MARTES, EL VEINTIUNO DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ

Another studio photo - I'm working away trying to get a set of backdrops finished and dried (not too much of an issue in this heat) so I can concentrate on constructing the paintings - deciding what imagery to paint on each retablo. Often, it changes halfway through the painting. You just got to let it do what it needs to do without forcing it. That's happened with the backdrops too. I was using images from my Thirty-Three exhibition from mid 2009 to base the backdrops on, but once I got into a rhythm, I was making up mew types of cloud-forms, new colour combinations and even decided to do an upside down saint for NZ. The red retablos will be painted in monochrome and will be paired with the colour ones so there wil be a colour one and a black and white one (just it keep it clear). I've been enjoying painting the monochrome ones, so I thought I'd do some more. I'ts a different kind of focus when you're not dealing with colour.

LUNES, EL VEINTE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
A photo of the framed-up 'Broken-hearted Zombie Dream' (which will be shown in Zombie Apocalypse at Blackbird Studios, Las Vegas in October). I've hung it below a wooden carved polychromed sculpture of St. John of Nepomuk's tongue - a wonderful gift given to me by a wonderful friend!
You can click on the image below to enlarge it.

DOMINGO, EL DIECINUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VIENTE-DIEZ
Jo founds this crucifix while rummaging through some frames at the local thrift store. It's one of the more odd modern crucifixes I seen - the cross is cut in perspective and the corpus is made out of cut out pieces of aluminium. It's missing a couple of pieces, but that just adds to its quirkiness. I see it as my modern 'St John of the Cross' crucifix, because of the strangely-angled crucifix.

SABATO, EL DIECIOCHO DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
A smaller retablo I'm hopnig to have framed up by the end of today for the Zombie Show at Blackbird Studios, Commerce St, Las Vegas

VIERNES, EL DIECISIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
After a week of setting-up, a power of $$$ spent at Blicks and buying tools of the trade (printer, scanner, pins etc), I almost have a fully-functioning studio. It's a bit smaller than I've had in NZ, but this room will just be for painting. There's another big table outside the studio for framing and clean work and a large garage for working with tools. There's also a large courtyard out the back of the house too.

JUEVES, EL DIECISEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Some installation pics of JK Russ's collages at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, NZ
(photos courtesy of Mark Rayner)

MIERCOLES, EL QUINCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
All About Eve opens at the Rayner Brothers Gallery, Whanganui, this Fri night (Thurs at 11.30pm in the USA).
Collages from JK, 3-D photos from Erin McNamara and sculptures from Lauren Lysaght!

MARTES, EL CATORCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
After a bout of food poisoning last weekend, we've finally shifted to our new place in Las Vegas. It's taken a bit to get up and running, getting internet sorted, getting the studio set up etc. I'll post pics of the new place soon.

VIERNES, EL DIEZ DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Three more new paintings. I've just ordered a power of oil paint, so I'll be back into the colour soon. Also, we're shifting today and Saturday, so we'll be pretty busy setting up shop. We won't haven any internet until Monday either, so things will be sparse here until we're back up and running cyberally.

JUEVES, EL NUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Carol took this photo of Marco. I was sitting on the couch drawing and reading, Marco jumped up, lay down and started studying the book of Philip Guston abstract paintings I was reading.

LUNES, EL SIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
A stunning Persian bowl with (I think) Kufic characters from the Seattle Art Museum. This was one of the objects that really grabbed my attention and made me feel like doing some more ceramics. Also, seeing Charles Krafft's studio got me worked up to make some more objects based on my paintings, especially since I've recently been worknig on some more monochromatic retablos.
I'm hoping I'll get the opportunity to do a bit more throwing on the wheel too...

LUNES, EL SEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Back in Las Vegas now and started a couple of new paintings.

VIERNES, EL TRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Yesterday we met up with Charles Krafft again and got to look at his work and studio, then headed into Pioneer Square for First Thursday.
I'm holding a railway nail-pierced mickey mouse-type glove by Krafft on the left, two seri-o's flanked by smiley-o's (JK Russ, Krafft,me and Maseyk); Krafft's mould storage room.

