Gina Pruette

Photos from the opening last Friday

2012-01-09T14:34:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple of photos from the opening last Friday night. The show runs through January 26th at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC.

Exhibition opening tonight in Raleigh, NC

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

A few of my paintings are featured in the Exchange Gallery at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC this month. The show opens tonight, January 6th, as part of First Friday in downtown Raleigh from 6-9 p.m. and will close on January 26th. For more information about my work and the other artists exhibiting in the Exchange Gallery section of the Visual Art Exchange this month, click here. For information about First Friday in Raleigh, including information about participating galleries, dining, and parking, click here. Hope to see you there!

Studio Update

2011-07-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

Over the last few months I have been laying the groundwork for a new series of paintings I will be showing in a couple of exhibitions in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC this coming winter. My new work continues to explore the relationships among nature, science, and humanity through shape and color. I will post some new work on my website between now and then but will probably wait to post the bulk of it until after the exhibitions have opened.

I am also looking at options for a new website and blog format that would offer easier access to images of my work. Another option I am considering involves splitting out my paintings and metalwork into separate sections or even separate websites altogether. I will post updates out here as changes are made.

I will also post more information this fall about my upcoming shows. Until then, back to the studio!

Circles Ring with Blue Topaz

2011-03-15T13:00:00.006-04:00

I'm very busy in the studio right now working on ways to explore ordered chaos in the realm of jewelry design. As in my paintings, I have found that when working with metal I gravitate toward geometric forms, angles, and lines. Unexpectedly, I have also found myself delighted to work with stones, both cabochons and faceted gems. On a thematic level, I enjoy the contrast between the smooth reflective surface of metal and the warm depths of a cab or the fractured beauty of a faceted gem. On a technical level, I enjoy the satisfaction of watching a bezel or tube setting come together in the studio, culminating in an almost mystical moment when I set the stone to finish a piece. These themes and design elements will form the basis of my first jewelry series that I hope to release later this year. Pictured above is a new ring made from sterling silver, fine silver, and a 4mm blue topaz. I like this one because of the tension created by the ring shank piercing through the two circles. I also like the use of both square and round wire to achieve a uniform, yet varied sense of order.

The bottom photo shows the Circles ring as well as two other rings I created in my studio recently. The oval jade ring contains the first bezel set cabochon I completed entirely on my own, and the ring pictured underneath it features the first faceted stone I ever set - a 5mm CZ tube set in silver, completed with the assistance of my fantastic instructor, Sara Sloan Stine, at the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art. Later I wrapped the ring shank in copper wire for texture, contrast, and just a little bit of chaos. Enjoy!

First layers of new painting - Horses

2011-03-06T15:07:00.001-05:00

Over the past month I've been working on several new jewelry designs and will post more on those later. In the meantime, here is a painting on my easel right now. During a recent trip to New York, I was inspired by the juxtaposition of so many imposing style of architecture out my hotel window overlooking 8th Ave. I was bombarded by images of stampeding horses, the city closing in like cavalry. This is how the painting looks after the first few layers.

End Game

2011-02-11T16:44:00.002-05:00

End Game, acrylic/board, 12" x 24" (diptych), 2011

After several more layers of work, here is the finished painting.

New painting...new layers in progress

2011-02-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

Here is the new painting after a third layer of paint. My process involves lots of tape of varying widths and lengths to mask areas and create the angles that interest me. In this layer I am concentrating on the lower half of the painting. I have left the central arch and upper portion alone for now to serve as a visual reference while I work. In other layers I will focus on these areas in greater depth.

Once the tape is removed, it looks like this:

In case it's not evident from the previous photos, I'm working this painting on two separate wood panels put together. I like the additional geometry created by the division of the two 12" x 12" panels, shown separated here:

I will continue to work the painting in this way until I've incorporated most of the colors and angles I want. As I build up the layers I keep an eye on changes to the overall composition and make adjustments as necessary. These early layers are painted in acrylic with soft gel medium using brushes. Later on I will start mixing the paint with thicker mediums. Also, I may put my brushes away in favor of knives and add any transparent colors I want to use.

Inspired by Red! New Pendants...

2011-01-31T14:53:00.000-05:00

This is a pendant I started last week during a metal fabrication class I'm taking right now. My studio doesn't yet include a roll press or a circle punch, so I had fun using these tools to create a new pendant. I produced the mirror-image designs on the copper pieces by cutting a loosely geometric design in glossy paper. Next I sandwiched the cut paper between two pieces of annealed copper and ran it through the roll press. I trimmed down the designs a bit, and after annealing the copper again I rolled one side of each piece around some copper tubing. The red accents were created using copper fabricated with a circle punch combined with soldered jump rings I created in my home studio. I soldered all three circles together, sprayed them with several layers of primer and red enamel (scratching and sanding the pieces after each painting - except the final layer - to add texture). To make the rivets for attaching the red pieces to the rolled copper pieces, I first beaded up the ends of two pieces of sterling wire so that the front of the rivets were a little more decorative. Next I threaded the wires through drilled holes in the metal pieces and finished them on the back using a riveting hammer. Finally, I drilled a hole through the top of the copper tubing for the neck wire. Many steps to create this one, but I love how it turned out. I especially love the accent of the red paint. I also made a pendant using the leftover copper I used for cutting out the circles. I treated the metal in a similar way with red paint but this time used more pronounced distressing.

Before I started experimenting with paint on metal, I had worked with red in a different way. I found some red silk thread to use as an accent on this pendant in sterling silver with wrapped copper wire:

I like how the finished pendant resembles a seated figure (I picture a woman), the red section invoking a shadowed area or maybe a rug on which she is siting. I also like how the copper wire along the right side of the pendant gives a sense that sun is glowing across her back.

Red seems like a perfect complement to the warm pinkish tones of copper and I anticipate using the combination again. I am especially intrigued by the use of paint on metal and would like to experiment with various layers and distressing of paint in combination with patinas and also as a contrast to polished and oxidized metals. I need to learn more about the durability of these techniques and also ways of fixing the paint so that the finish with last.

The Power of Layers

2011-01-31T11:12:00.000-05:00

This is the first layer of a new painting I'm working on. I tend to show finished work out here because the mixed lighting in my studio is not very cooperative for good photography. Instead, I usually haul my work outside to take photos - a tedious interruption when I'm deep in a painting. But I think it's useful to see the different stages that some of my paintings go through. Often the lower layers establish the structure of the painting and contribute to the overall visual impact of the final layers of color and shape. Much of the time I leave traces of each layer behind as a visual artifact to add texture and call attention to the process of painting. However, some colors become completely blocked by new colors placed over them. Sometimes I'm making corrections. Sometimes the painting is leading me in a different direction than I set out to accomplish. I think intuition and serendipity play a larger role in the development of non-representative paintings, and I try not to bludgeon a painting into existence simply because I'm determined to forge a certain outcome.

