noel hefele

Lyrical Greening of a Brownfield - SOLD!

2008-09-29T16:29:00.001-04:00

Lyrical Greening of a Brownfield I
Originally uploaded by 730N

I am happy to report - I sold the Lyrical Greening of a Brownfield paintings. My favorite of the two is pictured here.

I traveled out to Pittsburgh this month to attend the dedication ceremony for the Remaking Cities Institute.

The paintings were presented to the Luis Rico-Gutierrez, the new director of the Institute, as a gift.

The paintings were presented behind black cloth - and subsequently unveiled! That was an interesting thing to have happen!

The whole trip was hectic and inspirational.

The paintings will hang in the Remaking Cities Institute until the Heinz Endowments can develop the old LTV site pictured. At that point the plan is to have the paintings hang in a community oriented building on the very site that they depict.

Lyrical indeed!

The artworks are symbolic of the beginning of my renewed efforts in oil painting. I had spent about 1 year doing smaller works before executing these major pieces. They were a proving "stake in the ground" of sorts, and this sale has been in the works for 2+ years. Having the trajectory of the sale come to a close brings an odd feeling of validation -- one above and beyond the mere selling of a smaller work. I had much invested in this work! Now the box I have built for my "creative sandbox" seems all the more right.

Also: watching the paintings grow legs and walk off on their own is a great feeling. They found their perfect home.

Thanks to all involved in helping this happen. Definitely could not have done it without your help!

A painting I am working on right now is directly influenced by these works. I look forward to completing it soon!

In Progress of a current painting aka The Dead Space?

2008-08-04T18:59:00.001-04:00

In Progress of a current painting
Originally uploaded by 730N

This is a cell phone photo of a current painting I am working on. Unfortunately, my canon powershot appears to be broken! So documentation of artwork for the next few months will be haphazard of sorts. This painting is of a vacant lot near the Berks subways station. I walked in there, half thinking I was treading on land I would regret for some reason or another. Yet it was amazingly quiet. The "bustle" of front street was at a distance. There was so much green! So much, that is, in a philadelphia sense of mass of green. The ground was full of litter, some of it interoperable, most of it not.

here is it's location

If you have looked at the map, notice how large a green space it is for the surrounding area! I felt like it was my own private park. I never could shake the unsafe feeling though, and perhaps it is justified.

From the Wikipedia article,

Kensington is perceived throughout the region for being one of Philadelphia's poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods. There has been some recent revitilization, and the amount of total crime and shootings has declined significantly in recent years.

The painting is large - 42" Wide by 40" inches high.

My friend Adam Grossi speaks of child playgrounds as opened and abstracted half-places as proof of our own uncertainties about our adult world, and perhaps even a hopeful obeisance to the child’s unknowing, her/his potential to unravel and reconstruct.

I see something analogous in these spaces like the one above. They are half-places too: open and abstracted with subjective meaning. However, they are transitory spaces, some turning into old growth and some turning into new lofts. (or Casinos) Playgrounds change too as new safety features are introduced... Both spaces come to reflect the society that built them in some fashion.

This land is kensington could be called a "Dead Space" or a "Vacant lot" or simply "forgotten" or "neglected."

But I believe they hold as many lessons as we could hope for if we paid attention.

The Show at the Rocket Cat Cafe was a success!

2008-07-14T12:08:00.002-04:00

I had a show at the Rocket Cat Cafe coffee shop this June and sold 3 out of 15 paintings. I am happy to say that it was a record for art sales in 1 month. The three works that were sold are listed below. Each sale was driven by a personal connection to the space painted. 2 out of the 3 paintings were sold to people in the same zip code. All 3 paintings remain in Philadelphia.

Sugarhouse and the Divide Casinos was purchased by an individual whose family had lived in Fishtown for many generations. She was drawn to the painting by the idea that it crystallized a space on the cusp of change. She recently returned to live in Fishtown, a neighborhood that also has been changing rather rapidly. The conversation reminded me of what I was attempting to do with "The Point at Which the Stream Emerges"

Anatomy of a Street Tree was purchased by an individual who happened to grow up 10 houses away from the location of the tree! He did not know this until we talked.

FDR Park, Frozen was purchased by an individual who happened to get married in the rotunda portrayed in the painting.

Barack Obama

2008-06-21T20:52:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama
Originally uploaded by 730N

I made this little portrait of Obama in oil pastels. The background is water color washes of overlapping geometric shapes.

This is the first political figure I have ever drawn and perhaps it is interesting to think of them as symbols of policy decisions that have real world effects. Obama is an interesting character and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next year.

I have yet to hear him address the arts and would be curious of his position.

The drawing is on ebay right now.

Art Show @ 1 shot Coffee in Liberties Walk.

2008-04-27T20:06:00.001-04:00

My Show at 1 shot
Originally uploaded by 730N

My show is drawing to a close this upcoming week. I will be taking it down Thursday morning. Approximately 3 days left to see it in person!

I do believe it was my first official "solo" show and am happy to say it seemed to be well received. The portraits were hung together on the left hand side and the landscape/ cityscapes were hung on the right hand side. Clustering them like this made for 2 small sub-shows that helped me embrace the 2 different directions that my work appears to be taking.

The was nice rhythm to the way the paintings were hung. Thanks to Samantha for help with hanging the show.

Click on the image for a larger version.

4 weeks to Mozambique! Give yourself a Hand?

2008-04-09T22:58:00.003-04:00

Today marks the 4 week countdown to Mozambique!

I am incredibly excited to expand my world view in this fashion and am kicking into high gear to get ready. We are slowly jumping the hurdles that are needed to accomplish this, and I am happy to report that we got our shots this morning for the various vaccinations.

This past week however, has been tumultuous. I found out last friday that my place of employment would be shutting its doors that IMMEDIATE sunday. I sit 4 weeks away from the most inspirational trip of my life and am unemployed. I hesitate to go into more detail, because simply I have not found my exact voice on this blog and do not want to stray far from the arts focus.

