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...