Art/Ship-O-Matic/Fools

The "O" in the middle is the "eye of the storm" this past week. The two major developments are site selection at Art-o-Matic, and finishing the scenery for Lobsterboy's Ship-o-Fools...

Since its always great to have boobies be the first thing to appear when you open the blog, I have chosen to post my Lobsterboy scenery first:

Mermaid figurehead, SR
Lobsterboys' Ship-o-Fools, Painted luan flats Aprox 7'x11'

Barnacled pier and treasure chest, SL
Lobsterboy's Ship-o-Fools, Painted luan flats Aprox 7'x11'

These are going to be the flanking pieces around the Squid and Whale backdrop from the Toxic Tiki show last spring. The Mermaid will get some real tassels, so that she will comply with the law (I wonder if that really applies to scenery...) Unfortunately, that is the extent of the "functionality" of the scenery...i.e. it doesn't have an ass for anything to come out of....

The other major development was the site selection at Art-o-Matic. KT and I got there on Sunday and picked through the scraps that the other artists had left from Saturday. I think we did pretty well, we got the first room when you turn right from the info desk on the 6th floor (the room number is 6T17, in the red section) I have one roommate, who's phone number on his card is not connected...so I have yet to coordinate with him about what part of the room is his vs. mine.

Room 6T17 Red, Art-o-Matic
Ably demonstrated by KT

I think I will be doing some sort of installation in my room...perhaps a big tiki in the corner. If I luck out and get the whole wall (not pictured, but its on the right) I might stick the mermaid on the wall...

One of the things I need to do for Hukilau is send some of my promotional materials to them for their website. They specifically asked for a logo, so I have been kicking around making a new logo in conjunction with a new business card. Let me know what you think.

New logo design on redesigned business card

Speaking of logos, I also developed a logo for Jarett Bakers new theatrical sound company...he said he wanted a pinup girl sitting on his lettering...

Theater Image logo girl

All that's left now is to show you my schoolwork. 14 Paintings was a another day of figurative abstraction, this time centering on line. We started a discussion on Brice Marden in class (actually Steven was kinda dissing him) so I ended up trying to make a similar sort of painting. I really just wound up doodling with the paint...which is where I don't like to be when I am making abstract work...I don't think that this a very good painting in the end.

14 Paintings...Fifth painting
Figurative abstraction with lines

In Academic Portrait painting I actually got a chance to paint. I was really suffering from not having the color "permanent rose", which is a magenta-like color...the model has a magenta-purple dress on, and she has read hair. So I borrowed some from a classmate and the whole painting brightened up. I only have two more sessions with this model...

Academic Portrait Painting
Second model third session

Next week I will have photos of this Sunday's Lobsterboy's Ship-o-Fools @ the Birchmere!

New Directions...Old Business

This last week heralded the coming of the "lets get down to business" side of making art. What I mean to say is that I took stock of the projects that I have coming up (Lobsterboy's ship of fools, Art-o-Matic, WPAC's 9x10, Hukilau, and Art In Heat) and started to plan out how I was going to make so much work in such a short amount of time...but first, I needed to take some good photos of the Hexagon Show:

Strike While the Irony's Hot, Hexagon

False proscenium with circus cartsStrike While the Irony's Hot, Hexagon

Freak banners

I have yet to hear from the official Hexagon photographer about getting some shots with actors in them...but I don't think these are too shabby for my old film camera...(BTW, there is still a chance to see the show if you are reading this before April 1)

The strategy I think I am going to employ for the painting I will be doing for the upcoming shows is based on the idea that I need to be channeled...like a mighty river (hey, its my narcissistic blog, I'll be as hyperbolic as I wanna be!) So I have set forth to create a set of six "thesis" paintings. That is, six totally different paintings (thematically) and then pursue further paintings from the most successful of those original six...So if you want to get a glimpse of the headwaters of the mighty stream of consciousness that is Artbyjared, you'll have to swing by my booth (or wall, or room or whatever is left for me to claim) at Art-o-Matic!

For St. Patty's day, KT, Jared R, Mark, Amy and Sara all made our debut (in attendance) to Blobs Park. Brave Combo was playing...and we did the chicken dance. Nuf Said.

Over the course of this week I have been laying plans for the Lobsterboy's Ship of Fools (Birchmere April 1) and I actually got around to designing some scenery, here's a peek:Stage Left Mermaid

She'll be great with real tassels! (check out her burlesque feather fan)

Lastly, I am happy to report that I have classwork to show you, since I did not have jury duty, nor was it any sort of holiday.

14 paintings in 14 weeks
Painting 4, figurative abstraction

This week, Steven had a model roam around the studio while we painted one figure on top of the other. Eventually we were supposed to achieve a "DeKooning-esque" painting...I stuck to a limited palette and wrestled with the oil paint a bit...this represents 4 hours of work...I cant tell if it confirms or denies my ability as an abstract painter...

Academic Portrait Painting
Second Model, second session

I told you last time that I had a really hard time with this model...She's in a funny place (well, I am in a funny place) and I just couldn't get the figure right...turns out that I need to be looking at the model from the right side of my canvas (since I am right eyed, I think). I did as much and found the results improved dramatically (so much so that I feel confident showing you the results here) There are three more days with this model...I hope that my three day lag behind the rest of the class will not prevent me from finishing...