However, as part of my overall strategy in this chaotic time, I am using the internet to try and SELL my artwork, for whatever I can get. I am willing to sell for cheap because of the fast approaching move we will be making in August. Quite simply, the less I have to move in August, the better.

Without further ado, the drawing of a hand I posted on ebay this evening is
here

Recent Paintings: A show This April

2008-04-03T12:58:00.002-04:00

I am currently showing 15 paintings at 1 shot coffee in Northern Liberties.

With 3 of the paintings, I am donating 50 dollars of the purchase prices to related community organizations. I am intrigued with the Painting Activist's fantastically pragmatic approach.

I’m addressing social issues utilizing painting as my medium of communication. Much like a photojournalist, I travel to locations/events of cultural interest and capture them, only with my brush. My talent is as an artist, my passion is advocating for social change; this is how the two work together.

All artwork is for sale, unless noted otherwise. A portion of proceeds from the sale of original work is donated to the nonprofit corresponding to each piece. So if you’re apt to support my talent and contribute to a cause, invite your art-appreciating-friends, browse, be merry, and buy great art!

The Integrity of the Picture Plane.

2008-03-16T13:42:00.004-04:00

Is this what I keep mentioning as the elusive quality that I chase in paintings of late?

This was a phrase popularized by C. Greenberg, primarily in regards to the flattening of painting that occurred throughout modernism. I read this as an acknowledgement of paintings form as the medium(/meaning?) was being deconstructed: a self awareness.

I have thought of this integrity in terms of a puzzle metaphor. Imagine a puzzle where the lines between the pieces correspond to the gestalt lines of perception. This interlocking is not necessarily constrained to "physical" objects. It also works with "empty" space (a physical object none-the-less).

There is also a notion of "spatial architecture" that I believe arises out of this treating of empty space as a physical object.

The puzzle pieces have a direction implicit in the brushwork that contributes to the overall sense of structure.

I've been looking at

William Wray lately...

I've got an interview for Grad School!

2008-03-07T12:54:00.002-05:00

So. In case I haven't mentioned it, I have started hearing back from grad schools.

The first three that came in were rejections.

The fourth, was a request that I show up for an interview.

I return to writing as I prepare for that interview, and I aim to get my words together for that interview.

Some questions:

How to contextualize the Bald Guy in the future direction of my work?

The bald guy is a symbol of myself. Whether he is an alter ego or projection is yet to be determined.

It is no coincidence that I started drawing the bald guy when my mother was undergoing chemotherapy "treatment" for her cancer. As her condition worsened, she stopped wearing her wig. The chemo made her hair fall out and an image of a bald mother is quite a haunting one indeed.

The bald is a symptom of an assault on the system. The assault on the system is an attempt to "fix" things. Perhaps there is an analogy between industrial thinking and that approach toward healing cancer.

Another aspect to figure out would be the music as it relates to my painting practice.

An interesting Art scam that just happened to me..

2008-01-25T16:46:00.004-05:00

Idea!!

I was listening to this american life and they mentioned a way to fight back, and that is to find ways to waste the person's time on the other end. Send them on a wild goose chase if you will, while knowing that it is a scam. How do we waste their time so they can scam less people? Any ideas?

UPDATE!! (8/3/2008)

Received another scam! Similar in that they named the artwork on my site. This one came from Oceanic Artwork. Hopefully posting this address will warn people like the previous exchange.

Mr. Paul Simon
FOR: Oceanic Artwork

E-mail: oceanic.artwork@yahoo.com

Or writing us at:
Address:
Suite 031, Wuse phase 2,
Behind New Market central
Area FCT Abuja.

Calling us at: 09-7821850,
+234-802-525-8946

UPDATE!! (6/17/2008)

Apparently the FBI cannot do anything about this -- somebody said they called back and said "Australia is out of their jurisdiction."

What a strange time this internet phenomenon. So what do we do? Team up with the Knitting shop that is actually at this address? Keep sending the information to the FBI, regardless of antiquated structures of "jurisdiction?"

It baffles me that this still is going on.

UPDATE!! (4/28/2008)

This person has tried to pull one over on too many people! We are now encouraging everyone who has dealt with this scammer in some fashion to forward their emails and experience to the FBI.

https://tips.fbi.gov/

Apparently, one of the recent emails has an IP address that originates from Vietnam

---------------------------------------------------

So I went through an interesting internet interaction this month. It all started with this email.

Hello
my name is jack tom I want to place an order in your store, and i will like to know if you ship to Australia? and my method of payment is credit card so i need you to kindly get back to me with the link to your webpage where your products are listed so that i can see more of your works after which i will place my order to you and we can go from there i will await your prompt response,
Regards
Jack tom.

I did initially think it was spam, mainly because of the broken english. I responded:

Pardon my frankness, but can you elaborate on what you are talking about?

Where did you get my email? What webpage did you see?

My artwork is @ noelhefele.com. I've shipped to australia before, so I am sure we can work something out. Is it paintings you are interested in? I will have prints of artworks available in a month or so.

Thanks for your interest!

Noel

I suppose I was optimistic. He responded

Hello Noel Hefele,
Thank for your fast response and i want you to know that i came across your store information via Google and here is what i will like to order for,

Margate Mural Progress photos...............qty:2

Julie's Sycamore.............qty:2

It's 4:14. (Whey Fo Me).............qty:3

I will like you to get back to me with the total cost and the shipping cost.and here is address for you to the shipping cost via ups or fed ex.and please kindly get back to me if this items is in stock because i do not want any delay on this.

9 Marian Street
Killaria 2071AUSTRALIA
hone: 61 2 9498 6830

Do this on time so that i can be able to give you my credit card information and complete my order for me
Best Regards
Jack tom.

