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Posts Tagged ‘KADA Gallery’

Caravan

Posted in Favorite Things, Music, Video, tagged , , , , , on October 30, 2016| 2 Comments »

GC Myers- In the RhythmI can’t really tell you how my show went last night.  I wish I could but my psychic powers have been on the weak side lately.  Actually, I am writing this on Friday because I most likely won’t be back in the studio in time to put up my Sunday morning music and it is such a regular habit for me that it bothers me when I miss a week.

But I will go out on a limb and guess that last night I saw a lot of folks that I haven’t talked to in a while, that everyone at the Kada Gallery treated me great and that it was, all in all, a wonderful night.  Fortunately, with only a rare exception or two, most of my shows have followed that simple script.

I will let you know if there was any deviation from the norm in the next day or two.

Today’s music is a jazz classic, Caravan, composed by the great Duke Ellington in 1936 and performed by a wide spectrum of jazz artists.  There are over 350 recorded versions of this song from Ellington’s band alone.  But the version I chose is from the late jazz pianist Kenny Drew , Jr.  I think it’s a really impressive version.

To accompany it, I chose a painting, In the Rhythm, from the Kada show that I think has a rhythm and feel that matches that of the song.  So give a listen and have a great Sunday.

 

 

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Into the Clear Air

Posted in Influences, Poetry, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , on October 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers-- Into the Clear AirI said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.

―T.S. Eliot

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I’ve read these lines from T.S. Eliot before but it was only this morning that I equated them to the creative process.  Well, so far as I see it in my own experience.  You see, you can struggle to describe in words how things come about, how things finally appear.

You might describe an inner process of visualizations and intricate thought synthesis, of pulling deep emotions to the surface and so on.  Maybe that is so but I think it is not really part of the process but is rather an interpretation of what you believe happened.

I think the real creative aspect occurs in a way much like the words above describe– in the stillness and darkness of a meditative void.  The mind emptied and all thoughts of the past and the future are set aside.  No hopes or desires.  Just a quiet dark blankness that waits in endless patience for the first crackling of light to pierce through.

But there are times when the light doesn’t come and you lose patience in the waiting.  So you start without the light and occasionally, nearing the end of the process, you find that your mind has emptied and the light has caught up with you.  What you are looking at it something quite unlike what you thought it might be when you struggled to begin.

I know this all sounds pretty esoteric, pretty out there and maybe it won’t make a lick of sense to most who somehow slog through to this point. But really it comes down to the idea that you clear the mind and let it just happen.

If it happens at all.  Sometimes the light doesn’t find you.  But on those times when it does, it is like the freshest clear air has wafted over you and left you with a feeling of ethereal lightness. The clearest air.  And I guess that is why I keep doing this and probably will until the day I die.

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The painting above is a 16″ by 20″ canvas titled Into the Clear Air and is included in Part of the Plan, my show that opens tomorrow, Saturday, October 29, at the Kada Gallery in Erie.  The reception begins at 6 PM.  Hope you can make it!

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Part of the Plan

Posted in Biographical, Painting, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , on October 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

 Saturday, October 29, marks the opening date for my show, Part of the Plan, at Erie’s Kada Gallery. It starts with an opening reception— which is free and open to the public–beginning at 6 PM that I will be attending.  Below is the artist statement for this show along with the painting that shares its title with that of the show.

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GC Myers- Part of the PlanI guess most people would classify me as a landscape painter and it would be hard to dispute that statement.  After all, most of my work does use the lines and forms of the landscape as its basis.

Fields and skies.  Hills and lakes. Trees and trails.  All that surrounds us.

But for me, I have never saw my work as being about only the landscape.  It was never about capturing a singular place, never about representing an actual geographic reality.

For me the work was not about painting what is.  No, from the very beginning it was about capturing hopes and desires.  It was about providing a platform where I could freely express my innermost feelings.

But most importantly, it was about creating a world that welcomed me, that made me feel that I was somehow a piece of a larger pattern.  I don’t know if it can be called religious, spiritual, psychological or simply a matter of physics but I needed to create a world where I played a role.

A place where I was part of the plan.

The world I see in my work holds patterns and rhythms that swirl through the skies and surge through the rolls of the colorful landscape.  There are forces that are made visible that we would never see in our normal world and among it all the Red Tree stands as our representative, standing placidly with the knowledge that it belongs there as part of the plan.

This is a difficult thing to describe.  It is something that becomes more evident through viewing the work itself.  I hope you will take a moment to look a little deeper at these paintings and maybe see a glimpse of what I am describing.  Or better yet, see yourself for what you are—a part of the plan.

