Sunday, September 4, 2011

I learned a lot in this last workshop we had at the C.A.S. It was an absolute pleasure having some of my best painting friends in town for the month. As always happens when I get together with them, my requirements for my own work increase, and I become a better painter just as a result of expecting more of myself. I used to think that as a painter I could live anywhere that had access to a shipper that would allow me to ship my work to the galleries. But the more I work, the more I realize the absolute need that I have to surround myself with great painters and a deep artistic culture. It is so easy to slip into the trappings of mediocrity when you are the only one reminding yourself to constantly try harder. The more biographies I read of past painters the more I am convinced that a large part of their achievements in painting were a direct result of their close associations with other great painters and other great minds. The cumulative thoughts of so many talented people can only make everyone better. It has been my goal since I returned to Utah from Florence in 2008 to move to Paris. I gave myself a goal of 5 years to accomplish this. I think I'm on schedule. I'm hopeful that this city will prove an inspiration to me. Actually I'm certain it will. But I am also hopeful that it will prove to be a draw for many other great artists, and that together we can create our own little bubble of artistic brilliance that in some way mirrors the talent that made the city culturally significant in the first place.
Above is Greg Mortenson, Jesus Villareal, Travis Seymour and Me Below is Jordan Sokol painting in my studio
Here are all of the participants in front of the studio
Here are all the participants in the gallery area of the studio
This is my painting about halfway finished. I'll post images soon of the finished painting. I should be able to finish it this week.