We Broke

We broke, 2010. 3" x 3". oil pastel on canvas paper.

Grecian Arms

Grecian Arms, 2010. 10" x 12". pencil, oil pastel, acrylic on canvas paper.

Detail: Basement

Detail: Basement, 2010. 30" x 30". Acrylic on canvas.

"We all carry within us places of exile, our crimes, our ravages. Our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to transform them in ourselves and others."
- Albert Camus

This painting is a depiction of the feelings brought on from my inability to get back into architecture. The void left in myself is the basement the Corinthian capital and my self portrait now inhabit in the picture. At the top of the plane there is a section of a floor that, as it creeps into the middle, turns into a jagged nightmarish version of itself. The floor has given way, crumbled and broken and the human figure has fallen into this dankness below. This dark space is tilted. The planes that suggest its boundaries are dynamically on angle.

Thrown into this exile, parts have been labeled as in an architectural drawing. The architectural leaders, the arrows, become little spears that jab and call out all faults. Four descriptors have been highlighted, the four are names of places. Mantua is where fortune's fool Romeo was sent into exile for killing Tybalt. In Euripides' play Medea, the title character is exiled to Corinth. Ovid, the roman poet was sent into exile to a remote village called Tomis. Napoleon Bonaparte was shipped to the island of Elba. All of these places existed far outside the sphere civilization in their days. It was a fate worse than death. In the painting I have played with their usage: MANtua is grouped with boy, CORINTH is included in the label of Corinthian capital, TOMIS is made into 'to mistake', and ELBA is a play on elbow.

As in the Camus quote I have tried to transform this gap away from something I dedicated myself to so fully. Five years of study and three of practice as well as an entire life leading up the decision to pursue architecture can seem to eradicate any self worth once it is taken away. All I can do is keep steady in my hunger. To hope that the dregs of this yield satiate the need to transform a negative something into something positive.

Cover Series: Rose

Cover Series: Rose, 2010. 4" x 6". rose, newspaper, acrylic on cardboard.

Owl Shedding

Owl Shedding, 2010. 10" x 10". acrylic on canvas.

Campaign Ads

Here are some stills from a series of campaign advertisements I was commissioned to make. I was given specific quotes from very reputable sources that did not need to be checked over. The politician targeted in the ads is a yet another rich white male who is a Georgia senator and also a member of the Tea Party. Millions of Americans suffered from unemployment, higher taxes, and the gout from the legislation he helped pass. There is a Communist with a gun in his hands under every bed. Please be afraid.

Custom Munny

Do it yourself Munny from Kidrobot, acrylic on plastic toy. 2010.

This is a custom made Munny I did. The Munny was a gift from my wife that I just had out for the longest time. I couldn't come up with what I wanted to do to it. Finally I started to see how a knight motif might work and started to sketch it out. This is the final product.

Columbine

Columbine, 2010. 6" x 6". Acrylic on canvas.

Owls with dinner

Owls with dinner, 2010. 10" x 10". acrylic on canvas.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait, 2010. 5 1/2" x 6 1/2". oil pastel on canvas paper.

Old Picasso

Old Picasso, 2010. 8 1/2" x 8 1/2". pencil on paper.

Landscaper

Landscaper, 2010. 8 1/2" x 11". pen, oil pastel, and pencil on paper.

Sea Horse

Sea Horse, 2007. 2' 6" x 1' x 8". Metal.

Mountain

Mountain, 2010. 4" x 6". oil pastel on canvas-paper.

Cubed Forest Toner Error

Cubed Forest Toner Error, 2010. 3" x 3". paper on cedar block.

Cedar Mondrian Boogie

Cedar Mondrian Boogie, 2010. 3" x 3". cedar blocks, pencil, paper.

vagrant adverts

Denver's myriad homeless population is ubiquitous on every street corner. Seeing them around town has gotten me thinking about how close I might be to their situation given the financial times we all are experiencing.

I created these from items and slogans associated with the rich.

You Are You -- Clothing Label

What else is there?

Roland and the Oliphant

Roland and the Oliphant, 2010. 24" x 36". acrylic on canvas.

This painting came about after reading the epic poem or chanson de geste about the brave final stand of Charlemagne's finest paladins called The Song of Roland. Betrayed by one of their own, the knights die to a man defending the rear of Charlemagne's battle host.

The historical fact of what happened was embellished by the original scribe and as a result the enemies that attacked the Franks at Roncevaux Pass changed from Basques of Spain into Muslims. The geographical location of the ambush was in Spain where Charlemagne was looking to further his empire. After a lengthy campaign against the Saracens, the king is tricked to return to France under false pretenses. Roland is charged with guarding the baggage train at the rear of the retreating French. Roland and the twenty thousand knights are buried under four hundred thousand Saracens. Though the paladins and their retinue put up a valiant fight and slay thousands and thousand, they cannot unearth themselves from the devastating numbers. In a final act of superhuman strength Roland takes the oliphant-horn to his lips and blows to summon Charlemagne's throng back to aid. The shear exertion bursts the temples of Roland and he succumbs to these and the many wounds received on the pitch of battle.

Depicted in the painting is Roland in his last act. He has mutilated Marsile, the Saracen king of Spain by cutting off his hand. Olivier and the others paladins have laid down their lives at a high price and brought honor forever to their names. Durendal, 'to endure', the unbreakable sword of Roland has been swung through the last of its victims. Two angels descend; come to take Roland's soul.


As you can see I tried to utilize many aspects seen in historical battle paintings. Dramatic clouds with bright highlights and dark shadow, flowing luscious cloth / banners, swirling figures and gestural poses, deep color pallets.

I also tried to take inspiration from medieval drawing and costumes.