Oils Too?

Above, see a couple of canvases prepped for painting for this new X-O comic series. And per the subject line, these will be oils.

I usually field a lot of questions on the type of painting I do. "Any oils?" people ask.

"I do one about every two years" I generally say.

Well, look who is on track to double production: two canvases prepped for oils.

I am working with different drawings and images to see what will make the cut. Have to say... That goldfish from a few days back is just itching to make its way on a canvas.

In other news: I am re-reading "The Last Tycoon" by F. Scott Fitgerald, listening to "The Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes" by FOB alot and writing longhand prose in my bid to imitate Elmore Leonard.

Happy Monday everyone.
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More Sketchbook Magazine Comics

Who can resist the chance to tip the hat to Matisse?

Above, see another sketchbook drawing using magazines in the comic panes. I re-watched the Dark Knight last night... Now that my life is in storyboard squares, it was cool to see the movie back as comic.

And today? Pretty fun to see an X-O spouting goldfish. Who knew a random Glamour magazine from 2008 could yield such drama?

As for the Henri... How many chances does one have to imitate a Matisse goldfish painting? I had to take it...

Enjoy.
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Sketchbook Magazine Comics

Above, see an example of using magazine type images in the comic format a la this new series of paintings.

The difference here is the found imagery is from mags and not catalogs. So far I prefer the catalogs- the relationships and imagery are more bizarre and seem wrought with backstory...

But, my sketchbook is filling with these squares...

Thought I would share a few.
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Some Shots From Last Night

Above, see some shots from the STOP TRAFFIC opening reception and benefit for MataHari last night at Tantric in Boston. Just a few shots here, but the evening was a rousing success with an unofficial tally of over $1,000 raised for MataHari. Also, it looks as if my painting "Food Processing" may have found a home. Alongside great food and great discussions the night was a blast. Thanks to so many who made it out.

More In Progress

Above, see some shots of the new painting in progress, plus a peek at what it looks like for me to be storyboarding images for this new series (the orange stickies are stand-ins for a possible X-O Comic Painting: Motels and Airplanes). Also, the bottom image is an example of a miserable failure that I will be painting over soon. Just an example of the experimentation that is going on in 617Midway with the new paintings.

Hung!

STOP TRAFFIC is officially up and on display at Tantric. Jonathan and I hung the show this week and I must say it looks pretty good in the space. Above, see some pics of the process as well as a few shots of the finished products as we went along.

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow nite at the opening benefit.

Tantric is located at 123 Stuart Street in Boston and the opening will go from 9pm until 2am tomorrow (Saturday, June 20th, 2009).

See you tomorrow!

In Progress Continued

Above, see more shots of the new painting in progress.

What I've Been Working On

What I’ve been working on is a new painting or two mixing catalogs and comic books. I’ve been playing with fonts and text (X’s and O’s of course). I’ve been painting and repainting. I’ve been listening to All Time Low. See the pics above. Of the painting, not the listening.

Did a new Examiner post today on the DeCordova’s Free Fridays in July which might be worth a look. Was fortunate enough to catch the opening of their exhibition “The Old, Weird America” there on Saturday and it’s a winner.

On the looking and listening front mixed with a smidge of All Time Low: My friend Maria told me I couldn’t go to the Vans Warped Tour and see All Time Low. Even if I am excited about their new album. She actually said I could go, as long as I was comfortable being the creepy old guy. Creepy old guy? And here I thought I had the market cornered on creepy young guy. So no Vans Warped Tour for me.

I’ve been doing some prep work for the Stop Traffic show at Tantric as well, which is coming fast. Seems like the opening on Saturday June 20th is going to be quite a time, so am looking forward to seeing you all there. For more info, check out tantricbistro.com.

I’ve been doing some poeting too, here’s one:

FROM A SATELLITE THIS INTERSTATE IS SURELY GUERNICA DRAWN
CAREFULLY AGAINST YOUR BACK

Repack the car, no, now
I say unpack it. These sounds, these
openings and closings of doors, these maps
found crumpled in the way-back seat where
you used to sit and press your feet against
the orange-lined rear window, channels for warmth
the sun and sock undersides reaching an understanding
and now an argument. Repack the car
or leave tomorrow. Either way the road don't care.