Sometimes I'm simply striving for that depth and complexity that is often more sensed than actually viewed directly. As I've mentioned out here before, one of my favorite painters is Giorgio Morandi, a 20th century Italian artist famous for his earth-toned still life masterpieces. His paintings seem so simple at first glance but they are incredibly beautiful studies of light and form, painstakingly created under identical light conditions day after day. I mention Morandi in the context of this underpainting discussion, because I recently learned that Morandi used vibrant colors under all those neutrals and earth hues. After his death, some of the artist's unfinished canvases were discovered to have been painted in intense primary colors. You would never know this fact looking at his paintings - the terra cotta tones are so calming and restful to the eye. His rendering of form and light create a euphoria of ordered beauty seemingly dependent on those wonderfully mellow tones. However, without the bright colors underneath, I think the neutrals would look flatter and the earth tones would appear duller. These are my impressions not as a critic or historian but as an artist and an ardent admirer of his work. I was filled with indescribable joy when I viewed one of his masterpieces for the first time - Bottiglie e fruttiera at the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice. This is the power of layers that may not be seen in a finished painting but can impact the viewer profoundly.

A couple of shiny new silver pieces

2011-01-08T13:21:00.001-05:00

Drop earrings I worked in wire and sheet sterling silver. I added a brushed texture to the curved central pieces to add interest.

Continuing with my interest in atoms and orbits, I worked up this rather geometric pendant in sterling silver and malachite. It was challenging to forge the wire in such a way that the bead would stay central in the orbit ring and not slide around. I added a square rolo chain with just the right amount of weight to not overpower the delicate pendant.

Sketchbook Interlude

2010-12-28T20:47:00.001-05:00

Taking a break from showing finished pieces to share some designs I've been working on.

I'm intrigued by the idea of restraining something loose and soft like fiber in partially enclosed metal containers. I would like to try traditional bezel settings using felt, instead of stones, but I would also add perforations or slits into the metal, open sections loosely defined by wires, or other elements to allow for some fibers to move freely. This may involve incorporating thread or woven fiber in addition to the felt, however, because as much as I love the solid, three-dimensional potential of felt, I dislike its fuzziness.

I would also like to start making chenier and domed shapes. These would be new ways to add dimension to metal elements and offer more options for displaying fiber or other loose materials.

One of the ideas that has piqued my interest the most is the use of grids and mesh. These materials are easy to acquire but I would rather make my own. However, the art of making sturdy grids or mesh from basic wire appears to be more complicated than I realized. I have always been attracted to the depiction of space in my work and grids and other architecturally and mathematically derived models intrigue me greatly. I am still working on how to translate these ideas into jewelry.

Studio Visit

2010-12-26T12:10:00.002-05:00

A glimpse of where I've been working these days. The flex shaft motor and rotary tumbler are new additions, plus I now have a new dapping block set, better riveting hammer, sheet, and wire...big thanks to some very generous elves! Starting to need additional storage for all the odds and ends as it seems every project requires different tools and materials! By the way, I set up my soldering equipment in a different area with better ventilation. I use a rotating annealing pan with pumice gravel and a heavy fire brick. You can see my little butane torch in this photo. It lacks some precision and probably wouldn't work on very large or thick pieces of metal, but so far it has met my needs quite well.

Christmas Necklace

2010-12-25T14:52:00.001-05:00

Had fun whipping up this necklace as a Christmas present for my beautiful little Stella. Probably foolhardy to give jewelry to a feisty preschooler, but I couldn't resist! Simple design of soldered and formed copper wire and lightweight silver sheet pierced into a freehand star shape. I love how one point on the star juts out like it's kicking something...that's my girl! Assembled with a jump ring I picked off some old earrings and a new sweet little chain. If this thing lasts a whole week without getting lost, broken, or turned into some kind of a magical projectile, I'll be impressed! Happy holidays!

Fun with Fiber

2010-12-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

I am working on designs that incorporate both fiber and metal, so I am spending my studio hours sketching as well as researching materials and techniques that will help translate these ideas into finished pieces. I feel drawn to fiber as a living, breathing counterbalance to the cold smoothness of metal. To take shape it needs something to give it form, a role elegantly supplied by metal components. I also like fiber's lightness, a quality that lends itself to larger scale designs without the added weight. This pendant looks substantial but weighs less than an ounce. It is comprised of silver, copper, and dyed wool roving that I needle-felted into a fantastic modeling clay called Paper Clay (Thanks to artist Thea Clark for the tip!). I enjoyed making this pendant and especially using the clay for forming the 3D shape - I envision many future uses for this stuff! - but I'm left with a sense of preciousness when I look at the finished piece. Using felt as a stand-in for stones, gems, or beads is a bit too tidy, too contained for my sensibilities. It's the looseness of the fiber and its potential to be very loosely bound that interests me the most.

Atomic Pendant

2010-12-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

This pendant made of brass, copper, and plastic is designed to hang from a neck ring or chain through the largest copper loop. It was fun working with base metals and recycled plastic beads that had the metallic color and sheen of aged copper. I used a thick gauge brass rod to display the beads. After sawing the rod to length and then filing and annealing it, I strung the beads and then hammered the rod flat on the ends to keep the beads from falling off. This hammered end technique is a simple, modern way to display strung objects and keep them in place. After securing the beads, I also wanted to add some movement and give a rather "atomic" quality to the piece, so I wrapped 18 gauge copper wire in a loose, angular way around the brass rod. I think it gives a sense of orbit to the round beads and focuses the eye on the center of the pendant. It also provides an easy way to hang the pendant that does not involve bails or jump rings, additions that I feel would overly complicate the design. The only trouble I had while making this piece was trying to polish the brass rod on either end of the beads after assembly. It was hard to keep the beads away from the polishing wheel and one of the plastic beads has a small burn mark on it where I got too close! If I ever design something like this one again, I will probably switch to a rouge cloth - a more manual way of polishing that takes longer but does not create the friction and heat of a polishing wheel - or better yet, do most of the polishing prior to assembly.

Rings

2010-12-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

I've been working on some simple stacking ring designs in copper and silver. Rings offer such great practice in so many basic metalworking skills - sawing, annealing, soldering, forming, forging, and finishing. It has been difficult for me to hold back from trying to execute all the designs written in my sketchbook and floating in my head and to devote these many hours to practicing basic skills, but I feel that precision is crucial in any creative field. I think that accuracy is particularly important in fine craft where sloppy execution is rarely written off as artistic license. So, I sit at my bench and practice these basic skills for hours at a stretch and have come to love the feeling of annealed metal yielding so easily under my hammer and the electric moment when solder starts to flow. What magic!

Metal

2010-12-08T10:08:00.002-05:00

This fall I have taken a break from painting to pursue interests in metalworking and sculpture/jewelry design. During the last few months my studio time has been devoted to learning fabrication, forging, torch work, etc. Using metal's dimensionality and texture, coupled with the small scale particular to jewelry design, I am finding new ways to explore the interplay between science, humanity, and nature. Look for more posts out here as I start sharing new designs and finished work. Your comments are always welcome.

Working Water

2010-09-20T10:56:00.001-04:00

Working Water, acrylic/board, 18" x 24", 2010

This painting, another exploration of the geometry of water manipulation, emerged as I was admiring aerial photographs of English canal locks. These systems are so simple, yet elegant in their control of water, and the angles they impose on the water invoke a sense of order that spills into the surrounding topography.

Poolhouse

2010-09-04T22:06:00.004-04:00

Poolhouse, acrylic/board, 12" x 12", 2010

Poolside Vernacular

2010-08-02T10:13:00.001-04:00

Poolside Vernacular, acrylic/board, 12" x 12", 2010

Continuing my studies of control and chaos through water containment forms. I just received word that this painting has been juried into the 2010 n.e.w. show at Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC. The juror is Steven Matijcio, Curator of Contemporary Art, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA). The First Friday reception is September 3, 6-9 pm. Show runs through September 23rd.