JUEVES, EL DOS DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
We visited SAM today and got to see a couple of special exhibitions, including Kurt, a survey of artists responding to the legacy of Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and an exhibition of Warhol polaroids and films. The highlighs for me though were the 'old works' in the permanent collection (see images below) and the Ensor/Baselitz print exhibition. (no photos allowed)

(left to right) St Ulrich with bible and fish; me, Kendra and Paul in from the museum- you can see the big Jonathan Borofsky hammering man; a ceramic charger int he Italian Room, St Augustine by Murillo and de la Tour's St Sebastian.

MIERCOLES, EL UNO DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ

Yesterday we traveled north up to La Conner, a small settlement on the Skagit river. At the Museum of Northwest Art we met up with Charles Krafft and photographer Bradford Bohonus who was documenting 'Fishtown and the Skagit River' exhibition, curated by Kathleen Moles. Fishtown was a small settlement of artists and writers a few mile outside of La Conner. Here's some info on it here
(Photo by JK Russ)

MARTES, EL TRIENTE Y UNO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ

We went downtown to look at the stores at the Pike Market between Pike and Pine streets. I came across a Mexican store that had contemporary ceramics and postcards. The owner very graciously showed me a couple of ex-votos from Mexico that she had in stock. K bought eight small milagro pieces, a couple of arms and legs, a house and some cattle. Seattle is rife with second-hand bookstores. I may have to give into my temptations just a couple of times.
(photo courtesy of JK Russ)

LUNES, EL TRIENTE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Walking with Krafft, Maseyk, Sparks and Russ to catch the bus to the Bellevue Museum BAM Throwdown 2010. In the background, you can see the stadiums that are seen from the south in Friday's photo.
(photo courtesy of JK Russ)

DOMINGO, EL VEINTINUEVE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
On Sat night, K and I went to the Morris Graves Anniversary Seance as part of the Mystic Sons of Morris Graves House 93, Seattle Lodge. It was hosted by Charles Krafft (left) and featured a medium who channelled Graves who gave us this message on the right.
(all photos courtesy of Edd Cox)

SABATO, EL VEINTIOCHO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
An installation photo (by JK Russ) of the Morris Graves Anniversary Centennary Exhibition at Rock de Ment Gallery in Pioneer Square, Seattle.
My small drawing (bottom right) is now in a private collection in Seattle)

VIERNES, EL VEINTISIETE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Arriving in Seattle, just south of the city. looking over towards the stadiums and downtown.
(Photo by JK Russ)

JUEVES, EL VEINTISEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
We're heading up to Seattle early this morning for just over a week so posts will be intermittent.
I'll get to see my drawing and all the other work people created for the Morris Graves Centennial Exhibition.

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTICINCO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ

The last couple of days have been pretty hectic with looking for cars and sorting out an apartment. Monday and yesterday we managed to find a car we wanted, get it to our friend Steven who's a mechanic, commit to the purchase then arrange insurance. That was Monday. Yesterday we had our insurance OK'ed, we picked up the car, paid for it, had the title notarised, dropped the previous owner back at his work, headed for a smog check, got a VIN inspection (the car was registered out-of-state) then stood in line at the DMV for an hour to get an appointment to check our credit and organise a new clean title and new numberplates (a bit painful, but we managed) then straight back to Steven to have the oil changed and another look over the motor.
Phew.
So we now have a running (touch wood) 1998 Nevada-registered Volvo Cross Country V70 turbo automatic station wagon.

DOMINGO, EL VEINTIDOS DE AGOSTO, VENITE-DIEZ
Three Tony Cragg sculptures in the atrium of the Aria (I think...). I can't stand the barriers and from standing there looking at them for about 4 minutes, they proved totally pointless. About 3 people walked past - they touched, knocked on, and stroked the works.
Photos by JK Russ.

