Ascención (...a mi mateix) / Ascension (...to myself)

Ascención (...a mi mateix) / Ascension (...to myself) 2010
mixed media on wood
100 X 70 cm / 39.5 X 27.5 inches


I haven't been blogging of late, but I have certainly been painting. Now I've got lots to post for your perusal. I'll start with a commission I just finished, above.



The paint is thinly applied in this piece with many, many layers of text from a truly inspiring Moving Story (español) written in Catalan that I received from an anonymous donor. Thank you, "Buster Keaton".
You may recognize the stairs drawn in perspective from an earlier post.
And a special thanks to Joan and Miquel for adopting this one. You two inspire me.

Plaster relief, 3 steps forward, one step back...

Taking a new look at my approach to working with plaster relief. It's been a long time, but the weather is finally good for casting again. Above is an example of some surface play. The electric hand-sander is the best art tool ever. That's why I say, 3 steps forward, one step back - I love over-working a surface, then boldly eliminating most of it in one swift pass, seeing what surprises lurk below.


What you see here is an image from the Castillo Bellver in Palma de Mallorca. The walls on the roof of the castle are covered with graffiti from prisoners from 1400 to 1900. Seeing these surfaces for the first time a few years ago has been lingering in my visual memory, along with the other aging walls that are so prevalent on my blog.
Can you imagine taking the time to carve letters with a serif!? Well, I guess they had plenty of time on their hands.

La Vida Pseudonómada/The Pseudo-nomadic Life

La vida pseudonómada (The Pseudo-nomadic Life)

Completed September 1, 2009
35.5 X 47 inches (90 X 120 cm)
Mixed media on wood (rusted metal, collage, acrylic)

I started this piece ages ago and have finally pulled it together. It is the first piece that utilizes some of the many Moving Stories I have collected over the last 2 months. Thank you, Jose for your contribution. The original building structure is one in Inca, Mallorca. The junk was collected on the streets of Muro and the wall paper is from the site of a renovation in Sa Pobla.

I am entering this piece today in a competition at a gallery I have been salivating over; the exhibition space is a wonderfully restored historic estate and well-suited to my work. Just being in the group show would be great, but the first prize of a solo exhibit is going to be even better! Wish me luck.

Luis' Billboard Textures

Aren't these wonderful? My friend Luis went on a texture hunt around Brooklyn and sent me tons of great images. This small selection shows the layered evidence of years of billboards pasted on top of one another and torn down - it appears that they may have been sanded-down as well. YUMilicious!