Water Promise

2010-07-18T00:10:00.000-04:00

Water Promise, acrylic/canvas, 16" x 20", 2010

Inspired by de Staël's Landscape (1951) during a recent visit to the Bechtler Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC. The geometry of water containment and manipulation - dams, locks, swimming pools, etc. - interests me. Curious to contrast the free and loose application of impasto with a largely angular abstraction. Finding great energy at the boundaries.

Drain

2010-06-08T15:21:00.001-04:00

Drain, acrylic/paper, 12" x 9", 2010

I was thinking about the Gulf when I painted this one.

Lemon Lineup

2010-06-04T20:31:00.001-04:00

Lemon Lineup, acrylic/paper, 4" x 6", 2010

This small painting is my contribution to A.I.R. Gallery's annual benefit postcard show "Wish You Were Here." A.I.R. is located in Brooklyn, NY and has been an important advocate for women artists since the 70s. The show opens on Thursday, June 24, 6-8pm and runs through July 18th. To read more about A.I.R. or the show, go here.

Restock

2010-05-28T14:13:00.001-04:00

Restock, acrylic/paper, 9" x 12", 2010

Exhibition News

2010-05-27T21:27:00.001-04:00

Two of my latest paintings, Night Sky Over Walmart #2472 and Pines Reconstructed, are included in the North Carolina Imagined juried exhibition at the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem gallery. The exhibition opened this evening and runs through June 25th. The gallery is located at 310 West 4th St. in Winston-Salem, NC.

Nocturnal

2010-05-16T21:35:00.001-04:00

Nocturnal, acrylic/canvas board, 3" x 3", 2010

Another small study based on the same line and space exploration as the Ripple paintings.

Orange Under Wire

2010-05-06T10:22:00.008-04:00

Orange Under Wire, acrylic/canvas, 5" x 7", 2010

I've been working a lot with oranges and lemons these days. This small painting came about while I was staring at an orange in the kitchen and thinking about the availability of so many fruits year-round, especially citrus fruits. It amazes me how technology has created a situation where something like an orange is not only available every time I walk into a grocery, but also how it can look so perfect on the outside even after it has long gone bad on the inside. Such a vivid artifact of nature even in the midst of decay. So, I've started working with the wonderfully regular geometry and color of citrus, combining it with the linear elements I'm exploring in other paintings.

As a side note, one of my favorite contemporary artists is Raimonds Staprans. His paintings of oranges and lemons are some of the best I've ever seen. Check out one of my favorites here.

Signals #3

2010-05-02T12:18:00.001-04:00

Signals #3, acrylic/canvas, 5" x 7", 2010

Falling Lemons

2010-04-30T14:54:00.001-04:00

Falling Lemons, acrylic/canvas, 7" x 5", 2010

Signals

2010-04-27T14:45:00.000-04:00

Signals #1, acrylic/canvas, 5" x 7", 2010

Signals #2, acrylic/canvas, 5" x 7", 2010

More small studies on line and color. In the Signals paintings I am particularly interested in exploring the impact color has on the advancement and recession of lines.

Night Sky Over Walmart #2472

2010-04-24T20:48:00.000-04:00

Night Sky Over Walmart #2472, acrylic/board, 12" x 12", 2010

One theme that informs my current work is the projection of science and technology on the natural world and how we increasingly conduct our lives based upon this knowledge. For example, with the advent of sophisticated radar maps, why would we ever need to watch the skies for rain? How often do we look up anymore? When we do look up, do we even know what we're seeing? Questions about our relationship with nature and our desire to explain and, in a sense, conquer it are at play in some of my recent paintings such as this one contemplating the night sky.

Ripple

2010-04-23T22:16:00.001-04:00

Ripple #1, acrylic/board, 6" x 6", 2010

Ripple #2, acrylic/canvas board, 4" x 4", 2010

My interest in color interactions and the power of lines led to the Ripple paintings. These small studies created using acrylic paints on various supports have fueled my curiosity and allowed me the flexibility to try different combinations of color and line to create very different results.

Jetty

2010-04-16T11:26:00.001-04:00

Jetty, oil/board, 12" x 12", 2010

After a much needed break, I'm excited to share some new paintings. Over the last few months I've spent many hours exploring representation. My latest paintings - both still life subjects and landscapes - favor strong geometric and linear elements in order to deconstruct and interpret my subjects in a new way.

Sod Stack

2010-04-16T11:24:00.005-04:00

Sod Stack, acrylic/paper, 12" x 9", 2010

Pier

2010-04-16T11:10:00.006-04:00

Pier, oil/canvas, 15" x 18", 2010

In Progress - Hay Bales

2009-12-18T10:48:00.000-05:00

This fall I have devoted much of my studio time to planning new projects and contemplating the association between objects and play. Some of my wandering thoughts have led me to looking at other objects in the world, reminiscent of childhood toys in their geometric simplicity; however they are designed and produced, even destroyed, at a more sophisticated level. As we grow older we still want to make sense of the world, we still have the desire to organize diffuse materials into simple, concentrated shapes such as blocks and balls. Many different kinds of objects have captured my attention, lately, especially hay bales, clay bricks, sod, swimming pools...objects that amalgamate nature into manageable units, objects that facilitate our understanding of the infinite through finite designs. I find myself contemplating the possibility that our early play with simple objects also shapes our view of the world and fuels our desire to categorize, condense, and, ultimately, dominate our environment.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I offer Hay Bales, one the paintings in progress in my studio right now. I find it interesting how, when abstracted through palette choices and loss of detail, these roadside totems remind me so much of the little balls and cylinders my daughter kicks around her room.

Shell with Pipestem

2009-11-15T07:18:00.001-05:00

One of the last paintings I finished over the summer, Shell with Pipestem, oil/canvas panel, 8" x 10", was another opportunity to explore play in the context of nature. I was messing around with some of Stella's shells collected during beach trips along with a package of pipestem cleaners I had bought to entertain her (I seem to recall making little bees with them). As the heat wore on around here I found myself drawn to those shells, ubiquitous relics of summer, to their sandblasted forms and memories of waves. I've already posted two of my other shell studies: Shell Stack I and Three Shells in Dirt with One Shell Missing, but I wanted to offer a third for a little beach therapy as we enter cooler weather and begin our holiday preparations. I can hear the waves now and a squealing toddler running after them!

Studio Update

2009-08-18T15:27:00.004-04:00

I've been traveling and taking some time off from blogging after opening my new show at Diamondback Grill earlier this month. I'm working on a new series and will starting posting some of it here in September. Check back then for new material. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Show opening next week at Diamondback Grill

2009-07-27T20:38:00.000-04:00

Recent paintings will be on display at Diamondback Grill in Winston-Salem, NC starting Wednesday, August 5th. Show runs through October. Work includes many of my block series paintings as well as new meditations on play, including Three Shells in Dirt with One Shell Missing and Four Balls Deflating. Drop by and check it out!

Four Balls Deflating

2009-07-05T19:58:00.001-04:00

Our house is breeding balls. Big bouncy ones, little squeaky ones, balls for toddler-scale bowling, golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, and football, balls for the beach, balls for the yard, balls that light up, balls that squish underfoot, hollow balls to fill with sand, and balls with holes to sink in the tub. I'm fascinated by the repetition of spheres throughout our house - one simple shape endlessly rendered. I'm especially attracted to those balls with charming little imperfections or showing the most age and use, such as the balls I selected for Four Balls Deflating, oil/panel, 16" x 20."

