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Posts Tagged ‘New Painting’

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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Sense of Wonder

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 23, 2016| 1 Comment »

GC Myers- Sense of WonderThere are two ways of looking at my paintings for me.  During the process, I view it as an assemblage of parts, a series of decisions to be made and obstacles to overcome.  It feels very much like it is part of me at that point, like I hold all the cards and determine where it will go and what it will inevitably be.  I feel a bit like a mechanic or a surgeon in that time.

But there is a point just after it reaches completion where the piece stumbles to its feet and moves away from on its own volition.  It has its own power, its own forward moving force and I am left powerless to influence it at that point.  I no longer see it as parts or pieces to be adjusted.  It is whole and seems to only be mine in only a familiar way, like a father looking at his child and seeing the resemblance but not understanding how and why the child does what it does as it grows away from him.

I don’t mean that in a negative way though I have to admit it could be taken that way.  I was thinking of a sort of gratification in seeing their child do things they never imagined for themselves.  In a moment that is both prideful and sad when he realizes that he has created something that he will never be himself, something that exceeds his whole.

I thought of this the other morning while working out with a number of newly framed paintings within my sight.  Only days before some of them had still been just parts and pieces,still problematic and with little life.  Yet now I was looking at them and they felt whole and away from me.  I recognized them as mine in that moment but I could see that they had their own things to say, their own feelings to express.

It was a moment that caught me off guard.  I have spoken of the work taking on its own life many times before but in that instant it seemed so much more palpable and concrete.

It created a sense of wonder in me.

This new piece, a 10″ by 20″ canvas, carries that phrase, Sense of Wonder, as its title.  I think the Red Tree conveys that feeling of gratification and wonder  that I felt in that moment.  Looking at it now, I see that it is mine but it expresses feelings I have yet to feel and truths that I have yet to realize.  And that sense of wonder is created again.

I guess it’s only fitting that this Sunday morning music be a song from Van Morrison called  A Sense of Wonder.  Give  listen and have a  great Sunday.  Hope you find your own sense of wonder…

FYI: This painting, Sense of Wonder, is included in my show at the Kada Gallery which opens next Saturday, October 29.

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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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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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In Gratitude

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2016| 6 Comments »

GC Myers- In GratitudeTrue happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.

—Seneca

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This new painting, which is about 4″ by 15″ is a bit of a rarity.  It is done on plain watercolor paper without the benefit of the texture from the gessoed surfaces that I typically use, much like my very earliest works.  It was a nice change, reverting to working on the smooth surface of untreated paper.  There’s a sense of purity in the way the colors flow on and set to the paper’s surface.

Very clean.  Crisp.

I call this piece In Gratitude.  The words at the top from the Roman philosopher Seneca very much capture the spirit of what I see in this painting and aspire to in my own life– to be always conscious of and grateful for that which I do have in my life.

I talk and think a lot about gratitude.  Gratitude for where I am in the present moment sets me free from dwelling on the past or fretting about the future, both things out of my hands.  Gratitude also makes me recognize the importance of those who have played key roles in my life.

 Recognizing that one depends on the help, the love and the recognition of others in their life is a key element in finding a level of contentment in one’s life.

We do nothing totally alone.

I may claim that my work is my creation alone but it is, in fact, a compilation of the interactions of my life with those who I have encountered along the way.  They have formed my sight, my perception of this world, and given shape to the hoped-for world that shows itself in my work.

And for that alone, I am so grateful.

So, this seems like a simple small painting but for me it speaks volumes.

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This painting, In Gratitude, is part of my solo show, Part of the Plan,  which opens October 29th at the Kada Gallery in Erie, PA.

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Come Together

Posted in Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , on September 14, 2016| 2 Comments »

GC Myers- Come TogetherThe reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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This new painting, a 12″ by 36″ canvas, that is headed to the Principle Gallery with me this weekend is called Come Together.  It’s a continuation of the island theme that has been running through my work as of late.

I think the words of Emerson above fit very much with what I see in this painting.  Though it appears to be two separate islands with trees linked by a bridge, I see them as having been once united and have somehow been separated.  In this case, it may have been the tumult of time where the seabeds rise and the mountaintops fall– many of the high peaks that we know are sedimentary rock, after all, raised from the bottoms of the oceans.

The disunity Emerson was writing about was man separating himself from nature instead of realizing that he is part of nature and operates best when he is united with it through order and reason in a sort of partnership.  It makes sense especially when you consider the way that nature reacts when we try to exercise our belief that we have dominion over it.

In the same essay, Emerson also wrote the following  that I think better puts this into context:

Nature is not fixed but fluid. Spirit alters, moulds, makes it. The immobility or bruteness of nature, is the absence of spirit; to pure spirit, it is fluid, it is volatile, it is obedient. Every spirit builds itself a house; and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world, a heaven. Know then, that the world exists for you. For you is the phenomenon perfect. What we are, that only can we see. All that Adam had, all that Caesar could, you have and can do. Adam called his house, heaven and earth; Caesar called his house, Rome; you perhaps call yours, a cobbler’s trade; a hundred acres of ploughed land; or a scholar’s garret. Yet line for line and point for point, your dominion is as great as theirs, though without fine names. Build, therefore, your own world.

