Art quotes

"For the last 20 year period I've been working with ideas conceived as a child." -Red Grooms

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Joel F Ellis Back to the Studio


     The big summer events of late summer and early autumn have been covered with the usual angst. The biggest jobs, Art Prize and the featured-artist show in the lower wing at a large physician’s building consumed a good deal of organizing time. The Physician’s Building show, through October, has twenty-five paintings in a grouping titled, “Blue Skies Smiling” (because I smile every time a clean canvas begins). These big projects took most of the creative energy, while the real fun part of this trip, painting, has been set aside.
       So the tension and guilt to paint builds. My usual starters seemed to fizzle out, building more tension. The two old friends that help in the painting restart mode were employed, Art and Fear (Bayles and Orland) and Hawthorne on Painting (Charles Hawthorne, 1938, available from Dover). Both books have many passages tagged by sticky notes. I am ready for their soothing guidance. The note markers lead to a quiet confidence drifting over my creative soul and yes the process worked. I did go back to the studio and painted the way that felt right, free and spontaneous.  
       The newsstand magazines encourage artists to blog and blog often, almost like vote and vote often. The articles also encourage showing the latest work. Sounds good and worth considering but for many the process of creating is never quite completed. My studio work space has quite a few paintings I know could use “just a little more something”. So when do I call a painting completed? For some, including me, this is one of the most difficult moments in the painting process - when to put the brushes, tubes of paint, stirring sticks, pine boughs or whatever is being used in playing with the paint, down and say, “finished”.
       With all this prattle about getting started and then stopping I humbly announce the completion of my latest painting . . . well maybe.
Harmony, acrylic on linen, 20x24
       The acrylic on linen canvas was birthed, after much shall we say struggle and the usual wow feeling on its possible completion. So here’s to the latest, I hope, Harmony!!!   
Enjoy, Joel

Please check out www.joelellisart.com 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

ArtPrize 2012 It's a Real Trip!


        Art Prize is in the final voting stage of the top ten public selections which ends October 4, the show ends Sunday October 7. Check www.artprize.org to see what the folks chose on this very interesting journey. We put Blue Niagara, the already award winning 30x40 acrylic on canvas in the Tapas restaurant - San Chez Bistro, 38 W. Fulton, Grand Rapids. The owners and staff of San Chez have been cordial hosts and great supporters of this terrific art experience.

We went to their opening party and greeting for the artists; then to the B. O. B. (Big Old Building) for a very crowded reception with many artists to get the huge art show off and running.  The  big ol’ B.O.B. hosted several large works on its four floors of walls and outdoor sculptures in the parking lot. Busloads of visitors have come from the Midwest and all over North America to Grand Rapids for this huge art exhibition, ArtPrize 2012.

The installation of some of the large sculptures was art in itself. Some pieces required heavy lifting cranes to get their entries in place. Our installation required a brick wall and a screw to put Blue Niagara in place. With the addition of two spot lights, the painting has a stunning setting in the San Chez Bistro Dining Room with a view of the city.

Don’t worry about the voting or the competition,  if you have time by Sunday October 7 go for the art, the mind blowing art.

As for me, it is time to put together works for a number of other shows including a twenty painting display for the Lansing area, which includes the selection, framing and putting together the show catalogs, and oh yes, time to paint again.

If you get a chance to get to Art Prize in the next few days Go,  go and enjoy the fine art and even some not so good art and enjoy the interesting city with it fine dining and party atmosphere. 

A unique work of art getting ready to exhibit.
Joel