What was wild was that he named artworks of mine! I should have searched for that address at this point, but I needed to put up a print store anyway. So I went to imagekind and did that.

Noel Hefele to Jack
show details Jan 23 (2 days ago)

Reply

Jack!

Thank you for your patience.

Please take a look at my store -

noelhefele.imagekind.com/

I wanted to find a solution for you because I don't deal overseas frequently. I have been selling at festivals, but not much over the internet. Mostly just ebay!

Since you will be my first customer through imagekind, I am selling them to you at what the cost would be for me. I.e. no markup for me. If you do order and are happy with it, let me know!

Unfortunately I can't sell a print of the margate mural. That is a photo of a mural I completed for a family over the summertime and I don't have a photo to make prints from.

Please check back at the store over the next week as I will add more paintings!

Thank you again Jack!
Let me know if you have any questions...

He wrote back:

Hello noel,
thanks for the mail, what about the ???
Julie's Sycamore.............qty:2
It's 4:14. (Whey Fo Me).............qty:3

are they available in stock now?? if not let me know i can change my order if that will b ok by you and i will be ordering the margate mural in my next order so kindly get back to me asap so we can proceed with this transaction

await your reply.

I was starting to get confused. Yet, always wanting to believe in people, I wrote:

Hi Jack,

You can order both of those today at the web address below...

http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=741ec70f-9bfe-4f1f-8ec1-be0e6473e57a

or if that doesn't work, go to

noelhefele.imagekind.com

They are in stock!

Thank you kindly...

Noel

The curt response re awoke suspicion.

Hello noel,

i want to place my order to you directly cause i believe its not secure for me to order online so get back to me with the quote asap

I searched for the address and found out it was actually a knitting store in Australia owned by 2 nice ladies. I wrote them:

Hello Crewel Gobelin -

I thought you might be interested in this... Your address is listed in what increasingly looks like a scam...

kindly,

Noel Hefele

They wrote back, confirming our suspicions

Hello Noel,

Thank you for your email with further information of this scam. You are the 8th person to contact me, that they have been targetted by Jim Scott, John Carter and now a new one, Jack Tom.

I have looked into what can be done from the Australian end, but nothing if a fraud has not been carried through.

I have a disclaimer on my Home Page for the first 2 criminals and will now add Jack Tom.

Thank you again and have a lovely day. Kind regards, Margaret

Kind of funny! It's a niche scam that I came close to believing! I have to say that is a first. I used to wonder who believed these scams, but when it tunes into a particular desire of your own, you tend to gloss over the inconsistencies.

As a result however, I've posted some work at noelhefele.imagekind.com, where you can buy prints of my paintings. Not a bad development in the end!

Sugarhouse and the Divide

2007-12-16T17:43:00.001-05:00

Sugarhouse and the Divide
Originally uploaded by 730N

This painting is currently up for the remainder of the week at the Highwire Gallery in Philadelphia.

Sugarhouse Casino is a project slated to be built along the Delaware Riv er in Philadelphia, just north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The site was a former Sugar Mill, producing the brand Jack Frost Sugar. The site has been empty of major structures for 10 years. There are many issues that surround this plan: from shady government deals, to real concerns about the future and economy of fishtown. Many people feel strongly about the issue and firmly choose a side. Frequently, arguments from the other side fall on deaf ears.

I painted the field where the casino will be built.

Much like the Nine Mile Run Restoration painting, this landscape is a highly politicized zone that is on the cusp of significant change, both in it's characteristics and it's relationship with the surrounding nature and culture.

The major urban bridge in the distance serves as an icon of this cusp of change, sitting quite incongruously in the distance--the only human structure in the landscape, taking you from here to there. In a certain sense, our own value systems are similar, supporting us as we move and change. Whatever those values are, they will change this space in the near future.

The ballot boxes are for people to vote whether they want the casino to be built, and why. One Box for yes, and one box for no. I peeked today, and it seems as if "No" is slightly edging out "Yes."

The gallery is 1 mile from the Casino site. I will report back with the official tally in 1 week when I pick up the painting.

This painting falls into the relationships to place category.

I suppose that's it for now... headed to work!

Nine Mile Run Restoration

2007-12-12T16:01:00.001-05:00

Nine Mile Run Restoration
Originally uploaded by 730N

Samantha says my work is all about relationships. I tend to agree.

Hawthorne (Hawthorne on Painting) speaks of painting as spots of color.

"The beauty of a picture results from the way spots of color are brought together."

This describes the mechanics of my painting. I simply put spots of color next to other spots, while pulling out the lights and pushing the darks. The relationships between those spots fool the eye into some representational image. Click on the image to see the larger versions... Below the image you will see a comment from a local photographer who has his own relationship with this space. He says "Hey now that looks familiar!"

The relationships between the spots and the actual scene represent my role as observer. I interpret this scene on a day where the stream flows through a completed restoration area of Nine Mile Run. There is mist in the air, the trees are dormant waiting for springtime.

Forgive the brainstorming - the writing will jump around as things pop up.

Relationships relevant to this painting:

Painting - There is a notion of voice behind the relationship of a painting and a painted subject. For much of the history of painting, it has been a visual voice of power. Rich people got portraits painted, in effect, to crystallize a public mythology about themselves. The church commissioned work much to the same ends. I chose to paint the restoration because it is damn exciting and deserves to have it story told in this format.

(Something to consider: what is the difference between photographing the site and painting it? There are tremendous amounts of beautiful photographs depicting the Nine Mile Run restoration. Photography usurped painting as a mode of crystallizing mythologies about power. What is the value of painting in this conversation? The best I can come up with at this time is the ability to convey a different temporal dimension than photography)

The method of paint application is loose and misty. It attempts to convey a very waterlogged scene. In a way, the largest relationship is about water and it's relationship to this space. Pittsburgh and it's relationship to water had unintended consequences. There is a rhythm to the application that strives to mimic the flow of water through that valley. Compositionally, this is one of the first times I used the high horizon line as a way of highlighting the actual terrain. The distortion that comes from that places the viewers feet almost directly below the bottom of the painting.... placing you in the scene. The dominant movement of the composition is the same line that the water follows.