Teacup with Plastic Lemon

2009-06-22T22:05:00.003-04:00

Teacup with Plastic Lemon, oil/canvas panel, 7" x 5" is another small painting exploring play. I love my daughter's plastic play food, especially its vibrant palette and shine. To my eyes, it hardly resembles food at all. But when I set out to paint these mock lemons, oranges, corn, grapes, etc., I discover something almost authentic in their essential forms. When rendered in loose brushwork, these objects start to become real. Perhaps this sort of gestured authenticity is how small children see the world, too. Could this be why my daughter has an uncanny ability to recognize essential truths about so many things and people? A lemon is a lemon is a lemon.

Shell Stack I

2009-06-16T14:09:00.000-04:00

Shell Stack I, oil/panel, 6" x 6", is a study for a larger painting that includes stacked shells. I wanted to experiment with different shell shapes and the colors found in seemingly white objects. Also, I enjoyed exploring the shadows cast by the shells.

Lately, I've been working mostly on smaller-scale paintings and studies and sketches for larger paintings. It is easier to experiment and juggle multiple canvases and panels when they are small. In the coming weeks I will be able to offer some of these smaller paintings for purchase online. My smaller paintings are affordable for new collectors and can be displayed together in interesting arrangements as a collection grows. Once I'm up and running somewhere, I'll post a notice here.

Three Shells in Dirt with One Shell Missing

2009-06-09T13:58:00.004-04:00

Stella's play in the garden captivates me. One day she was planting seashells in dirt while I watered the plants. It never fails to amaze me the objects she transforms into playthings. But her love of "doing" rather than admiring the results of her work means she's off to the next adventure long before a portrait of her play can be captured. This painting is called Three Shells in Dirt with One Shell Missing, 16" x 20", oil/panel.

Big and Bold Show

2009-06-01T15:09:00.004-04:00

One of my recent block series paintings, Four, will hang in The Associated Artists of Winston-Salem's latest show called Big and Bold. The opening reception is this Thursday, June 4th from 5-7 p.m., and the show will run through July 10th. The Associated Artists gallery is located in downtown Winston-Salem, NC at 301 West Fourth St. Call 722-0340 for more information.

Spring for Art gala this Friday night

2009-05-28T08:05:00.005-04:00

Two of my paintings, Teacup and Two Balls, and will be available for purchase at "Spring for Art," the annual fundraiser for Associated Artists of Winston-Salem (AAWS). The event takes place this Friday night, May 29th, at the AAWS downtown gallery at 7-9 p.m. Contact AAWS at 722-0340 for more information or to purchase tickets. I will be attending the gala and hope to see you there!

Show opening at Vincenzo's this Friday

2009-05-27T14:55:00.005-04:00

Beginning this Friday evening, May 29th, ten of my block paintings will be featured in a new group show at Vincenzo's in Winston-Salem, NC. All of the paintings have been featured in previous Stacked Life blog posts and represent a variety of sizes and prices. The show will hang until the end of July. Please drop by and check it out!

Measure I

2009-05-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

Measure I, oil/canvas, 48" x 24", is one of the last paintings in my series devoted to the study of building blocks and their role in early childhood play. This one features my favorite shape - the arch - as well as toy cups, saucers, and a small ball. I enjoyed the challenge of building this still life in pieces to create a giant fantastical stack of objects. I also loved working with more complicated color relationships.

Over the last couple of months my art has started to move away from the portrayal of these iconic childhood shapes and towards a broader exploration of play and learning. As Stella's curiosity grows exponentially and she becomes increasingly confident about interacting with the world, I am intrigued and delighted by the objects she chooses for play. And as the days grow longer and warmer she wants to spend every possible second outdoors! During the coming weeks and months I look forward to sharing with you new paintings that focus on a broader definition of play and emphasize the serendipity of life transformed into playthings.

BlockFest

2009-05-13T10:20:00.006-04:00

This month I had the pleasure of collaborating with Imprints For Families on their new and exciting event for children called "BlockFest." The painting above is called Short Stack, 16" x 12", oil/canvas and is available at the event.

Imprints is a non-profit organization serving families and children in Winston-Salem whose mission is to "strengthen families through services and partnerships to prepare children for life." BlockFest takes place this Friday, May 15th at Gateway YWCA 9-5 p.m. and Saturday, May 16th at the Lewisville Library 10-5 p.m. It is free for children 8 months - 8 years, but reservations are required. Call 722-6296 x205 to reserve your spot. For more information, please visit the Imprints website.

Theatre Art Galleries Gala

2009-05-06T07:02:00.004-04:00

Two of my paintings will be available in the Theatre Art Galleries (TAG) annual gala fundraiser called "Tagged" to be held at the Loft at Union Square in downtown High Point, NC this Friday, May 8th, at 6:00 p.m. This year's gala is shaping up to be a modern and exciting event with the addition of the new warehouse location. Tango with Teacup and Portrait in Blue will be featured in the silent auction. Also, I will be attending the gala and look forward to seeing new and familiar faces there! For more information please check out the TAG website or call the TAG office at (336) 887-2137.

Inspired by Tower Arch

2009-05-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

I love hearing other people's thoughts about my art and find it fascinating to discover the aspects of my paintings that resonate most with different people. Sometimes the themes of children, play, and learning are most interesting, while other times it's the techniques I employ or the palette I use. However, last month it came to my attention that my art has a potential therapeutic value. I am greatly humbled by this discovery and hope that others will have the opportunity to connect deeply with my art. To this end, I would like to share with you some writing by one of my friends and fellow bloggers, Carla Cummins. She lives and teaches in Chania, Crete and muses on life, love, and inspiration in her entertaining and deeply spiritual blog, My Pursuit of Happiness. Carla wrote a wonderfully eloquent entry about my painting, Tower Arch, that compares her struggle with managing anger to the building and rebuilding of block towers. In her uniquely quirky and passionate way she celebrates process over result and discovers that "the ultimate joy derived from this activity is the activity itself." Please check out her entry called Me, Anger and a "Stacked" Life.

2009 Heart Ball update

2009-04-26T13:31:00.005-04:00

Last night's auctions of my work at the American Heart Association's 2009 Heart Ball were a great success. I'm pleased to announce that my two paintings in the live and silent auctions raised almost $1000 for the AHA. The painting that I donated to the silent auction was Lineup with Ball. The painting that I completed in one hour during the evening's "Live Art" event and later auctioned live is called Tower Heart, oil/canvas, 24" x 18" (pictured here) and is dedicated to my father who is a heart attack survivor. Congratulations to the winners and thank you for your contributions to this wonderful cause!

New Book Released

2009-04-23T20:58:00.000-04:00

This month I am celebrating the release of my first book of art. The book is called Portraits of Play and includes a short introduction about the Block Series, full color images of many of the paintings in the series, and notes about the paintings originally published on my blog, Stacked Life. It is available here for preview or purchase. Enjoy!

Demonstration at Hanes Brands, Inc. on April 21st

2009-04-15T13:28:00.006-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I've been selected to demonstrate at Hanes Brands, Inc. in Winston-Salem this coming Tuesday, April 21st from noon to 1:00 pm. I'll be set up in the Weeks Plant cafeteria on Hanes Mill Rd. The demonstration is part of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County's annual fundraising campaign. This event is only open to employees, so if you work at Hanes please drop by and watch me paint!

