Relentless Continuity Video

I have posted a video of myself working on Relentless Continuity 2008 at Artomatic. See it here.

I also would like to thank all of patrons again who made this artwork possible. Here is the updated list. I hope everyone can make it to Artomatic before it closes June 15. Let me know what you think after you make the trip!

PATRONS:
Paul So, Alexandria, VA
Norm Scott, Ithaca, NY
Frank and Jan Warren, Germantown, MD
Sean Flaherty, Alexandria, VA
David Vurdelja, Arlington, VA
Warren Craghead, Charlottesville, VA
Richard and Diane Flaherty, Manassas, VA
Carol Lukitsch, Alexandria, VA
Helen and Norman D'Amours, Arlington, VA
Jo Ann and Jim Crawford, Fairfax, VA
Jessica Jackson, Manassas, VA
Brad McLemore, Williamsburg, VA
Latin Students of CHS 2008, Chantilly, VA
Diana Ellis, Fairfax, VA
Doug Kean, Fairfax, VA
Sondra N. Arkin, Washington, DC
Blair and Wendy Evans, Surry, VA
Barbara Burleson, Reston, VA
Mary C. Pontillo, Astoria, NY
Deborah E. Glakas, Oakton, VA
Adam Podell, Reston, VA
Matthew Grimes, Washington, DC
Margaret and Ernest Pexiotto, Chantilly, VA
Maurean and Joseph Truncale, Herndon, VA

Artwork of the week, May 13: New Website

Instead of posting an artwork of the week today I am designing a new website. More soon - including pics of the Artomatic piece while I was creating it...

Note from the studio

Detail, a painting in my studio viewed at an angle.

Thanks to all that came out for the opening weekend of Artomatic 2008. I hope more of you get a chance to go, and let me know what you think. Artomatic info is available here.
I'm getting ready to start some new work in the studio, and I've got two paintings the Art Council at GRACE exhibition which opens in June.
More big news is that I am starting to reconstruct my website this week. So keep your eyes peeled, I will let you know when the new version launches.
I have a slide show of the final hours of drawing as well as some video of the drawing process that I will be putting up on the website and here. Check back soon!

Artomatic Opens Tomorrow

Relentless Continuity 2008, Study 4
Graphite on Yupo

Artomatic 2008 opens tomorrow at 1200 First Street NE, Washington, DC. My site-specific drawing will be on the twelfth floor. I will be hanging around my artwork from 7-9pm tomorrow night (I will be wondering around checking out the other artwork before and after that) I look forward to seeing you.

Corcoran Cancels Party after Art Anonymous Auction

I received the following email late last night:

Dear Art Anonymous Participants,
Thank you so much for helping the Corcoran College of Art + Design with Art Anonymous. Each of your amazing pieces has been installed in Gallery 31 and the space looks absolutely fantastic. If you haven’t had the opportunity to come by and see the Gallery, please make certain you do. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your donations and your generosity.
As you know, we had planned to hold a party after the Art Anonymous sale on May 10. Unfortunately unforeseen circumstances mean we have had to cancel the party and are now holding the sale only. The event has been switched and will be open to current ticket holders only from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday night. Proceeds from the sale will still be dedicated to the College’s BFA Scholarship Fund.
Again, please know how grateful we are for your support of Art Anonymous. As a token of our thanks, we do hope that you will join us for the Exhibition Preview Evening for Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power, to be held on Wednesday, September 10. Please accept our apologies for canceling the party at the last moment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at (202) 639-1753.
Thank you again for your support of the Corcoran College of Art + Design.
Best regards,
Corcoran Membership

This morning I received this email after asking if I was still allowed to attend the auction with my wife as we had RSVP'd after i acknowledged that I would participate:

Dear Art Anonymous Participants,
We would like to take this chance to explain the situation further and extend a special invitation to all of you (in addition to the Avedon preview) for all of your dedication and support of the Corcoran during Art Anonymous.
Please understand that since the party after the Art Anonymous sale has now been canceled, we no longer have the space to hold participants other than the already registered ticket holders. We do understand that we offered all participating artists complimentary entry into this event. However, we had an overwhelming response to this offer, and without the extra room, Gallery 31 is too small to hold all potential attendees.
What we would like to offer all artists however, is the chance to join us from 4pm – 5pm sharp in Gallery 31 to mingle with each other, share some wine, and get a preview of the show before the works go on sale (these works are also up now, and can be viewed in our Gallery 31 until 9pm tonight, and from 10am – 5pm tomorrow and Saturday).
We look forward to hosting all of you at 4pm this Saturday in our Gallery 31 (please remember to use the New York Avenue entrance). If you had a guest accompanying you to the 6pm sale, they may still come to the sale, or we can refund their ticket and they may join you from 4pm – 5pm this Saturday. Just have them call (202) 639-1753 to get their refund. Please also note that the registration for the sale from 6pm – 8pm is now closed, and no walk-ins will be allowed.
Thank you again for your support of the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and please accept our invitation for the artist-only sneak preview.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at (202) 639-1753.
With much appreciation,
Corcoran Membership

Well, hopefully some of you will make it to the auction - I'm sorry if it ruins your plans for Saturday Night - If you do go, I guess I won't be seeing any of you there (unless you are an artist who is going from 4-5pm). Make of it what you will....

Countdown to Artomatic 2008

There are only 30.5 hours left until the end of Artomatic Installation and I am still waiting on a shipment of a key material for the drawing. I have already prepared the alternative material and I am heading back to my space tonight to clean up a bit and attach my name tag and other information, as well as give the platform another once over. It looks like the final drawing will be executed tomorrow night from 5pm-10pm, and yes I will have my wife documenting at least the last 2-3 hours of the drawing. Scroll down to see my progress and some off the studies I have made for this piece. Wish me luck!