The color and tone are silvery. Again, this speaks to the role of water in the over all landscape. On an overcast and wet day, the light echos off the water in a shimmery fashion.

The focal point of the painting is in the upper right corner, all lines lead there. A stream flows into the distance - a look toward the future.

I don't make any assertions that painting is about a chase for "truth."
To me, it is a highly symbolic practice that creates icons of ideas.

I do chase traditional notions of aesthetics and beauty (and perhaps the sublime).

I have yet to place people in landscapes I paint. My portraits have environments, but not landscapes.

Place -
The place is a section of the restored urban stream Nine Mile Run in Pittsburgh's Frick Park. Once notoriously foul, primarily because of an ill formed relationship with the people of the city, it is now going through a multi-million dollar restoration that is strives to heal that relationship. What was once unsightly is now becoming quite a sight/ site. The restoration is freshly done, right on the cusp of a new era of it's public space relationship.

Nature -

Over time, the landscape will grow into it's new form, becoming an asset to people, plants and animals. The banks of the stream are now currently lush with native plants and a texture of ecological health. A restored ecology, sparked by humans looking, caring, then acting, brings up interesting notions of participatory ecology. The legacy of the industrial mindset has been one of privilege. Our relationships to nature are ultimately formed locally. If we can understand the imprint of our actions, we ultimately will rejoin our nature/culture relationships into sensuous participation instead of analytical separation. I don't paint analytically. I would be too cold and philosophically incorrect.

People - more and more people are building a relationship with this site on a day to day basis. It is a major city park. As the site grows, the ecological health condition normalizes. And this is good! People will come to forget that Nine Mile Run was once unpleasant. They can interact with the landscape by walking through it, taking in the texture of health. The painting was given as a gift to a friend who says "I walk my dog there regularly!"

The painting is small, and serves as a quiet meditation on that space.

I am now wondering how much of this blog is about the space itself and how much is about the painting. The painting is commemorative, a celebration of all that is behind it. Again, can they be separated? I would venture to say no. If much of my work is about the relationships--the space and sum between two seperate things-- speaking about only 1 aspect would be incomplete.

Choice of subject seems more and more important. How these sites/ people relate to me is the personal expression. The larger context of each is where the potential for growth lies.

It's 4:14. (Whey Fo Me)

2007-12-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

It's 4:14. (Whey Fo Me)
Originally uploaded by 730N

So the blog writing did stall. Apologies for that! I did get lost, but thankfully it was in the studio. I fell out of contact for a little while I was painting a new picture for my first official show in Philadelphia. It was a group show (Sam hang too!) at the Highwire Gallery. The opening was fun! Turnout was decent. We didn't network as much as we should have, but had a grand time talking about the range of work that was there. My painting was called "Sugarhouse and the Divide" and had ballot boxes below it where people could vote on a contentious neighborhood issue. More on that soon! The night was punctuated with a couple glasses of Absynth and all in all was a much needed gallery crawl through the neighborhood.

So "It's 4:14 (Whey Fo Me)" is the next up for brainstorming.

Taking some of the themes from the previous blog post:

form drawn up out of it's relationship to light,
my role as an observer,

context I place my practice in,

specificity of place.

Again we have a singular subject, placed in it's environment. What is the environment? There is a candle in the lower right corner. The subject has a glass of some liquid while sitting in a curved booth. There is decorative woodwork in the background and a what looks like a picture frame in the upper left. Much of this suggests a bar of some kind, yet no other people are in the picture.

Marc, the subject of the painting, is wearing what looks like a jean jacket with a woolish collar. He has facial hair shaved into a goatee/ sideburn style. His eyes look slightly drunk, yet perhaps that effect is also achieved by the upturned eyebrows, which could lengthen the eyelids.

Marc's weight is placed on his right elbow. The arms are mostly crossed, except for the drink in his left hand which he holds with his thumb and forefinger. The direction of the torso follows the curve of the booth he is sitting in, suggesting that the current posture is temporary. A quiet pose, the inclusion of the glass, the lean toward the camera, the upturned eyebrows and direct eye contact with otherwise relaxed face all speak to an offered mythology. One that somebody who recently looked at this painting encapsulated quite succinctly with "Dude looks like he is in the Sopranos"

The painting has a lot of curves in it. The curve of the booth is the dominate line of the composition. The environment is mostly orange and reds and surrounds the figure. The figure, while mostly blue, reflects the orange light of the environment. The site and the figure are creating a particular feel that neither could quite do without the other. The particular feel occasionally is mobster tinged, and occasionally is drunk and out on the town.

The line of the wall paneling seems to be off in terms of traditional perspective. But I think this works to stall the viewers eye at Marc's eyes, which are looking directly back at you.

The second place of attention is the green in the upper right, which then moves down to the candle in the lower right.

I have to split to go to work now, but I hope to return to this to address

form drawn up out of it's relationship to light,

my role as an observer,

context I place my practice in,

specificity of place.

Julie's Sycamore

2007-11-21T16:19:00.001-05:00

sycamore tree
Originally uploaded by 730N

Hi.

In the next few weeks I plan to write in a brainstorming fashion about particular paintings done in the last 2 years that I find to be important. Any feedback, positive or negative is welcome. Haters, however, can expect to be decimated by my swords of logic and reason.

Click the image to see a larger version.

Here we go:

Julie's Sycamore is painting done in exchange for several months of electric utility bills. I painted it as a commissioned gift, for Julie, who happened to love this particular tree. The tree is located behind Julie's old house in Pittsburgh, on one of many steep slopes in that region. My old house mates, Sara and Mark, bought that house from Julie and her husband directly and wanted to give this painting as a gift of gratitude.

