mental landscapes 0001

Photopocalypse

I'm having my first ever photography show in June, while I have had photos appear in other shows and even a book cover I've never had, or really truly considered having a show devoted solely to my photography. I began photography in earnest in 2007, but really only as an extension of my painting, another tool in the bag. Since then as I taught myself to become a decent photographer the work has taken on a life of it's own, through Flickr and other sites my work has gotten exposure and I have received requests to use my images, which was sort of a surprise. Even the offer to have the show was the idea of my gallerist Scott Rutheford at Rottenstone Pottery. I have always wanted to study photography but before digital it was too expensive and frankly technical for me to take enough time away from painting or have the money. In the last three and a half years I have been able to progress fairly rapidly,shooting thousands of pictures, mostly horrible, but learning and just shooting away. Also using Lightroom to develop my work and adjust the images has been a huge help. Anyway at present I have roughly 12,000 photos on my computer, obviously 11,900 of them are pretty shit but still there are quite a few to pore over to decide what goes in the show, very different for me than a painting show where I've prepared the work for the show. Luckily theres a good run up to the show and I have plenty of time to sort and of course shoot more.

Taosbam Art is life.: Fruit Cake Hangover.

Taosbam Art is life.: Fruit Cake Hangover.: "Now that the Holidays are finally over, I personally tend not participate in the celebration of imaginary deities birthdays and such, but fo..."

Fruit Cake Hangover.

Now that the Holidays are finally over, I personally tend not participate in the celebration of imaginary deities birthdays and such, but for those that do gesundheit, or whatever you say. Anyway, not that you've slept off the tryptophane and put Aunt Mary's sweater deep in the drawer never to be seen again, why not do something you may not even know you want but trust me you need....of course buy art. No, really. Now obviously I would  that you buy my art, however not everyone likes my kind of painting or certainly not my particular paintings, still you should buy art. Why? To surround yourself with beauty or meaningful images. Again you ask why? Because when we surround our self with beautiful or meaningful images it reminds us of the beauty and importance of life and at the same time the beauty and meaning of our own lives, beauty reminds us of hope and love and the amazing potential of life and of humans. Just do it, buy a Rothko postcard, a print by Klimt, whatever your flavor surround yourself with beauty and relevance, it works. Buy the way contact me for special post holiday blowout sales on one of a kind fine art, go on, you know you want to, never mind that "I would if I could.." you can, and you should, you will not regret it, ever.

Semi-Eyesore.

A ridiculoso for your eyes. This piece sits between the easel and my painting table and gets fed what scraps there are. Now at the moment it's sort of in it's awkward adolescence but this is not my first goat rodeo and these types always get good at some point. It's maybe just under two years in the making and will probably take as long to be either completely beyond ridiculous or somehow, and really this can happen, the coats take a weird turn and then suddenly this piece can even get subtle. Watch and see.

Enchilada Diaries.

Once more unto the breech, in a few short hours I will once again don blouse and cape (black shirt and apron) and try and convince some poor souls to eat some of the sketchiest food I have served in years.Oh well, into each life some rain must fall.

In better news here's one of my favorite older photographs. This is the St. Francis church in Ranchos de Taos New Mexico, if it looks familiar you have seen it painted and photographed by many, including Georgia O'keefe, this I think is a unique perspective.

Enter the Dragon.

Enter the Dragon from my Dustdevil series.