Lineup News

2009-04-14T20:26:00.002-04:00

I am pleased to announce that my Block Series painting, Lineup, has been accepted into the 2009 Fine Arts League of Cary's Annual Juried Exhibition. The exhibition runs May 8th to June 27th at Hope Community Church, 821 Buck Jones Rd., in Raleigh, NC.

Studio Notes on Color

2009-04-07T07:19:00.000-04:00

Some of the issues I'm tackling in my studio right now involve color. Although I use many warm hues in my block paintings, I also have relied strongly on neutrals - grays and browns, in particular - to convey seriousness about these objects not usually taken very seriously. One often associates playthings with garish colors and exaggerated forms meant to stimulate children. I have courted neutrality in my paintings to engage adults and give them fresh eyes for the subject. But, when you consider the groaning span of play from antiquity to the present I wonder if perhaps a more colorful interpretation is warranted. Instead of neutralizing the blocks and toys of today, what if a more colorful lens was applied to the past?

Right now I'm spending much of my studio time working on color studies and sketching blocks, toys, and artifacts. I'm also traveling and working on various artistic commitments this month. See the Events section on my website or my artist page on Facebook for more information about these events. In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you one of my paintings from 2007 called North Shore. In the past I have worked in both landscape and still life genres with an occasional figurative painting here or there. Although my blog is meant only to chronicle recent still life work, I thought you might enjoy looking at something else while I busy myself in the studio. I chose North Shore partly because I have beach on my mind after returning from Sunset Beach, NC last week, but also I think this painting has a joyful use of color that makes me excited about warm spring and summer days to come!

Jug

2009-03-26T07:30:00.003-04:00

Rough charcoal drawing of ancient jug and blocks.

Sketches

2009-03-26T07:16:00.006-04:00

Here's a quick post to let you know what I've been working on. As you can see from the rough sketches attached, there's a lot going on in my mind right now. I'm trying to wrap my mind around the continuity of material culture from past civilizations to our own. Lately, I've been sketching Roman and Greek vessels, ancient toys, as well as Stella's beloved dolls, stuffed animals, and toys. In my upcoming work I will be focusing on the juxtaposition of old and new in an effort to bring greater meaning and weight to the concept of play, as well as considering the important role objects play during childhood.

Back to the drawing board

2009-03-18T07:21:00.005-04:00

After spending more than a year studying simple block forms, balls, and toys I have started to feel a stirring of interest in more complex designs and new themes related to children and play. I am spending more time at my drawing board and sketchbook than I am at the easel right now. In the weeks ahead I will be posting sketches, drawings, notes, and anything else I think you might find interesting. My hope is that you will enjoy this window into my creative process and look forward to future work inspired by it.

In Progress - Cobalt

2009-03-18T06:51:00.008-04:00

These are the first two layers of a painting on my easel right now. Its working title is Cobalt. The painting is still quite dark at this point. The first photo shows the thin raw umber layer I often use as a starting point, and the second gives you a sense of how the darker blue tones are emerging. I think the teacups and saucers add nice visual interest and balance out the more vertical forms of the various arches.

Four

2009-03-12T06:45:00.001-04:00

The inspiration for Four, oil/canvas, 24" x 48" arrived one day when I was idly stacking blocks in Stella's room. She was running about the room with characteristic joy while I played with her blocks, stacking them in a variety of ways on her table. After constructing four stacks of four cubes each I was struck by the beauty of repeating a shape both horizontally and vertically. The room was flooded with afternoon light and the colors bleached together in a most pleasing, harmonious way. Four recreates that moment in Stella's room, except I've placed a wall behind the blocks and left details of the table for your interpretation. I love the sense of balance achieved in the painting. I also like the suggestion of progress from the first stack to the last: the stacks become more stable and the blocks more uniform from left to right. This compositional choice is another nod to the power of learning through play.

Save the Date: 2009 Winston-Salem Heart Ball

2009-03-06T09:58:00.001-05:00

You're invited to watch me create a painting (start to finish!) in one hour at the 2009 Winston-Salem Heart Ball, the American Heart Association's annual fundraiser. The gala is on April 25, 2009 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Winston-Salem, NC from 6:30-11:30 p.m.

The painting that I create during the Heart Ball will be sold in a live auction along with work completed by five other artists participating in the event. One of my paintings, Lineup with Ball, will also be available in the silent auction. In addition, the auction winners will receive a signed copy of my forthcoming book of art covering highlights from the Block Art series. The book includes full color plates and artist notes about the paintings republished from my Stacked Life blog. Proceeds from the live and silent auctions support AHA research leading to medical advances and education programs that promote their mission to "build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke."

Tickets to the Heart Ball are $150/person or $300/couple and include dinner, artist demonstrations, and live and silent auctions. Contact Jennifer Taylor at jennifer.taylor@heart.org or (336) 662-1362 for more information.

In Progress - Four

2009-03-04T07:08:00.000-05:00

Here is another large painting on my easel right now. Its working title is Four. In the photo you can see I'm working through some lighting issues on the blocks. The nice thing about oil paints is the number of layers of paint you can apply and how long the paint can stay workable, particularly if you use special mediums to extend it. These characteristics allow an artist to work through many different issues as a painting progresses. Also, notice that I chose to work directly on white canvas instead of toning it first. Mostly I think this is a personal choice, but some would say that working on white can lead an artist to paint too lightly. I have not found this to be the case, perhaps because I use a dark pigment (umber) for the earliest layers of paint and also because I'm working loosely in the still life genre. It would be difficult to execute a portrait without a toned canvas due to the degree of detail and many nuances between dark and light areas on the human face.

Tower Arch

2009-02-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

This is the finished painting of Tower Arch, oil/canvas, 40" x 30". It is the largest completed work to date in my Block Series. I also have two more larger works on the easel right now that I hope to share with you in the next week or two. I'm excited to start having some larger pieces to show, because a selection of paintings from the Block Series will hang in two upcoming exhibitions this spring and summer (more details to come). Most of my work is in the 12" x 16" to 18" x 24" range, so breaking through the 2 feet marker is very exciting for me. I have always believed that the expressionistic, abstracted still lifes in this series would benefit from larger scale. There is something more monumental about a block construction when the blocks are larger than life. Scattered cubes, balls, arches, etc. on the floor are scaled for children, not adults. When these building materials are inflated in a painting hung at eye level for the viewer, nuances of form and meaning come to light.

Tower Arch was inspired by a photo that my sister, Paige, sent me of a similar construction. It was built by a student in her pre-kindergarten class during block playtime at school. On a regular basis, Paige sets aside time for her students to create with a variety of building materials. They can stack and pile, line up, bury in sand...whatever their imaginations cook up! As basic as these blocks may seem to the adult eye, they are a rich world of exploration for children. Two cubes, a rectangle, and an arch become a house where "baby sleeps" and "Mommy cooks supper" and a couple of cylinders and some rectangles becomes a fire truck. When I saw the photo of a stack of arches bending precariously in one direction, I knew I had found the subject for my first larger scale block painting. Tower Arch is a study in color. I incorporated more hues in it than in previous paintings to focus on the brightness of play and creativity. The intensity of the colors is all the more striking against the strong white background.

