LUNES, EL DOCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
uncanny: de Chirico on the left - 'Metaphysical Interior', 1916 and Guston's 'Rain', 1975. The de Chirico is a hard image to track down, I've only ever seen black and white repros of it in two books, one of them being James Thrall-Soby's 'The Early Chirico' which, according to Guston's daughter, Musa Mayer in her biography 'Night Studio' was "...a book always at hand on my father's shelf...".

SABATO, EL DIEZ DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTI-ONCE
studio show on Thursday:

MIERCOLES, EL SIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
One more day before Andrew Graham Dixon's new book on Caravaggio is released in the USA:
http://www.andrewgrahamdixon.com/book/readBook/14

A Short doco, updated from his original one a few years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v_FAijXpDc

reviews on the book:
http://www.3pipe.net/2010/09/interview-andrew-graham-dixon-on.html

MARTES, EL SEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE

(from left to right) 'Multi-tasking', 'Financial Bloodlines' and 'Capitol Notions'
all 2011
all oil on metal
Paintings 9 1/2" x 7 1/2"
Frames 16" x 14"

MARTES, EL TREINTA DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
A Mexican tin nicho frame, given to me by my friend Frank X Cordero from Santa Fe. The frame had a piece of newspaper in the back of it, folded over and teared, but with a date of 1910 on it. The paper perhaps had a reproduction of a saint on it, possibly La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, or Nuestra Senora de la Luz.
I started a scraperboard-type work for this frame several months ago and have finally finished it. It's a reverse image of Durer's Melencolia engraving from 1514, in an attempt to reverse melancholy.

JUEVES, EL DIECIOCHO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE

I'm framing up some preparatory ink and wash sketches that I like. I ordered several frames, square, off-white in which I'll float-mount frame about 8 drawings. This is number two drawing, literally, of a devil on a toilet. I've just recently posted a photo of a ceramic talavera version of this motif that is on show at Rayner Brothers Gallery at present. I'm also working on my hand-modelling angles and techniques.

MIERCOLES, EL DIECISIETE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE

I'm framing up some preparatory ink and wash sketches that I like. I ordered several frames, square, off-white in which I'll float-mount frame about 8 drawings. This one in the photo I haven't actually made a painting of yet, but it's based on my planchette snake idea (based on an Indian cobra, but with a hole in the middle of it, similar to that of a planchette which is the little wooden device used on Ouija boards). Apparently it's snake season here in Las Vegas, but not knowing anything about herpetology, I wouldn't have a clue what type of snakes are out there. Anyway, this is called 'Desert Companion', which is also the name of the local lifestyle magazine.

SABATO, EL TRECE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
Today is International Left-Hander's Day. Below is a painting I made about the Wrath of the Left-hander.

SABATO, EL SEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
(left) Lorenzo Monaco 'Man of Sorrows with Instruments of the Passion', 1404, tempera on panel, Accademia, Florence, Italy, (right) Matthew Couper, 'After Lorenzo Monaco's Man of Sorrows', 2005, pencil on paper, 7" x 4 1/2".

I did this drawing while doing some relief teaching for a friend who'd broken both wrists in a bike accident. I'd come across a black and white reproduction of the painting and really liked the relationship of the figures in the shallow space compared to the apparitions of the symbols of the Passion, more so than my other favourite of Fra Angelico's fresco in San Marco. I finally got to see this painting in the Accadamia, Florence in 2008

JUEVES, EL CUATRO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
A pre-fired photo of my 'Devil on the Toilet' keepsake box. This image doesn't show the cistern attached, which is the keep sake box.

MIERCOLES, EL TRES DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
I've got three or four ceramic works in this upcoming exhibition
www.raynerbrothers.com

JUEVES, EL VEINTIOCHO DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE

MIERCOLES, EL VIENTE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
I knew of Scully's interest of Spanish painting but never felt it as... much as when I saw his 'Wall of Light Horizon' with the earth tones over the red bole primer, so evident in Spanish Colonial painting from the Baroque period.