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As I Live and Breathe

Posted in Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , on October 26, 2016| 1 Comment »

GC Myers- As I Live and BreatheThe privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.
—Joseph Campbell

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I don’t think many of us consider being who we are as a privilege.  Too often we look to others, admiring and desiring those qualities that we see in them while downplaying our own unique traits and abilities.  As a result we maintain a low profile, going along with the flow and seldom raising our voice to let our opinion be known.  We allow ourselves to be made smaller.

I think the subject of this painting, a 12″ by 24″ canvas called As I Live and Breathe, is about accepting who you are and having the bravery to show that to the world.  Stepping forward and daring to speak your truth.  There is a liberation in this simple act of understanding who you are.  It sheds fears.  The disappointment that often came with the realization of what you were not is replaced with the thrill of seeing who and what you truly are.

We all deserve that privilege, that thrill of being who we are.

This painting is included in my new show, Part of the Plan, that opens Saturday, October 29, at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.  I will be on hand for an opening reception from 6-9 PM.  For all you Cleveland Indians fans in the area: come out early so you can watch the Indians’ World Series game that night!

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Cool Fire

Posted in Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , on October 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- Cool FireThe works must be conceived with fire in the soul but executed with clinical coolness.
—Joan Miro

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This new painting is a 10″ by 30″ canvas that I call Cool Fire.  It is included in my show, Part of the Plan, which opens this Saturday at the Kada Gallery in Erie.  I came across the words above from artist Joan Miro, whose work I admire very much, after I had finished this piece.

I was struck by how his words lined up with how I see this painting, especially in its juxtaposition of warmth and coolness.  It creates a tension that is similar to the actual creation of many works of art, one where the artist walks a fine line between passion and control.

I think this balance is critical in creating work that reaches out to the viewer.  Too much control and the work, while it might have great beauty, is cold and passionless.  Too much passion without little control may appear erratic and off message.

But to make these two opposing forces work together is what brings life to the work and allows it to reach out.  And I think this painting, with its equal parts of fire and self control, is a pretty good example of walking this fine line.

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The Figurehead

Posted in Motivation, Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , on October 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- The Figurehead-copyNever doubt that a small number of dedicated people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
—Margaret Mead

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I love the words above from anthropologist Margaret Mead. I think they are empowering and a reminder of our innate ability to shape the world.

Too often we fail to exercise our own power to change the world because we think that we have little power to do so.  We all too often see ourselves as unseen players on a huge stage, that our existence is noticed by no one.

But what we fail to understand is that we change the world by our very existence.  It comes through the way we carry and express ourselves, in the manner in which our actions and words affect those close to us.

We create the patterns for our young, molding the way in which they view and act within the world.  Our actions and words set the tone for their future, building a sense of  openness and possibility or one of angry pessimism in them.  Calm words, thoughtful reactions and a strong resolve to do what is right can change the world in a small way.  It can only make it better.

And this attitude will attract others and together their power to affect changes increases dramatically.  That is how changes comes to this world.  It starts with one person who creates an atmosphere where anything seems possible, especially those things that stem from positive attributes.

I see this new piece, The Figurehead, a 5″ by 27″ painting on paper which is part of my upcoming Kada Gallery show, as an embodiment of this sentiment.  The Red Tree here displays a graceful quality that holds sway over all those who are within in its sight, serving as a symbol of inspiration and strength.

I think we are all figureheads of a sort.  We all hope to represent certain ideals and qualities and ideally they are apparent in how we present ourselves to the outside world.  So it is vital to remember that we all in some way stand alone on a rise where we are visible to those around us.  Our words and actions matter in a large way.

They can change the world…

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The Lesson Learned

Posted in Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , , on October 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- The Lesson LearnedI have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.
—Lao Tzu

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I am putting the finishing touches on my new show, Part of the Plan, that opens next Saturday, October 29, at the Kada Gallery, in Erie, PA.  I have been showing my work at the Kada Gallery for over twenty years now and this will be, I believe, my eighth solo show there.  Owners Kathy and Joe DeAngelo, along with their staff, do an absolutely wonderful job in representing my work and this is always an enjoyable show for me.

One of the new paintings for this show is the piece above, a 12″ by 16″ canvas titled The Lesson Learned.  The title is taken from the words of Lao Tzu, the Chinese  philosopher and father of Taoism, that are at the top of this page.  I believe that those three things– simplicity, patience and compassion— are the basis for a satisfying and peaceful life.  All three are critical in interacting with the outer world and with our understanding of that outer world and our place in it.

I see all three of those attributes in the Red Tree in this painting.  It stands placidly, taking in the simple pleasure of the scene before it.  It patiently waits for the light of the new day that approaches.  And it perches protectively and compassionately above the homes below it.

