First Look: Model Consumer & Art Critic Consoling

Have spent some time over the past week working on some preliminary paintings for the Model Consumer series. Most of this work I haven't wanted to post, as I didn't want to give anyone any ideas as to what I thought was a good or bad pose, what I was looking for, etc.

And for the record, I am not really sure what I am looking for. I am looking for creative and inspired work. I have had a few notes over the past few days from people who wanted to enter- if not to win the prize, to at least contribute to the series. But they were too self-conscious of their image being out there. My only advice is send your entries and contributions along. They are in good hands.

All that said, I finally thought it might be OK to post the pics above. As they are from a self-portrait, I thought it wouldn't harm the integrity of entries, and it would also give people a sample of one of the ways the pics will be used. The above pics in progress are a 18" x 24" work on paper- watercolors and/or water-based acrylic scrapbooking paint.

You can probably notice my homage to Hopper- the reds and greens.

But don't let this pic throw you off in your contest entry. Send anything. It has been strange to be working on paintings the last few weeks (this and 3 others) and not be sharing them on the blog. After the contest deadline (August 24th) there should be lots more.

The link for the rules and regulations of the Model Consumer contest is as follows:

www.KurtColeEidsvig.com/contest

And again, you will be helping a series of paintings as well as having a chance to win 300 bucks. In today's volatile stock market, cash is king.

In other news, I got a great email this week in an attempt to soften the blow of my Boston Globe art review last week. It is as follows:

"A review of Paul Cezanne's work during a special exhibition in Paris in 1904: 'He chooses to daub paint on a canvas and spread it around with a comb or a toothbrush. This process produces landscapes, marines, still lifes, portraits... if he is lucky. The procedure somewhat recalls the designs that schoolchildren make by squeezing the heads of flies between the folds of a sheet of paper.'"

The comparison to Cezanne is humbling. First, because he is out of my league by about 100 leagues. Second, because he spent the end of his life painting like mad and dodging rocks that schoolchildren threw at him on his way to work every day.

I am off to invest in a helmet and a Kevlar jacket. To dodge the rocks and the critics.