Oh Garth, Congratulations!

Dear Chris and Terri,

Thank you both so much for your kudos; you're so kind.

Jeez, were up to about 8,500 already. When will it end?

Garth,

Another kudos for a wonderful painting!

10,444 (?!)
 

Golly, this is the third most viewed topic on this Forum (the first among paintings); why? Sincerely, there are so many worthy topics posted throughout this Forum. Belated thanks, again, Sharon!

Anyway, to further stretch an old thread, I 'll share what most likely is the final manifestation of the polychromed maple frame around this painting. A molding profile has been added to the outside to relieve the former flat severity of the edge. Getting a frame right can seem so important, sometimes even driving me to the point of splitting hairs. I am happy with the current solution, two years in the making. The shapes in this molding addition seem to segway better into some elements in the painting, like the light falling upon those ribs. It's hard to justify this in small pictures here, though.

Currently, Apotheoun is among the works of seventy juried artists showing at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia, through March 4, 2007. It is about the most sedate work in a very stimulating, innovative display grouping of paintings, sculpture, and photography. I recommend the rest of show. In fact, our Alex Tyng got a nice prize for her portrait of "Nancy Bea" in the next room. I am just happy to be included quietly in the show. (Congratulations, Alex!)

Okay, enough said!

Garth

The American expressionist, Stuart Shils, whom I greatly respect, delivered a gallery talk on Thursday the 8th, and must have spent fifteen minutes devoted to focusing upon this painting. He was drawn to the relationships of the figurative elements as they were designed in the space, and was especially intrigued by the blue sneaker coming in at the top right, a necessary element, as he put it, and he then emphasized the interesting role the shadows produced by this shoe and the legs added to the composition and infered narrative. He talked about the qualities of the edges thoughout the painting, the alliteration of arch design motifs repeating, the design of the feet pointing up into the head, and the interest of some negative spaces. As he delved into the underlying psychology of this painting, I had to smile, because he went much deeper in his interpretation as the viewer experiencing this painting, than I ever thought about as the creating artist! It is always interesting to hear what take another has on one's own work. It can be an insightful education. At any rate, one of his main points was to illustrate with this painting how photography has opened up very innovative new ways of seeing the world from pre-existing western compositional conventions; and that this particular composition with its particular croppings of the figurative elements with the mother's legs coming in front of the boy, would never have occured to an artist until recent times. I am paraphrasing Mr. Shils here, as he actually said quite a lot. I enjoyed his in depth talk. As he finished up his last sentence, he began a hurried run out the door to catch an express train to New York.

Garth

Google News
 

Here is a recent review of this show at Woodmere, I just chanced upon on Google News:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...id=40301&rfi=6

The author singled out my painting, Apotheoun, along with two top prize winners for a mention, which is surprising because I did not get any of the prizes.

This is the first time I even tried Google News. It is a nice resource! All one needs to do is type in a target key-word in the search engine. In this case, either my name or Apotheoun will yield the same result of this news article. I think I will try some other Forum member's names too, to see what comes up!

Garth

Wow, go for it, Garth! Congrats for getting mentioned in the review, especially since they only touched on a few others. I wouldn't call this piece "photorealistic," however. It has quite a different quality (to my eyes). When you painted it, did you consider (or did you ever consider) your style photorealistic?

Google news really is a great resource. I use it to set up news alerts if I'm painting any clients who are public figures. Google news will send me an email any time their name appears in the press. It helps me understand what's happening in their lives and to serve as a conversation point when we meet next.

You can also set your own name up for Google news alerts. Then you get an email any time someone mentions your name or work in the press. Always helpful to know about, and you can print out any articles that might be useful to put in your portfolio.

Hi Alex and Michele,

Thanks Alex; I suppose I have never denied the close affinity to photography in this work. I only hope it holds up in this context, as I want it to feel as more than just a rote copy of a cropped reference. I am glad you see more worth in this example. I can understand too how the writer associates this with snapshot vacation photography, as well. I am taking it as a positive response to the imagery as it evokes and resonates with this writer.

Michele, you are certainly qualifying as the most business savvy among this Forum! I always learn from you. So now I will set Google News for tthe Email Alerts option setting. More power to you, and Thanks!

Garth

Garth--

As you know, it's one of my favorites.

One thing that critics tag as "photorealistic" is a certain fidelity to realistic drawing, but that term misses the mark for me here. I've always seen "photorealism" as having a certain randomness or "found" quality to the imagery, plus a fairly non-discerning approach to edges and detail. This painting has been refined through a couple of permutations to a completely non-random level of design--there is an abstract, pared-down underpinning to it that's anything but "found." And the nuance of edges really asserts when one sees the original painting. And the color captures that hot summer sun in a way that photographic color wouldn't, to my mind. Just my opinion.

It may have started with photography, but it's been refined way beyond that by now.

Congrats on the recognition!