Are you well? (Now, with more art...!)

Yeah, sure, I'm making art! Imma artiste...! At least, that's what I was telling myself.  I'm sure we've all been here. Artistic constipation... Ima go a little off topic, but bear with me, there will be art involved.

I am not the first artist to live with pain, and I sure won't be the last...all that angst, with no creativity...!? Makes me shudder to think. I know I'm not the first to seek help outside of conventional medicine. Nor, am I the first to find relief. And that is why I am making a big f'n deal about it. It can be done. It has been done. My way may not be your way. Find a way. There are actual resources out there, finally.

I've been dealing with chronic pain issues since I was 18. Staying in shape helped. Then, one day, I wasn't in shape any more, and suffered a herniated disc. That turned into several. That's when I found out I had a cracked vertebrae just above my tailbone. Tough place to have surgery. The surgery the doctors offered me didn't seem to even work in my case; he said that's just what they offer. 

 I've also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, been pre-diabetic, had high blood pressure and cholesterol, and borderline obese. Really, none of these issues are all that unusual. What is unusual, is how I learned to deal with it. Over the years, I've been prescribed pain killers, steroids, muscle relaxers, and antidepressants. And, of course, blood pressure meds. I only took the ones Dr. dad said would have the most potential to help. Meaning, no prescription pain killers, muscle relaxers,or, after the first course, steroids. Antidepressants hit the trash soon after. 

Then, I got cancer. I'm told if you live long enough, you'll get it too. Not tryin' to be a bummer,but the statistics rule. My father had it, that made me 50% more likely to get it. According to the statistics. So, surgery, recovery, good as new, right? Well, no. They removed some lymph nodes, to make sure the cancer hadn't metastasized. It turns out I was still using 'em...! 

I've experienced significant pain since the surgery . Much worse than I'd experienced before. Among other symptoms, mental processing problems, then, the final straw, muscle convulsions. The diagnosis is a cyst pressing against the scar tissue from the cracked vertebrae... Amazing coincidence, that cyst right there, so close to all that trauma...but, I digress!

You may have heard of toxic accumulation. I had, but dissed it. "That won't happen to me, I eat healthy!" 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxicity

The World Health Organization identified toxic accumulation as the cause of most health problems, worldwide. This was in the 1980s. This morning, their website has a universe of links about chemicals, waste,fertilizers, additives,etc, and their affect on your health. Long, long story short. Medical checkups didn't turn anything up.follow ups with the Cancer docs showed I was recovering nicely (based on their statistics, anyway), even though had days I couldn't put weight on my right leg. I finally went to see a nutrition doctor. She had a blood screen done, like every other doc. Then, she put my blood under a microscope. She said it even looked toxic.  Diet, therapy, 18 months, and 50 lbs later, I was some better, but still in pain. My old college roommate reentered the picture at this point. He does exercise, nutrition, massage, alphabiotics, and uses a number of black box gadgets. Fast forward again, 6 months.  The pain has gone from a daily 8-9 on a scale of 10, to about 3, with bad days around 6. 

It ain't easy. It ain't cheap. It ain't a pill and a promise, or an operation based on a statistic that doesn't even  represent me (stats for recovery from prostate cancer are based on 68 year old men, of a different race, under multiple medications. I was a 50 year old only using blood pressure meds).  That's the practice of medicine, in the 21st century. Statistics, drugs, and surgery. That may work for you. I hope it does. My experience? If you feel poorly, educate yourself. Understand your real situation. Are you under constant stress? Do you sleep enough? Do you drink enough water? Anything 'off' with your excrement, skin, or breath? What's your muscle tone like? Why?  How's your diet fit your body type? What does your blood actually look like? If you know at least some of these answers, chances are, you are on a path to real wellness.

I have been at it, though. I've started a bunch of work. Here's a taste:

Bubble Buddhas in progress

1918 HD Board Track racer progress.

Leaves in crisis

I know there are a lot of major issues going on right now in the world. The planet is in ecological crisis. There are refugees of war who have no safe haven. Domestic violence. Occupying stuff. Major issues going on in the world. All I'm prepared to rant about, is leaf mold.

Imma kinda green 'n crunchy dude these days. Save the trees, recycle, eat local, sustainable, and organic type person. I had previously joined the City Greèn program. They sent a flyer talking about how we should rake the leaves into our planting beds, to help the plants winter, and the leaf mold forms a base for next year. I'm thinking "sweet, I can do that!" Did that, check. 

