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Posts Tagged ‘KADA Gallery’

Toward Possibility

Posted in Painting, Technique/History, tagged , on September 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Well,  I am well into preparations for an upcoming show at the Kada Gallery in Erie, Pennsylvania.  The show opens October 16.  I have decided to call the show Toward Possibility which is the name of the painting above.  It is a 24″ by 48″ painting on canvas and has been a favorite of mine for some time.

The title of the show refers to the possibility offered in the paintings, the pure chance of existence and imagination.  These landscapes that I paint are not pure products of this world.  I can stop and step back to analyze them with a cool eye  and say this or that element in the painting doesn’t or couldn’t exist in the real world.  But my goal and hope is to make them possible in the eyes and minds of the viewers, to create a harmony in the elements that allows the viewer to comfortably assume the reality of the landscape.  To create a vocabulary of elements that speak of the possibility of this other world.  That is the possibility to which I refer in the title.

Hopefully, I am moving more and more toward that possibility.

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Next Up

Posted in Recent Paintings, tagged , , on August 25, 2010| 4 Comments »

Enlivened- GC Myers 2010 at the West End Gallery, Corning, New York

Well, my current show, New Days,  at the West End Gallery ends this week.  Normally, this is the time when I have a bit more free time but this year seems to be more crowded than most.  I am finsihing up a couple of commissions and will be heading down to the Principle Gallery in Alexandria for a Gallery Talk on September 11th. 

I’m also in the midst of finishing work for an October show at the Kada Gallery in Erie.  I do a show there every two years and it’s always a pretty busy affair.  I am still working on the title for this show but there is a focus on the Red Chair for the show this year.  I’ll be showing more of the work for this show in the coming weeks.

In between all of this I am starting to look towards the time after the Kada show when I will have a bit of time to work on some new (and old) concepts that have been rolling around in my head for some time but need a little time to grow into work that I can show in next year’s shows.

So I must now get back to work.  Time’s a-wastin’!

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Next Steps

Posted in Painting, Recent Paintings, Technique/History, tagged , on July 29, 2010| 2 Comments »

Left of Center- GC Myers 2010

This is a piece from the show, New Days, at the West End Gallery.  Its one of the pieces that are being called gray paintings, a series of pieces I have been recently doing in shades of black, white and gray with small touches of color.  As I’m starting to prepare for my show in October at the Kada Gallery in Erie, I’ve began to ponder if and how I will incorporate this series into that show. 

As with anyhting new that clicks with me, I want to run it out to see if I can expand it beyond what it starts as.  For instance, I am really excited about the prospect of using this gray format in a much larger work comprised of a grid of many small individual cells each containing a simple landscape with perhaps one cell having a red tree.  It would have a great graphic quality and the size and austerity would make the small slash of red pop out of the gray. 

 I’m thinking something like a 30″ by 30″ image.  It would work on canvas or paper although I lean toward paper because with the graphic feel of the gray work I like having a mat forming a field of white around the image, something that makes the image stand out even more.  It would be have either 25 or 30 individual cells, 5 or 6 cells across and 5 or 6 down.  I’ve done a few, many years ago, that had 45 and 49 cells.  I haven’t done anything like that in the past several years.

World Shifts-- GC Myers 2003

The other consideration is whether the cells will be very uniform with straight lines, each very much like the next.  Or will it be more organic, with each cell very individual in shape and size.  Here on the right is an example from several years back that has that naturally grown look, with barely anything in it that resembles a straight line.  I like the look and feel of this but looking at it now, I think it is better suited to color. 

 But one never knows.  Maybe I will try a small organic piece in the gray to get a better feel.  Sometimes that first impression I form in my head is off a bit and when further examined, something that I didn’t foresee reveals itself.  Sometimes for the better.  Sometimes not.

This is as close to planning ahead as I often get with my work.  I have a somewhat well-formed idea of what I want to see on the canvas or paper, know how I plan on painting it, know the subject matter– pretty know everything I need to jump in.  The interesting thing is that something invariably happens that changes one of these factors and the piece transforms into something quite different that the one I have in my head now.  Usually, it changes for the better, provided I let these changes emerge in an organic fashion, not forced.  Occasionally the transformation doesn’t work and that is usually the result of a flaw in how I was seeing the painting in my head in the first place or if I try to resist obvious changes that are dictated by shifitng factors.

