Form and Content: Artmaking and Studio Practice

Latest progess on red chair portrait of Carmen

2009-10-29T21:46:00.003-05:00

This is not the best digital image of this painting. It was taken in low light and I had to push it a bit in Photoshop to come close to the colors of the original. I will post better images soon.

The next steps I will take will be to heighten the shadows with glazes on both the figure and the chair. I really want to push the back of the chair into space with some deep shadow behind the figure. Carmen was wearing glasses when she sat for this. Those will be the last detail I add.

Be on the look out for a new feature on treden.com. I will soon be adding a gallery of works in progress. You will be able to follow several of my recent paintings from the initial drawing through to the varnished (completed) piece.

Latest red chair portrait - June 16, 2009

2009-07-27T19:38:00.002-05:00

Brian Setzer Album Cover Concept

2009-07-23T07:00:00.004-05:00

Brian Setzer's record label held a contest to find the designer for the cover of his new album. This is my submission. Unfortunately, the contest only gave you ten days to come up with the design and I missed the deadline. I sent in my entry anyways. I haven't heard anything from Surf Dog Records. I don't expect to.

If I had more time I spend it on the guitar. I am going to work on it and post the updated version here.

Recent work: Red Chair Portrait, Donna

2009-04-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

Recent work in progress

2009-04-11T18:55:00.002-05:00

Inspired by a photo of the daughter of a friend in her christening gown, this painting builds upon my interest in 19th century American painters of the Ash Can School. It will also reminiscent of the work of Minnesota painter I admire greatly, Malcolm "Skip" Lipke.

New website: Dutch Lake farm Guest House

2008-12-04T07:08:00.002-06:00

I recently completed the web design for the site for the Dutch Lake Farm Guest House. I used some techniques that are new to me. Using CSS I was able to create some interesting roll-overs without using Java. The result is an elegant light weight site that meets the needs of my clients.

Check it out.

http://www.dutchlakeguesthouse.com

Fine art fans: more paintings are coming soon. I have been in the studio working. Not as often as I would like but I am behind in posting pictures of the works in progress. Check back soon.

Yesterday's progress

2008-07-18T07:54:00.003-05:00

I took some vacation time this week to work in the studio. Here are the two portraits I am working on as of yesterday afternoon.

Updated Red Chair Portrait

2008-07-15T22:49:00.002-05:00

Another Red Chair Painting

2008-06-30T07:01:00.003-05:00

Here is another portrait I am working on. This one started with the two hour session from life but as it is a commission piece I will finish the painting from photographs. I will post additional pictures as it progresses. I hope to have the painting completed by the end of July with delivery in August.

Red Chair Portrait No. 1

2008-06-30T06:57:00.003-05:00

I posted earlier about wanting to loosen up and that I am planning an exercise to work quickly on small portraits painted from life. Here is the first one. This was painted in 2 hours and is approximately 18 x 24. I would like to have more of the face finished so the sitter is coming back for another session.

Changing - our 48 Hour Film Project film

2008-06-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

48 Hour Film Festival

2008-06-17T13:31:00.003-05:00

I am part of a team, The Other End Productions, that submitted an entry in this year's 48 Hour Film contest. Our film "Changing" will be screened on Monday, June 23 at the Riverview Theater.

We had a blast making the film this year and we finished on time.

I will post more about the film after the screening.

Self Portrait

2008-05-05T11:41:00.003-05:00

This is a self-portrait in oil that I have been working on for some time. I started it in my old studio space. I am still trying to loosen up. The technique, the way the paint is handled, is close to what I am trying to accomplish. I am happy with the right side of the face (your left). The background appears lighter on the right in the photo. This is largely due to the lighting I used to photograph the work. In the painting the background is more uniform.

The hair really bothers me in the image but not so much when I am at the easel. I am not sure what the camera sees that I don't. Photographing your work is a good way to get a second pair of eyes. I also use a mirror for this. When I look at my works in progress in a mirror I can see where the drawing went wrong.

This piece is about 18 x 24.

Recent painting: Portrait study of Greg

2008-05-05T11:33:00.002-05:00

Lately, I am working on several things at once in the studio. This is a study of the face from my portrait of Greg in the Up Against the Wall series. This image is in oil painted on canvas paper and is approximately 9 x 12.

In the study I am trying to work out the features and technique I will use in the final painting. I want the brush strokes to show. The likeness is a starting to show but it is not quite there yet. My hope is that the familiarity with the image that the study will give me will free up my hand in the final piece.

