New Work in Progress (Grad School Report)

   I began my first year of graduate school in August. I'm working towards an MFA at the University of Cincinnati. I'm working in new, experimental fields; taking risks and pushing boundaries of my work and practices. I had a few false starts, but the work I'm doing now if exciting and challenging.
  Below is some images from my studio and some of the work I an working on. (Better images to come.)

Saying Goodbye to Studio 2

   After nearly two and a half years, I have moved out of my studio located at the Arts Council of Wayne County building. It was an emotional process and a bittersweet ending. I have new things on the horizon, and this was just another step.
   Studio 2 was an important place. It was my workspace, my church, my fortress or solitude. I have a lot of memories there. A lot of beautiful things happened there. I made art. I grew as an artist. And I grew as a person. It's hard to put into words all my feelings and experiences associated with Studio 2, but in the end, it was a magical place.
   So it is with a somewhat heavy heart that I packed up all my things. Behind I left the splattered paint on the floor and walls. Proof of me as a working artist. Proof of existence. That paint is my blood and tears, my joys and pains.
    I want to thank all the wonderful people at the Arts Council for all the support, and all my friends who shared time there with me in that magical place.

   

In Studio. 09/20/2013

In Studio. 09/20/2013.

This week has been long. I was stuck in lock down on a military base next to the naval yards where the tragic shootings took place in D.C. on Monday for hours. At different times during the day, we didn't know if it was safe to go outside because or rumors that there were still other possible shooters unaccounted for in the area. Tuesday and Wednesday I drove to look at grad schools in PA and in DE, then back to NC. Yesterday I found out that a solo show I was supposed to have at the school I graduated from was canceled and has to be rescheduled because the school email system did not deliver  the files of the images I sent to my former professors. But I'm back in studio today, working and pushing through. Things happen, both good and bad. Things we want to happen and things we don't. It's life and I'm trying to make the best of it all.

A Short Video of me Painting

A short video of me painting, then taking a moment to look contemplative.

 The music is Aphex Twin's "Avril 14th." 

In Studio 08.24.13

Self portrait in studio. 08.24.13.

My studio floor. It's famous around the Arts Council building. 

Me in studio, May 2013

My friend Steve Herring shot these photos of me in my studio Friday, May 3rd, 2013.

Two new nudes

     I've been working on several projects for the last couple of months including these large nudes, a few other paintings, a series of ink drawings and an album cover for the double vinyl retrospective of my old band Art Lord & the Self Portraits. I'll post more as things develope.

More studio pics

 Feb./March 2012

Working Spaces

End of 2011

I didnt't get a lot of time in 2011 to create. Not as much as I would have liked by a long shot. So to better my chances, I rented a small studio space in the local Arts Council building at the end of November. I was only able to spend a handful of hours in studio during December, but I was able to finsh work on a couple of new paintings and enjoy myself in the process.