When I look at this painting I am instantly reminded of those three things simply by the feeling it instantly evokes in me.  This meshing of feeling and meaning is something I look for in my work because that takes the work to a level that is beyond my own limitations.  It gives it its own life that will move beyond me.  And that is all I can hope for my work…

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Introspection

Posted in Influences, Painting, Quote, tagged , , , , , on October 17, 2016| 2 Comments »

GC Myers- The Introspective MindIntrospection, or ‘sitting in the silence,’ is an unscientific way of trying to force apart the mind and senses, tied together by the life force. The contemplative mind, attempting its return to divinity, is constantly dragged back toward the senses by the life currents.

—Paramahansa Yogananda

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I often consider my landscapes as being deeply introspective even though by their very nature they are outward looking.  They are most often scenes where the central figure– the Red Tree in most cases– finds itself in a moment and place where the inner and outer, the mind and the senses, converge.

It is a moment of calmness, one that allows the mind to expand and soar outside itself, to see the world and itself from new perspectives.  It allows it to see all that it is and is not.  To see all possibility, paths that are open but not yet visible.  Perhaps even a return to divinity as the words of the great Hindi yogi Paramahansa Yogananda states in the quote above.

I like the idea of this juxtaposition of contrasts, the inner and the outer set side by side, each strengthening the other so long as they stay in balance.  I can’t say that I go into a painting with that as a goal in the front of my mind.  I think it’s just one of those things that when you recognize it in the final product realize that it was what you were looking for even though you didn’t know it at the outset.

And perhaps letting it slip from your consciousness was the key all along.  Trying too hard to find something so elusive usually ends in failure.  But just letting things go without placing too much emphasis on any aspect sometimes brings what is important to the forefront.

I know that in this new painting, a 15″ by 30″ canvas titled Introspection, that how I see it now had little to do with where I initially thought it would go or say.  At its start I never gave a single thought as to leading it to the message that it now holds for me.  I just let the paint work, let my mind move freely in the forms and color to release what it ultimately held.

So maybe that is the key– to free the mind from the senses as Yogananda says.  Easier said than done…

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The painting above, Introspection, is included in Part of the Plan, my solo show opening October 29 at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.

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Absorbed in the Moment

Posted in Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , on October 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- Absorbed in the MomentIt is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.
-Eckhart Tolle

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This new painting is a 20″ by 20″ canvas titled Absorbed in the Moment.  This was one of those rare pieces that felt strong from its very beginning all the way through to its completion.  It felt very directed and each piece seemed to fit easily into the painting, adding its own strength.

The progress of this piece very much kept me in the moment as I worked and maybe that is where that sense of awe in the moment that I get from this piece originates.  I know as I worked, I stayed only in the moment.  Setting aside the past and the future, I relished being in that place at that time.  The scene, the colors and the way everything fell together created an inviting and restful –even invigorating — place for my mind to linger.

And that held true even long after its completion.  Every time I look in its direction I sense a feeling of comfort, a great calming effect, in that moment.  The moment taking place on the surface becomes the moment I am living in the present.

It is always in the present moment and the present moment is always in it–that is all I can ask of anything I paint.

This painting will be included at my upcoming show, Part of the Plan, which opens October 29 at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.

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Adagio in Blue

Posted in Music, Opinion, Recent Paintings, Video, tagged , , , , , on October 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- Adagio in BlueWow.

That’s about anyone can say after these last few days, days which may go down as some of the craziest ever seen in the history of our nation.  I am not going to say much here on the subject of candidate Trump.  There’s not much to say except that this is not a big shocker to me.  I’ve said it before: Trump has shown us who and what he is repeatedly over the past decades.

If you are surprised by any revelation about this creature– I hesitate to use the word man in this case– that has come out (or any that is bound to emerge because I have to believe there is plenty more in the bullpen just waiting patiently to be unleashed) then you haven’t been watching closely enough.  Either that or you are, as my father likes to say– even in his current state of Alzheimer’s–among  the most gullible people on the face of the earth.

And for those out there waking up this morning still believing that Trump is some kind of positive answer or agent of change, I feel pity for them.  That kind of denial of reality can only point to a life that will be further filled with anger, hatred and discontent.

And that is a sad thing for them. And for those around them. And for this country.

Okay, enough said on that for now.  I need some comforting on this ominously quiet Sunday morning.  The painting at the top is a new 9″ by 12″ canvas that is part of my upcoming show at the Kada Gallery which opens October 29.  I call this piece Adagio in Blue.  It has a calming presence in its colors and composition that fulfills my needs this morning.  I am coupling it with a classical piece this morning, the Adagio from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 as played by French pianist Hélène Grimaud.  It’s a beautiful piece and a well produced video presentation.

Think of it as a peaceful respite from the crap storm cutting through our political world at the moment.  Relax and try to have a good day.

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