SABATO, EL VEINTIUNO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
The new City Centre casino has plenty of art around the building, also you can get a guide from Centerpiece Gallery just down by the Mandarin Oriental, to the south of City Centre.
By the Elvis Theatre is a huge painting by Julian Schnabel, titled Zeus, 1992. Because of it's size, there aren't too many places to put it so it's a bit cramped where it is, but great to see, nonetheless. Also in the collection is a large canoe sculpture by Nancy Graves, a fantastic Frank Stella mid sixties geometric shaped canvas in at the reservatino desk and three Tony Cragg sculptures in the atrium.

VIERNES, EL VEINTE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Yesterday, JK and I went to the new City Centre on the strip to look at part of their art collection. City Centre is pretty new, with parts of it still in completion. The two man high-rises instantly reminded me of walking into the town square of Bologna in 2004. I'll post other pics of some of the art tomorrow.

JUEVES, EL DEICINUEVE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
An installation shot of part of the Calendar Girls set at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, New Zealand. You can view all twelve calendar artworks on their website here and see the rest of the installation photographs here.
From left to right: Maiangi Waitai, Anthony Behrens, JK Russ, Peter Ireland, Mark Rayner, Matt Couper, Andrea Gardner, Paul Maseyk and Mark Braunias.
Each work is for sale and calendars are available for purchase at NZD$19.95 each.

MARTES, EL DIECISIETE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ

I received an email yesterday informing me that my painting, 'Half and Half' has been accepted as a finalist for the 19th Annual Wallace Art Awards 2010. Although a 'finalist', the works are sent up to Auckland for a second judging round, where a selection is made to decide which works go in the touring exhibition, which is shown in Auckland at the Pah homstead, then at The New Dowse in Lower Hutt, near Wellington. The other works go into a Salon des Refuses, also at the PAh homestead. Over the past 12 years, my work have alternated between being rejected, being in the touring show and the Salon des Refuses. I even won a runner-up prize in 2008, which was a great surprise.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens this time.

LUNES, EL DIECISEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
One blog I look at religiously every morning is Anonymous Works. Anonymous by name and nature, this mysterious blogger posts quirky object every day, gleaned from past and present auction, web-based antiques stores. Highly recommended!

DOMINGO, EL DIECICINCO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Here's a link to a Radio New Zealand mp3 interview with US/Christchurch-based artist, writer and teacher, Roger Boyce (you can view his blog here). I don't know Boyce, nor have met him, but have a couple of friends that have been taught by him.
I do like the way the paintings set up quirky narratives individually and as a whole and I'm always drawn to works that talk of painting and the artworld and what it is to be a painter.

VIERNES, EL TRECE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ

a photograph of new Rob McLeod paintings straight from the studio: (L to R) 'Constructed Chief, Collaged Cowboy and Bandit Tweety' oil on corrugated cardboard and plywood, articulated pieces. To see more of Rob's work: http://www.paulnache.com/artists/rob-mcleod.aspx

JUEVES, EL DOCE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
My drawing of Mike J Hex (featured here in this post) has been put up on the Phantom Billboards website.
Thanks Jim, Robin and Brett!

MIERCOLES, EL ONCE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
J K Russ' Calendar Girl, Miss January, now on show at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, New Zealand.
More information on the work can be found by clicking on the link above. This work shows the development of Jo's work from some of the collage works exhibited in 2008. But they also pick up on earlier monochromatic collage works developed in Auckland in 1998.

MARTES, EL DIEZ DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
The official invitation for Nautical at Thermostat Art Gallery, opening this Friday.
Click on the image to see the other artists in the exhibition.