Six months after seeing Scully's painting at the De Young, I revisited Goya's 'Portrait of the Marquesa de Santiago' at the Getty and instantly thought of the Scully - the saturations and values of the colours and the use of the warm light from the red bole primer penetrating through the top layer of heavy earth tone colours. His title, an oxymoron, also lends itself to the painters constant battle with illusion, allusion and space in and on a painting - the horizon of course being an example of a concept that exists in our minds, you can't ever reach a horizon as it shifts constantly in relation to where you are positioned in space; as apposed to a 'wall of light' which talks of the picture plane, but with something behind it emanating a light. These ernest questions in Scully's work about the history of painting played out as abstract paintings interest me so much that, for me, they hold a strong force of energy and knowledge that makes me want to keep looking at them.

Left: Sean Scully, 'Wall of Light Horizon', oil on linen, 2005, deYoung Museum, San Francisco; middle: detail of 'Wall of Light Horizon'; Right: Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, 'Portrait of the Marquesa de Santiago', 1804, oil on canvas, Collection of the Getty, LA.

VIERNES, EL QUINCE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
it was just over a year ago that we moved to the USA. It's been a blast so far!

JUEVES, EL CARTORCE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
I was very taken recently by a new painting on the Colonial Arts website, owned by James Eddy. The painting (on the right) is titled 'The Nothingness of Man', c.1700's (http://www.colonialarts.co​m/products/sk) and the central skeleton figure with the figure captured in its ribs sparked off a memory of the work it is probably based on. I found it yesterday in Hermann Hugo's Pia Desideria (Divine Addresses) which was published in 1628. I'm aware of other example of this biblical ribcage jail motif, but I think it is in a book that's in storage in NZ. On my facebook page, I put together a folder of images called 'Influences of Spanish Colonial Art on Contemporary Painting', which looks at the lineage of imagery borrowed from the Spanish Colonial period by Enrique Chagoya, Manuel Ocampo, Fred Stonehouse, Frida Kahlo and Alex Chavez. The images below will probably be the offshoot of the above research.

VIERNES, EL OCHO DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
Yesterday I took my usual LA pilgrimage out to Historia Antiques in Santa Monica and met up with James Caswell to discuss all things Spanish Colonial... it usually goes on for quite a while but is always absolutely inspiring and illuminating.
Here's a photo of some of my paintings in his store amongst ecclesiastical paintings.

JUEVES, EL SIETE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
my three paintings in Anacomically Correct' at Distinction Art Gallery, Escondido, CA, USA

(left to right) 'Liberty (after Delacroix)', 'Hell (after Giotto)' and 'Finis (after Hogarth)'
all 2011, all oil on metal, all 11.5 x 8 inches
courtesy of Distinction Art, Escondido, CA, USA, http://www.distinctionart.​com/current.php
©2011, Couper Russ Studios LLC

MIERCOLES, EL SEIS DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
Invitation to 'Anacomically Correct' at Distinction Art Gallery, Escondido, CA, USA, opening Sat night at 6pm. Hope to see you there!

I think we leap-yeared from Post-Modernism to Post Post-Modernism, then took the moving walkway to Dystopia-Networkism.

'The Meadows', JK Russ & Matthew Couper, 2011, oil and collage on metal, 275mm x 360mm, available to purchase
courtesy of Thermostat Art Gallery, New Zealand, http://www.thermostat.co.nz/
©2011, Couper Russ Studios LLC

LUNES, EL VEINTISIETE DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE

VENT(10) " From Abroad" Group Exhibition- THERMOSTAT
Opening on Saturday 2 July, 5.30 - 7pm

Shelley Malcolm - LONDON
Barnard McIntyre, Clare Firth-Smith - MELBOURNE
Victor Berezovsky, Sandra Schmidt - DRESDEN
Matthew Couper, J.K. Russ - LAS VEGAS
David Boyce - HONG KONG
Christian Hogue - BANGKOK
Leahlani Johnson - SYDNEY
Exhibition runs until 21 July 2011
Thermostat Gallery, First floor, 155 The Square, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
Open: Wed - Fri 11am -4pm, Sat 11am - 2pm, Mon - Tues by appointment

www.thermostat.co.nz