More with maps

 

I continue with my map painting studies.  The second one is painted on two different maps sewn together.  I am really excited for this new direction.

I find a connection between the natural and built infrastructure that maps represent and the biological system of the human body.  Plus the psychological and sociocultural significance of the map has become part of the human psyche.  

"Hearts" has found a home!

 

"Hearts"

oil on wood, 36"x30"

SOLD

I am thrilled that this piece has found her home.  This painting was one of the first I did for my two-person show with fellow painter John McCarthy entitled "Disguises and Disappearances."  It had come to represent this body of work.  The process from inception of the idea to execution and then completion of it is quite a journey.  Once someone resonates with a piece enough to choose to live with it, I feel that the process is truly completed for me.  And for the new owner, its life has just begun.  It's a wonderful feeling. 

2-hour head study

ooooo it's fun to get back to my open-studio group.  It had been more than a month since we met.  This was a 2-hour head study with our lovely new model Jennifer.  I used a Zorn-esque palette: cadmium red light, yellow ochre, titanium white and ivory black.  As always, I could have kept going....

"artistic contemplation and the picture gallery are incompatible..."

"The reason why the art museum made its appearance in Asia so belatedly (and, even then, only under European influence and patronage) is that for an Asiatic, and especially the man of the Far East, artistic contemplation and the picture gallery are incompatible.  In China the full enjoyment of works of art necessarily involved ownership, except where religious art was concerned; above all it demanded their isolation.  A painting was not exhibited, but unfurled before an artlover in a fitting state of grace; its function was to deepen and enhance his communion with the universe.  The practice of pitting works of art against each other, an intellectual activity, is at the opposite pole from the mood of relaxation which alone makes contemplation possible.  To the Asiatic's thinking an art collection (except for educational purposes) is as preposterous as would be a concert in which one listened to a programme of ill-assorted pieces following in unbroken succession."  Andre Malraux in Voices of Silence, 1935. 

What a compelling bit of historical information.  It really makes me think about the way we all view artwork today. 

 

This is a quickie 15 minute class demo on getting a figure started; I started with laying in a loose contour sketch in translucent paint, then laying in my skin in shadow in a cad-red-light/viridian mix, then hair in shadow (yellow ochre/purple made with winsor red/ultramarine blue), then my skin-in-light in a titanium white/cad-rd-light/yellow ochre mix and hair in light(yellow ochre/titanium white), then transitional half-tone in a cad-red-light/viridian/titanium white mix and half-tone for hair (mix of hair in light plus hair in shadow);  THEN with bit of remaining time, started to adjust for differences in the skin in light (by adding a little more pigment to my mother light palette); and adding some deep pigment for reflected light within shadow. 

Smaller older pieces for someone you love...

I am offering a 15% discount on these for the holiday of your choice :) !

Email me at jbalkan{at}grandecom{dot}net.

I can't stand on my own

oil on wood, 18"x12"

$800.

I can't stand on my own

oil on wood, 18"x12"

$800.

Woman 1

oil on wood, 12"x16"

$600.

Woman 2

oil on wood, 16"x12"

$600.

Woman 2

oil on wood, 16"x12"

$600.

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

Mermaid

oil on wood, 45"x30"

SOLD

I am thrilled that "Mermaid" is featured this month in the Australian art/photography/sculpture publication Beautiful Bizarre Magazine as part of a group exhibition.

You can view their website at http://www.beautifulbizarre.net/

Get your print or digital copy here http://www.beautifulbizarre.net/shop/4578400335

MICROART

Stand up straight

9"x6", oil on board

pre-SOLD

MICROART!

Just add water, 6"x8"

oil on board

pre-SOLD

Gratitude

After an incredible couple of weekends on the East Austin Studio Tour, I can finally relax a wee bit.  I feel utterly grateful that people care about what I make.  It is truly humbling.  Thank you for caring.  Thank you for coming.

