Thursday, May 31, 2007

June Art-Extravaganza - California Style

What it will be like to sell my art from a location that's not zoned for "industrial use"?

After my normal Open Studios event this weekend, I will venture beyond the Cricket Engine walls, to join the world of pop-up tents, gourmet food vendors, and variable weather conditions. Yep, I am taking the paintings on the road to two Art Fairs near my home turf - the Berkeley Live Oak Park Fair, and the Marin Arts Festival.

My criteria for picking venues ? Near enough to good eats so that Brian will hang out with me all day, and well-publicized enough so that more than ten people will walk by my tent. Both Marin and Live Oak fit the bill.

Before dozing off each night, I've been contemplating methods to make the paintings look nice against a backdrop of white plastic tent-wall... But I should hope for simpler things - to have things not-topple over, to get more than two hours sleep the night before, to not forget too many items, and to meet some interesting people.

I hear rumors that seasoned Art Fair folks make their living off of their creations and seasonal sales. Curious to witness some of the magic, and to linger long enough to have some rub-off.

Anyone in KibArt digi-fan land is welcome to these events... I don't generally address the ether - but here I am, talking to my blog after midnight. So, dear blog readers, if you find yourself wandering past my humble display of highways and hillsides on a weekend in June - with a sushi wrap in one hand and peet's coffee in the other, please come say hi!

Also, if you would like to come to Marin, let me know so I can send you a free admission card by snailie mailie. painter(at)robinkibby.com


Sunday, May 20, 2007

(in progress) underpaintings for underhighways

With the car in the shop, I've been working with the dollops of paint I put on my portable palette a week ago. Midweek, I broke down and bought some small tubes of ochre, olive, and white. This afternoon, I scraped my palette clean of the last dried bits of dried blues and red. Makes me judicious with underpaintings. Just charcoal stick and thinned ochre.
The un-turpentine (Gamsol) allows me to use the charcoal almost like a paint. I'll be generous with paint on the top layers... Most of these paintings will be dark, so I want to do my best to get those curves and planes right.
These highway shots are from a spot where we often get stuck in SF-bound traffic. An unexpected benefit of the parking-lot effect, is a look at these shapes. I love how the highway arches up from the footings - like a beast pushing up into a good stretch.


Friday, May 18, 2007

(in progress) more highways

(in progress)P1050403.JPG
(in progress)P1050403.JPG,
originally uploaded by robin kibby.

after lots of talk and no painting, I take great joy in having pigment under my nails.
Art fair/Open Studios are approaching in June, so I am getting some more tiny paintings together. Their portability and simplicity continue to make these fun to work on.
Still attracted to the highways basic form, and the challenge of making some more easily-readable than others. My first batch had the horizon placed lower on the canvas, more like a traditional landscape. The second round put the viewer under the belly of the highways, looking up. This current batch is more ethereal - I picked compositions that let the cement float through the sky, sometimes unanchored to ground. Of course, my favorite stretch is this highway wiggle. I always love that shape. It's right near the stretch that collapsed in recent weeks.
The work process is fun - 1.) photo out of speeding car, select 1 out of 10 blurry shots, 2.) scale/crop images to actual size (4x4) 3.) edit out peripheral material, scooch things out of the way that interrupt highway lines. The tinies don't benefit from excessive detail. 4.) paint, edit, and paint some more. I am on layer number 3 - trying to force myself to use bigger brushes when possible.


Wednesday, May 2, 2007

MFA Decision 2007 - UC Davis-bound

uc davis
uc davis,
originally uploaded by robin kibby.

After adding 1000s of miles onto the Prius touring academic art facilities, I opted to stick closer to home to paint at UC Davis.

I am excited about my choice, but was attached to the other fictional futures as well. I am adjusting to their loss, filling their void with green hill, countryside, clean white walls, and a sea of bicycles.

It's hard to be objective about the decision. Each school was wonderful. Lots of strangers were generous with their opinions and their time. I peeked into studios, galleries, offices, and classrooms. I tried to come up with some matrix to compare studios vs. teachers vs. surrounding city vs. price.

In the end, it all seems a game of chance. A good game, since each school offers an improvement over my current tiny studio and semi-isolated work environment. So, here's to a couple years of prioritizing painting, and a victorious return to the metropolis with a trunk full of artworks to share. If all goes well, I may regain my bicycling legs as well.