September Newsletter
Welcome to my newsletter! Come here to check out what I’ve been up to with my work. I’ll be covering everything from independent projects, commissions, shows and so on. I’ll be adding a new letter every 3 months or so keep a look out for those notifications!
Recent Work
These past few months I’ve made a lot of of progress in my own work. My main focus have been my paintings I Can Hear Your Heart and The Lover’s Kiss:
I Can Hear Your Heart, 40x30”
My current paintings focus mostly on the truth revealed about a person while they sleep– how that can signify the passage of time and how that passage of time changes relationships. This piece is all about that feeling of security and peace two people feel as they fall asleep together, lulled by the sounds of one another's heartbeats. The true intimacy of these individuals relationship is almost more apparent with them being asleep and unaware.
This painting still needs a lot of work. Major areas include the male figure's face and shirt, as well as the female's jeans. I've been experimenting with different paint applications and thicknesses—the couch is built up of very thin layers while the skin is much thicker. I'm working on marrying these two techniques as well as practicing my control of thick paint, ensuring it doesn't become muddy or flat. I've chosen this specific color palette to give my painting an older feel, so that it comes across as a sensation that perseveres through time.
The Lover’s Kiss, 12x16”
This painting is the first of a two part diptych. The concept of this piece is that you are looking up at a person from underneath, as they sleep. Imagine you could look through the person’s pillow to see their cheek squished, lips pursed, and drool pooling. That is the goal here. The second painting will be much of the same, however the other person will be facing the other direction, making the two figures look at each other.
What I’m trying to convey here is that two people have fallen asleep while looking at each other— the way people do when they’re talking late at night to suddenly wake up in the morning, forgetful of how or when they ever drifted off. It is another way of demonstrating the bonds that form as people sleep. I am once again experimenting with thick and thin paint to give the flesh a soft, real feel. I want it to look like it’s fading into the darkness. The way that “gaze” will be used in this diptych is important as well. Even though the figure’s eyes are closed, they are still very much looking at each other.
Commissions
Some very exciting commissions are coming up as I continue to search for ways to break into the professional world!
I’ve been asked to complete a painting of a woman’s grandmother who has since passed. The photo I was given was a favorite of the family’s— they loved how she was surrounded by plants, a slight smile across her face as she looked at something off camera, the sun shining down on her.
I always love when someone trusts me enough to complete this type of work for them. Getting to capture a memory in such a way always means a lot to me.
Working with Mark Noble Designs has been so much fun and such a great learning opportunity! Mr. Noble paints large scale murals around the Fayetteville-Manlius area, recruiting me whenever he needs my assistance. The mural pictured here was for a new frozen yogurt place, which just opened last month
For this project, I painted the boat, the library, parts of the ice cream shop, and multiple people. Mr. Noble has taught me so much about business and helped me make many professional connections. I've loved the challenge of working in his style to create cohesive pieces of art, and it’s so rewarding seeing our work as I walk through town.
An exciting project is in the works! Thanks to my relationship with Mark Noble, I was introduced to writer and Pastor Andrew LaTeer. He was looking for an illustrator to create images for his upcoming book, and after a trial run has decided my work is compatible with his image. I will complete a number of oil paintings for him, including “The Dragon of Revelation” and “The Four Horsemen,” which I will then scan and send to his publisher to be included in his book.
I am extremely excited for this alternative way of getting my work out there and seen as part of a professional project. And I am especially grateful that I get to do this using oil paint. Thank you to Mr. LaTeer for how great he has been to work with, and I hope this will lead to future opportunities!
Shows
The Senior Capstone Exhibition was a huge success this past May! Thank you to everyone who came out to the Bevier Gallery at the Rochester Institute of Technology to support my peers and I!