Pictures at an Exhibition -- Plus a Poem About Creation

For those unaware that I have been painting and drawing since I was a wee tyke, I thought I might share a a dozen images from my Many Faces of Ennyman art blog. 

The Old Viking (ink on paper)

Youth (brush and ink on paper)

John and Yoko (brush and ink on wrapping paper)

Studio photo w/Tom Cruise in foreground

Woman with hair blowin' in the wind (ink on paper)

First Nations (abstract)

Lord of the Flies

An Englishwoman

Gust the Greek (ink on paper)

Circle of Life (oil on acetate, 1974)

Embems of Power (mixed media)

Abe

The Heavens (mixed media)

ALWAYS BE CREATING

An A-B-Cederian Poem

 

Always
Be
Creating,
Daily.

Everyone finds
Freedom this way.
Getting in touch with
Heart, spirit and soul
It lifts,
Jolts and energizes,

Kicks you in the butt,
Lets you know you have to
Move forward.

No
One can
Pretend because
Quietly that voice within
Reads you the riot act,
Summons you
To live
Up to your better self.

Very well, it’s time to
Wake up. It’s

Xciting when
You see the light and escape this
Zoo.

17 July 2020

11 AI Snapshots of a Young Woman

Here are a dozen illustrations of a young woman. 

The first eleven were created with an AI app.

The last is my original brush and ink drawing. 

The original illustration: A Woman Aware

Note he different ways the algorithm reads the information on the drawing.

Have an interesting day.

Local Art Seen: Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art Celebrates Third Year with Style

View from the front entrance of the school.

This past weekend the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art celebrated its third annual Student/Instructor Exhibition with a weekend open house. It's a fabulous event, showcasing the students' development as they have mastered essential skills as artists. The pictures on this page need no real explanation, each being worth a thousand words.

The school was designed as a three year program, so this group show features students from its first graduating class. Co-founder/instructors Jeffrey T. Larson and son Brock were thrilled not only by the student's progress but also the school itself.

This study of wrinkled paper is all part of "learning how to see."

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Students begin in black and white.

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              "You can only paint truthfully what you can truthfully see."

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Co-founder Jeffrey T. Larson (R)

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"Victor Hugo After Rodin"--Patrick Glander, Graphite on paper.

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Instructor Brock Larson. This is a painting, not a sculpture.

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"Vessel"--Oil on linen, Kelly Schamberger. 21st century Vermeer?

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"Blue"--Oil on canvas, Kelly Schamberger

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Small, still life oil paintings by various fourth year students. 

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Anatomical studies by guest sculptor James Shoop reveal what is beneath the skin.

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Archie Page, pencil on paper

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"Female Figure"--Oil on canvas, Kelly Schamberger

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"Elephant Figurines"--Oil on canvas by Eric Rauvola

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"All that painting is or ever will be is an arrangement of puzzle pieces, each made up of the right relative hue on top of a correct value within a specific shape."

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.

Local Art Seen--Jay Whitcomb's Demons & Angels: Moments of Clarity @ the PROVE

I missed the opening, but had an opportunity to check out Jay Whitcomb's Demons and Angels: Moments of Clarity during Friday's Downtown Artwalk.

Whitcomb is originally from Bristol, Connecticut,. His mother was did portraiture, watercolor and painting, so from an early age he was fairly immersed in art. He went on to study at the Pennsylvania Aacademy of the Fine Arts, focusing there on the human figure, drawing, painting and printmaking, as well as animal rendering, themes which continue to appear in his work.

This show features recent work created in response to "personal hardship, interior demons, and a journey to rock bottom and back." Many of the images are disturbing while beautifully rendered. In the accompanying statement about the show Whitcomb states, "There is ugliness found in beauty and a beauty that hides behind ugliness."

In some ways the work reminded me a Dali and of Francis Bacon, but only as echoes. It stands alone as the unique work of the craftsman Jay Whitcomb.

This show will be coming down this Friday, March 1.

Interview with Portrait Artist Elliot Silberman (Part II)

THIS IS PART TWO of yesterday's interview with art fair portrait illustrator Elliot Silberman. 

EN: How have art shows changed?

ES: The first 20 years were great, the next 20 we could see the handwriting on the wall. As with most things, they went more commercial, little by little.

Too many shows too close together, all the time. Malls saw this first. Art fairs brought people into the mall, people slowly got numb to the deal. I had very little overhead, no rent, no health coverage, no retirement, no car insurance too. That made it much easier for me to survive. Otherwise the only other way was to get a job and work your craft on the side.

Early on, when in malls, I saw many mothers ‘n babies ‘n kids there, so I made a sign, "Children, My Specialty" or "All Moving Targets Welcome." Now if I was cheap, $3.00 each, it was my way out if I didn’t nail the sketch, or the kid threw a fit. I just took the hit and said, "That’s all right ma’am, NO CHARGE." Two or three tries? It was just my time I lost.

EN: This was the part of your story I wanted to share, how you consciously worked to influence kids.

ES: Time was on my side. Now after 30 plus years, 37 to be closer, I realized I had fifty years hindsight, and could see how I got where I was in art and music. So I realized I had things to share, like, “How does one find their Passion?” Even with little ones, here is what I say while making eye contact... "This is going to be fun but hard. I need you to stare at me for 5 minutes. With eye contact, I ask them, “Want to know what I know about you already? You’re listening to me, that’s GREAT.” I’m now centering the portrait on my paper, while I’m being stared at. “Wanna know what else I know about you? You’re paying attention, that is sooo cool? Because when you’re paying attention, every day, that’s how you find out about things, things you might really like to make a part of your life. When some things get your attention, that means, check it out. You can build your life around things that make YOUR life Rich. Fun. Interesting. Is that cool or what? Of course I adapt to their age, but I believe in planting seeds.

Parents know that their kid won't always listen to them like they do to me. They're not dumb. I get each kid for 5 minutes. Might as well make use of that time, besides sketching. Plant some seeds.

EN: The art fair scene changed. Has your approach changed?

ES: For all these years I have asked people the same questions. I'm curious, too. So, what do you do for a living, sir? How did that happen? Or, what do you want to do with your life? "Horses, anything to do with horses would please me." Oh, how did you find out that? What light bulb went off, what flicked your bic? Pay attention to hunches. Hunches, nudges, curiosity.

EN: How did you get into playing guitar and making music?

ES: Second year in art school, dad asked me, "What did you learn at school son?"  

"Well dad, I learned 5 chords on Bob's guitar."

Elliot with his jug band at Amazing Grace.

Dad took the bait. Next birthday he got me a used $10 Stella guitar, handed it to me, and walked away. Well, let me tell ya, I started learning Johnny Cash songs right NOW. Then Hank Williams, the Carter family. I was so thrilled I couldn't tell ya. I was learning by ear, feel, by jingle. I didn't know I had a gift. Boy oh boy, was I having fun. I started jabberin' around school, asking for anyone to jam with. Didn't matter if the kid needed music, I had the knack to follow by sight. So almost 50 years later, I produced 4 CDs having written numerous progressions 'n songs. Putting chords together was so fun.

Thanks for letting me share. Hope I made my message clear.

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Learn more about Elliot and his passions at elliotbrothers.com