Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Louis Armstrong

I need a rhythm section... hmm.....

The painting on the bottom left is a new painting based on a photograph by Celina Leung.

Sketchbook November 8

Ode to Ellis Driver

Ode to Scruff Cheney

A Clockwork Orange

All photographs by Shelby Bass.  Thank You.

Acted by Alex Álvarez and Greg Halloran
Photographed by Shelby Bass
Based on the movie by Stanley Kubrick
Based on the book by Anthony Burgess

Sketchbook Oct 25

Sketchbook October 18

Portraits of strangers drawn on the CRX on I-40

Skethbook October 4

    

Sketchbook September 27

Sketchbook September 12

Sketchbook September 4

Mother Bear and Butterfly

Oil after Michael Kenna

I saw Michael Kenna's photograph Yunoshima Island, Asamushi, Honshu, Japan, 2002 at the NCMA on Friday and was blown away by the spectacular composition: the subtle water against the bold island with the tiny  detail of the structure on the shore.

It seemed like the elements might work as a painting and I tried it on an old 10 x 10 canvas.  It is also a color study.  I still have a lot of practice to do if I want to get used to oils.

Sketchbook June 21

Using the leftover colors from a color chart. 

Sketchbook June 19

Two games on the same pose.

Not quite done.

Darn feet!

Sketchbook June 18

Step one

Step Oh No!

Acrylic on 8" x 8" panel.  "I paint Sober no. 2"

Sketchbook June 5

Sketchbook May 29

Sketchbook May25

Sketchbook May 23

204 Squares on a Paraboloid

  

     This painting was inspired by the work of Ellsworth Kelly.  Kelly drew most of his subject matter from sights that caught his attention during his daily visual experience: plants, architecture, reflections, and especially shadows.  For instance, In his 1951 painting Seine, he used a probability system to recreate the visual phenomenon of reflections on the river.  Kelly also liked to explore colors.  He liked to use colors based off of objects from life as well as his own intuition.  Later in his career, he became obsessed with making shaped canvases with subtle curves.  He also made paintings like Blue Red, 1966 that projected out into the viewer’s space.

     In my painting, 204 Squares on a Paraboloid, I decided to use a specially formed canvas constructed by  Zoe Litaker to react to Kelly’s ideas of curvature and entering the space of the viewer.  Using a graphing calculator, I created a probability system to imitate dappled light on the bricks in the main quad at UNC-Chapel Hill.  In certain areas where the bricks have been replaced many times, there are several different shades and hues of bricks.  The shadows from the trees create even more value differences among these bricks.  I made a system to randomly assign colors to the squares on my painting (similar to the bricks) and then another system to place the shadows (either the lighter or darker mixture of the color).  I used Synchromism color theory to chose hues with much more variety than the bricks in the quad.  I decided to show the process of the work by including all the tape used to make the painting.  I wanted the organic, chaotic bundle of tape to provide a visual contrast to the strict geometry of the canvas.

     In an method comparable to the work of Payce Madden, I simplified a visual experience into a system almost completely unrelated to the actual experience.  I am pleased with the results and I enjoyed learning about Ellsworth Kelly.

Carolina Creates Visual Arts - The Grand Show

 Left:  Beth Grabowski      Right & Bottom:  Greg Halloran

                   Kimberly Gormley and her team

Far Right: Joseph Bounds

                   brought together UNC students
       and Faculty with local artists and
       viewers for the nicest zero-budget
       show Franklin Street has seen in
       recent years.  I got to display my
       work alongside the wonderful
       Beth Grabowski.

Thresholds @ The Carrack Modern Art

Poster design by Jeremy Bass
Poster image by Ellis Driver
Photos by Randall Frye