Watch this space for more on this series and this painting.

Debra Blair's work in exhibition in Colorado

2008-04-29T13:47:00.002-05:00

My friend Debra Blair, a painter who works primarily in encaustic, will have work in an upcoming show at Shy Rabbit Contemporary Arts in Colorado.

Any readers close to Pagosa Springs, go and check it out.

Visit the site to learn more. Hopefully they will soon have pictures of the installation online.

Shy Rabbit Contemporary Arts

Recent illustration: Giraffe

2008-04-28T09:42:00.004-05:00

This is illustration of a giraffe was done for a colleague's birthday card. It is approximately 6 x 9 inches. It is a combination of media including graphite, watercolor, and colored pencil.

Painting experiments

2008-04-25T10:31:00.002-05:00

I am working on developing some exercises or experiments that will help me loosen up. I tend to get focused on details and this tightens up my technique. This tightening results in surface that is too smooth and an absence of brush strokes.

Here is one that I have come up with. Readers please feel free to comment with exercises that have worked for you.

Paint directly from life within a specific time limit, such as 45 minutes. When the time is up the painting is complete.

I am planning on trying this with seated models. I think most of my friends could sit for 45 minutes. Especially if cocktails were involved. Working from a still life would work too.

I plan to set up the palette in advance by mixing some of the colors that I will need. For an exercise like this the panel (painting surface) will need to be relatively small 18 x 24.

A friend's request for help with an art project

2008-04-24T09:54:00.002-05:00

Patrick Kinne is looking for help on a new project. Take some time to share your ideas with him.

http://rustytrains.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/new-project

Online Community for Artists

2008-04-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

In Minnesota we have MNArtists.org and it is great but I find that the online discussions aren't as rich as they could be.

Please comment on your favorite online community for artists. Where do you go to post questions about techniques, about the art market, about art history, or to tell stories about yourself and your work. Have you visited other such sites? What makes one stand out?

I would like to have an active, open, and safe dialog about art making. I look forward to any suggestions and will post more about those I have tried.

Mexico

2008-04-16T09:19:00.003-05:00

In March I had the opportunity to visit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I became fascinated by the work of an artist who was represented by several of the galleries I visited. His name is Sergio Garval.
His drawings are full of gesture and iconic imagery. The narrative of his work runs from folklore to scenes of contemporary life set in a post disaster landscape. The surfaces are alive with his process. This is painting. The paint lives on the surface in a way that reminds me of Pearlstein and Freud.

Visit his web site at http://www.sergiogarval.com/

Patrick Kinne - Featured Artist - Intermedia Arts - Minneapolis 55408 Show

2008-03-13T11:18:00.002-05:00

My studio-mate, Patrick Kinne, is one of the featured artists at the 55408 show at Intermedia Arts. Check it out.

New Studio

2007-12-18T11:35:00.001-06:00

Another part of my renewed focus on portraiture and commissioned work is renting a more professional studio space. I have done so. I am sharing a space in the historic Calhoun Building on Lake Street with artist Patrick Kinne.

I will post photos of the new space soon.

New Site Design

2007-12-18T11:32:00.000-06:00

treden.com has now been completely redesigned. I have decided to focus on my art work. This includes changing my web site from an omnibus of things I do to a portfolio of my art.

I want to focus on portraiture and commissioned work. The design of the new site is meant to communicate that. I hope to get many new clients.

Check it out. I welcome your comments here.

http://www.treden.com

Art Educators of Minnesota 2007 Awards

2007-11-14T10:43:00.000-06:00

At the 2007 annual meeting if the Art Educators of Minnesota on November 2. Susan Rotilie and I were awarded the Museum Educator of the Year award. We joined a group of dedicated art educators who also received awards and recognition (seen here). It was a wonderful honor. Thanks go out to all art educators for their support.

Portrait of Aneka

2007-10-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

This is a portrait of my wife, Aneka, that I am working on. I experimented with the ground preparation. While the last coat of gesso was still wet I broadcast into it glass microbeads, similar to the type used to make white highway lines reflective. The concept behind this was that the reflective ground would give the paint layers an added brilliance. I think it was successful.

The negative aspects of this technique are that initially the beads absorbed a lot of paint. This might be avoided by varnishing the beads layer before beginning painting. The texture of the beads was hard on my brushes and gives the finished piece a specific look, like it was painted on sand. I am not sure, yet, if that is a bad thing.