I called my guy, and I asked him to come by one more time. Told him I needed it bad, I had guests coming. The yard looked like hell, and I just couldn't have folk tripping over rootsnshiz. Long  story short, dude showed up early, blew all the leaves out into the street. "Man, you live on a corner! Wind'll take those right on away...!" I decided to cage the Green monster. I paid him, mentally took him off the list, and resolved to drag all those F'n things back the following evening, assuming they were not scattered to the winds. 

Fell into a dreamless sleep early. Been grinding as hard as I'm able this year, so I was tired. Woke up, went to work. Doncha know when I got home, there were no leaves in the street at all; the were back in my yard. 

Kinda like what happens to your problems if you decide to deal with it later, rather than sooner. They wind up right back in your yard. It's just a blessing if that's what you intended in the first place.easy for me to say, I know. 

Just remember who's yard those leaves start in. 

Yeah, I see you over there, raking the maple leaves off your property into the yard with the maple trees, like over half the yards I the neighborhood. Mr and or Ms. big time...can't even be bothered to perpetrate that you disposed of them sustainably. Maybe y'all don't know. S'all right, I'm still not letting the Green monster out. Talk is cheap. Yelling doesn't work. Chicks dig scars. Wait, where was I...

I was about to talk about how absolutely critical it really is for folk to tread more lightly on this earth. She is broken. We broke her. Have absolutely no idea if we can heal her. It's gone way past that, anyway. It's really about doing the right thing. Making sure you take those leaves, put them in the beds, and don't let them get blown all over the joint. Things be nice and neat when you do that. Tell the man before he blows them all over. Educate him about why the leaves should be in the beds, and how beneficial that is. 

Here's the thing. Dude's business is not to leave stuff in your yard. Puts him at a little disadvantage, on the market. Negative marketing by competitors about him being lazy, or whatever. Maybe, he's just old school, and they taught hi the way he's doing his thing in yard school. Whatever. I'm just wondering, wouldn't it be an easier sell, if you step to him with some understanding? Put yourself in his shoes, just  for a minute?

I mean, after all, you got leaves left that will need to be dealt with.

kga has been busy. Gratefully so. I've posted progress on much of my whip. Here are two commission pieces:

"She watches over"oil on canvas, 10"x12"

"The journey continues" oil on canvas, 10"x12"

Peace 

 

That's life, Doc

Selfmade. Brilliant. Charming. Funny. A meticulous dresser. Flashy. Well travelled. Sometimes, you can throw all the adjectives you've got at a person, and barely scratch the surface. In his younger days, he could have been a movie star. More adjectives. He graduated second in his class, in an era where coloreds didn't go to medical school. He knew, fro the age of 12, that he was going to be a doctor, and be able to help people, instead of being forced to stand by and watch them get hit by a bus and die. Worked in the steel mills, piecework, to get through school. Bought a Harley with some of that money, rode it back and forth from Kenyon for undergrad and the University of Michigan in Medical School to Elyria, Ohio. He had tried OSU first, they weren't taking coloreds.

Fought through  Stage IV prostate cancer. Lived more than 20 years after he was 'posed to die.  Two heart surgeries, knee replacement, neck fusion. 

One of the first programs for mental health in Ohio. One of the first programs for unwed mothers. One of the first programs for drug abuse.  

More adjectives. 

I got no words.  Right now. No words that could properly represent this man.

I'll try a story about how he died. 

Last week, he was feisty. Giving eryone hell all morning, I was told. Said, to the lady who'd been there 3 times a day since he'd been there: "you need to come around more! I haven't seen you in a year!" 

Had a little pneumonia. Bounced back. Good days, bad days. Knew us. Didn't know us. Babbled some. Other times, De Niro: "I don't have any cash." "I just need to hold onto a little cash!" 

Three days ago, he declined a little. Less energy. Said he wanted to die. Just matter of fact like.

Next day, less responsive. I get a phone call. Meet for lunch. Hold each other up.

Next day, I'm there. Hospice day. Several hours of meetings in his room, with him laying, unresponsive, in his bed. Discussing what you discuss. With him right there.wish I had that do over. 

Several hours. Then, we are standing over him, talking about him. Telling stories. About him. Great stories, actually. Clear approbation. You see, his signs started sliding, so the Hospice nurse drifted over there. We followed, because even there, news of who my father was had travelled. Nurses and staff had beef great the whole time,  it today, they were always there, checking. Serving. Cleaning . Serving. We'll  come back to that. We were telling the Hospice nurse about what he had done, and as usual, SHINY. None of us can keep to the plot. Both of us finishing each other's sentences about what a great person he was. Don't need THAT do over. Then, I told him. "Dad, you've always been there for me. Your entire life has been about serving people, fixing them. You said you didn't want to linger if your mind was gone.  We heard you say you were ready to go home. We all love you dearly. If you want to go home now, that's OK" . Mom said that she loves him forever and that if he's ready, to go on home." Two big breaths. *drops mic*

I just have no words.