CD and CB in DC with Me

I don't know how this has slipped my mind, but the official "pre-marketing" campaign has started for Art in Heat. Which means you should be on the lookout for this postcard EVERYWHERE!

As the card says, you can get all the up-to-the-minute-dirt at www.artinheat.com

Other than that oversight, I have little in the way of actual work to show for this week...Mostly because I was showing my parents around DC all weekend. It was a weekend of nonstop theater for them, so I hope that they went home for a bit of well deserved rest. When they got in on Friday, I took them to the new portrait gallery, in an effort to open up a dialog about painting with my father. He finds the whole business of "being an Artist" a bit mysterious in the first place, let alone that his son has chosen it has a vocation. After that we saw The Constant Wife at Olney. A very good show, even by Olney standards. The next day we spent shopping and tasting wine at the wine tasting event downtown, topping the evening off at Hexagon's production of Strike While the Irony's Hot. My parents seemed appropriately pleased with the quality of the show (and appropriately proud of the scenery), however it did lead my father into discussions with me about "getting a 'community theater' reputation"...On Sunday, my Mother was treated to close to $1000.00 worth of shoes. (she obviously didn't intend to spend that much, but she bought three pair, and can you really put a price on comfort? More importantly, she deserves to have them) In the evening we went to see the final performance of Lipscynca's Passion of the Crawford. It was a bizarre show, but quite memorable (it may haunt my nightmares for years to come) On Monday, I trundled them off to DCA...and I haven't heard from them since...(perhaps I'll email them after this post)

In the course of events, I also ordered two more segments of Pipe and Drape, so that I can A) use them for scenery for Lobsterboy's Ship of Fools, and B) use them as my "booth" at Hukilau!

servitude) for Art-o-And lastly, I got in line (and paid my money, and signed up for my 15 hours of indenturedMatic! So check back here soon for concurrent posts about Lobsterboy's Ship of Fools at the Birchmere on Sunday April 1, and the Opening of Art-o-Matic on Friday April 13!

Guilty!...of not blogging!

My absence from the bloggosphere has largely been due to the murder trial I was serving as a juror on. In the end we found the guy guilty of shooting his AK47 into the street (and killing one person) in Southwest DC. I hope that he has a good long time to think about what he did. As for me, I am glad that I am getting my life back...

Lots of things have happened since we last, er, spoke. Since then, Hexagon has loaded into Duke Ellington, and has opened. One of the last pieces of the set design was the "freak banners". The idea was to have a large sideshow banner "wall" that would portray different politicians as "freaks"...below are the eight that made the cut. They are all 8'x8', and painted over a four day period.I didn't really know who Sam Brownback was...now he 's running for President...in fact, there are so few caricatures of him, that he turned out looking a bit like Al Gore!Tony Snow is another relatively nondescript white guys...so I played up the whole FOX NEWS connection...
I hope that BtT wont get banned in Iran for this!
The older writers in Hexagon are a bit paranoid about Blackberrys...then again, how do you make fun of a mayor who has been in office for only a month!
Because of Anna Nicole Smith, this has become "old news"...I still think its funny...BTW, she is being propelled by a can of "pepper spray"!

Not limited enough!

I didn't want to be too mean here...but I think that the pink power suit says it all...

He's so cute!This is a fire truck that will be on one one of the carts for the traditional "save the baby" clown fireman routine...Here is a bad cameraphone photo of dry tech...you get an idea of how the banners look all together...This is a picture of the "false proscenium arch" sitting just off the stage floor, ready to be hoisted into position. Its about a 30' span, with no cables holding it up from above! The whole thing weighs about 200 lb...
And here it is during dry tech. The arch is up and lit (the little lights even chase), the spotlight operators are inside, and you can see three of the five carts in this picture.

I think that this is going to be a really great production this year, I have tickets for this Saturday, so next week I can give you my review. I would like to encourage anyone reading this to think about going to see this show. Since all proceeds go to Ronald McDonald house, it is theater for a good cause, not just my designs...

Other than Hexagon, these past few weeks of jury duty have given me a chance to, do my taxes, hang out at the Raven with Greg and Scott, go to Dr Sketchy's at Palace of Wonders...(we are now looking into having Molly Crabbapple be the third event in the Art in Heat lineup)

I also did not win any WATCH awards...as usual, I was robbed (I was nominated for Best Set Design, Noises off and also Best set Painting, Pirates of Penzance)

The other GINORMOUS event that happened was Tug of War at Hemphill. All of the big lowbrow folks were included in the show (I got to meet Glenn Barr!) and that of course includes Scott Brooks. If you missed the opening, then you missed the opportunity to buy Scott's work...snooze you loose!

Me, Scott and Greg at Tug of War (it was really hot inside...because it had these three hot artists, duh!)

Lastly, the other project I have been working on is being the scenic painter for Rep Stage's production of Bach at Leipzig. It is a "Milagros..." designed set, so there is plenty of painting to do. I spent the better part of three days painting faux marble for the floor!
Somehow the cameraphone makes this marble look really fake. In person it is (if I may immodestly say so) really quite convincing. This is 24 panels out of 200...

Because of my Jury duty, I have not been to class for the last two weeks (actually three because of the Presidents day holliday...and its "spring break" next week...for a total of 4 weeks before I return!) so I have no classwork to show...