Sycamores are massive yet smooth barked. The bark exfoliates as the tree grows and leaves a mottled, almost camouflaged look. The tree is well suited to grow in urban environments. As uncovered during 3 Rivers 2nd Nature, the tree is 1 of the 3 most prevalent trees along the 3 Rivers corridors in Allegheny County.

The tree is massive and smothered lovingly in it's forested surroundings. The sky in the background filters through the leaves and is ultimately the source of all the marks and colors. It is interesting to note that the source of light is coming from is the right hand side and nearly all of the branches on the Sycamore are reaching toward it. To call it self-referential would somewhat cheapen that concept. I am used to the idea that form can be drawn up out of it's relationship to light, but the record of growth indicated by the direction of the branches takes that into a temporal direction. The tree and the light are in a dialogue with each other. The light reflecting off the tree creates the form of the tree, which grows and is guided by the light.

I'm not sure if I am communicating this appropriately. But it is boggling my mind right now to recognize that this is all in paint.

The amount of detail in such a scene is too much to paint. If it were all painted I imagine it would look stale. I paint much how Hawthorne describes painting. Spots of color. You paint spots of color, from large to small and the painting has a way of forming itself. The way that unfolds feels surprisingly like the game go, as if the lights and darks in the image are in a dance of tension with one another.

I paint in approximations.

The tree is placed in the center of the composition, with a slight look upwards. The fact that the viewer seems to be slightly below the tree, coupled with its massiveness, conveys a sense of grandeur. Is the tree a god? Is the tree a ecological sentinel, standing guard over my old housemates in their new home?

Divorced from the personal meaning of this tree for me, I believe the painting still holds weight. I think that is because of the technical handling and execution. The brushwork is incredibly loose upon close inspection, yet incredibly cohesive from a distance. The surface is fractured with a logic to the surface of the painting. Within those fractures are bits of controlled chaos.

There seems to be a lack of a firm footing for the viewer, and yet the tree is [pardon me] firmly rooted. That, coupled with the care for this particular tree deserves to have its story told.

In many of my paintings of late, I have been after a surface logic that is somewhat stylized, but seems to be at the core of what constitutes a "good painting" for me. A surface integrity that interlocks perfectly.
The best and well known example of this that is SOMEWHAT similar is the interlocked sense in Van gogh's painting "Starry Night". This quality aides the fact that your eye is compelled to move across the whole painting, and that might be all it is... finding paths to direct the path of viewing the whole canvas. The more I chase this, the more I am able to make it work. But I am not sure I have gotten it to work across a whole painting. In this work, there is a stubborn bump in the too thick branch on the upper left corner.

The tree becomes a symbol: a stake in the ground signifying the memory of experience of place for Julie, the gratitude my housemates have for being able to move into this space, and a sentiment that grows close to the people I lived with in Pittsburgh and directly left behind as I moved to Philadelphia.

Our relationship to nature and others is ultimately shaped locally.

Margate Mural Progress photos..

2007-06-11T18:54:00.001-04:00

margate Mural Progress
Originally uploaded by 730N

Some of you may know, I am working on a 3 walled interior mural in Margate NJ.

The mural is part of a larger redesign of the 3rd floor of a beach house. The redesign is headed by JJ Fox Interior Design. Click on the photo to see more progress shots in my flickr stream. The floor will be painted white at the end, creating a lighter environment.

The project is going along smoothly. It is nice to be able to take a break and walk on the beach. There is a boardwalk (the world's longest) that leads all the way to Atlantic City. I find the social fabric there to be really interesting with all of the casinos. I went and promptly lost 5 dollars. Philly will soon have some casinos, and somehow I don't think it will help the surrounding areas. Casinos are palaces capitalism. Built solely on the product of desire.

Check back for updates on the progress on the mural. Will probably be done in the next week or so.

A look back to a work traded a year ago.

2007-05-28T20:45:00.001-04:00

Traded!
Originally uploaded by 730N

In Pittsburgh at a street fair, I traded this piece for a graffiti inspired work from another artist. I liked the old look of the paper here, which was artificially induced. The cropping and pose of the drawing is pretty interesting as well.

I didn't sign the work on the front, perhaps I did on the back. I have a hard time signing works on the front out of fear of a "blemish" but it probably is necessary in the larger vision of working as an artist.

The painting that I got in the trade is hanging up here in Philly. It is nice, but I don't remember the guys name and I am sure he doesn't remember mine.

It is really interesting to deal in a visual language when our society is so drenched in images. How do you compete for attention? Do you replicate the tactics that advertisers and image builders use? Or do you go against the grain?

I have been reading Baudrillard again.. specifically "Simulations." He used to be the darling of the art crowd, but recently seems to be replaced by Deluze. I am intrigued about this idea of the "copy replacing the original" in how it relates to my plan and future thinking about my art practice.

I make images. And yet, it can be said that more people have seen these images though this web page than in "real life." And I have plans to create digital prints of works so I can sell them at a more affordable price.

I would argue that the actual work, and the reproductions of the work are one larger "meta-artwork" with each being dependent upon each other. In that sense, it does not matter that I traded this work. I have an image of it and I can present it here.

That is, until my hard drive fails.

I found canvas put out for the trash.

2007-05-10T16:37:00.000-04:00

Reminds me of art school! I found them down the street from us in South Philly. There was something sad about the fact that they were given up... objects at one point that were embedded with care. I took home about 12 of them. They are in surprisingly good condition.

The first painting I am working on to come out of this is entitled "The Anatomy of a Street Tree (the maple at my front door)"

40" x 40"

I have to admit that I have not been painting as much as I would like recently. I've hit a busy patch! Freelance gigs and 40 hour a week job eat away at that time! I'm the first to say there are no excuses though.

A side note: Someone recently had some critiques on my webpage... feel free to list them in the comments to this blog. I would like to continue to evolve the site. What are some things that are blatantly missing?