Except "thank you". 

Night, pop. Rest well. 

Learning to fall

When I was a kid, my mom sent my brother and I to judo classes. We spent a long time learning to fall. That has gotten me out of a lot of trouble... 

Life sometimes, is all about knowing how to fall. Not that I'm any big expert. This is a two icy hot kinda day, for me: 

Yep, maybe if I paid more attention in those classes...

I found myself with some forced downtime over the last few days, trying to fight the latest bug. Funny how quickly I'm thinking about art'n.  Finishing works in progress, mainly, but also new stuff coming. I found about a dozen short logs, and I have been off to the races. Not on those, of course. Gotta clear the decks. I'm still underpainting these pieces, so I gotta get goin'...! The new studio is still under destruction, so forgive the presentation: 

I've got to thank Ric Stewart for the gift of the plaster figures. I wish I remembered the name of this dude. I am digging that background color of the dude on the right. Let's just call the rest WIP and move along...

Making progress on Board Track Racer. Remember where this started? 

From there, to:

,

Then, through the magics of bronzecasting:

After several hours of grinding:

Next section coming, stay tuned. I think it's time for the heating pad...

Peace!

Cycles and cycles

Or something like that. think I jacked that title from a Grateful Dead song. I'm not a Dead head, but I've got friends who are.

Not to be Deadist, tho... 

This has been a year among years. Ages and lifetimes are passing in front of my eyes. As fast as they come and go, some, I've actually been ready for. As I've previously posted, several months ago, I moved from my home of almost 30 years.

Somehow, in the mix, I am still building a 1918 Harley Davidson BoardTrack Racer. It's coming along, though I have no photographic evidence. Ric and I learned that "Black Racer" is named Milton Halł. 

We learned about the Atlanta "Black Streaks". A "colored"racing team forum early in the 20th Century:

Feeling a thang coming on...stay tuned.

Been all over the Midwest, and back and forth to the south. I am always going to have a spot for my southern peeps. Politely tell you to go F yourself, in that awesome accent that I usually pick up in a hot minute. I got love for directness. Being a dense human being, I def got love for folks who say what they mean.

I've also been witness to a dear relative aging right in front of my eyes. Ages and lifetimes passing. This, I'm not ready for. How can one ever be ready for this? Been there, done that? Bullshit. And yet, if you pay attention, the man still drops bombs. We are sitting there, talking yaya, and he suddenly looks like Marlon Brando, emoting, and says "I just don't have any cash, and I'm sitting here in my pajamas."  Laughing, but that just yanks your guts right out.

We, as artists, are trained observers. We notice things.  We're human. So. Human. Feels happen. Art gets made. Maybe, it doesn't. But, life goes on.

"Dancing in da Sun" just came out of the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Show.

 I was accepted to the Vanderelli Room's benefit show, recently. "Grandmother" is one of my favorites:

"Bluemoon Flower"was created for the Columbus International program:

Life does continue. Reminders to stay in the moment. The trick is, you have to be in the moment to notice. Or, they may just land on your front porch.

I heard a loud pop tonight, followed by skidding and crunching noises, right outside the door. I waited to see what direction to jump, but heard nothing else. At the door, I could tell nobody was getting out of their cars, so I called 911. Apparently, along with both drivers. Long story short, everyone is alive, maybe a broken leg and some concussions. And I need a landscaper. A couple feet to the right, and they would have hit a fairly significant tree. A couple feet to the left, and they might have cleared my front door.

The cycles of life. Moments in time. They all got blessings.  Just gotta pay attention. 

Peace.

Running until I'm tackled

As I mentioned, briefly, I recently left my home of almost 30 years. Lot of memories I that place. I sig the Short North, and that little shotgun house was sanctuary, right in the middle of it. I hope the new owners can give her what's he deserves.

KGA needed space and I need supervision... This place can give me all that. So,on to the next chapter.

A thread I'm just gonna drop and move on is how chronic pain changes my whole creative process. Bad days, I mostly plan work, or think about new work. Everything tries to get crammed in those good ones. Runnin' as hard as I possibly can...till I'm put down, again. Lots of new pieces that aren't finished...

KGA has had a great year, even though I missed a deadline I've been working toward for years. Some art works at its own pace, or the artist suffers the consequences. That Board Track racer is such a piece. I'd much rather be right and tight than on time. 

I attended the National Motorcycle Museum's opening for the show "2 Wheels and a Motor", along with several others from the 614. 

There was a custom chopper show and the yearly rally was happenin'. That's "Cruizin" above and left of the awesome portrait of Indian Larry, "via con dios".