What you have

oil on wood, 48"x48"

Face with mustache and glasses

oil on wood, 26"x24"

Birds

oil on wood, 36"x48"

I was thrilled that these three paintings found homes during the tour.

And the winners are.....

numbers 26 and 45 of my first ever painting raffle!!

Another exciting weekend of East Austin Studio Tour is coming up:
Saturday & Sunday, 11/23-11/24 11am - 6pm at studio 24.
3109 Lafayette Avenue at the little blue house in the back

The raffle last weekend was so successful that I'm considering adding another painting to it.  Woohoo!

Come see new work, paintings, drawings, nude sketches, MICROART!

Mermaid with gift

oil on wood, 40" x 30"

Navigator on map raised $375 for the Phillipines!

Navigator on map (study)
oil on paper map
14" x 10."
I've been yearning to experiment with paint on maps. I had to let go of a lot of control of values to just let the map be. This is the beginning....

I want to send 100% of the profit on this to help out the Phillipino people. I'd like to try out an auction. Starting bid is $100. If you'd like to participate, send me and email with your bid. I will close it out on Friday, 5:00pm. Cheers!

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

Thank you to the generous art-loving people who participated.   This was a fun idea and I'm so happy to be able to write a check for the rescue effort.  

MICROART!

Sucker

8"x6", oil on board

$150 plus $6 s/h

I love my little "loved to pieces" old dolly collection.  I haven't painted any of them in quite awhile.  Well, right after I painted this little one, she toppled over and half her left leg broke off.  Some surgery is in order later today....

East Austin Studio Tour

Come see me at studio 24 on the East Austin Studio Tour!

Sat & Sun 11/16-11/17 & 11/23-11/24: 11am - 6pm
3109 Lafayette Avenue, Austin, Texas

I will have new oil paintings, oil sketches, nudes, drawings, MICROART and and and I will be hosting my first ever painting raffle.  Buy a $10 ticket and enter to win an oil painting.  If you purchase something from my studio, your purchase will include a ticket.  Your ticket is a print of "Bird Beak."  The raffled painting will be revealed to you when you come visit.  At the end of the second weekend, I will draw the winning ticket.  You do not have to be present at that time.

And for those of you far, far away, if you see something on my website or blog, do inquire!

And what else, you ask?
art + cream puffs = LOVE
oh and libations to get you in the mood....

My studio is chock full of goodies --- so do come visit.

www.eastaustinstudiotour.com

MICROART!

Bling! the family jewels

6"x8", oil on board 

$150 plus $6 s/h

MICROART!

Cuter than cupcakes

oil on board, 6"x8"

SOLD

Gosh, was I tempted to keep on painting this one....BUT my rule is no more than 2 hours on MICROS.  I've got to draw the line somewhere.  It is good discipline for me.

MICROART!

Faux fly, oil on board, 8"x6"

$150 plus $6 s/h

Email me if you'd like to purchase: jbalkan{at}grandecom{dot}net

Rubber fly!!  Little itty bitty brush!!  This one was fun and different for me.  I had to very delicately adjust the values. I used mainly black, white, and a bit of winsor yellow & winsor red on the fly.  I haven't painted a bug in a loooooong time.  I think I'd like to do this more often.  

MICROART!

One is the loneliest number

oil on board, 6"x9"

pre-SOLD

Please turn me on

oil on board, 8"x6"

pre-SOLD

2014 CLASSES!

January: Intermediate figure painting
1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
February: Portrait *must have taken my intermediate class
2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26
March: Intro to painting the figure *requires figure drawing experience
3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26

Wednesday nights, 6:30-9:30pm in East Austin.
$275 plus $45 model fee.
Class size is limited to 4.
For more information, email me: jbalkan{at}grandecom{dot}net.

Tuesday evening studies

Little studies of Amy done last night.  6x10, 6x9.  The left one was done on top of a figure study done in raw umber and white.  

