Dallas

So, I went to Dallas with my wife this past weekend to attend the Oil Painters of America's 25th Annual Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, otherwise known as "the big OPA thing".  It was a great experience that I accredit to my wife entirely.  We stayed in a hotel that was much more swanky than our personalities, ate a lot of great food, did a lot of sight-seeing/touristy stuff, and put on some nasty sunburns poolside.  It was great. 

I learned a few things at the exhibit.  First of all, as I suspected, painting exhibitions of this type are essentially all the same, regardless of the size, prize money, "prestige and distinction"...lots of big paintings, lots of big egos, lots of big disappointments.  It is what it is.  It's par for the course, I suppose.  Secondly, galleries are funny things.  I've never seen so many expensive paintings in one place before.  That is, I've never seen so many of these $10,000+ types of artworks stacked up against the wall, hung floor to ceiling, unframed and dusty, just waiting for a stray foot or loose nail to destroy them.  It was a big show in a full gallery space, I know, but some gallery experiences make it very evident that your "art" is really just someone else's "product".  I hope my painting sells...but there are a few hundred other overpriced wall decorations in competition right now.  Third, I'm not super interested in a half page ad in a silly painting magazine or a hundred bucks worth of paint I don't care for.  It seems like most "prestigious" art shows are offering prizes to the artists that, in all likelihood,  didn't cost the organization a dime.  Goods offered as prizes that were acquired in exchange for a sponsorship and ad space in the exhibit catalog is kind of cheap, in my opinion.  I'm not going to pretend like I wouldn't have liked to win the $30,000 grand prize, but I knew that was a virtual impossibility.  Prizes at art shows are as common as jackpots on slot machines...I'm not much of a gambler, but I like perusing the casino floor.  Lastly, I discovered just how good some of these "acclaimed painters" really are.  I recognized a lot of the names and even met a few folks whose work I've admired for years.  Let me tell you, these guys and gals can paint a picture.  Honestly, I was initially a little embarrassed of my work when I first saw it, hanging in between masterful paintings that had frames on them that probably cost more than my actual painting.  But after processing what I saw for a few days, reviewing the catalog, and losing my self-disgust, I came to a conclusion that I've arrived at before...I entered a PAINTING show, not an art show.  I saw some of the best work by some of the best painters across the country, but I'm not sure I saw a whole lot of "art"...after 30 minutes of studying the featured work, it all started to look the same.  Please understand, I don't think my painting was very artful either, so I'm in the same boat I guess...just with lesser technical ability.  I think I'm just struggling with the notion that a painter doesn't haven't to be an artist, or maybe more accurately, an "artist" doesn't have to make art all the time.  And unfortunately, our abilities as artists aren't the focal point of "art exhibits".  As a representational painter, I'm coming to terms with the fact that my paintings will be judged as paintings, not "artworks" in most of the venues I'll show at. Hell, I don't know that I've ever "arted" before anyway.   But mostly, I'm coming to terms with the fact that my technical abilities will never reach the level of many of my peers, which can be frustrating when trying to create "art" to enter into "art exhibits" that are really just showcases of technical ability.  It's like trying to be a poet when your only audience is simply interested in your rhyme scheme...is Walt Whitman really any more eloquent than Dr. Seuss?  I don't know.  All of that aside, I was really happy to see see Derek Penix win best of show for his painting.  I don't know Derek, but his painting was my favorite.  I can disagree with the judging of an art exhibit with the best of 'em, but this wasn't one of those times...Derek's painting was outstanding.  

I'm not really worried about any of this...I'm just calling it like I see it.  None of this really matters anyway and I'll probably change my mind tomorrow.  I'm just thankful that painting pictures for fun has given me an opportunity to travel and explore this funky planet.  Here's to Dallas...everything's bigger in Texas...especially the sunburns. 

Trout Lake

"Trout Lake"

oil on canvas

22" x 28"

framed in black and gold

$450 + tax / shipping

 *To purchase, be the first to reach me at wyattlegrand@gmail.com, with

"Trout Lake" as your subject.

From Above

"From Above"

oil on canvas

16" x 20"

framed in gold

$350 + tax / shipping

 *To purchase, be the first to reach me at wyattlegrand@gmail.com, with

"From Above" as your subject.

Backyard

"Backyard"

oil on canvas

16" x 20"

framed in gold

$350 + tax / shipping

*To purchase, be the first to reach me at wyattlegrand@gmail.com, with "Backyard" as your subject.

Is there anybody out there?