I say squint before putting on those foolish glasses
the ones that make intrestate more decipherable, the ones
you say make me look more educated, more docile,
less likely to miss an exit or two, a glance, a chance
at letting you talk and practicing my listening. I wouldn't know
what to do if I got a flat this far out, hand outstretched
against the wind cars create: The wind of things getting closer
and closer, closer than they appear, and colliding against
your skin up and down and up and down. I swear, my hair
a mess and tossled, this is the closest I've ever come to surfing.

Unstretch and stretch, get gasoline you need and coffee
no one could possibly want. Browse through nooked and crannied
bookshelves of snowglobes (NEVADA!) books on tape (another
by John Grisham?) in a search for fuzzy dice. Go the bathroom
again before you find the car and buy a pack of gum or two, something
you can get a receipt for, something for this gas station town to remember
you by. Take a picture in a mirror. Make graffiti in the side of your cheek
with teeth and persistence. Look at everything again. Bring it to
a close and close your eyes and breathe. 50 miles to go.

* * * * *


Also, I’ve been reading “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer on the recommendation of my friend Morgan. Holy smokes. It is enough to make this writer want to hang up his cleats.

For you non-South Bostonites: If you didn’t see the photo of John McCarthy getting the Medicine Man award at The Medicine Wheel Gallery in last week’s print edition of South Boston Online, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Move to Southie.

Happy weekend everyone.

STOP TRAFFIC

Check out the promotional imagery above for the Stop Traffic exhibition which will feature photographs by Jonathan Stark and paintings by Kurt Cole Eidsvig.

Please join us at the opening:

Tantric's Passion Lounge

Where Passion Meets Purpose

Presents:

Event: STOP TRAFFIC: An art exhibition to stop human trafficking

What: Exhibit

Host: Artists Social Action Project, ASAP

Start Time: Saturday, June 20 at 9:00pm

End Time: Sunday, June 21 at 2:00am

Where: Tantric Restaurant, Boston

Admission is $20 for an evening of art, cocktails, appetizers and a silent auction. The exhibition will benefit MataHari, Eye of the Day: Solutions to Prevent and End Human Trafficking.

Art will be on display June 17th through August 2nd. More information about Eye of the Day at eyeoftheday.org

Check out the invite on Facebook as well:

http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=766343416&k=R4F3ZW5ZP5XMYDDIYDXYR

I know Jonathan and I are both excited to be showing together and we look forward to seeing you all there on the 20th.

And thank you to Meaghan O’Keefe for the great design above. You can see more of her work at mokexpression.com.

A Living Breathing Lichtenstein, Black Canvases, Jasper Johns Unanimated & Other Stuff

After the repeated insistence of my friend Azita I have started to watch Mad Men. It took me a few episodes to get fully immersed, but I’m now inescapably in. What kept me coming back at first though was Don Draper and the casting of Jon Hamm. I mean, is this guy a living, breathing Lichtenstein or what?

Images above are from Easyart.com, askart.com and nerve.com respectively.

I am convinced that the show was actually secretly funded by the cigarette companies. I’m getting a smoker’s cough just from watching it. But it’s delightful.

Black Canvases

Above, see the looming presence of black canvases in 617Midway begging for paint and attention.

Yes, of course, I am tempted to leave them as-is and call them minimalism. But it looks like they have other plans. Some hybrid comic book / catalog stuff is likely on its way.

Jasper Johns

On the topic of art coming to life, I was interested to read the piece “Art Attack” in this week’s New Yorker (June 1, 2009) by Adam Gopnik on the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. The story describes the efforts to make some of the paintings “come to life” alongside the various Stiller ridiculousness (I still miss him as the nursing home attendant in Happy Gilmore). Best part of this piece for me was the fact that Jasper Johns allowed them to use his painting “Three Flags” from 1958, but that he was the only artist included who did not give permission for them to animate his work.

In others this might be awful, but I am not sure what Jasper Johns can do wrong in my book. And why is the clip of him on the Simpson’s not posted on youtube by now?

Other Stuff

Things are happening on the Tantric show front. More soon. I’ve been listening to lots of All Time Low and enjoying Michael Davis’ book Gravity. Also, prepping an application for the Warhol Foundation and put in some work for the FPAC Summer Show, so keep your fingers crossed.