December Newsletter
Hi everyone! A lot has happened these past three months and many new things are starting quickly!
News
These past weeks I’ve been going back and forth between my home and Brooklyn to meet with fellow artist Carole Feuerman. Feuerman is a renowned sculptor who belongs to an array of galleries and has shown all over the world. She’s most known for her hyper-realistic pieces of swimmers. I was invited into her studio and given the chance to work and learn in her space as I pursued a potential job opportunity with her!
The job I was interested in was the role of her new airbrush painter. This person is responsible for painting the skin and suits of all her models, prepping pieces for paint, and assisting with other studio tasks as needed. After three days of interviews and hands-on trials, I’m so happy to say I’ve been offered the position! Because of this a lot has to happen very quickly — within the next week, I will be moving to NYC!
I’m so excited about this opportunity to work with an amazing team of artists as I expand my own career! I’m grateful to be part of such an amazing team and to hone a new skill. I’m hoping this job will open new doors for me in the art world and I can’t wait to see what this brings my way!
*Check out her website at https://www.carolefeuerman.com/
Recent Work
Lover’s Kiss Pt. 2, oil on wood, 12x16”
This new undertaking doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my own work. These past three months have been busy but I still managed to start two other paintings in between projects.
This is the second part of my diptych Lover’s Kiss. I continue exploring the same ideas in part one, as this figure is the original figure’s other half, looking back at her. I’ve started with some very thin layers to build up the subtle undertones in the skin. This time I’m paying even closer attention to “what lies underneath.” I want the viewer to feel like they can see into this person through the imperfections and shadows revealed on his face. Almost like their facade is fading away with sleep.
The eyes, noses, and mouths of both paintings line up, making them almost nose-to-nose when next to each other. Their mouths being slightly parted suggests deep sleep as well as interrupted conversation. I’m still playing with the distance that will be put between the two of them. I like the story that comes out in both instances of them being close together and far apart. The most important thing however is that they are always looking at each other.
Juice Pouch, oil on canvas, 20x24”
This painting is still very “bare-bones.” It’s related to Thursday Afternoon and The Innocence of Youth. I’ve been considering building a whole body of work around these three pieces.
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how the passage of time affects people — the way life changes from childhood to adulthood. My sleeping figures, to me, feel like a segway into this concept because while I still see sleeping as a vulnerable, exposing state I also see it as a transition. Like when you blink and suddenly five years have passed.
Juice Pouch then will be part of the paintings that look at adolescence and the arrogant simplicity that comes with it. I’m still heavily focusing on gaze. The eyes look up and to the side as if looking to someone older; as if looking at what they will one day be. I am still using my palette of greens, golds, and browns to capture that old nostalgic film feel.
Other Projects
I managed to take on some more freelance work as well. All of these projects were so much fun to work on and such great learning experiences:
I finished up that commission! I mailed it out to Florida for the woman who ordered it and she absolutely loved it! She even requested a couple of prints which gave me a chance to test out a new printing process. It makes me so happy to make work that is meaningful and sentimental to others. I’m glad I could capture this memory for her.
I wrapped up my illustrative work for Andrew LaTeer! After completing the Dragon of Revelation he had me get started on the Four Horsemen. On top of the paintings, I did some digital work for Mr. LaTeer. Using Photoshop we combined some of his other images to create entirely new scenes to be used in other areas of the story. It was definitely a learning process with a lot of collaboration but I’m grateful I got to be a part of this project.
l was called in to do more mural work with Mark Noble Designs! I painted various people into this mural for the Coppertop Tavern in Camillus. This mural was a collage of neutral and color sections to represent the history of the town. The final two images above are examples of what I added to the mural — a police officer and a small family, amongst other elements. Another super fun project!
FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
Santa prints are now available for the holiday season!
Check out my “paintings” page if interested!