Swissvale Mural Wall

2007-05-01T13:52:00.001-04:00

Swissvale Mural Wall
Originally uploaded by 730N.

Putting a proposal together with eco-artist Ann Rosenthal about this site in Swissvale PA.

Fingers Crossed!

Deleuzian Difference vs. how I've been thinking of "contrast" lately.

2007-04-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Space as the result of process. I have been thinking about contrast in several different forms since someone asked me if I paint light to dark, or dark to light. The answer is neither. After setting up the painting, I have a process of pulling the lights and pushing the darks. I end up defining the representation of a space through the difference, or contrast, of the pigments.

Deleuze is still very slippery for me... I see Warhol being on the opposite side of the spectrum. Identity as result of imposed categorical thinking.

I have been thinking that I need to employ contrast across images and paintings. Contrast in subject matter, using it to illustrate a larger space.

Deleuze mentioned Monet's water lilies as being repeats of each other, but not the same.

Could that same notion be extended across the changes a landscape undergoes?

How about changes to a mental landscape?

All of these are good questions I think. I'm excited about reading dense texts and trying to relate them to painting.

Stay tuned...

A bit more progress on the FDR painting

2007-04-21T16:03:00.001-04:00

A bit more progress on the FDR painting
Originally uploaded by 730N.

This one is proving difficult! I am still getting tripped up by the colors and nuances. Completion seems far off.

Colors are varying wildly across the painting. As long it doesn't fracture value wise, I think it could be to a good effect.

I still need to make the water look frozen and make the clouds more atmospheric. But the general paint style I have been cultivating is there. Even though that style seems to rely upon contrast.

I think I have adequately set up the larger contrasts in this painting—between the sky, ground and water. But the nuances within those areas are mind boggling to say the least. A lot of work to do there still.

Feel free to comment!

Grad School?

2007-04-17T13:51:00.000-04:00

I want to go. I am researching schools and programs for the next few months. If you have any suggestions that you think I should know about, please leave me a comment!

Superficially, I am interested in applying to Tyler School of Art, Yale, and Upenn.

I'd like to find a program that is receptive to painting w/ an ecological focus. I am not interested in going somewhere that will say "You need to take painting out of the square man! The wall hegemony is fascism!" Already experienced a pedagogy that advocates tearing down conventions, and I found it to attack the very core question of meaning itself. I would be a post-modern self referencing ironic artist if it didn't make me so apathetic!

I want to be in an environment that nurtures and challenges my painting without being close-minded to the more radical ideas I learned at 3 Rivers 2nd Nature.

It wouldn't hurt if they paid me to go too. (Takes Yale out of the running for sure)

FDR park in Philadelphia | in Progress

2007-03-28T15:47:00.000-04:00

I am working on this painting of FDR park in South Philadelphia. It is a wintry scene and somewhat difficult to paint. Frozen ice is so subtle in its nuances. The play between the sky and ice is essential and I have a lot of work left to do. All in all, I think it is a good start.

FDR park is located here. You can see the two structures in the painting lining the north side of meadow lake. The place is an estuary. I have seen several great blue herons, and somewhat less impressive, many canadian geese, ducks, and seagulls. It is impressive to zoom out on the map link to see the context of the park within philly. It is an oasis within a concrete urban jungle.

Lady Liberty & the moon

2007-03-22T09:57:00.001-04:00

Lady Liberty & the moon
Originally uploaded by space.girl.

My friend Gina asked me to come help paint sets for the Curio Theater Company in West Philadelphia. The play is called "Green Bird." From the description:

In this fantasy fairy tale the King returns from the war to find that his mother has seized the throne and mysteriously done away with his wife and children. Unknown to the King or his wicked mother, his family is still alive, but living in secret with the kingdom’s finest sausage-maker, Truffaldino, and his wife Smeraldina. All is set to rights with the help of a sexy statue, a know-it-all stone head, a trip to Nowhere Mountain, a snake of biblical proportions and a mysterious Green Bird upon whom everything hinges.

It is good fun! It's collaborative painting, and we have been pleased with how it works. Fast paced, and if you don't want to paint an area—don't! There is a good chance the other person will.

Behind the moon is the honorable Scott B. The statue has a moving arm that is on the floor to the left.

The play opens May 3rd at the Calvary Church.

Some Kind of Statement

2007-03-16T11:22:00.001-04:00

Some Kind of Statement
Originally uploaded by 730N.

Clever without being overbearing? There is something I like about this image. A fly pinned to the flag.

But why do I like this image?

The image of nine mile run did not win any cash prizes in Pittsburgh. The judges are still coming from a modernist influenced perspective, basically, to reject tradition.

My painting was too traditional for 2 of the judges. I am happy to report that it only makes me want to be more traditional. (Resistance through tradition; the next level revolution. )

The image that won first prize was about as much of a one-liner as the image of the fly pinned to the flag. (Curiously enough, this flag and fly were a part of an exhibition years ago with the person who won first prize. He was traditional in this exhibition...)

I recommend Suzie Gablik's book, "Has Modernism Failed," for insightful perspective on the crisis facing contemporary art and possible directions it can take in the future.

It is time for artists to deal with issues that are relevant to the real world, in my humble opinion.

Julie's Sycamore

2007-03-11T20:37:00.001-04:00

Julies Sycamore
Originally uploaded by 730N.

The painting is finished, signed, framed and delivered to Pittsburgh. I'm pleased with it and think it was a success.

Sycamores are massive and quite beautiful. The bark is typically lighter than most trees and the leaves have a yellowish tinge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_sycamore

Native Americans used Platanus occidentalis for a variety of medicinal purposes, including cold and cough remedies, as well as dietary, dermatological, gynecological, respiratory, and gastrointestinal aids (D. E. Moerman 1986).