We all have the ability to live within nature and to build our own world that reflects our spirit.  If only we can find unity with the nature that desires to be our partner.

Just remember, your world is what you make it.

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This painting will be with me at the Gallery Talk this Saturday, September 17, at the Principle Gallery.  It starts at 1 PM and  should be a good time.  There will be a drawing for the painting, Defiant Heart, which has been shown in the past couple of  posts. Plus there will be a few other surprises as well.  Hope to see you there!

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Watchman

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

GC Myers- WatchmanFor thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

—Isaiah 21:6

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The biblical verse above is of course the one which was the basis for the title for Harper Lee‘s sequel, to her classic To Kill A Mockingbird.  In the books, Scout regarded her father, Atticus Finch, as such a watchman, a moral and righteous sentinel looking out for injustice and evil.

And that is kind of how I see the central figure of this new painting, the lone Red Tree set high on rocky outcropping in what seems to be an endless sea.  Maybe it is the red of the sky that sets such a tone.  I don’t know.

I’ve been fascinated by small islands in my work lately.  The isolation of them gives these pieces a brooding quality and reminds me a bit of working as an artist.  I’ve often felt that the job of an artist is to act as a sort of watchman.

It is very much a job of isolation, one that is often formed in the solitariness of youth when one always felt like an outsider, observing the world quietly and mostly unseen from the edges of life.  The work itself is done and grows in isolation but is very much influenced by one’s observations of the world around them.  And much of the work, if it reaches the level of art, is based on a sensitivity to what that artist has observed and felt.

And maybe that is the real purpose of artists, to act as a watcher, looking to warn us of our own straying from reason and to keep our humanity intact.  Maybe that is what I see in this painting.

gc-myers-defiant-heart-smThis painting is 8″ by 24″ on canvas and is titled, of course, Watchman.  It is coming with me to the Principle Gallery this Saturday, September 17, when I give my Gallery Talk there beginning at 1 PM.  There will be a group of new paintings including this piece as well as a group of selected pieces from my studio that will only be available for that day.  And there is, of course, the drawing at the end of the talk for the painting, Defiant Heart.

Should be a good time and I hope you can make it to the Principle Gallery this Saturday!

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Doubt the Darkness

Posted in Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , , on September 9, 2016| 2 Comments »

GC Myers- Doubt the DarknessIf you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.

— Rene Descartes

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As it neared completion, this new painting felt like it was about a questioning of some sort.  The Red Tree here seems to be casting doubt over the reality that is before it and even its own reality.  The question might be: Shall I hide in the darkness or stand in the light?

I call this 12″ by 12″ canvas Doubt the Darkness and I think it speaks to this question.  Darkness often obscures our perception of things and raises doubts in us as to what is and is not real.  Darkness is an agent of doubt and fear.  But by casting our own doubt and light upon that darkness we come to understand that it only hides that which was already there and does not bring anything more with it.

Its only power over us is our own doubting of what we know is there.

Okay, maybe that’s too much for me to try to make sense of so early in the morning.  But even if it seems like gibberish when you read this, I hope you’ll at least take a look at the painting and try to to find something for yourself in it that makes sense.  Maybe you’ll even see what I was babbling about.

This is a new painting that will be accompanying me to next Saturday’s Gallery Talk at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA.  It runs on September 17th from one until about 2 PM.  There will be some new work along with a select group of older pieces from the studio at this talk and, as has been tradition over the past several years, there will be a drawing at the end of the talk where one of the folks in attendance will win an original painting.  I will be sharing more details in the next few days.

It’s usually a lot of fun and I hope you’ll try to make it to this year’s talk.

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Suffering Memory

Posted in Painting, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , on September 7, 2016| 5 Comments »

GC Myers- Suffering Memory“Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that.
You forget some things, don’t you?
Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Road

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 Much of my work concerns itself with our memory, how we perceive our past and how the memory of that past affects our present and our future.  It often seems a treasure, this memory, but it also comes with the price of suffering as well.  After all, the word nostalgia is created from two Greek roots, nostos which means return and algos which means pain or grief.

We suffer in our desire to return.

I see that feeling in this new piece, an 11″ by 15″ painting on paper that I call Suffering Memory.  There is something in the color and the placement of the elements that has a bittersweet quality much like that feeling of looking back through time to a point that you know is long gone and will never come again.

You desire a return but too much has changed–  knowledge gained, the self revealed and innocence lost.

The strong chaos of the texture underneath gives this piece an effect that I think adds to the distance of the memory felt.  The texture acts as a distorting agent which represents the natural distortion that time casts over all of our memories. As we all know, while we would like to think that memory is an absolute truth, time often seems to bend it even further from reality.

The texture here creates areas of light and dark that represent for me the alternating facets of memory’s truthfulness.  While it would be nice to have all memories be completely faithful to the absolute truth of the moment, it is that texture, that flawed recall of our memory that gives it the meaning that it holds for us.

In reality, nothing is seldom as good or as bad as we remember.  But that doesn’t really matter because it is not the truth to which we react.  It is our memory of it, our personal version of that truth with its own color and texture that affects us, that causes us to suffer the memory.

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