Exquisite Corpse Fun

In October I invited seven artist/friends to play the game Exquisite Corpse. A method by which a collection of words or images (Images in our case) is collectively assembled, the result being known as the exquisite corpse. The game was invented by the Surrealists and is similar to an old parlor game called Consequences in which players write in turn on a sheet of paper, fold it to conceal part of the writing, and then pass it to the next player for a further contribution. The technique got its name from one of the initial writings, "Le cadavre / exquis / boira / le vin / nouveau" (The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine). It seemed like the perfect game for fall and Halloween.

We played with abit of a twist. The body was broken into proportionately correct sheets of paper, i.e. the head is around 1/8 of the body. First we word associated body parts to warm up. For example what does arm make you think of? Then we all drew, one part at a time. The results were then put on the floor were each of us choose in turn our body, part by part.

This is where we really changed the game, everyone went home with there body and we agreed to reassemble in January. Once home your body was the inspiration for a piece of art. Everyone received canvas, paper or velum that was 2’ x 4’. Your only obligation was to your art and to keep the sense of play, after all this is was a game.

The players are Antonia Consentino, Judy Nachazel, Tracy Potter, Nancy Ferguson, Susan Bainbridge, Rath and myself. If you’re as interested as we are, (no one has seen all of the finished pieces) come to Packards Pluss on January 14^th at 7:00 for the unveiling. If you would like to get into the swing of things, we planning on coming dressed as a favorite artist, you can play too. The work will be up for at least a month. 

Edan Drawing

So it begins...

New Class!

Hello everyone it is time to think about enrolling in Spring classes and some changes have occurred in my schedule.
So here is the news.
I will not longer be teaching Portrait in Escondido and Art History in Ramona. Both have been cut for budget reasons...but the good news
I will be the Instructor for Sculpture I and II, Mixed Media Sculpture on Palomars main campus and I would love to see some of you there!
This is a 3.0 unit class.

I will still be teaching the "Mixed Media Painting Intensive" in Ramona. And I have a great group of fun artist in this class. Come join us.
If you think these programs are important make sure to enroll in one of the Community Education (noncredit) classes this spring.

Water Cats

The cats like water, how strange.
It rained enough to get the creek running and once I let the cats out, they went right in.
The two brothers turned out to be brother and sister.

So Lover and Leaver are now Lover and Leavem.

Her she comes...

She is changing, this Siren.
It's sometimes, as if I'm getting to know someone.
I think this is a room not just one painting. Well I know it's more than one anyhow...it's left behind things.
It's trading cards. I'll give you this if you give me that.
Jose and Brian isnt childhood kind of a no-mans land?
Everybody wants it, while nobody claims it.
It seems to me that we value the idea of children far more then children.
Maybe it's more about making and storing memories.
We like it in memory, so safe and warm.
But it's late and I'm just going on.

Naomi CarletonI love this train of thought. There is so much that is given up. Feeling secure without the knowledge of evil in the world and the fear of it. Comfort and peace with one's body...Susan Bainbridge

I am glad you are continuing to explore this issue.... would be nice if you could make an impact. Nice drawing and snakes!Maria Hennig

I loved the movie 'Hound Dog' and the layers of meaning. your drawing represents what made me sad about the story - the little girl pushed into growing up too fast and (I think) the wrong way...Kyle The cliché letter from Paul to Corinth is what comes, immediately, to mi mente. What does putting away childishness mean? What is the difference between childish and child like? … light hearted and light minded? There is too much ambiguity in the idea to make any absolute assertation, at all. I truly believe that there is an inherent error in any culture that presumes adults are, innately, any different than children. Add insult to injury by implying that adults are better, in any way shape or form. Let whatever God may be help me, should I ever deliberately leave anything at that altar. Is it too hard for people to suppose that in the universe adults and children exist on the same plane? I venture to submit that an infinite number of adults leave their desire to learn and create (which are synonymous), unsuspectingly, as an offering at the shrine of the quasi noble designation of “grown-up.” I know that’s a tangent and perhaps I’m too arrogant and not introspective enough to realize what I’ve sacrificed, but I suggest that our egos have the resolve to recover whatever it is we stand to lose. And that makes me happy.

Great, just the comments I'm looking for. I need to really think on this one. I want an altar and things left behind. At this stage the sleeping girls are gone and the siren is changing. I used clear gesso first, because in the end I want to leave the painting unfinished looking. Because yes Kyle it doesn't need to be this way.

The Altar of Adulthood

After a pretty intense nightmare and the movie Hound-dog...I got to thinking.
It's a long way from thought out and is not a completely new vein for me, but...
Who and what are the Sirens of Adulthood. What did we leave at the altar of childhood?
What are the costs of coming into your own body in a society that tends to always view anything sensual as sexual advance. Were personal desire is transfered to the object of the desire even before the object has become aware of an another.
What did you give up too easily to the siren call of adulthood?

Next...

Eden is the next in the nieces and nephews series.
The photo is picked and the canvas is ready.
I think she needs an animal with her,
but I don't know what yet.
Any suggestions?

New Studio mates

My two new studio companions. They are brothers, we have named then Lover and Leaver. They and 7 days of being sick have gotten me working in the studio.  The start of classes always a distraction in Sept. These two are so far a good influence. 

I'm going to do something I don't normally do. Reveal one of the persona's of one of my babies.

It just seems right. The archetype for Ted was a politician and was indeed Ted Kennedy.

I just feel like I need to honor the man and the inspiration.  

And here is the final project from the class I'm teaching tomorrow night...

A Drawing Intensive.

Start of a new school year. I love teaching art....

Here are some images from my Artist Sketchbook/Journal class.

Painting Intensive

Nancy and I are teaching a workshop in St Helena, CA. Come join us.

Arianna

Instead of dealing with archetypical Personas in this new series, I’m working from my own relatives, my nieces and nephews. I’m from a large California Liberal Catholic family of eight who are now on the second generation of children. These are the children of my bothers and sisters children.

Arianna is the first finished painting in this series. Fifteen possibilities are waiting in the wings. Whether they will all come with an attribute, I don’t know. I only know Arianna came with an owl.

While grand scale has played a part in my previous infant paintings, I have reduced the size of these paintings simply because I needed to feel that they could all be lined up together down a long family hall.