LUNES, EL NUEVE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Hello All,

Just to let you know I have two new scrimshaw works featured in a new group exhibition, NAUTICAL at Thermostat Art Gallery in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The opening is this Saturday the 14th of August, 5.30 - 7pm, and runs until the 2nd of September 2010
The two works can be viewed in 3D at my website, click on the titles below to view them:
'Bathysphere'
'Coast to Coast'

If you'd like any more information on the featured works, you can contact me here

Hasta pronto
Matthew

DOMINGO, EL OCHO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Thinking about New Zealand today, especially Whanganui. It is our friend Al's memorial service at 9.30pm (USA time) today. Miss you Al.

SABATO, EL SIETE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
A drawing of Michael Brassell, aka Mike J. Hex of Squirm and Hiss Explosion. He passed away in 2004 from complications with pneumonia.
There's a very good interview with him from 2004 here.

VIERNES, EL SEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
An ex-voto from 2008. This was the first ex-voto I painted in USA. I broke my rule of 'painting-on-the-day' as it was a bit hard to paint in a small hotel room, so I did the drawings in my sketchbook and completed an almost day-by-day account of our time in LA when we arrived in Las Vegas. I feels odd and cool to be sitting at the same table I painted this ex-voto over two years ago.
I'm going to have to get painting again and complete some back-dated ex-votos of our life so far in USA: looking for a car, catching up with old friends, travelling, life on the road, looking after pets, attempting to transport artworks internationally, working out the best health, car and life insurance. This is where the ex-votos become quite cathartic for me, a stress relief and a good way to look back on the trials we faced to get our lives sorted.
This ex-voto features St. Christopher, patron saint of travellers. I'll have to reconfigure this idea as we're not really travellers anymore.

MIERCOLES, EL CUATRO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
This Thursday night is the opening of The Morris Graves Centenary Invitation Art Exhibition. I have a small framed drawing in the exhibition and am heading up to Seattle later in the month to see the show and catch up with friends.The exhibition features works from artists such as Charles Krafft, Stephen Rock, Tony Bennett, George Condo, Matthew Barney, Stan Lee, Susan Rothenberg, Eric Nelson, Mya Lin, Don Ed Hardy, Grace Slick and Charlie Manson, More details about the exhibition here.

MARTES, EL TRES DE AGOSTO DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Another Philip Guston panorama, this time it's the works in the Fischer collection at SFMOMA.

LUNES, EL DOS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
I've posted this image before, but here's a photo of it with the frame included.
This painting, Miss April, will be exhibited as part of Calendar Girls, opening this Friday night at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, New Zealand. Twelve artists were asked to respond and portray a specific month of the year visually. For April, I used the symbols of April - the diamond, the sweetpea and then added the star sign, Taurus and Numa, carrying the sweetpea in a cart (he was the Roman Emperor who added January and February to the calendar, moving April to the forth month). Miss April is based on the androgynous figure that has the protection of a pater, yet the nurturing of a mater.

DOMINGO, EL UNO DE AGOSTO DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
I just received an invitation to Calendar Girls at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in NZ via email:

Rayner Brothers Gallery warmly invites you to the exhibition opening of 'Calendar Girls' and 2011 calendar launch this Friday at 5.30pm

The exhibition and calendar features works by:
JK Russ, Anthony Behrens, Mark Rayner, Matthew Couper, Rosalie Gwilliam, Maiangi Waitai, Ben Pearce, Peter Ireland, Mark Braunias, Paul Rayner, Paul Maseyk, and Andrea Gardner.

The limited edition calendar is only (NZD)$19.99 - so get your copy A.S.A.P.

It's going to be disappointing not to be able to make it to the opening, but I can't wait to see what the other artists have come up with. My calendar girl (Miss April) can be seen here, all framed up ready for the exhibition.
I'll post some installation shots once I get some via email.

SABATO, EL TRIENTE Y UNO DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
First day in Las Vegas - we got here late last night and from previous experience living here, we'll need a couple of days to acclimatize to the weather. I'm going to get to an Aaron Brothers framing shop and take advantage of their two-for-the-price-of-one framing deal for the small drawings I've been doing. I want to use the same moulding as in the image below - it's called Nantucket and is a gesso-surfaced, black or white, step-frame and I'll be float-mounting the drawings, as the step-recession lends itself to acting like a matte. I've now framed two drawings with this moulding and am really happy with it - one is the Morris Graves portrait that will be exhibited in Seattle for a month over August and also New Cornerstone that is now in a private collection in Berkeley, CA.

