Goodbye Summer (things I will miss)

"Wolf Creek 1" (in process)

 Do you feel it?  It seems like summer is quickly collapsing into fall and I'm going to miss a few things.

1. Evening play dates with my dog and her neighborhood dog friends.
2. My son (He graduated from high school and has big plans for the fall).
3. Kayaking at the reservoir (Although I have not been nearly as many times as I wish- the idea of the opportunity will be missed).
4. Late sunset walks with my wife.
5. Speed sun drying layers of my paintings.

What about you?  What will you miss about summer?

"Wolf Creek 1" (completed)

Green River Collection (Where is the River?)

 On an early morning trip to Lake Powell, I was mesmerized by a misty sunrise that highlighted the red-rock, coral banks of the Green River.  The stark green of the junipers in the middle of nowhere creates really beautiful combinations that I am sometimes able to capture in this study through an exaggerated color palette. The color is intellectualized at least as much as the forms.  The trees are a devised symbol for elements of that landscape.  The colors become more symbolic than an actual representation of the colors seen.

Most notably missing from my "Green River" series is the river.  These pieces are formed by mostly random brush strokes that I use to begin to create a feeling experienced while I was there.  I hopefully add enough more intentional brush strokes to make it so that others can also find that familiar landscape.

Have you visited “Green River”?  Did I capture anything familiar to you?

 

-Tyler

 

Energy and Drive (How to get projects done)

 After reading this title, you might think this newsletter will be all about productivity and getting things done- but let me assure you I am still trying to figure that all out.  This year has been one of huge transitions for me.  Because of some restructuring with the decorative paint company I started in 2000, I have been able to devote almost all of my time to painting.

While I've often felt like it was my dream for painting to become my full time job - it's proven to be more of a challenge than expected.  In the past, my paintings have been a mad rush between projects where I frantically stayed up at the studio for days on end in an attempt to get the images in my head into the  world.  Since these painting interludes proved fewer than I would have liked, I could live with this unorthodox schedule for short periods of time and maintain productivity and a family life.  I'm finding that this isn't sustainable over time and finding the energy and drive is difficult.

So how am I combating this?  A couple of ways... I'm being sure to apply to art shows so that I have some set deadlines.  I'm accepting more commissions which, although they don't necessarily have hard deadlines, do have some commitment to completion.  And lastly, I'm trying some really inventive techniques and ideas that may or may not prove to be successful- not because I have an end in mind, but just because they are fun.  

How do you stay motivated to remain productive in the most important parts of your life?

-Tyler

Lessons learned (Is this old dog learning any new tricks?)

I was recently asked what lessons I have learned in my career as an artist.  This is a really difficult idea to articulate, but I think that my process feels less fragile and precious than when I began. I’m more willing to let parts go if it means making the whole piece better. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices to aid the direction of the piece. I’ve become willing to walk away from what I once thought were good ideas if they aren’t working. I’ve learned I have plenty of other ideas that will work. Trying to force a process is a huge waste of time. Sometimes the best option is to quit. 

The above picture is a painting from a Wolf Creek study that I stopped working on over a year ago.  I really liked the way the beginning stages were coming together with this painting and its sister, but I found myself stuck in the middle.  Instead of pushing through to an end point, I decided to set them aside.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to pick them up again.  After looking at them from a fresh perspective, I found the finish easily.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the completed products pictured below.  They were a long time coming, but I feel satisfied with the result.

Method or Madness? (Trying to find artistic balance)

 

Orderly is probably not a word you would use to describe my studio space.  Because of this, you might be surprised to learn that my technique is actually pretty planned and methodical.  First I paint the main subject matter with bitumen, then I paint the light colors around it, then I spray paint water and other chemicals and then begin the process again.  It's a formula or a recipe that I follow over and over again.  

While this might create a somewhat predictable result, it also might lend itself to a piece that feels very dead.  You can't see the marks that I made, the gestures or the way the hand was moving to create the individual parts of the piece.  Since I have already visualized the way I want the finished piece to look, it is a constant push and pull of using that recipe and going back to paint in details to bring the piece alive again- calm in the chaos.

What about you?  Do you work best in a system or does your creativity thrive in disarray?

-Tyler