Quickie figure value study

If you're wondering what the hell we do in my figure-painting classes, we do lots of quick value studies order to assess the dark/light pattern of what it is we are seeing.  Quick 20 minute class demo in raw umber and titanium white.  I started off laying in three values: shadow, light and transitional tone between light and dark which describes the edge of the form shadow.  I then added two more values: a dark shadow value a bit lighter than the darkest and another light value which falls between the light and the transitional value.  And and and a little blob of pure white for a highlight.  

Last night's portrait study progression

 

 

2 hour portrait study with full palette

Navigator in gold

12"x12", oil on board with gold-leaf

I am forever intrigued by the intercection between the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional.  As I am compelled to create the illusion of three dimensionality, I still have a desire to keep it within another realm, that of dreams, thoughts and/orfantasy.  So I often like to play with this relationship by creating a voluminous image or figure within a context of flatness, perhaps geometric shapes or maps (which are fascinating because they are another representation of our three dimensional world) or gold-leaf which I love because it harks back to another era.  And I love the juxtaposition of the modern and the antiquated.  

MICROART

Pretty please?  oil on board, 8"x6"

SOLD

This little painting mother palette is blue/orange .... I can't get away from this combo lately.  It's perfect to capture metal.  

Rothko and his foal

Officially finished.  I have signed her.  I took a good week before examining this painting again....made a few final touches.   

2 hour study on the left done yesterday and 20 minute eye demo (done in my portrait class). I think I was happier after the monochromatic tones were laid in during the first 30 minutes.  I've been doing 30 minute poses for awhile now and had to adjust to a longer one.  I tried to stay simple with my strokes.  Funny how Kelli is looking down at her eyes.  The photo is not so good on the left as it's picking up a lot of glare.  I loved the reflected light on her jawline last night.  Kelli's eyes always inspire me.  

So what in the world does "pre-SOLD" mean on the MICROART images??

I'm starting to accept requests.  That is, if you enjoy a little bit of surprise in your life, you may pay me in advance for a MICRO with a subject of your choice and I will compose it and paint it as I see fit...all this for $175 pus $6 s/h.

MICROART

Decapitated, oil on board, 6"x8"

SOLD

This is yet another study on complements: orange and blue....note the little bits of cad orange.

Sequence photos of my latest painting: Rothko and his foal

I decided that the values in the background were a little too choppy...more adjustments.  At some point, someone else needs to step in and tell you when you're done!!  10/2

I think I'm done...I really wanted to obscure the background more and hone some of the focal point(s).  I rarely use black in my palette because I find that that it takes too much saturation away--but I used it in this one.  Typically I can make my darkest darks with other mixtures.  And I desaturate colors or neutralize them using complements.  But for Rothko's fur, I felt I needed to get really rich and dark and warranted the use of black, always mixed in with other color.  9/30

progress shot#8: subtle changes happening now...but important.  I really wanted the background to be more abstract...in my attempt at losing form, I lost some critical darks I needed to get back.  Will continue tomorrow.  9/29

progress shot#6: adjusting lights and darks more 9/27

progress shot#6: This is the fun fun stage.  I am now deconstructing and reconstructing the image, moving oily paint around a lot, continuing to check values, reminding myself of my focal point and how I'm going to handle it.  9/27

progress shot #5  9/25

I'm very inspired today.  I consumed incredible paintings this past weekend in Washington DC: at the Women Painting Women show at the Principle Gallery and the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery.  Here's some more progress of Rothko and his foal.  I've got a LOT of value adjustment to do, elaboration of the context, THEN start to really move some paint around, that is, pushing and pulling it to create more movement, more abstraction...etcetera, etcetera.  9/23

I probably should have photographed the stage before this but I assure you, this is still very, very early. I wanted to get some color in after the loose monochromatic sketch.  Have some different ideas for background/context, but for now I needed to lay in some kind of value scheme.  9/17

Working on the foal 9/11

Starting a new painting 9/9