Holding me up in this photo is Ric Stewart, my mentor and the curator of this awesome show. To our left are five of my paintings. "College Bound",  the sculpture, is also in it:

Even if you've seen this in Pickerington, go see it again.CBus arts everywhere in this exhibit:

Ric Stewart

Gavin Bruce, with "Wrench in Hand" to his back, sharing a laugh with Ric.

Eric Shook, the "Mad Tinkerer", in his interview, holding his recent work:

The gang;

Happy birthday, America. Peace.

Hitting the wall

It is starting to feel like the 21st century is about feast or famine. If you have work, you have a lot of it. 2015 for me has been about feast, for me. I've been having many blessings. Among them, an amazing, cool artist friend as my mentor who is also a curator. I have, I think, 6 pieces in the National Motorcycle Museum "2 wheels and a motor" Art Show. I'll post that and pound my chest some more later. The trip gave me a lot of time to think, and I feel like I have to post this. 

Driving through the Heartland on my way to Anamosa.

 I blow past a semi truck full of pigs.

Little pink snouts sticking through the grating. Reaching for air under a huge, shifting, Iowa sky.

NPR is telling me about IS,  and what's happening with Greece,  and the shooting in South Carolina. it's raining, then clear, alternately.

 I've got a long drive ahead of me, still.

I've been looking forward to seeing some good friends  I haven't seen in awhile.

Motorcycle rallies are a new experience for me.  

A world I haven't experienced.

As an artist we all spend a lot of time observing.  

Creating experiences that elicit a response.

I remember telling somebody the racism as we knew it was dead. Perhaps.

Or, it is very possible it's been replaced with a much more radical, isolationist version of the same thing.

Yeah, I don't get pushed to the back of the restaurant. 

Yeah,  I can get a taxi. 

I absolutely can buy a house in the neighborhood i want.

Will I get stopped driving across this great state of Illinois, "DWB"? 

Can I go to a movie?

Is the water safe?

I might have a great credit rating but if I get stopped by the side of the road will they do right?

I feel secure cuz I have a nice house. A late model car.

But, when somebody can come into a place of refuge just start blasting people, just what the F is up?

Does that even matter. "It's the Nature of Things", right?

"Life isn't fair, but it's even"

Words fill the car so I almost can't breathe.

I open the windows. 

I change the station.

I breathe the air. Under a huge, shifting Iowa sky.

On my way to see good friends I haven't seen in a while.

Back again

I had a big week. I met with  my next new Spine doctor. Started some big changes in the works, which I will tease and move on, for now. Kept my head down and worked on my sculpture. No photos this time, but it is almost ready for phase I, Building Blocks...

I may have run this into the ground already, but making a bronze sculpture can be as many steps as you want.  I could just sculpt a bike, for example, invest it, and cast it. Not recommended, but I could. The recommended Phase I is to get your Building Blocks ( BBs) together, make molulds of each, then and only. Then, assemble the sculpture into its appropriate investments. 

For the motorcycle I'm working on, the BBs are based on the shapes that may be useable. For future sculptures, as well as making sure I don't lose all my work if my investment fails. Each BB is carefully planned to make sure I get a quality mold, and I get the important information to fisher accurately.

Phase II is to assemble the sculpture into investments from the BBs. I'm planning on this bike being three investments, at least. 

Subsequent phases include cutting off sprues and vents, grinding, sanding, polishing, finishing, patinas, assembly, welding, and finally, mounting. Now you got everything but the secret bronzecaster handshake.

My spine doc and I agree that I'm not a candidate for surgery. Said I'm too strong. I coulda phoned in and told him that. That is about all I did learn, actually. We don't know what caused the cyst. In fact, this doc isn't convinced the last scans give th best view, so we took some more.  Might be getting injections. No feedback whatsoever on the pain part. My sense was that if I don't have burning shooting pain radiating down my extremities and the strength of a newborn, I'm not getting much fro this group. I think this was the wrong referral, but I may get the shots at some point. I didn't even do the local injection of steroids when I was a jock... Could be fun.

Couldn't help that feeling of déjà vu. Been down this road so many times. I need this to be over, but this piece may just be an exercise...a lil exercise never hurt anyone, right...?

I was accepted to the a Perpetuating a purpose show at an Open Door Art Studio. The Open Door is a not for profit studio for Differently abled folk.  The members curated this show. Absolutely honored to be represented in that room. The show is hanging for a month.

I'm also hanging at zpizza on High Street in the Short North. Amazing opportunity that just fell from my good friend Bubbles... Thanks, kid. That show will be up for the month of March .

That's all, folks. Stay tuned, big things soon come.