Leaving the Party Early (Bad Night)

2009-02-25T07:20:00.002-05:00

Leaving the Party Early (Bad Night), oil/canvas, 12" x 16" concerns issues of loss, acceptance, and belonging - concepts that I see my young daughter already experiencing, even if she doesn't much understand them, yet. It is also a meditation on the painting process, especially the role of balance in composition. As a painter, there are many elements I'd like to include in a painting, but sometimes for the sake of a strong composition I'll eliminate one or more of these elements. The sketched, transparent object on the left is an homage to all of the "rough drafts" we create and discard in the process of making art.

In Progress - Tower Arch

2009-02-21T06:59:00.001-05:00

This is the underpainting for one of my recent works called Tower Arch. Sometimes I enjoy starting a painting on a white canvas, but other times I find it helpful to "tone" the canvas a neutral color. I typically use raw umber thinned with mineral spirits for this purpose. Whether starting from a toned or white canvas, I often use a simple monochromatic underpainting to work through form and composition choices and to define values for use in subsequent layers. Lightness and darkness become more difficult to articulate once local color is applied, so an underpainting can serve as a guide on which to build more colorful layers.

Portrait in Blue

2009-02-17T07:12:00.000-05:00

Portrait in Blue, oil/panel, 16" x 12", 2009 evolved out of the same sessions as Tango with Teacup. I enjoy creating texture in oil paintings, and the wood panels used in these paintings provided ideal surfaces for experimentation with palette knives, rubbing and scraping techniques, and other kinds of paint manipulation.

In Portrait in Blue I used a traditional still life composition of inanimate objects grouped on a table-like foreground. However, the comfortably familiar arrangement of objects yields to unexpected qualities in the painting's subjects. While the tall cylinder could be construed as brand-new, the other objects have a bit more personality: the ball is somewhat punched in, the teacup is balancing on the weight of a bent handle, and the little cylinder tucked underneath is more ethereal than real. Note also the intentional crowding of objects with strong directional lighting and a limited palette - these choices are an homage to one of my favorite artists, Giorgio Morandi.

The idea for this painting emerged while I was thinking about family portraits and the ways in which we arrange ourselves for these public displays of unity. I imagined how a menagerie of objects might present themselves to others if given the opportunity. Portrait in Blue hints that balls, blocks, and teacups have a few stories to tell when they're not primping for a photo.

Tango with Teacup

2009-02-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

Tango with Teacup, oil/panel, 16" x 12", 2009 explores the relationship between objects and outside forces. I created lots of movement in this painting - a dipping block tower, a quivering moon-like orb, and scratches and rubbings throughout. Childhood objects bruise, chip, and crush through use, gather dust from neglect, wiggle atomically, and stack, crash, and roll at the hands of little toddler architects everywhere. Much like her toys, Stella will develop a patina over time: shaped by her own actions, but also by forces beyond her control.

Works in Progress

2009-02-07T14:11:00.004-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I have several paintings in progress right now, including the large one pictured here. Most of my work to date in this series consists of small studies and mid-size paintings. Now I'm excited to ramp up the scale of my block art. The larger canvases will emphasize the monumental nature of block towers, in particular, and also increase awareness of these small childhood objects that are easily overlooked.

To keep things lively around here, I will be posting about works in progress in addition to notes about completed paintings. Thanks for looking!

Lineup

2009-02-03T14:27:00.001-05:00

Lineup, oil/canvas, 12" x 24" is another painting inspired by a recent talk with my sister, Paige, about block play and children in her classroom. In this one I chose to focus exclusively on cylinders, omitting the ball of its predecessor, Lineup with Ball. Also, this time I flooded the cylinders with light, washing out much of the color and emphasizing the contrast between dark and light areas. The remaining objects are almost skeletal. I enjoyed observing and capturing the subtle differences in form among seemingly identical objects.

The repetition inherent in a line of blocks reminds me of the act of learning. Children (and adults, for that matter) need to complete a task many times before mastering the associated skill. These "lineup" paintings celebrate the individual act of placing one cylinder next to another as much as the glory of a final construction.

Lineup with Ball

2009-01-30T06:53:00.008-05:00

Stella's interest in cylinders is less obvious in recent weeks - she routinely prefers to build with arches and other chunky shapes and, especially, connecting toys like Lego bricks. However, after studying various cylinders in my studio and becoming rather attached to the shape, I wanted to continue painting them. Also, during a New Year's visit to Austin to see my family I had a great conversation with my sister, Paige, about blocks. Our talk has informed some of my thoughts on the subject ever since. We were eating gelato at Dolce Vita, my favorite espresso bar in Austin, and talking about children and play. It was fascinating. Paige is a very talented Pre-K teacher who has seen lots of block play over the years. She told me that some day Stella is going to start lining things up, as do many children at some point in their early development. When I came over for dinner later that day she showed me photographs of children lining up little figures and blocks across the entire length of a table. There's just something fascinating to them about ordering their world in this fashion.

After returning home I started to imagine what Stella's "lineups" would look like. Lineup with Ball, oil/canvas, 12" x 24" started with a few cylinders and a ball lying around my studio. The rest is imagined. Cylinders are such a fun shape to repeat across the width of a long canvas, and each object takes on its very own personality. I anticipate exploring this topic in future work, especially once Stella starts contributing her own designs.

Blocks at Sunset

2009-01-27T06:52:00.005-05:00

Blocks at Sunset, oil/canvas, 24" x 12", is another exploration of the boundary between landscape and still life. A few blocks scattered around my studio served as the models for this painting. The strong contrasts, long shadows, and warm hues on the blocks as well as the faint pink and orange above the horizontal line at the top of the canvas remind me of sunset. The location of the depicted blocks is left open for your interpretation.

My goal was to convey the sense that these blocks are individuals brought together by chance. When the sun goes down on Stella's toys they are once again left to their solitude, albeit in the company of objects with stories much like their own.

For more of my thoughts on the intersection of landscape and still life genres, please visit my Tea at Sea blog entry.

Artist Statement Posted

2009-01-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I've added my artist statement to the website. You can find a link to it and my biography in the "Artist Information" section at right. Thanks for looking!

Balls

2009-01-21T11:26:00.002-05:00

Although many of my paintings are inspired by Stella's own creations with blocks, balls, and toys, sometimes they develop independently after prolonged observation in my studio. A few balls scattered across a table become subjects for a painting or a couple of stacked blocks inspire a dreamy interpretation of building. The archetypal forms of balls, cubes, cylinders, etc. lend themselves to deeper study and reflection when the house is quiet and my favorite toddler is sleeping happily.

Balls, oil/canvas, 12" x 16" is an experiment with dark underpainting. I scraped down an old canvas and applied a dark layer of paint to cover the surface. The rest of the painting was completed in only a couple of sessions at my easel. Sometimes this lack of layers can make a painting feel flat, because it's difficult to work dark and light values simultaneously. In this case, however, the dark layer underneath helps contribute to depth. I like the darker tone that resulted along with the energy conveyed by the "wet-on-wet" brushstrokes on the balls.

Falling Cylinders

2009-01-15T09:05:00.001-05:00

As Stella approaches the tender age of two, the stacked blocks grow taller, the falls even greater, and the cries louder still. We push boundaries every day: she explores the world and tries to control it and I learn how to stop a crashing lamp mid-air. This morning as she munches quietly on her oatmeal I hear the echo of yesterday's mantra "No!" bellowing down the corridors of time and arriving with a tickle in today's tender ears. This is a new day and time for a new series of towers to build and watch tumble - blocks, books, chairs...all objects are play. We stack, build, crash and, in the end, only the crashes really matter. Around here, a tower is only finished when it falls.