Hey, the worst thing I can do is think too much about this.  Said too much already. Just give it a direction and let it go.  That said, gotta run…

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Destination

Posted in Recent Paintings, tagged , , on July 27, 2010| 2 Comments »

Destination- GC Myers 2010

I am at the point in my year where I am past my two summer shows and several months out from my next, a show I do every other year at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.  This is a time when I get to catch up on some small things like maintenance around my home and studio, working on a few commissions that have been patiently waiting and starting to work on new ideas that have cropped up over the past few months. 

 It’s a good time for me, for the most part, with no immediate deadlines hovering  overhead.  A time to breath a bit and reflect on the direction of my work and where I want it to head.   Try to bring into form an ideal location further along the continuum where the work shows more growth and depth.  A place where I am totally satisfied in all ways by the work.

Destination.

Which is, by the way, the title of the painting at the top.  This piece, a 12″ by 36″ canvas which is part of my New Days show at the West End Gallery, really represents the concept I’m describing.  Looking ahead and finding a place, a situation,  that meets all your needs and desires, whether in one’s life or lifework.  That sense of the realized ideal really jumped from this piece for me.  There is a great and obvious clarity in this painting, a sense of a gained sense of understanding.  Like looking ahead to a distant future and seeing yourself as being both the same as now but somehow different.  Changed somehow by a new knowledge that you have somehow gathered in the interim between now and then.

I am what I am but I am not what I will be.

It’s a funny feeling when I come across a piece where a thought like that jumps at me, fully formed and encapsulated.  It becomes all I see in the piece.  I can recognize other aspects of it that others see in it.  But for me, that one thought overshadows them.  It makes it a very powerful personal piece for me.

Now, I must get back to finding a way there….

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A New History

Posted in Favorite Things, Painting, Recent Paintings, tagged , , on December 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

This is a painting that is currently being displayed at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.  It’s a 36″ by 48″ piece on masonite that is part of my Archaeology series, titled Archaeology: A New History.

It has a real aged, sepia-tone feel that is different than most of the pieces in the series, a feel which is central to my own feelings on the group.  I see the items under the surface as a type of old family photos, evidence of time here on this earth.

The fairly large size of the painting gives it a bit of oomph and emphasizes the simplicity of the overall composition, letting the tree do all the speaking from across the room.  But as you close in the subterranean objects begin to take shape and tell their own stories.  The whole idea is to present a variety of items and let the reactions of the viewer form a narrative for the underground part of the painting.  Hopefully this jibes with the overall feel of the piece for the viewer.

Well, that’s the idea…

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Body of Work

Posted in Opinion, Painting, tagged , , , on November 17, 2009| 2 Comments »

I’ve had the term body of work in my head recently and was reminded of it once again by a couple of sports related stories in recent days.  First, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick made a risky decision this past weekend that failed and may have paved the way for his team’s loss.  This morning, sports talk radio was filled with analysts calling it a bonehead move but one analyst made me think when he said that sure, it was a mistake but he wouldn’t judge him on this one mistake. Instead, he would look at his whole body of work.

Then there is the case of Andre Agassi who, in his recent biography, revealed that during a year in the 90’s he had regularly used crystal meth during the tennis season.  He was widely attacked for this revelation, many judging his entire life on this episode of bad judgment.  He expressed surprise at the reaction, saying he hoped people would judge him by the whole of his life and not a time he openly and honestly regrets.  He wanted to be judged for his body of work.

It made me think.  How many people out there have judged me on one bad moment I may have had?  Something idiotic I said?  How many people was I holding judgement on whose only exposure to me was in a less than stellar moment in their lives?  How many of these people had changed, grown and evolved, yet I only knew them from a much less developed time in their lives?

I guess the same dynamics are in play when I speak of my painting as body of work.  There are certainly people who have seen my work and it may not have hit them favorably at that point and they formed a judgement that becomes set in their minds, making it hard to overcome.  Like Belichick and Agassi probably realize, there’s not a lot that can be done except to try to focus on what you can control, to try to constantly evolve and improve and create a body of work that shines brighter than the inevitable lowlights we all encounter in our lives.