Following thru

So, I presented publicly as an artist for the first time the end of last month. Had an absolute blast. My organization's Marketing Dept. brought pizza, my mentor brought vegetable soup, and I brought jambalaya; no wonder it was a blast...

A few notes on health, mine, and possibly a hack yo can use. My Nutrition Doctor made some suggestions to help mitigate pain. Along with putting me on the #nofundiet, she recommended Manesium Oil applied to the skin of achy or painful areas. Worked pretty well over the years. With the recent spikes in pain, it stopped cuttin' it. The natural food store lady suggested the Magnesium Flakes (mine are from a company called Lifeforce), and making my own super saturated solution. Works like magic.

Just filter the water, boil it, mix the flakes in until they stop fully dissolving. Let it cool, and apply. I bought a spray bottle from the hardware store.

I've  spent some time reviewing  the scans of my back, and looking back at old ones from about 5 years ago. The short answer is that the newer damage is a couple of herniated lumbar discs and a cyst in the same area. All tag teaming my spinal cord, along with some scar tissue I've had for years. Meaning, get the cyst gone, and I'm on the rehab trail.  This is doable.

The Boardtrack racer sculpture has become an obsession. I've missed every self imposed milestone I set, so panic is setting in... Just to push it down, I'm reviewing my progress.

I started about a year ago, crawling over the real thing, thanks to the folks at the AMA Museum:

Went thru the mold making process

Iterations and iterations of sculpt, dry fit, measure:

Until, suddenly, this past week, a shape starts:

O.K., I'm breathing...Over the last week, I've tightened up the front fork the tire, and built the front and rear hubs. Through the magic of sculpting, that'll give me the front and rear tire and suspension. Mkay, this could work...this could all work. Just gotta do the time. 

TBD

It is going so well. Work is hitting new highs every day. The company I work for has gone national during my tenure. And I'm one of the horses...We've got a lot of horses right now. These are all very, very good things.

The art is going well. I met with a gallery consultant, I guess you'd say. Let me back up on this one and set the table, though. My mother met a lady. She was getting some other work appraised at the ranch, and the lady saw one of my pieces and liked it.  We met, and after going through my portfolio, she said that I had potential; I just needed more work. Once I got enough pieces put together, she'd look in on me again. Potential on top of potential. So, I opened the gates and started a few more pieces, finished a couple, but I've also got a couple finding new homes, so they need to be replaced....all very good things.

The show at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum ends this spring. Some pieces are being moved to the National Motorcycle Museum at that time, so a whole new group will see the pieces that were accepted into that show. The curator of that show wants me to submit a motorcycle sculpture. Meaning, no promises, but more potential. It helps that I spend most Sundays working on it right beside him. This is a recent partial progress photo:

  I will also have pieces in the National Show. These are very good things.

Boom. Slightly herniated disk. In my neck, where I haven't gotten them before. Slightly herniated is relative, of course. Relative to how big of a baby I become when my neck hurts. Plus, this one comes with nasty ass headaches, muscular issues, and it jumps to a couple of other spots. Over time, I've discovered my low back is the likely source. MRI. X-rays. Back in the System. 

The dirty is an old diagnosis of spondelosthesis; a lumbar displacement type thing, Scoliosis, an old herniated disc, a lumbar herniated disc, and a synovial cyst. Back in the fuckin system.

On a new art tip, tho, I've been loving me some underpainting; a technique used by the dutch Masters to add contrast. The Pure One put me on that trail, when I saw his work last year. This piece is just a sketch, but a good example of underpainting with several fat, dark colors over a thinned out 'primer' coat:

So, OK, I've got to reset. Been there. Several times, in fact. Been thru more therapy hours than some PTs practicing. Thought I had it licked, for a minute. 

Hell with it. We got this. We've always had whatever I could let go of. Thank you for that. And for this. And for next time., 'cause I'm letttin' go of some stuff. Artin' like a fool. Posting here, more. 

Shorter posts.

Peace.

How I spent my summer

I haven't posted in a while, but fear not, big things are happening. In these times, you've just got to ride the wave the best you can. Which, in a nut shell, is how I spent my summer. 

Just over two years ago, after 26 years as a full time design professional, I went half time. I had been thinking about "brand" and what the next 25 years should look like, and possibly, the 25 after that, if they perfect that spinal replacement ray. Said reflection and thoughts took in the appropriate level of gratitude for a career that turned out to far exceed what I expected, and for an organization that made it possible. I wanted these thoughts of gratitude, and the notion of not having expectations, to frame my goals moving forward. 