It is in this spirit that Falling Cylinders, oil/canvas, 24" x 12" was conceived. It is a celebration of the act of stacking, the inevitability of falling, and the quiet beauty of the fallen.

Five Cylinders

2009-01-11T13:49:00.010-05:00

Five Cylinders, oil/canvas 24" x 12" is an homage to Stella's beloved cylinders. It depicts the work of a tidy, hopeful toddler before the distraction of greater ambition overtakes her. Cylinders are some of Stella's favorite blocks, although they must be the most challenging of all to stack. She likes to group them together in a special "cylinder only" area on one side of the table. Sometimes her play ends there and a sorted space is her reward. Other times she starts building with them immediately.

Stella is still learning that the long slender shapes are difficult to balance end-on-end and after only three or four cylinders a meltdown is imminent. She takes her little defeats in stride once or twice, but after a few more failed attempts the uncooperative blocks are punished with an angry swipe of her hand and sent crashing to the floor. Next, Stella collapses dramatically in her overstuffed toddler armchair and begins to discuss her favorite aquatic life - fish, sharks, rays - as though nothing ever happened! I pick up her blocks and try to follow our new conversation about a trip to the aquarium.

I painted Five Cylinders with tighter brushwork than usual in part to spend extra time observing the shapes and the play of directional light across them. However, the smaller brushstrokes and more detailed rendering also convey the sense of order and potential energy I felt observing them. It's as though even the blocks, themselves, tensed at the thought of their upcoming fall.

Tea at Sea

2009-01-08T22:43:00.019-05:00

Tea at Sea (Stack Narrative), oil/canvas, 12" x 16" departs from the dreamy meditations of Teacup and Two Balls to flirt more openly with surrealism. In Tea at Sea I explore imagination as it relates to play. Although Stella is still learning about "make believe," fantastical accounts of the lives of her toys are not far away. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if some day soon she told me her own story about a teacup adrift in an ocean of blocks.

After creating many landscape and still life paintings over the years, I find the intersection of the genres interesting - a still life that resembles a landscape and vice versa. The use of a horizontal line near the top of the canvas conveys space, whether it indicates another object such as a table or rug or else a larger surface such as a field or desert, or, as in Tea at Sea, a mythical horizon. The extra foreground on the canvas encourages imagination and free association. I love the quirky anthropomorphic quality that objects can acquire in the right setting.

Teacup

2009-01-05T22:42:00.004-05:00

Teacup (Stack Narrative) oil/canvas, 12" x 16" continues the storytelling started in Two Balls. It is a meditation on space and relationships. It also introduces props associated with "pretend play" into my work for the first time. Although my primary subjects include building blocks and related "manipulatives," I also enjoy exploring the aesthetics and psychology of objects related to pretend play - dress up, tea parties, play house, and baby dolls. In Teacup, one of Stella's favorite objects joins the party of blocks and balls and ends up in a stack of its own.

It is so wonderful how, once again, an object's intended use means little to Stella so long as it can stack well. Her decisions about which things can stack together do not discriminate against objects that aren't blocks. I hope her heart always remains this open!

Two Balls

2008-12-31T06:34:00.006-05:00

Although many of my recent paintings use blocks as a focal point in the composition, I also find the space between the blocks fascinating. In life, this space ties everything together, creates tension rooted in both harmony and discord between objects, and is latent with future use - Stella can't wait to fill up the empty floor with more play! On the canvas, this "white" space resonates with emotions for me. It is the space where Stella will grow, the place where physics and morals and civilization will mold her into someone who doesn't play with blocks anymore. It is the place where her greatest victories and defeats are waiting for her.

This work is titled Two Balls (Stack Narrative) oil/canvas, 15" x 30". It is part of a series I've called "stack narratives" because the paintings can be read as stories. Compared to my earlier block paintings, you will find the palette knife is in heavier rotation here. Also, I dispersed light throughout the painting, a choice that toned down the contrasts between light and dark. The result is a calm, meditative space.

Three Towers

2008-12-28T20:22:00.001-05:00

One of the subjects I'm exploring through my work is the relationship between memory and learning. I'm intrigued by the "two steps forward, one step back" style of learning and skill acquisition that my daughter often displays. She will finally figure out that blocks don't balance on balls very well and build a grand stack of cubes based on her new knowledge. She will giggle and clap (with histrionic encouragement from me), so proud of her ingenuity...and then the next time I look over at her, she's back to trying to stack a couple of balls! This painting, Three Towers (Block Series), oil/canvas 24" x 24" is my first diptych related to Stella's blocks and was an opportunity to dig deeper into this topic. It is more expressive and "raw" than many of the paintings I've completed in 2008, but I think the more physical, emotional style is fitting when considering the inspiration is a young toddler!

Stella's Blocks

2008-12-26T06:50:00.001-05:00

I started painting stacks of blocks last spring, around the time of Stella's first birthday. We had really gotten into the game of "Mommy will build a big tower and Stella will knock it over!" She'd get so tickled when it was her turn to play. With the air of a seasoned performer, she'd make sure all eyes in the room were on her and then...lunge, crash, scatter! We had the best time. Later on things got even better when she and I started building towers together so "Stellzilla" (as we dubbed her alter ego) could pounce. Now she does most of the building, herself, and the goal is TALL!!! It entertains me how she will pick the longest blocks, such as the long cylinders, to build her creations - they're so difficult to stand on end individually and nearly impossible to stack on end in multiples. Yet, she just keeps trying, regardless of how many other, easier block options I offer her. She's good for about three or four tries to stack those cylinders and then frustration sets in and it's time to work puzzles or just tear around the room screaming with joy.

One of the paintings on my easel right now is an homage to Stella's beloved cylinders, and I intend to work with them for a few paintings to come. However, the photo I've included with this entry is the first stacked still life I painted, back when Mommy was the architect. It's called Stella's Blocks, oil/canvas, 24" x 18". It hung last June as part of the Harmony juried exhibit at the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem gallery.

Blocks and Balls

2008-12-23T13:17:00.001-05:00

This painting, Blocks and Balls (Block Series), oil/canvas 24" x 18" flirts with abstraction more than any other work in my Block Series. I painted it at the same time as Red Tower and both works share a certain economy of brushstrokes and a strong white background that contrasts sharply with the subject. However, Red Tower does convey a bare minimum of shadow and suggestion of a surface, whereas Blocks and Balls leaves its subject floating in air. There is a sculptural quality to this one that I like. Also, it amuses me to imagine blocks and balls actually stacking like that. My daughter would be so delighted if it were that easy to build a big tower!

Arch

2008-12-22T14:16:00.001-05:00

This painting, Arch (Block Series), oil/canvas 20" x 16", continues the work started during First Arch. I wanted to study the arch-shaped block again, this time turning it on its side and using it in a shorter stack of blocks and balls. Although I set up this particular still life composition, it reminds me of the kinds of choices my daughter makes when building with blocks. As adults we expect an arch to be oriented in a certain way and serve a particular purpose, but my daughter has no such expectations. An arch on its side is as useful for building towers as an arch laying flat - and it need not connect a thing! Visually, once again, the opening in the arch creates a sort of window through the stack as does the square doughnut-shaped block above it.