VIERNES, EL TRIENTE DE JULIO, VEINTE-DEIZ

Today is our last day in San Fran. I walked out to the antiques district to check out the new Colonial Arts premises at 1616 16th St. I was a bit to preoccupied with looking at all the retablos, I forgot to take any photos, but here's a stitched together photo of Townsend St where there are some of the big computer software companies including Adobe. There was a big sign on the opposite side of the road threatening 'CS 5 IS HERE'

JUEVES, EL VEINTINUEVE DE JULIO, VENITE-DIEZ

Missed a post yesterday, sorry. Tuesday - I looked around Downtown Oakland and attempted to get out to St. Elizabeth parish in Fruitvale, but it was closed in the afternoon. More luck yesterday and got some 'raw material' photos (see below). More info on El Cristo Negro here. Yesterday was also clean-up-the-house-and-wash-O day, before M, D, X and F get back from Spain.

MARTES, EL VEINTISEITE DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Here is a link to an animation on my website of a ceramic head on a platter I made, based on St. John the Baptist.
Paul Maseyk formed the platter for me as my throwing skill had a lot left to be desired.
More information here and here.

LUNES, EL VIENTISEIS DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
A stunning Rodin marble carving of St John the Baptist at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. The head, lying in its side, gives me another idea for another St. John the Baptist ceramic piece.

DOMINGO, EL VEINTICINCO DE JULIO, VENITE-DIEZ
A beautifully painted hollow-trunked tree from Edward Hicks' The Peaceable Kingdom. This painting is part of the De Young collection in San Francisco.

SABATO, EL VEINTICUATRO DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ

After seeing the Ter Borch painting (in yesterday's post) it reminded me of a sketch that I roughed out after seeing this painting, first in 2003, then again in 2008. It was a quick doodle of the Ter Borch, but with Johnny Cash's face - you know, the Man in Black...
At present, I only have my most recent sketchbook with me, started in May this year, as all the rest are packed away in our storage unit in Whanganui, NZ. It's a hassle not having my resource sketchbooks on hand, but it's all part of the transitition of moving, I guess - we had no choice but to travel light! BUT, it's great when things like revisiting a place spark off memories. So I completed the drawing yesterday of Johnny Cash, after Ter Borch's Portrait of a Gentleman in Black c.1639, twenty-eight months after its inception.

'Johnny Cash (after Gerard ter Borch's 'Portrait of a Gentleman in Black', c. 1639. Coll. of The Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco)'. Pencil on paper, 149 x 210mm. The image is full scale when clicked.

VIERNES, EL VEINTITRES DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Yesterday I went to the Palace of the Legion of Honor and got to revisit (again) some paintings that have been very influential on my practice. Probably the most enigmatic for me is a small oil painting on brass by Gerard ter Broch titled Portrait of A Gentleman in Black, c.1639. I painted an ex-voto of the painting in 2008, when I was last in San Francisco (scroll down to the 18th of June). I think it impressed me as it reminded me of the Dou copper painting of the Physician in the Christchurch Art Gallery.

JUEVES, EL VEINTIDOS DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
A new drawing, Neo Self-Portrait, 2010, pencil on paper, 188mm x 147mm (7.4"x5.8")
Full scale when clicked.

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTIUNO DE JULIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Well, we got to the game last night and the A's won over the Rd Sox 5-4. There was some great hits, some surreptitous bases stolen and a good time had by all. Now it's the AM, am feeling a bit seedy, but, Hell, I'd definitely do it again!
For a gratuitous fan shot of us (Matt, Lisa, Dennis, Jo & Matt C) on the Oakland A's website, click here.

(these photos by JK Russ)