I try to keep that in mind when I’m in the studio, that I cannot worry about those whose opinions of my work I can’t control.  I can only concern myself in satisfying that person whose opinion I can control and that’s me.  If I can do that, I will create a body of work  worthy of the most critical eye.

The piece at the top is Climbing Beyond the Blue and is on its way to the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA today.  I’m on the road again, visiting my friends in Erie before the holidays and delivering some new work.

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Serendipity

Posted in Biographical, Early Paintings, Neat Stuff, tagged , , , on August 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

InterloperI’m showing an older piece today, one from around 1996 , called Interloper, mainly because I have mentioned the Kada Gallery over the last few days and am reminded of how I came to show with them quite a few years back.  There was a bit of serendipity involved.

It was in  late summer of 1995 and I had been showing at the West End Gallery for several months which was my first experience exhibiting in public.  I was still waiting tables at the local Perkins Family Restaurant full-time, working on building our house and painting every other available minute.  Man, I had a lot more energy then!  I still had no idea that I would or could have a real career as a painter.  My work at that time was very small in size for the most part and was just starting to gain some notice locally but I really didn’t know if it would ever transfer outside our local area.

One Saturday morning, I was at my job waiting tables when a family with a daughter about 10 or 11 years old sat in my station.  They were very nice, smiling and talkative.  Typical chit-chat.  I took their order and that was that.  After a bit, as they were eating I was going through my station checking on each party and I stopped at their table.

The daughter, Hillary,  asked, “Are you a painter?”

I was a little taken aback by the question.  Nothing was said about painting or art, to them or any of my other tables and that was the last thing on my mind at the moment.

“Well, yeah. I am.”

“My mother said you were.  She said that anyone that happy doing their job had to be a painter.”

I just stood there with nothing to say.  How do you respond to that?

It turned out that the mother was a painter as well who lived, for the time being, in our area.  Her name was Suzi Druley and she was on their way out to a gallery that sold a lot of her work in Erie, Pennsylvania.  They had me run out to their vehicle to take a look at her work, which was very interesting, particularly for our area.  It had a sort of Southwestern/Native American feel with with vivid, deep colors and a lot of symbology.  Turns out she was from Texas originally and they had moved here for a job her husband had taken.  She asked what my work was like, saying she would like to see it.

A few weeks passed and I decided to take her up on her offer and went out to their home.  I took photos and some pieces and she really seemed excited by the work.  She said I should show the work to Kathy at the Kada, that she would really like it.

Long story short, she called Kathy and a visit was arranged.  I hauled my bits of paint and paper out there and I’ve been showing with them for going on 14 years.

I’m glad I was in a good mood that Saturday morning at Perkins- I most certainly would not have found made my way to the Kada Gallery without Suzi’s simple observation that I must be a painter.

Serendipity…

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Job Perks

Posted in Biographical, Favorite Things, tagged on August 2, 2009| 2 Comments »

Following DestinyDo you ever have those days when you need a lift?

You get up and it’s gray and raining.  You’re eyes still have a sleepy glaze on them and there’s no sharp focus.  Your body creaks a bit like the floorboards under your feet as you head out the door.  

Another day and it’s starting on a most uninspired note.

But, luckily for me, my job has certain perks.  

In the studio, I flip on the computer and check my e-mail and there’s a note from a couple in Erie who had just obtained two of the paintings I had dropped off at the Kada Gallery on Thursday.  They wrote how they were drawn to the serenity of the pieces.

My day suddenly changed.

What other job allows you to go from feeling tired and insignificant one moment and inspired and making a difference the next?  Over the years, the comments and notes I have received from those who are attracted to my work have served to constantly bolster my spirits and have provided the sense of another set of eyes looking over my shoulder when I paint.  They provide inspiration beyond anything the folks who send me these notes could imagine.  

It’s one of those things that make me stop in my tracks and pinch myself just to make sure this good fortune isn’t merely a dream.  So far, I’m wide awake and black and blue from all the pinching.

Seeing how much I gather inspiration from such gestures I can only wish that everyone could get the same in their jobs, their careers, their lives.  It saddens me that so many people never hear words of appreciation from those they serve.  Most take this for granted.  But wouldn’t it be a better place, a more hospitable world, if we all were told when we were doing a nice job?  Wouldn’t we all strive to do better then?