The Point at Which the Stream Emerges (Nine Mile Run)

2007-03-02T15:23:00.001-05:00

Come see it tomorrow night at the Phipps Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh PA. 6pm and a lovely buffet spread. The work will be displayed in the entrance hallway. If for any reason you aren't able to see it, leave a comment here and let me know what you think.

technorati tags:painting, watercolor, environment

Upcoming Exhibition in Pittsburgh PA

2007-02-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

I have a piece in a show that opens March 3rd (6pm) at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. The show is juried and is part of a NSAL competition. There are some pretty sweet cash prizes to be had and I've put forth a watercolor effort I'm quite proud of. There is a cropped preview of the painting above. Please come to the show if you are available, I will be in Pittsburgh and would love to see you.

The work is entitled "The Point at Which the Stream Emerges" and depicts the Nine Mile Run culvert opening at the Braddock Avenue entrance to Frick Park. The site is a significant focal point of interest in Pittsburgh at the moment. The Nine Mile Run Watershed Association is actively designing a forward thinking demonstration project at this location, one that considers and improves upon the existing nature and culture relationships.

I painted this, in part, in an attempt to preserve and crystalize this particular moment. The image acts as a dual symbol; one reflecting upon the past decisions and policies that lead to such a state, and the other symbolizing the catalyst that moved people to dream and actively change the world that we live in. I hope that the painting can serve as point of departure for dialogue, some will still see it as a sewer and some will be passionately engaged with what it is "becoming."

I also am scratching the surface on a concept I'd like to call the politics of space. When painting charged "landscapes" - it seems as if the issues in that space are embedded in the physical structure in a way that can be read like a text. More on that as it develops.

Update to the Artworks section of the site

2007-02-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to point out that I've update the artworks section with long overdue navigation improvement. You can now view my artwork in 4 separate galleries; paintings, drawings, works on paper, and
collages. And I put little arrows above each work that advances the image gallery.

No more web mazes to navigate just to see some of my work! Feedback is always appreciated.

Another Painting Progress Report

2007-02-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

This one is a portrait of Samantha. The first image is from 1/19/2007. In it, you can see that my colors are a bit muddy, but the expression of the brush stroke is interesting, most notably reflected in the face. The placement is also a bit murky and I am working it out in a sculpting type way. The blue underpainting is something that persists into later versions. Underneath this painting is a failed attempt at painting Samantha sleeping. I rarely end up giving up completely on a painting. It was interesting to paint over the image completely, without even taking a photograph. Stepping stones, so they say.

On 1/25/2007, I've refined the light a bit on top of the skeleton defined from the previous image. The mouth is wrong, as well as the jaw line. The eyes show potential, but a probably wrong since the rest of the painting is still shifting. The atmosphere of the room starts to open up. The timidness of the body expression is taking away from the impact I am after.

On 1/27/2007, the painting looks like this. I begin to clarify the colors and light a bit more. The right side of the painting is starting to gel, most notably the back of the room. The placement of Sam is still a little wishy washy. I have been avoiding the neck and collar bone area, which is an integral part of the body expression. I've clarifyed her mouth a bit more, but until the neck is sorted out, no real conclusions can be made. I believe if you click on the images, it takes you to my flickr account where larger versions can be seen.

Let me know what you think in the comments section.

Painting Progression #1 A Forest Grove.

2007-02-01T15:20:00.000-05:00

I remember seeing a movie about 10 years ago or so, where a film crew focused on a picasso painting as he worked on it over however many hours. It was amazing to watch the animated changes play out across the canvas. It also brought a layer of transparency to painting that I thought was curious. You could follow the decision making process. I thought, it would be good to try something like that with my paintings. Digital imaging is cheap, and looking at the images in succession seems like a way to learn something.

This first image was from the 19th of January. I had several sessions on the work already, having first laid down an acrylic underpainting. I believe this was the first time that most of the acrylic ground had been covered by oils.

What I like at this point:

The odd colors that are bubbling up. Most notably the blue in the upper right section, and the red along the tree in the middle. The red vibrates off of the leafy greens, and the blue gives an atmospheric, sunlight exposure.
The "fractured" look. It's a bit of a variant on what I have been chasing lately, but shares the dominant characteristic. Frustratingly enough, I have not been able to put words to exactly what it is. At best, think of frost on a window... the surface structure that provides a cohesiveness for the frost... I feel like that shows up in areas of my paintings. I haven't been able to get that sense across a whole canvas yet, (with maybe the exception of the lyrical brownfield paintings) but want to get to it. The look has primarily been more organic than fractured before this painting. I was intruiged.

The next day, the 20th, the painting looked like this. The main work done here seems to be on the grass ground. Moving things into place, and trying to get the intricate shadow patterns. Some nice things:

The green core in the shadow on the 3rd tree from right. Almost serves to bring that physical space closer to you, the kind of intimacy of a show on grass in bright sunlight.
Also- between the center two trees, I started to get the atmospheric purple effect of distance. Purple mountains majesty and whatnot.
The upper left- an effort to chase the more familar "swirly organic" version of the previous "frost fracture." Maybe this blog will help me clarify how to explain exactly what I'm getting at there.

The 23rd.

Bringing the sun out. Took it straight through that previously mentioned blue in the upper right, and now the remnant blue peeking out starts to work nicely. Keeping a bit of the fracture, but still working to "set up" everything in place. After setting up comes refinement. But at this point I am starting to recognize a problem with the 3rd tree from the right. Check back for the next update to see if I fixed it well. Next week will probably be some progress paintings of a Sycamore Tree I am working on.

Throwback in the Self-Referential Sense.

2007-01-24T23:57:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of 1998...

I present a little watercolor piece called "Dance with the Devil in the Pale Moonlight."

This came out of a watercolor class I was in Connecticut where I was the only male, and the only person under 50 I believe. There were a lot of flowers and soft pastel colored paintings in the group, and this painting was a response to that. It didn't go over too well. But the class was great.

