Athletic Aesthetic

Sorry for the long hiatus...

I was nervous about posting this one too soon. In fact, I am nervous about this painting in general.

I fell in love with the tuba reflections at Ole Miss games last year. I took the photo this was based on at the Wake- Ole Miss game last September. I love how trippy the reflection is. I worry about the "hotty toddiness" of the painting. Oxford is full of painted homages to Colonel Reb.

I painted it for the spectacle, surface reflections, and the general over-the-top quality of college football. Who knows....

Look what Kevi made!

Nothing is more fun than fondue...

I volunteered for the Oxford Film Fest which is happening this weekend. Basically, I got to indulge my inner graphic designer and play with photoshop and my vast array of vintage materials.

Ta Dah!

This painting is done! I am so thankful- I was running out of steam there at the end.

Plans for the holidays.... I want to do some monotypes in the print shop. I also have some smaller panels (tiny 16"x 24") that are ready to go. I am about to stretch and gesso a 4' x 4'. It is time to make some art!

Gettin' there

I am almost there with this painting. I have been slowly working on this since August. It is fitting that I will finish (fingers crossed) during exam week.

All I have left to do is the colored coconut. I am scared and excited at the same time. It is a lot of detail, however it brings back fond memories. We used to make cupcakes at Easter with colored coconut on top to simulate grass. Then we would add jellybeans on top to be the easter eggs.

I was pleasantly surprised how fun the shredded wheat (on the roof) was to paint. However, I never want to paint pretzels again. The salt was too much, even for me. I think the next one needs some glass and some color... I am craving it!

what I am doing this week.....

Grading!

A trip to the farmer's market

cranberry beans!

Another invitation to Loutopia

The Raft of the Lotus Roots, French painter Théodore Géricault's famous painting (Raft of the Medusa) recreated using vegetables by Chinese artist Ju Duoqi.

An invitation to Loutopia

Grant Barnhart is a painter who is exploring the idea of "too much." His painting is about spectacle, excess, and America (clearly that is a train I can get on board)

I like his use of cliche I am also a fan of his paint handling... he is combining many different ways of applying paint in a fresh way- stenciling, dripping, airbrush, old fashioned "painterly" quality, etc. There is an exuberance in his paintings that I don't find in the installations as much. I think I am clearly biased towards the paint. However, the self-contained "world" of a painting might be better suited to his over the top thesis than a self-contained corner of the gallery in his installation. Go big or go home message translates better in painting (as least over the internet.)

Fun with food!

Thanks Brooke and Chris at Proud Larry's for the pizza and Katherine for the cake!

Preaching to the choir

Pricing your work is one of the hardest part of being an
artist.

One of the best ways- I have found is to pay yourself for
time and materials. You could figure out how many hours you
have spent on the piece. Some will triple the price of
materials. I would never price something original (painting-
not a print) for less than $100. The more you sell, the
easier to price...

I would err on the side of too much... art is the only true
"free market." It is only worth what someone is willing to
pay for it.

On a more cynical note, the skull image is a work by Damien Hirst proving that a greedy artist is a rich one. He used $20 million dollars in materials and the reported asking price was $100 million.

introducing... The Nut House

I have been working on this painting all semester. I am so ready to see it done-- maybe Thanksgiving break.

It has been slow... partly because of the wild and crazy semester, but also it has a ton of browns. I miss real color.

you are invited!

Boston aka Sweet Tea Party

Tara Donovan, styrofoam cups and hot glue


I am just finishing up my whirlwind trip to Boston. I have a show at Framingham State College. Today, I met with the senior seminar class, gave a lecture, and had a reception. Whew.....

I also had a great Japanese dinner with a friend from Vermont, Amanda Fiedler.

The best part... the ICA Boston. Tim (the gallery director at Framingham) and I headed into Boston to check out the Tara Donovan show. It was incredible (she just won the MacArthur Genius Grant). She uses really mundane materials to create these really sublime, beautiful and in some cases psychedelic installations. Tara's work doesn't photograph well, but it truly amazing in person. I needed to see a good show..... back to MS and back to the studio in the morning.

I am famous (kind of)

Check out this review by Katherine Fields about the show at Meek. You have to scroll down and download the OxfordTown. I am on page 13. She made some interesting points about "Pop goes the weasel."

My favorite part is the following---

"Haney's concepts, compositions, and material choices evoke th spirit of artists who were enraptured with the Pop Art movement, a movement in art that garnered contemporary culture as a vehicle for art making. Haney's paintings are reminiscent of Gerhard Richter's photo paintings, Wayne Thiebaud's desserts, and Bridget Riley's optical illusionistic treatment of line and shape."

Thanks Katherine!