Bugging out

Been locked in the studio for a full six days solid on this one. Do you know in that entire time, this singular, milky, bugs-eye hasn’t turned it’s withering gaze from me once. It makes me think of the old man in Tell-Tale Heart staring accusingly from the dark like a bitter moon.

The paint has flowed appeasing the great eye none the less, like blood from a sacrificial lamb. Even the damp cold that clings into the midday from the night before doesn’t deter me, and I’m reminded how easy it is, when there is nothing else imposing itself other than the work at hand.

In a moment of epiphany last week, I typed something out on social media about so much art being manifested in silence, with the accompanying choir of a thousand voices screaming self doubt. It’s true-the visions are barely audible at times over the constant drone of  rejection, failure, hardship, exclusion or…well, name your self-flagellating poison.

It made me think I’ve probably been listening to the choir for too long.

I should have squashed the voices rather like our  vexing bug here.

Freedom and enlightenment comes when there is no fear of nothing left to lose, and it dawns that I flourish best from my place of exile.

Tending the garden

This is me, applying the final flourishes to a piece that may turn out to be called “Infernal Pitts shall never hold celestial spirits in bondage”, which of course is a couplet from Paradise Lost, but may end up being called ‘spirits unbound’ because it’s far easier to remember at my age.

Still working through the preliminaries for the rest, half way there as far as best laid plans go, realizing the scope of this is akin to staring up from the foot of an ancient great oak you’ve grown yourself, before attempting to traverse to the top.

From little acorns as they say.

Did manage to escape partial exile from my exclusion zone last weekend for the La Bodega fourth anniversary. My little 45″ vinyl contribution of a Siren, depicting my friend and extraordinary musician Eliza Rickman, which was made all the more special when the model herself made an appearance.

Thank you Eliza <3 p="">

Incidentally, if you aren’t already acquainted with Eliza’s output, I implore you to go and do so, enchanting,haunting, strange and lilting-all the prerequisites I have for great art- plus her videos are visual feasts of gothic loveliness.

elizarickman.com

No other shows planned until the big one in 2019, although I’m mooting the possibility that I am pretty much done as far as group shows are concerned.

Emphatically, this has zero to do with La Bodega-who I consider the singular shining light as far as an art scene in San Diego- but I may decide to say something about the gallery that has been the tipping point in consideration of that decision at some future event.

Suffice to say, that for the moment I’m too focused  on tending my own garden as opposed to being dismissed as no more than a thorn in the side of  someone else’s.

Paradiso's Fall

Though it may seem a little premature, best laid plans being what they are, I thought I would let you all know where a majority of my focus is going to be for the next fourteen months.

Following on from 2014’s show Purgatorium -I am honored to announce that  Paradiso’s Fall, will be debuting at The Dark Art Emporium in Long Beach, March 2019.

Though it may seem a ways off, experience has shown me that if time waits for no one, then it accelerates at light speed in the studio.

Over time, I’ll be posting works in progress, possibly even video peaks throughout the next twelve months, so I hope you’ll continue to follow me as I take another excursion down the rarebit hole.

As always the support and encouragement you provide sustains me like a manna, so my indelible thanks.

Rogues Gallery Featured artist for January

“In the studio he wields his brush over the fibers of his canvas with the precision and authority of a magistrate’s gavel… Weaving tapestries of man’s wonderment at the terror he poses to the world around him, and the terror he poses to himself.”

Kicking off the first day of the new year-in what hopefully is a shape of fortunes to come-I’m honored by having been chosen as Featured Artist for the month of January, in what is a beautifully eloquent article over on Rogues Gallery.

You can read the full article from the link below:

ROGUES GALLERY FEATURED ARTIST

Thank you so very much Steven Lee Matz at Intersekt Art