Gowanus Open Studios is almost here!

Happy October everyone!  Gowanus Open Studios takes over Brooklyn in less than 2 weeks (October 16-18) and I’m involved in several exciting events during that weekend.

The Studio Tour weekend starts Friday October 16 with Beat Nite Gowanus, a Norte Maar production.  I’m pleased that Gowanus Swim Society – the neighborhood artists collective I’m a part of – has been included in the Beat Nite Gowanus Gallery walk.  The event runs from 6-10 pm Friday night.  Come by Halyards Bar to get a preview of Gowanus Swim’s show Telestrations!  See all the details on the Beat Nite Gowanus website!

Gowanus Open Studios starts in earnest on Saturday, October 17.  Studios throughout the neighborhood will be open from 12 noon to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday, October 18.  Find me in my studio at Brooklyn Art Space, at 168 7th Street, 3rd floor (that’s between 2nd and 3rd avenues, Brooklyn).

"Lifeworld 33", oil on canvas, 20x20in., 2015.
“Lifeworld 33”, oil on canvas, 20x20in., 2015.

On Saturday night Gowanus Swim Society hosts Telestrations, the official Gowanus Open Studios Saturday night party!  See more of my art along with work by all of the Swim Society plus specially curated video and performance and live bands!  The party runs from 6pm to 4am.  The party is at Halyards, 3rd Avenue and 6th Street (Brooklyn, of course).  All the details are on the Facebook event page.

"Transatlantic train to nowhere", mixed media, 20x20", 2015. Included in Gowanus Swim's show "Telestrations" at Halyards
“Transatlantic train to nowhere”, mixed media, 20×20″, 2015. Included in Gowanus Swim’s show “Telestrations” at Halyards

Whew! It will be a busy weekend!  I hope to see all of you somewhere along the way!

Project: 365

Back in October, I started a new, year-long project to document my ongoing practice of visual exploration.  I think of this exploration as central to the work of the artist.  I’m calling the project simply “365” and the end result (to the extent that a project like this ever ends) will be 365 small watercolors presented at this year’s Gowanus Open Studios, October 17-18.

I started the project on or about October 19, immediately after last year’s Open Studios, and we are now more or less at the six-month mark.  So I’m evaluating how the project is going and taking a first crack at formulating some sort of artist’s statement about the work.  I’m also beginning the arduous task of scanning some exemplars of the work.  I’m certainly not going to scan all 365 pieces I create!

365 exemplar from late 2014. Watercolor on paper, 4×6″ 

The project is bookended by the Open Studio event that happens each year in October.  I’ve taken part in Gowanus Open Studios every year since 2007, and I’ve often experienced it as the beginning and end of my artistic cycle.

So what goes on in my typical artist’s year?  This project seeks to outline just that.  It represents a year in the life of the artist — or in other words, a year of practice, process  and exploration.

Fantastical self-portrait, watercolor, 6×4″, February, 2015

As I said, all of the work created for this project is small (between approximately 3×5 inches and 8×8 inches) and all of the work is watercolor.  Included are portraits and self-portraits, improvised sketches and landscapes real and unreal, life-drawing, completely abstract work, flights of the imagination and studies for future larger paintings.  All stuff of which the artist’s practice is made.

365 pieces will be displayed in October, and all will be offered to the public on a “pay as you wish” basis.  Here are some exemplars of the work created so far. Mark your calendars now! Gowanus Open Studios 2015 is October 17-18.

December 2014, watercolor, approx. 4×4″ 
October, 2014
Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, late October, 2014
December 2014
December 2014
November 2014
November 2014
December 2014
December 2014
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