When I was recovering from surgery for cancer in 2011, soon after I started this blog, I called it the year of the artist. In the years since, I've been wondering each year if I missed it, because the art experience  just keeps on getting better. My role as an Engineer gets sharper. 2014, in fact, could be the year of the artistic engineer. 

Enough babbling. More art. And gratitude. My mentor, Ric, curated the Two Wheels and a Motor show at the AMA Motorcyxle Museum; I've got nine paintings and a sculpture in the exhibition. The exhibition is being installed in the National Motorcycle Museum. I've also been working on a couple of commissions. I posted the final for 'Kona Sunset", but here it is again:

This was sold to an old friend, and I hope the good vibes resonate long.

I was asked to sculpt a figure for a good friends, of his daughter. This one is still way too early to share, but I will share the gratitude. 

My mentor and fellow bronze sculptor forged a relationship with the Columbus Idea Foundry. I, of course, plan to tag along. I went to their Open House in June, and met the founder of the Fallen Feather project, and I had to be a part of it. Then I find out the feathers are only native Ohio wood. Did I mention I'm a BRONZE sculptor...? LOL, anyway, Graham notified me of an Ohio soldier falling, Justin Helton, and I jumped in.

Step1, get the history of the soldier and await the direction of the muse. After looking at the blank, and finding what I could, I decided on a totem, with the eagle, a baseball, and his company. After finding too many different logos, I went with US Army. His name will wrap the spine of the feather. At this point, I'm hoping the grain of the wood is 'feathery'.

Step 2, remove everything not sculpture: 

Step 3, rinse, repeat, until satisfied:

Then, add his name, sand, and finish. The final sculpture was delivered Sept. 9, for installation in the Ohio Military Museum in Masillon, Ohio: 

 I'm absolutely humbled by the sacrifice of our different tribes in service of this country. I'm grateful Fallen Feather Project agreed to allow me to sculpt this. I felt like I was way over my skis throughout the arc of this piece, and I hope it serves.

More kengoodsonart to come. Peace.

kga happenings

It's funny how the word "stability" has come to be redefined over the last few years. for me, anyway. Stable person, stable job, stable life; for me, they've all changed in nature as much as in definition. The "New Normal" has turned into an amazing part time Job as an engineer, and an equally amazing nacent obsession with making stuff. 

I've spent most of 2014 painting with the goal of a solo show. In the Spring, I also started working on a sculpture of a 1918 Harley Davidson Board Track Racer. I had the opportunity to do two solo shows; I had one commitment, and was short listed for another spot. Both fell through, but that turned out for the best, as a couple of painting commissions took their place, almost immediately. A good friend asked me to paint his last vacation spot at sunset. Here's a progress photo:

 

Other opportunities are spinning around, and I'll post updates. Another good friend asked me to do a piece about he and his wife's daughter. She is adorable, and I can only pray I can capture this much cute. I've got really poorly rendered maquettes at this point, so I'll spare you.

I've been traveling a lot, doing assessments of Veteran's Administration Facilities. I'm struggling not to inflame a highly charged issue, but let me misappropriate some Chuck D. and say "don't believe the hype!" The point, for these purposes, is that these trips may have an impact on future projects, to slow play it as much as possible...I will say that I painted scenes across central Montana while a friend of mine drove. Surreal, though this work needs work. I'll post updates in the future,  though I also did this doodle of a calf waiting for his bottle feeding. It's a Rohrshach test,I know:

Finally, I've been sculpting random stuff. This is a new thing for me, and totally influenced by a number of my piers, including Ric Tewart, Walt Herrmann, and Chad Cochran. I've posted this on my page at www.facebook.com/kengoodsonart, but this is a solar powered lamp using repurposed wood and wire ( the galvanized container is just for scale):

So, in summary, I've pretty much flown off the rails... Seems  to me like it's just starting to get real...

Funding the Arts; musings on an evening with Robert Lynch

I've been very lucky. Privileged, even. I've had a great career as an engineer, building the city of Columbus. I've designed apartments, Distribution Centers for the Limited, Research Greenhouses for Ohio State, and hospitals all over the state. After having cancer, I am healed, and have even been privileged to start another career as a part time engineer and full time artist. Maybe that's why some of.  The inequities bother me. Maybe , it's much, much simpler than that, and this is just wrong. Please read the open letter below, and make up your own mind. Once your. Mind is made, though, please act:

May 1, 2014

Mayor Michael Coleman

City of Columbus

43

Anytown,

Dear Mayor Coleman,

I was privileged to be a part of the crowd for the Arts mean Business discussion. As an artist, I have long been extremely gratified by the arts focus of your administration.  The presentation last night should add much to the creative fire of this City.