I happen to like the deep color blue of the night sky and the way the mask sits on the face. It appears to almost be grafted on. The style is very comic book like, which is difficult with watercolors. The mask seems more alive than the fellow who wears it.

Whoa!

Watercolor is a medium that was completely censored from Carnegie Mellon University. Not officially, of course, but the underlying tone of students and teachers alike was "turning up the nose." I think watercolors require a deftness in paint application that can really be beautiful.

I will be chasing that beauty in 2007.

Painting as a focal practice.

2007-01-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

Painting has such a commanding presence when I am "in the zone." To sit there for hours upon end, extracting the shapes and colors from the mud changes my thinking, as if my brain is on another more vibrant level. Things become clear. I feel more articulate.

To compare this with the feeling of spending that time on the computer is interesting to me. Computer time is more like becoming a receptacle to information. I am excited to learn new ways of digesting and structuring that information, but I don't achieve the active agency that closes the loop so to speak. It's all downloading into the mind, much like the helicopter instructions in the matrix movie. I think ultimately, that leads to an overwhelmed feeling, because there is literally no end to the information, and therefore nothing to stand upon. Where do you draw lines of value?

Painting provides a reflection point back upon the self. One that reinforces and centers value.
It's what I like to call participatory consciousness, or passionate engagement. The way that your reflection always meets with you when you look into a puddle or pass a mirror. The agency of that meeting is shared between you and the reflection. Mind like water.

With a computer, you lack that bounce back. The more you engage with computers, the more information pours into your brain, and the more your soul gets sucked out into the vapid realm of indifference.

If you're not careful.

A Tree Blooms in South Philly

2007-01-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken on Dec 15th in South Philly, right in front of the cheese steak houses on Passyunk. In fact, many of the street trees in that area are blooming in this fashion. 2 weeks later we continue to have 50 degree days.

Trees Bloom amid winter warm spell
False Spring won't damage plants..
Anybody seen signs of winter?

Obviously, there is a warming trend. I remember just a few years ago becoming alarmed seeing trees with buds in the winter. I guess when leaves start coming out, I will truly be worried.

Art Face off...

2006-11-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

I found this website yesterday called Artfaceoff.com

There tagline is "A grassroots project bringing democracy to the world of art." Lofty goal indeed, but an interesting concept. You put a maximum of 24 images up on their site, and your work is rated on a 10 point scale. I like "distributed feedback" that could result from this.. I signed up because I was intrigued. I also inherently like competition. Perhaps it's from running road races. Does the competition pollute the art? Hard to tell, but I think this is a good way to get work exposure on the web.

You can view my and rate my work here.

Do I Like Diebenkorn anymore?

2006-11-10T21:47:00.000-05:00

When you believe something so vehemently for years, it's good to come back around to it and try and question what made you come to that belief in the first place.

Woman on Stool...

I still like him. Samantha asked me the otherday what it was, and I said the light. But I think it is really the loneliness of them that provokes me. A kind of hopper-esque world for the suburbs, fractured and grittier. I hadn't thought of how similar they are before.

Working on a New Self Portrait

2006-10-28T22:10:00.000-04:00

Okay. Here is what it looks like right about now.

It's a running joke that I paint so many self portraits that I am my best subject. This is the first self portrait since this one. Just for the record, I have been painting other things.

I've become aware of how these portraits work as personal reflection / confrontation. To that end this current work is very much a search for a new sense of identity in a new city, Philadelphia.

The painting is perhaps %75 done. And it has come a long way. At first it was very muddy (corresponding to the feeling of sorting out Philadelphia), and then I took a razor and actually cut the form out of the mud.

I've been painting in the mornings, and the sky has been switching between blue and grey. I've been trying to keep up.

Parts that need work, the values inside the room. The outside values are extremely bright, so I am constantly reminding myself to darken the inside values.

I also have to fix up the mouth. It's not sitting on the jaw properly.

2006-10-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

Spit up

Felix brings me enjoyment. :)

2006-10-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

This friday @ the Mendelson Gallery in Shadyside, William Rock will kick off the month long program "Spirit Unfolding"

I helped with the organization of this event, and am in Pittsburgh for the opening. Come out and say hello if you can! It looks like it's going to be a good show

http://spiritunfoldingnow.googlepages.com/

http://c.myspace.com/events/59/19/1179195_m.jpg" />

http://spiritunfoldingnow.googlepages.com/

Take 2!

2006-09-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

Felix and Jess!

2006-09-24T22:57:00.000-04:00

http://static.flickr.com/116/251912906_135997c38d.jpg">

Possibilties of this Blogging thing...

2006-09-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

I would be curious if this could become some type of feedback loop. A place to get critiques or comments about the work.

What are your favorites? What would you like to see more of?

Jess and Felix are here this weekend.. always good to see the little guy.

CasiNO!

2006-09-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

Went to a fair on South Street today that had various eco-related ventures and goings on in Philly. In addition to a free sample of some citrus cleaner, there were several interesting booths.....

Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront
www.NABRhood.org

These folks are currently trying to stop the Casino onslaught on the Philadelphia Rivers. It really is amazing. Money speaks loudest everywhere it seems. It says they have weekly meetings, so more on this to come.

and Environmental Leadership Program
Regional Networks.

This seems to be a training camp for environmental folks. Could be interesting! Applications are available starting next week.

Without an Internet connection

2006-09-02T14:13:00.000-04:00

I languish in the rain soaked atmosphere of an overly air conditioned starbucks. I hope you don't mind

Welcome.

2006-08-10T17:38:00.000-04:00

On the cusp of a move to Philadelphia, I create my first blog entry.

We have dedicated a room in the apartment to painting, and there are 3 windows with a nice amount of light.

I plan to work on a painting show entitled "Impressions." It will be about the South Philly landscape and the Nature/Culture relationships that exist across it.

We will miss you Pittsburgh.

stay tuned...
(and patient as I work out the kinks in this journal)