Art about an Artist

My Grandfather, the Artist [above] now adorns a prominent place in my workspace. Over three feet tall and finished entirely in acrylics with a rich glazed finish, it is my hope that, were he to have seen it, the subject of the piece would have been pleased. Painting an artist, with all of his spirit, life, perception, skill, intuition, and vibrant talent, is a very introspective endeavor, very thought-provoking in itself; when that artist is also your own grandfather, elements of a more personal admiration and gratitude come into play. . .
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Sari Silk and 40's Glamour

The origins of the word "glamour" are magical in nature, and this month's "Draw!" session at Lowe Mill fit the bill. Our model, lithe, red-haired, and sporting subtle "cat eye" make-up, first seemed as monumental as a stone deity in a blue sari [above], then lounged on stage in a vintage black dress, gloves, and hat with the elegance of a Hollywood icon [below]. I found that rendering the sari without color took away from its visual impact, but the second pose and outfit seemed particularly well-suited to the sort of textured pencil work I enjoy most.

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Sketching and Photographing Spring Downtown

Springtime in Huntsville is a blizzard of petals from the hundreds of Bradford Pears, Japanese Cherries, Dogwoods, and other flowering trees in the area.

A friend and I went downtown recently to wander around the park, main square and the historic district to view blooms and charming Southern architecture [above and below, three from the hundreds of photos taken, which will no doubt inspire future art], but the weather being unstable during this season, we sometimes had to take refuge from thunderstorms and ended up stranded behind the columns of the art museum for about half an hour. During that time, I was able to do the sketch at the top of this post, which is a quick scribble of the buildings and tree across the street.


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Recent Features

In 2009, I wrote an essay for Escape into Life regarding how the internet (despite many questions regarding quality control) has helped to bring art to the masses . Two years later, the Apple iPhone and iPad are quickly gaining ground as portable digital sketchbooks and are sparking a new phenomenon in the art world. In a recent feature with artist and founding member of the iAMDA Matthew Watkins, we talk about the many facets of iPhone/iPad art.

On a more "local" note, I have posted a new interview to the Huntsville Art Blog today; this time, I talk with North Alabama framer and gallery owner Marguerite McClintock, with whom I have had the pleasure of planning this year's summer festivals at Artisans Cove.
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Studio Snapshot: A Hint of Things To Come

He may seem reminiscent of Pygmalion, posing with one of his marble statues, but the figure in this preliminary sketch is to be my grandfather, Antranik Ipranossian, a consummate artist and craftsman, surrounded by his work (which also includes both the paintings on the wall and the end tables). All I have of his art are some sketches on tracing paper, the beginnings of a table he never finished, a bronze plaque with the signature scraped off, and a handful of black-and-white photos and second-hand memories. Having ended up living in Beirut, Lebanon during times of war and unrest, his legacy has not fared well. Bringing something of his work and his personality to life in a painting is no small feat, but it is an endeavor that I welcome with great intensity of thought and feeling.
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Backstage Pass

Masterful performers, like masterful painters, are not merely adept at convincing mimicry; they possess the conscious or unconscious ability to guide others into powerful insight. Behind the lights, piles of tulle and sequins battered from many performances into cloth graffiti, cakes of make-up, hurrying dancers and actors preparing in the background. Entr'acte [above], began at a figure drawing session in a theater, and its subject, portrayed with polish and neutral poise in the original drawing, has taken on an air of intensely private contemplation and the anticipation of the wings. . .
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The Thrift Store as Catalyst

Life in the 60's [above] began with a faded photograph [below] found in a thrift store. While I have often enjoyed browsing through old photos in antique and thrift stores (all the while wondering how they ended up there), this one struck me as particularly evocative of its era, so I took it home with me, delighted with its variety of textures and connotations. I made sure to depict the main elements of the photo, the bright, shapeless, short dress, the Oriental rug, the gravity-defying angle of the chair, casually smoking indoors-- but I also took my usual artistic license, warming up and stylizing the background, defining the girl's face so that it would seem more like an illustration of the time period, and generally treating the subject with whimsy and mystery. The finished combination of realism and abstraction has a deep shine, and the two-inch thick edge of the canvas has been painted gleaming copper in swirling strokes.

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