


01. antony w/ bryce dessner - i was young when i left home
02. u2 - tryin’ to throw your arms around the world
03. ben kweller - from hank to hendrix
04. neko case - vengeance is sleeping
05. m. ward - one hundred million years
06. radiohead - sail to the moon (acoustic)
07. bruce springsteen - the wrestler
08. feist & ben gibbard - train song
09. dan auerbach - trouble weighs a ton
10. tom waits - hold on
11. death cab for cutie - lightness (live)
12. pearl jam - black (unplugged)
13. uncle tupelo - fatal wound
14. van morrison - crazy love
15. cat power - dream
16. bon iver - re: stacks
17. ryan adams - times like these
18. the gaslight anthem - the ‘59 sound (acoustic)
19. jeffrey foucault - lodi
20. elbow - running to stand still

colbert on the validity of the HOPE poster.

who knew you could get a great honest debate about art on the colbert report. hes cynical and hilarious, yes... but he's also pretty darn smart.
(watch through the annoying commercial. its worth it)

shepard fairey. character approved.

i know you all know this, but this man is definitely one of my heroes. check out this sweet video from usa's 'character approved'...

new artist links.

i added 3 new links the the artist links section. 2 sketchbook artists, and my new student teacher. they will all be 'artists of the week' in the near future. stay tuned...

james jean::

linda zacks::
jackie sullivan::

doodle for google.

google is running a contest to come up with new creative 'google' logos for their webpage, from students in grades k-12... the theme is 'what i wish for the world'.

i'm sure you've seen the creative logos they have used for different holidays (major ones and random ones) throughout the year. the 'doodles' have to be turned in through your teacher - so if you are interested, let me know and we'll send it in.

check out the link here to find out more information. last year's winners can be found here.

the entries can be hand made or drawn on the computer.

sketchbook :: the path of awareness.

being aware of the world around us will not only connect us more to that world, but in that awareness, we will become better artists.

mindfulness is a buddhist philosophy that stresses being present NOW... not worrying about past, present, or future. being here and being fully a part of our world.

mr. stephens found this great sketchbook worksheet geared towards the mindful artist. i have amended it and attached it above. to download it, click it open into a new window. then right click and choose 'save image as'.

स्मृति

abstract expressionists at the albright-knox.

if you have time, you should check out this exhibit of abstract expressionists (1940-1976) at the albright-knox art gallery in buffalo. its only an hour or so away, and well worth the drive.

as well as seeing this show, their permanent collection is amazing.
the abstract expressionists are some of the most influential american artists in history, and certainly in the 20th century.

the show will include work from: helen frankenthaler, philip guston, jasper johns, willem de kooning, robert motherwell, jackson pollock, mark rothko, and frank stella.

check it out if you have a chance! it runs from february 13 - june 10.

directions
albright-knox homepage
more about the exhibit

artist of the week :: jasper johns.

when i was first really getting into painting in college, my favorite professor doug anderson introduced me to jasper johns and mark rothko. rothko's work was too cold and image-less for me, but johns' paintings spoke to me. his use of texture, collage, and simple yet emotive imagery i found to be very powerful.

the style in which he painted influenced my work in college - broadening my horizons from realism into a whole new realm of expressing myself. i have since continued to study his work closely and it has seeped deeply into my art.

this thursday, february 12, at rochester art supply's cascade art center, there will be a workshop / info session on encaustic painting. this was johns' main painting technique. contact classes@fineartstore.com for more details.

artists statement for 'unbroken'.

as an artist, i have been interested in the circle form for a long time - something about its unbroken nature and infinite path appeals to my imagination.

it was only when my wife became pregnant that i seriously turned to the circle as an artistic metaphor. i wanted to find a creative vehicle to express my awe and excitement about our growing family, and the circle seemed a natural fit.

as i painted, the circles came to represent many things… the unbroken and unending lineage of family. the bonds that hold our families together. different types of family units – the parent/child relationship, siblings, extended families. the sacred bond of marriage. the way that family members protect and envelop each other. some paintings represent specific people or situations, others just came from thinking about what the circle can mean.

i hope you can see yourself in the paintings before you… in the end, they are all about the path that we walk and the people whom we walk it with.
the unbroken circle.

:: i hope you are able to see the show, either in my portfolio or in person to see what they're all about.

friday wisdom.