I know I have a small audience, but from what I understand, there are a few of you that check this page more often than I post that are hoping to get a bargain on a painting.  I hate to disappoint...

I'll post several paintings over the next few days on this blog.  Each will be $350, framed, + tax and shipping.  First to call dibs gets the bargain....just be the first to email me at wyattlegrand@gmail.com with the painting's title as your subject.  I'll respond to finalize the purchase. 

Good luck!

This Year's Masterpiece

"Anyway," said the driver, "they had so many books in Libertyville, they used books for toilet paper in the jail.  They got me on a Friday, late in the afternoon, so I couldn't have a hearing in court until Monday.  So I sat there in the calaboose for two days, with nothing to do but read my toilet paper.  I can still remember one of the stories I read."

"Um," said Trout.

"That was the last story I ever read," said the driver.  "My God - that must be all of fifteen years ago.  The story was about another planet.  It was a crazy story.  They had museums full of paintings all over the place, and the government used a kind of roulette wheel to decide what to put in the museums and what to throw out."

Kilgore Trout was suddenly woozy with deja vu.  The truck driver was reminding him of the premise of a book he hadn't thought about for years.  The driver's toilet paper in Libertyville, Georgia, had been The Barring-gaffner of Bagnialto, or This Year's Masterpiece, by Kilgore Trout. 

The name of the planet where Trout's book took place was Bagnialto, and a "Barring-gaffner" there was a government official who spun a wheel of chance once a year.  Citizens submitted works of art to the government, and these were given numbers, and then they were assigned cash values according to the Barring-gaffner's spins of the wheel. 

The viewpoint of the character of the tale was not the Barring-gaffner, but a humble cobbler named Gooz.  Gooz lived alone, and he painted a picture of his cat.  It was the only picture he had ever painted.  He took it to the Barring-gaffner, who numbered it and put it in a warehouse crammed with works of art. 

The painting by Gooz had an unprecedented gush of luck on the wheel.  It became worth eighteen thousand lambos, the equivalent of one billion dollars on Earth.  The Barring-gaffner awarded Gooz a check for that amount, most of which was taken back at once by the tax collector.  The picture was given a place of honor in the National Gallery, and people lined up for miles for a chance to see a painting worth a billion dollars. 

There was also a huge bonfire of all the paintings and statues and books and so on which the wheel had said were worthless.  And then it was discovered that the wheel was rigged, and the Barring-gaffner committed suicide. 

From Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions

Slacking Off

"Should Lanterns Shine"

48" x 48"

I know, I know...I've been slacking off.  I haven't posted anything for quite a while.  Fortunately, I don't have too many followers upset with me...or too many followers in general.  I'm going to try and get my act together.  So what have I been up to?

First off, I started a portrait project I've had in mind for a while now.  The whole idea is to invite a bunch of people to my home, have them sit for a portrait, have good conversation, hopefully make a decent picture of their head and shoulders, and eventually show the entire group of paintings in one massive space.  I opened this up to my Facebook friends, hoping to get a few more volunteers...this turned out to be a best and worst decision.  I've got plenty of models for the project...let's just leave it at that for now.  I'll post about the progress in the near future.  It's been a whole lot of fun so far...I'm just afraid there's no end in sight...

I also received a bit of good news.  Turns out my painting, "Should Lanterns Shine", was accepted into the Oil Painters of America 25th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils...evidently, the more words in the title, the more prestigious the show.  I don't typically have much success applying to national juried shows like this one, so I was excited to hear about a stroke of good luck.  The show is in Dallas, Texas at the Southwest Gallery.  My wife and I are going to make the opening reception a good reason for a long weekend.  If you're in that neck of the woods in mid-May, I might see you there.  

Teaching high school art is as fun as it's ever been.  I'm having a great time with my students.  As the school year winds down, however, things are getting increasingly hectic.  I teach grades 7-12, 2D and 3D, Drawing and Painting, Sculpture and Ceramics, Art History and Digital Design...it's a multiple prep per class, multiple grade and skill levels, not enough chairs in the room nor supplies in the cabinets situation...but I really love it.  Right now, we're gearing up our Art Club for a field trip to the Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western Art in Indianapolis.  I've got a lot of great students keeping me in line!

Oh, and I'm remodeling a bathroom...or trying to that is.  Seeing as it's one of the only places in our house that doesn't have paintings stacked 10 deep, I owe it to my wife to finish the work ASAP.  I don't know how she puts up with me...

I'll try to post again soon...but if I don't, just know that it's because I'm painting...

or putting in a new bathtub...