This painting “BATTLE of the BRANDS” is from the series “Damage Control”, of 2023. This canvas was originally from the “Concert Series of 2015.” (Shown in the first picture.) Before working on it again I turned it upside down and then began to paint out sections to acquire more space. Then the journey began to explore the surface with modern embellishments. I had a lot of fun on this one.
It's been over a year since my last blog post. 2022 was time that I took off from trying to make visual art for the sake of focusing on my mental health, and I was not starved of creativity in any way. I utilized the year to re-explore my analog recording roots, bass playing, and synthesizer experimentation. Cassette tapes and the ability to make sound loops on them really caught my attention, and I just had to go down that rabbit hole. What fun it is. A lot of personal ground was covered and documented by my musical alias, Alan Alvamar.
I also started teaching again, this time going back to Drawing 1. My first experience with drawing instruction was as a GTA of record while at KU, in grad school. In late 2020 when the Covid pandemic required everyone to stay home and go online, I had to stop teaching after finishing up the semester. My handyman business was also shuttered to keep the exposure risk to my family down. Out of necessity this allowed me to take care of our son during the day, while my wife navigated teaching music therapy via zoom like so many other instructors.
During my absence a new teacher was hired for painting, and is doing a great job teaching all of the sections. I do miss the pigments as an instructional media, however the drawing class was a lot of fun last semester. I'm looking forward to making some changes and working with a new group of artists.
In closing, it feels nice to report that my new studio is coming along and the process of discovery has officially started. I'll keep creating and make efforts to further describe what I'll be working on as the year continues.This new space should be a step in the right direction creatively, and I hope that your projects and visions become more fruitful this year as well.
As a sense of “normalcy” begins to return I’m thankful for how strange and new it feels. Our son recently started kindergarten, which is why my schedule has opened up, and he’s loving the action packed days at school. A lot has happened since last year and having regular time dedicated to making art again is pretty awesome.
Over the last few weeks I was able to bring resolution to a new series of works that have been in creation since late 2020. This series is titled “The Yearlings” and consists of (10) 8”x10” acrylic paintings on canvas panels. This was a challenging series for me to finish but I’m happy with the discovery process and how they turned out. There are a few classic motifs running throughout these panels, like the Tread and Helmet.
I’m looking forward to continuing working on new projects as the season moves towards winter. I hope that your creative lives are in good shape, keep at it!