It’s funny how we hold onto compliments or expressions of appreciation so often like they were rare coins, so few and so valuable that they should never leave our hands.  

It’s been my experience that there is a kind of karmic return for those who express their true appreciation to others, who spend their coins of gratitude with generosity.  They find that their purse of gratitude never runs low and is constantly refilled by those around them.

So, get out there and spend some of your old rusty compliments.  It’s a good investment.

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On the Horizon

Posted in Recent Paintings, tagged , , , on July 29, 2009| 1 Comment »

Going Up CountryWell, the show is up and hanging, with paintings like the one shown here, Going Up Country,  at the West End Gallery and will do so through the end of August.  The next items on my agenda are a few small events but things that matter to me.

For instance, tomorrow I head out to Erie, PA, to see my friends, Kathy and Joe DeAngelo, at the Kada Gallery to drop off a few new pieces and to just touch base, to talk about where the work is headed and to see how their clients are viewing the work lately.  It’s always helpful to get this type of feedback because every gallery is a little different in its preferences for the work it sells.  It’s important to make sure that the work you give them is the sort of work to which they are most attracted and feel best about when talking about the work.  The enthusiasm the gallery staff has for your work comes across when they are dealing with their clients and that’s vital because so many people need support and validation for their choices, especially with art which is so subjective.

Kathy DeAngelo is definitely enthusiastic.  She has carried my work from the very earliest days, building a very nice following for my work in a relatively small market,  and has always offered tremendous encouragement.  She wants to know as much as possible about the work I bring to her- the motivation behind it, what I see in it and so on.  It helps her in passing along info along to her clients and gives the work a better sense of fullness.  I know that she will always represent my paintings in the best possible manner.  

During my drive out to Erie I will spend my time starting to think about my upcoming Gallery Talk at the West End next Thursday, August 6.  This is an annual event there and one that is often a lot of fun.  For the new attendees, I always offer a quick overview of how I came to be a painter and how the work has evolved over the years and for those who have been there in the past I try to share something new.  For instance, the story behind a painting that may not be obvious when looking at it.

 So, during the quiet ride out to Erie (and, believe me,  going through western NY on Rte. 86 is a quiet ride with very little traffic) I will let my mind drift over different subjects that I might want to speak about.  Hopefully, it will be something that has at least a little interest to my friends at the talk next Thursday.

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Looking at the World Twice

Posted in Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , on April 6, 2009| 1 Comment »

mann-lwt-cover-fin-jpegAbout a year ago I received an e-mail from Alicja Mann.  She is a writer with an interesting past, living now in Arizona who has a couple of my paintings.  She informed me that she was working on a new book of essays and poetry and wanted to use the image from one of the paintings of mine that she owned on the cover.  I was honored that she chose to use my work and gave my okay.

It had completely slipped my mind until this morning when I received another e-mail from Alicja with the announcement that her book was out.  She explained that she had encountered obstacles in the past year that had slowed her progress in completing her project but had overcome them and was pleased with the final product.  

According to the book’s website:  “The author writes from the perspective of “the other European” (from Eastern Europe) and “the other American” (an immigrant). She came to the States from Poland at a time when it was still dominated by Soviet-style Communism. In her new country she transformed herself from a scientist to a writer. These essays and poems take the reader on a journey through space and time addressing issues of identity, alienation, belonging, and responsibility. Sometimes funny, sometimes tearful, but always thoughtful, this book charms and provokes. It invites the reader to sit and reflect, as symbolized by the art on the cover.”

As you can see, she deals with many of the same issues as I do with my work.  I look forward to reading it soon and am sure it will inspire something new in my own work.  You can click on the book cover shown to go the book’s website.

st-vincent-springvitals_09In other publishing news, another painting of mine was used on the cover of Saint Vincent Vitals, the quarterly magazine of the western Pennsylvania based regional health care provider.  

Over the years, a number of people associated with Saint Vincent have acquired pieces of mine through the Kada Gallery in Erie.  I have met many of them at the gallery so was pleased when the magazine contacted me several months ago for permission to use my work on their cover.

Though I don’t actively seek this type of exposure for my work, it’s always interesting to see the work in a different context.  It allows me to see a bit how others view the work, to see what emotion it evokes in them.  In both of the cases shown, I think they both see it as I do.

And that is gratifying…

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