Drawing Rips

This is a drawing I did for my BYU class last semester. I should say I did this drawing in the class while they did their own drawings. I really enjoyed drawing this model. Her name is Noel and she was the best model we had all semester. A good model can be rare. Someone who just gets in. Noel got it. Drawing or painting a live model is addicting. If you are like me then you are kind of a dork, and you consider access to a good model and good music some of the best moments in life.

El fe de Chimayo

The Faith of Chimayo. This is a before and after of one of my recent paintings that will be part of the group show at the Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe on July 4.

The first image is obviously the under painting. At this stage I only knew I wanted the figure of this little girl to be placed in the lower right space of the composition. I also knew I wanted to build a story with this composition about the old church in Chimayo, NM. I visited this church with my friends Ben McPherson and Sean Diediker earlier this year. There is a legendary story about the origins of this church. On the day we visited there was a group of blind people leaving as we were entering the sanctuary. The little girl in this painting represents the thousands of people who make a pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo every year in hopes of finding peace of mind and body. I thank Bella McPherson (Ben's daughter) for being the perfect model for this painting, and also Nicolai Fetchin for the photo's and drawings he did in Mexico in the early 1900's. Those were the stylistic inspiration for this painting.

The BRIDGE academy of art

Visit Bridge to see what it's all about

Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon

First let me thank all the people who have left generous comments on my previous posts. It's especially fun to hear from people outside of the US. This blogging thing is a remarkable way to connect people. Thanks for the support. It is altogether motivating to hear from people who make and celebrate art.

It is time again for the annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art. For those who are not familiar with the show, it is the largest juried exhibition here in Utah. Many of the artists that enter this show are nationally recognized painters, sculptors, and photographers who are represented by galleries all over the world.

I am posting some of the pieces that will hang in this year's salon that are done by my painting friends and mentors. Each of these artists are people who have encouraged and supported me, and whom I greatly admire.

The show will hang from April 27th to July 6th. These are only a few of the pieces. The show is insanely good. Get there.


BENJAMIN McPHERSON




SEAN DIEDIKER




MELISSA PECK




SUNNY BELLISTON




MOLLY WILLIAMS




MARK STAHMANN




ME

Portrait Society of America

Ok, I apologize for bombarding everyone with this piece over and over. Well, I shouldn't apologize. I really like this piece. Its probably one of my best. Which isn't saying much, but out of all the headache that goes in to trying to put ideas on canvas, its nice to be happy about the result once in a while.

The reason I'm posting this is because I recently found out it was chosen as a finalist in the Portrait Society of America's annual portrait competition. Out of 1200 entries 20 were chosen to show as finalists at the conference in Philadelphia this April. I'm completely shocked, totally grateful for the opportunity to show there, and I just cant believe it. Especially when I know what caliber of portrait painters are out there.

Lamell

Sometimes work needs to be posted for sentimental value alone. This is not the best drawing I've ever done. I drew this with my class at UVU this week. Unfortunately the classes there are only an hr and fifty minutes. So, between helping some of the students, and breaks, there is probably an hr in this portrait. I used nu pastel so I could fill in shadow masses in a short amount of time.

This post is all about the subject. I dont see my friends very often these days. So, once in a while I con one of them in to modeling for my class. This is my friend Chance Lamell Morris. You can find Lamell in a painting on my website titled "something in a sunday". I lived with Lamell for a couple years, and he's one of the more interesting individuals on this planet. Anyone that talks to Lamell knows there's a history behind those features, and, he's the only dude I know that makes a mustache look good.

Melissa Peck show this friday March 7th

Ok. Everyone out there who lives anywhere near Utah needs to know that this Friday is a show opening for Melissa Peck at the Coda Gallery in Park City. She's awesome. Her work is awesome. Its pretty much something you'll never forget. See you there.