First Arch

2008-12-21T13:56:00.001-05:00

Here is another painting in my Block Series. It's a small study on panel I completed for a larger work. I call it First Arch (Block Series), oil/panel 10" x 8". I enjoyed rendering the illusion that the tower continues both above and below the painting, that it is a mere section of a monstrous construction. You can only build a tower of blocks so tall before gravity has its say, but think of how grand those towers can be in our minds - especially in young minds still learning the hard truths of physics! I also like how the arch creates a window through the stacked objects, opening up the space beyond the blocks and adding depth.

Red Tower

2008-12-20T21:57:00.002-05:00

Here is another painting in my Block Series completed around the same time as Holding , titled Red Tower (Block Series), oil/canvas 24" x 18". I enjoyed working with reds in this one. The primarly monochromatic scheme gave me an opportunity to focus on shapes and the tension between the objects and less on the interplay of several hues. This painting is also on display at the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem gallery through January 2nd, 2009.

Holding

2008-12-20T21:27:00.002-05:00

I am excited to join the blogging community with Adventures in Still Life, my inaugural blog! Here is a photo of a painting I completed recently. It is part of a Block Series that I started work on during spring of this year. I loved the idea of painting stacks of blocks inspired by my young daughter's creations. She was still an infant at the time and I was doing more of the stacking than she was - desperate for entertainment! - but now she contributes her own designs, as well. Most of my Block Series paintings involve both studio setups and imaginative additions. I am exploring memory in my paintings, and I have found it instructive to spend time studying a still life during a painting session as well as between sessions: sometimes painting from life, other times from recollection. This approach works well with my gestured style of rendering objects and space.

This painting is called Holding (Block Series), oil/canvas 24" x 18" and is on display at the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem gallery in downtown Winston-Salem, NC until January 2nd. Please see their website for more information about their exhibitions and programs.

About the Block Series

2008-12-19T22:40:00.002-05:00

I have always had a predisposition to study and celebrate objects. Material culture - the accumulated objects created by a society - is of great interest to me. I developed a passion for painting objects during university studies in archaeology. Through student research and work as a graphic artist at MASCA, the research lab at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, I had the privilege of handling restricted artifacts in Penn’s world-renowned collection. As I turned over delicate Roman glass vessels in my hands and watched light fall across the point of a crumbling arrowhead, I was struck by the power of material culture. Innumerable stories dust the surfaces of these objects we create, use, and discard through daily life. My goal as an artist is to capture these stories and to reveal their power and beauty to others.

My enthusiasm for objects found a new voice when my daughter Stella burst into the world on April 8th, 2007. The joy, energy, and unbridled curiosity she ushered into my life on that cold spring day and every day since inspired the Block Series. During spring in 2008, I started painting "portraits" of Stella's block constructions. When she was very little I'd build exciting towers to entice her to crawl or walk and knock them down. Now she stacks the blocks and balls, teacups, Lego bricks...whatever is on hand. After painting some of Stella's towers I started dreaming up other creations and painting them. I have also spent a great deal of time in my studio studying her blocks and watching the light pool and bend on them. I enjoy exploring the edge between representation and abstraction, and simple object like blocks, balls, and basic toys are wonderful tools for this purpose. It has been a great inspiration for me to study these simple forms and find meaning in their design and arrangement.

As I watch my daughter at play I am reminded of our powerful link to objects during this crucial stage of human development. We navigate early childhood as empty vessels, looking for ways to fill ourselves with essential information about our world and the codes that govern our civilization. Ultimately, blocks, balls, and other playtime toys shape our understanding of what it means to be human. Objects tell so many stories about us and bind us together as a culture, establishing our rich legacy for future interpretation. Blocks, balls, and toys…these objects are as material to our collective human story as any of our more sophisticated creations.

The beauty and power of block play and stacked objects has instilled in me a passion to move the still life genre in a new direction - vertical. Many still life paintings are based on objects scattered across a surface. As an artist adds more objects to a typical still life setup, the composition starts to grow horizontally. I have found a new freedom in painting stacks. There is a tangible sense of forces acting on the subject: in a physical sense, we see this force as gravity. Metaphorically, however, a stack of blocks and toys has the power to convey many different kinds of influences and pressures active during childhood. Through my art I celebrate the profound sensual and psychological impact these objects have on our being.

Curriculum Vitae

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Exhibitions

2010
Wish You Were Here 9, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
N.E.W. Show juried exhibition, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC
North Carolina Imagined juried exhibition, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC

2009
Fine Arts League of Cary 15th annual juried exhibition, Cary, NC
Big and Bold, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC
Spring for Art, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC
Community Exhibition Program, various venues, Winston-Salem, NC

2008
Winter Showcase, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC
Harmony juried exhibition, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC
Spring for Art, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC
Dimensions 2008 national juried exhibition, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC

Demonstrations and Collaborations

Painting demonstration at Sara Lee Corporation to support the Art Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s 2009 fundraising campaign

Painting demonstration and live auction at the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball 2009, Winston-Salem, NC

Collaborated with Imprints for Families on promotional painting for BlockFest 2009, an annual event supporting early childhood education, Winston-Salem, NC

Designed and executed opera-themed decorative furniture for the Piedmont Opera’s Magnolia Ball 2009 fundraiser silent auction, Winston-Salem, NC

Collections

Held in collections in New York, North Carolina, Maine, and Texas.

Publications

Thomas, Carla, "Portrait of an Artist," Living Happiness Blog, July 10, 2009
Moosbrugger, Katie, "Smarty Mom: Gina Pruette," Triad Smarty Pants Blog, May 30, 2009

Employment and Volunteer

2010-
Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC

2007-
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, NC

1996-1997
Intern – graphic and digital design
Museum Applied Science & Computers in Archaeology (MASCA)
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology

1994-1996
Intern - art museum operations and exhibitions
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), University of Pennsylvania

Education

B.A., magna cum laude, University of Pennsylvania, 1997

Additional Studio Art Training:
2010- Metal Fabrication, Sawtooth Center for Visual Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
2001 Oil and Acrylic Painting, Maine College of Art
1993 Life Drawing and Graphic Design, Austin Museum of Art

Artist Statement

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My work explores the tension between chaos and control at the intersection of humanity, science, and the natural world. We learn to control our environment from an early age. Using blocks we construct miniature worlds, scaled down for easy manipulation and devoid of threat. As we age we learn more advanced ways to apply our knowledge of the universe, to develop the materials and technology necessary to confine and control nature. We build dams, pools, walls, silos, cities: our ability to contain natural forces is vast, yet tenuous. My work employs scientific constructs such as geometry, modeling, and measurement to the natural world in order to explore the different ways we control our environment as well as nature’s creative maneuvers to take it back.

Biography

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Gina Pruette is an artist specializing in painting and metalworking. She was born in Austin, TX in 1975 and received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. Her instruction in painting began with her late grandmother, a master landscape and still life painter, in the early 1990s as well as summer courses in life drawing and graphic design at the Austin Museum of Art. During college she completed courses in art history and film and was employed at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. She also worked as a graphic and digital artist for MASCA, the research lab at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. While living in Portland, Maine in 2001, she completed additional coursework in oil and acrylic painting at the Maine College of Art. In 2010 she embarked on the study of metal fabrication and jewelry design and is taking courses at the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art.

Gina Pruette lives and works in Winston-Salem, NC. Her paintings are held in collections in New York, North Carolina, Maine, and Texas.