FDR park in Philadelphia | in Progress

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

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

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

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)

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

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.