The other day I was surfing online and I came across the artist Padrick Bentley. I was looking through his more traditional contemporary paintings, if you can call them traditional at all, and loved his… More
Baltimore Students Team Up For #BlackLivesMatter Street Art Takeover
Animated GIF of pulsating ‘Black Lives Matter’. Credit to Beyon at http://www.beyon.org/
“For me, Black Lives Matter — way before it became this social media movement, before it became a hashtag — it’s always been a part of my work. We’ve been saying these things for years about … mistreatment and injustices.” artist Sheldon Scott
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‘The Sketchbook Project’ Takes Readers Around The World In Doodles
“When the Sketchbook Project first started, we never imagined where it would take us. We now have a place where anyone is accepted, and a community is created along the way.” Steven Peterman and Shane Zucker write in an introduction to their new book, aptly titled The Sketchbook Project World Tour, published by Princeton Architectural Press
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Four Recently Completed #MixedMedia #Paintings
We love the Marx Brothers and Groucho is Stan’s favorite of the bunch. This painting is modeled after a book cover. I played up the art deco elements, because we so love that style. I imagine at some point I’ll make one of Harpo. I just think he is grand!
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Local Poetry Events-Tonight And Next Wednesday
7th annual Young Writers Night
Just a reminder that Pat O’Brien will have her 7th annual Young Writers Night tonight Thursday, April 2nd at 6 PM at Mel Flanagan’s Irish Pub and Cafe‘ at 50 North Main St in Rochester. We’ll be meeting on the Cafe’ side of Mel’s. After the young writers have a chance to dazzle us with their stories and poetry an open mic will follow. Come out and support the event; it is always a feast for the heart and mind.
National Poetry Month-Features, Lindsey Coombs, Kyle Leach, David McNicholas and Lauren Vermette
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Losing Myself By Kyle Leach
I was inspired to write this poem because of the controversy surrounding Russel Tovey’s “effeminate” remarks. The photo above is of my my brother and myself. I’m on the left, he is on the right. It shows a time when my mischievous nature was revealed and my brother’s wild happiness comes through. It’s one of my favorite photos of the two of us. Though the poem isn’t about us, it is about me losing a part of myself, it is taken from this time when I was still that sissy boy in the photo.
Mixed Media Tile Paintings-A Plug For Artstream’s Mixed Media Course
I had a blast making these mixed media tile paintings. I haven’t worked with mixed media very often, but it is becoming one of my favorite ways of expressing myself now. I am learning more about how to use the layering techniques and various mediums and what to add when to compliment different sections of the layers as they go on. It’s sometimes complicated and often thrilling.
I’m just about to start an online mixed media course taught by Susan Schwake from Artstream in Dover. It’s an online class meant for all skill levels. Susan is the perfect teacher whether you are a beginner or an accomplished artist or someone who wants to dabble a bit. She is really interested in helping you find what makes you happy when you express yourself in art and tries to give you the tools you will need to get to where you would like to go. I highly recommend her online courses.
Landscape Progression
This is another piece that came from the art class I was taking. This exercise was a lot of fun. It gets you out of your head. Where you start isn’t where you have to end. You can see in the beginning my mind was looking for movement and curled shapes. The under painting colors of blue and red are horrible, but they come through beautifully in the finished piece as subtle flourishes. You can see as I pull things together I get rid of some of the visual noise in the lower portion and let the focus be the curled limbs of the tree.
Free Form Still Life Progression
This was a still life I did for a group class I was a part of. I love how this one progressed. I can’t decide if I prefer it to be vertical or horizontal. I see fruit when it is horizontal and a tropical flower when it is in a vertical position. I haven’t decided on a frame yet either. I think one with darker wood tones and perhaps a bit of gold would complement it well.
Still Life Progression
This is the style that most of my work takes when I’m left to my own devices. Vivid colors, unusual color mixes, and a sense of movement or very obvious strokes, strikes, or marks. I’m not found of fruit still life painting, so this one will most likely be turned into something else at some point.
8 Things You Didn’t Know About The Artist Vincent Van Gogh
Viewed thus, men don’t play a very noble role — well, but that is in fact the case. It doesn’t apply in general, though, because … does the candle burn for the sake of the moth? If one knew that — well then — it might well be worthwhile committing suicide that way. Vincent van Gogh
