A great instructor and friend informed me of a timeline that has not failed me since. "Always give it 5 years. Sucess or failure, give it 5 years." The hills and valleys of an artist have promised me battles, frustration and benefits. I reflect this evening on where I am - St. Louis YEAR THREE. The roads may be longer then we would like, but your legs carry you as long as your patience does. Thanks Professor Frick.]]>;){kind=logo}
I got word that my two recent pieces will be making their way to the Koken Art Factory for the February 10-11 event that is Naughti Gras 5.
I attempted to show the spectrum of my abilities with this year's submissions... which seemed to fall flat with the judges. Originally, only one piece was accepted. Seventeen hours later, I was informed that after further consideration they were both in.
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Can Can - 48X72 inches - oil on canvas ;)
Happy Holidays!!! The studio has toooo many paintings sitting in it. Time to let them go. Bye, bye, bye. Or should I say BUY, BUY, BUY. Check out the holiday specials HERE.
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Some of my fondest memories are sunset talks with my grandpa on his front porch. I have always enjoyed listening to older generations - to hear their insights, struggles, successes and what lead them to the moments they currently find themselves.
I was back on Taylor Street to do more work today. I hate the building, but it has proven to have some of the most colorful tenants. One of which is "Kelly." I don't know her real name, but she is always wearing something with Irish context and has previously complimented me on my good Irish name - thus my Irish name for her. White flowing hair, fair skinned and eyes as dark as coal.
Most speak of her as crazy, but I enjoy taking a few minutes each day to hear her stories. Today she informed me about her past job in the Cardinals ticket office. Yesterday she took me to London, where she was the highest paid ballet dancer in the entire world. She is proud of her two sons - one is the past Governor of Missouri, while the other still holds a seat as a Missouri House Representative. She is also the ex-wife of my current boss.
I will never, truly, know what "Kelly's" life looked like before her current situation, but I certainly love to hear how she remembers it.
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No probably not, but I wanted to grab your attention. Recently, I got reacquainted with an old friend - Jeff Ircink. Jeff and I met back in 2007. I was putting together this little art exhibition in Cedar Rapids, IA called UNcover - a two night art exhibition with an erotic vibe. Jeff's 10 minute play Pass the Salt, Please was submitted for consideration into the show. I had to have it for the exhibit. Perfect. Phenomenal.
Jeff, via California, arranged for a director and actors to perform the piece. Each evening(usually twice a night due to the buzz it created) Pass the Salt, Please was performed live to the delight of attendees. It was later determined that out of the 100+ pieces of artwork being displayed, Jeff's Pass the Salt, Please was the stand out Best of Show winner.
Flash forward to 2011 and the reason for this post. Pass the Salt, Please has since been made into a professional short film and is making the rounds. It has been officially selected for the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, Warsaw Film Festival, Orlando Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Big Sur International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and OTHERS. Oh and it was the Palm Springs Shortfest winner.
Congratulations Jeff!
Check out a little teaser clip here.
]]>I sat on the stoop of the building I had been rehabbing all week waiting for my last delivery. The address is unimportant, but is in one of those "up and coming" neighborhoods - so there is still much work to be done. Fred Jr. came and sat with me after I bought him a pack of smokes. I had seen Fred many times over the course of the month. I once helped him uncork a subborn bottle of wine at 10 am with a pair of my pliers. I liked Fred, but I didn't KNOW Fred.
We sat watching the cars pass as we discussed politics, education, economy and the fact that his electricity had been shut off.
Turns out Fred is a CPN and is working on his LPN. He has a 3 year old and wants more for his son. That's why he works the 11pm-7am shift and drinks wine at 10am. He takes a couple of 2 hour naps through the day so he can still see friends and family at a regular hour. His folks, Fred Sr. and Cynthia, live in the same apt complex. His mom convinced him to get into nursing after her own 30 year tenure.
That was yesterday.
Today I went back to the same building to wrap work up. As I was about to drive away Fred Jr. came out and tapped on my window. "Watcha need? I'm going down to the store, I'll pick you up a square of smokes," he says.
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I recently got word of my addition to Kinetic Eye in their 4th edition. It is an online magazine that is growing legs - long legs that are worth paying attention to.
the mission:
To grasp art, film, music and literature in context of history, faith and politics.
the description:
The eye is the key. Learning to see enables us to act. To see poverty allows us to address poverty. We experience a poverty in sight. In our yearning to know. To grasp the context of art which helps us to understand the artist. To witness in creation aspects of it's creator. At the heart of understanding the world around us is our ability to see.
the overview:
"Kinetic Eye. Inspired by those who taught me to see. Stan Brakhage & Dziga Vertov were influential in shaping my sight. In concept KE has been around in some shape or form since 1992. My hope is to create a hub for artists to share the WHY behind the paint on canvas. Sharing their vision and the context behind the images they create. Hope you'll come along for the ride." - Matthew Hundley
Please check them out and "like" them. We need more voices like this.
]]>Working tirelessly over the past few months Home Wine Kitchen is open for business and doing very well. Owners Chef Cassy Vires and Josh Renbarger, who are great friends of mine, offered me freedoms that have never been paralleled in the life of this artist. As a result no detail was over looked, from interior flow and design, furniture design, branding, menu creation, business cards, web, other print materials and even the little signs in the bathroom that tell you to "please wash your hands."
All was designed by this small-handed 'fella of czech descent.
Photos by Jennifer Silverberg
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Eddie the world, the world Eddie. Eddie was done in the style of the growing collection of portraits I have been completing on a collage of newsprint affixed to a 30X40 canvas. Once a charcoal base is built up, thin washes of oil paint create the final volumized character.
Using a series of rapid shot photos as reference, the series of Moments was born. This set of three is titled Moments: 22:51:32, 22:51:40, 22:51:43 and was done on stretched canvases each measuring 24X36 inches. I love the idea of catching and displaying the candidness and change that can occur in a moments notice.
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I like to surround myself in the studio with random bits that make me think or recollect.
This bottle top was one I stowed away and recently affixed to the wall. Perhaps, I'm not EXACTLY where I want to be, but the current view ain't so bad.
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