Adams at the Corcoran this Saturday

I am happy to announce that I have a piece in this year's Art Anonymous Exhibition at the Corcoran. I have included the following information which is taken directly from their website.

"The Corcoran Gallery of Art and FRIENDS of the Corcoran are proud to host their first Art Anonymous fundraiser, benefiting the Corcoran College of Art + Design’s BFA Scholarship Fund. Leading contemporary artists will offer for sale original, postcard-sized works alongside the creations of students, faculty, and staff of the Corcoran College of Art + Design and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. All works are only $100—the catch: all artwork is signed on the back, so the identity of the artist will remain a mystery until after the purchase.

Art Anonymous is an exciting and affordable way to add to your collection. Anyone could walk away with a fantastic bargain—will you?

Reception, drinks, and dancing included.

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Members $50, Non-Members $65
All works $100
Raffle for the first 10 picks $50

6 p.m. Preview and Raffle
7 p.m. Bidding Opens

Drinks and dancing until 11 p.m..

Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006"

Will you be able to guess which piece is mine? I hope to see you there!

Updated, List of Patrons for Site-specific Drawing at Artomatic 2008

Photo courtesy of Rochelle Adams

I want to thank all of the patrons that have stepped forward to support my site-specific drawing at Artomatic 2008. Patrons can still support the artwork and be listed on the installation at Artomatic until May 7th, so if you haven't gotten the payment in, or haven't had a chance to contact me yet, it is not too late.
I would like to thank the Patrons that have sent in their support at this time, but I will continue to update this list as the support rolls in. Thank you again!

PATRONS:
Paul So, Alexandria, VA
Norm Scott, Ithaca, NY
Frank and Jan Warren, Germantown, MD
Sean Flaherty, Alexandria, VA
David Vurdelja, Arlington, VA
Warren Craghead, Charlottesville, VA
Richard and Diane Flaherty, Manassas, VA
Carol Lukitsch, Alexandria, VA
Helen and Norman D'Amours, Arlington, VA
Jo Ann and Jim Crawford, Fairfax, VA
Jessica Jackson, Manassas, VA
Brad McLemore, Williamsburg, VA
Latin Students of CHS 2008, Chantilly, VA
Diana Ellis, Fairfax, VA
Doug Kean, Fairfax, VA
Sondra N. Arkin, Washington, DC
Blair and Wendy Evans, Surry, VA
Barbara Burleson, Reston, VA
Mary C. Pontillo, Astoria, NY
Deborah E. Glakas, Oakton, VA
Adam Podell, Reston, VA
Matthew Grimes, Washington, DC

I'll see you at the opening this Friday May 9th, I will be hanging around my artwork from 7-9pm that night...

Artwork of the week, May 2

Relentless Continuity 2008, Study 4
Graphite on Yupo, 6"x8"

Relentless Continuity 2008, Study 3
Graphite on Yupo, 6"x8"

Here are two of the studies for the Artomatic drawings (there are more and new ones in the works). These are small studies that I have used to build a vocabulary of marks for the Site-specific drawing, which will be executed in one day early next week. Think of these as details for the larger piece, so at 6"x8" the marks will be the same size on a much larger drawing (approx. 74"x27") The first people to email me can have one or both of these drawings for $150 each. Please specify which drawing you are interested in.

Thank you Patrons!

I want to thank all of the patrons that have stepped forward to support my site-specific drawing at Artomatic 2008. Patrons can still support the artwork and be listed on the installation at Artomatic until May 7th, so if you haven't gotten the payment in, or haven't had a chance to contact me yet, it is not too late. I also plan on making a small limited edition of signed photographic prints available for sale during Artomatic for those who would still like to support the artwork after the deadline, more on that later.
I would like to thank the Patrons that have sent in their support at this time, but I will continue to update this list as the support rolls in. Thank you again!

PATRONS:
Paul So, Alexandria, VA
Norm Scott, Ithaca, NY
Frank and Jan Warren, Germantown, MD
Sean Flaherty, Alexandria, VA
David Vurdelja, Arlington, VA
Warren Craghead, Charlottesville, VA
Richard and Diane Flaherty, Manassas, VA
Carol Lukitsch, Alexandria, VA
Helen and Norman D'Amours, Arlington, VA
Jo Ann and Jim Crawford, Fairfax, VA
Jessica Jackson, Manassas, VA
Brad McLemore, Willimasburg, VA
Latin Students of CHS 2008, Chantilly, VA
Diana Ellis, Fairfax, VA
Doug Kean, Fairfax, VA
Sondra N. Arkin, Washington, DC

More people have contacted me about supporting and I will be adding their names soon, so keep checking!

More Artomatic Process

The platform is built, caulked and primed - a quick light sanding and two coats of paint and its finished. I decided to stay home tonight to work in the studio on some experiments and finish preparing the drawing surface which will be recessed 1.25 inches into the platform. It's not too late to become a patron and help make this artwork happen!

Artomatic Drawing Progress

I'm making progress, with lots of studies (taped to the wall here in between paintings in my studio), cutting, sanding and priming wood, and waiting for the rain to stop so I could strap it all to my roof racks (plus I was out of town on family business for 5 days last weekend). Tonight after I order the postcards I will post several of the studies I've done so far. (Sorry for the poor quality photos, these are just snapshots)
Last night my buddy Adam helped me to haul the wood and assemble to frame for the platform. The plywood is just leaning up against it for now - I will attach that late tonight. The drawings will be executed on top of the platform.
Thanks to everyone who has supported this project so far - if you still want to become a patron, you have until Wednesday, May 7 to do so, and if you have contacted me , but have not sent payment I will need to receive it before May 7 so I may include you on the list of patrons at the installation. More soon....