I  have been a Columbus resident for almost 35 of my 53 years. I’ve worked as a Professional Engineer for 28 years, and have been taking Sculpture Classes at the Cultural Arts Center for most of the last 13 years. I’ve been fortunate to watch the Sculpture Department at the Cultural Arts Center grow into what I would consider to be the premiere program in the City. Many involved in last night's presentation, yourself included, appear to  be as committed to the faculty, and the arts in Columbus, as I am.

Yourself, Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson, and Alan McKnight made a compelling case for the arts, and funding the arts, before Mr. Lynch even made the stage. I made note of your references to the role of artists as the "Marines of Economic Development", as well as by the statistics related to the dearth of arts education in our schools and communities. You announced a new executive order, funding the arts. Mr. McKnight commented on the Center's world class teachers. As Mr. Lynch indicated, attendance AND income for the arts have risen of the last few years.

All of these statistics seem to fly in the face of recent developments at the Cultural Arts Center. Walt Herrmann, whom one would think would be the pride of the center, recently had his contract not renewed. This is an instructor, who, along with Ric Stewart, has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of sculpture at CAC. He has created one of Ohio's largest arts organizations, The Art and Artists of. I have known Mr. Herrmann for 8 years, and consider him a friend. I’ve found him to be thoughtful, articulate, and extremely talented, as well as an exceptional teacher who has inspired a huge cross section of this City who take classes at the CAC. 

I was there the day that Walter was informed that his Contract would not be renewed. I was also there on an evening when one of the CAC staff told incoming students that it was a mutual decision. I've since heard it characterized as a firing for cause, and a unilateral decision by the Director. Not having heard the conversation, all I can say is that is odd that so many different stories seem to be coming from staff. The real issue for me, however, is that the void left by his departure. To terminate Walt with no plan for his replacement is unconscionable. 

I would also like to comment about some recent staff contract discussions that I've recently gotten wind of.  My understanding is that the teaching staff is simply looking for a living wage, and to get paid for the time they spend improving the brand of  the center. and teaching Columbus residents the fine arts. I'm told that teachers at this center are paid for the three hours of class only, and any time spent burning out molds, or firing sculpture,or pouring. Bronze,is simply donated. Perhaps your administration has not been made aware of this situation, as so much has been made of arts education, and the arts focus of your staff,  that I have. A hard time believing these situations to be real. Perhaps, in your zeal to address the myriad issues involved with your vision for the arts, these apparent contradictions to the vision of the arts. In Columbus have yet to be addressed. 

Hence, the reason for my letter. If,as you promote, the arts in Columbus are to fulfill their role to improve so many aspects of our community, we need to give some love to the artists. If, there is any interest in shoring up our eroding arts education, it is time to focus on staff retention. If, in the bright shiny vision of Columbus arts, we expect the artists to be the Marines of economic development, they do need to be paid a living wage. The timing could not be better to act. If, we intend, as a community, to do more than talk, it is time.

Sincerely yours,

Ken Goodson

Engineer

Columbus resident

Artist

Colors

I've got a confession; Color, to me, can be a pretty random thing, in terms of how different people seem to relate to it. Maybe  I'm a pop artist, but for me, it's more about how the color makes the painting feel, than the actual real life color. My goal, most of the time, is to try to capture a moment in time. If I'm plein air painting on a flat grey day, with the cooler colors, comes off that way from my palette. That warm,sunny day may get some fluorescent green, bright orange, making the finished product just flaming hot.

As I've been working with a couple of other artists on a weekly basis, I've. Been rethinking some general notions of composition, or hacks. An example is how I represent grey with green, blue, purple, or brown; or in a more classical model, how the renaissance painters would underpaint with greys, blacks, sienna, to render such brilliant work. 

it's worth looking a the same piece, done one Saturday morning, from each of our  perspectives. I'm just going to set the stage this way: is it setting the scene? Does it capture an instant?

The first:

Definitely like the contrast here. Good color rendering, seems pretty accurate.

The next:

I can see this piece going a lot of directions, just from its final presentation. How it's framed could change the mood of this piece, or the artist could keep working layers, and make a totally different piece.

Last:

Three grey outhouses in the snow. Three different points in time, from the use of color. These are the things I do love about painting...

Art or not

I've been thinking about the notion of art a lot lately. Really, I should say the notion keeps coming up and making me think about it...there was a recent art show, "You call that art" , commemorating, I believe, the 100th anniversary if a show bearing the same name. Loved the idea of this show. Loved the effort of the Center in doing the PR for this show. Still loving the idea of someone asking "is it art?"...

From a totally different angle comes the continuing artistic development of my dude, Stuart. He and I have been getting together and painting for a few months now. Amazed at how much talent he has. How well he takes to the paints. Fish to water comes to mind... 

The carpent who worked on my house; fitting pieces of clapboard into the existing siding of my 100 year old house. What an art.

Whatever you call this:

http://www.designboom.com/architecture/rex-and-front-shade-nasher-sculpture-center-with-surya-11-13-2013/

This notion is drawing some parallels to work in progress as well. "dancin' in the sun" is basically finished, but I'm working on bow ties to place in the cracks on the base in order to "call it art"ful...just how I'm rollin'.

Then there are the quick pieces. I posted a few on my page, and I've been working on a few more for the holidays; pieces that I spend about an hour on that I can still call art...this is also one, I hope:

I definitely am thinkin' it's seasonal. Hope you enjoy.

Art alanche...

Over the last two and a half weeks, somehow, I've managed to get a sculpture almost finished, and 6 paintings complete. It's not that I planned an art avalanche, but it did start with Plein Air Saturday a couple of weeks ago. During that day, while I didn't finish that painting, I discovered that with a few hacks, I could capture the essence of a piece much faster than I had been. I'm just going to throw them out, use or discard as they may or may not apply. Also, it may be worth repeating, I'm no trained artist. These little nuggets have been painstakingly mined over 35 years of work, and are probably well known by most fine artists. The list:

    Loosen up- studying the works of renowned painter George Bellows made me realize that there is a definite place for the quick study approach, outside of the area you, as the artist,  consider to be the focus of the painting.

Consider priming the entire canvas with you base colors, thinned out with turpentine. Using white or yellow for areas I want to pop. Purple or blue for areas I want to be darker and richer, has. Given some of these pieces a much better sense of depth, and highlighted the foreground better than adding highlights at  the end.

Step away. If you're like me, you may never like certain pieces. Realizing I'm not the final judge let me ask for feedback, before I added that extra brushstroke that leads to hours of fine tuning...

Normally, at this point, I'd be posting images as examples. This time, I'm just going to point you toward my portfolio. See for yourself. The last two weeks vs. many years of work.

Www.facebook.com/kengoodsonart check out the photos in the portfolio folder. This commercial message brought to you from my couch...

Plein Air Saturday

If you were passing by Cup A Joe in the Short North, you may have seen a distinguished, silver haired gentleman painting a scene on the west side of Hight Street. That would not have been me. You may have also seen a dude in a sock hat with paint all over his jacket making a freak show on canvas. That would have been me. 

I've always claimed that everyone's an artist, it's simply a matter of finding your amuse, and following it. Yep, simple...sounds like I'm making jokes, But what else would you call it? If you've experienced art, up close and messy, when you're doing it to the best of you're ability, it sure feels simple. I've maintained that the only thing to do to let it out is to get the F out of the way. 

That's what I witnessed on this excursion, on this thing another friend calls Plein Air Painting. This thing I would have much preferred to experience in CBus when it was warmer...or on a beach in the Caribbean. But, the experience is part of the art, right? My friend and I had made a deal; he'll teach me to play guitar, and I'll do whatever I did...I'm not gonna call it teaching; let's call it getting out of the way.  

A lot of folk I talk to had an art class at one time or another. My friend, whom I'll just call DG,since he's got no idea I'm posting about him, is typical in that regard. What is atypical is that he is another engineer, besides being a musician. Two so called left brained types making art in the street, one who's been doing this as long as he can remember, the other, basically, changing instruments, and getting the F out of the way...

I am going to show you his painting so far, with out his permission, hop I don't get sued. Just keep in mind that neither piece is complete. So, DG's progress:

Nicely done, DG...shows a fine eye. A good start at perspective. Great use of color. 

Then, the freak show:

'Nuff said... Maybe I'm a better teacher than I am a painter.

To be continued...

Studies and styles

I went to see the George Bellows exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art. mr. b is not only a Columbus product, but a New York artist as well. In every sense an extremely technical, polished painter and drawer. Amazing show, but that's not what this post is about.

I've been going back to my roots over the last few paintings. I had an art teacher in College, Babette duSang Jones, who taught  introduction to Painting. She had us pick up oil sticks and we would work them on newsprint. Mostly forgettable paintings, from me, anyway, but she would pile up desks, tables, whatever she had in the studio, and we would do our still life sketches and paintings. I recently decided to do some still life studies of my own. Wild flowers from my yard, arranged in a cool vase, resting on my messy sculpting bench. 

I'm not gonna lie, I am not crazy about either one of these paintings, but they did their job, there are usually many lessons in going down memory lane, but this one was about painting curvy glass, making actual straight lines, and painting the light

The first one, I managed one out of three, maybe two:

I'm going to call the next one a success, I've finally seen the light: