Charcoal Love and Midnight Sketches

Here are some midnight sketches.
-Sami

A Moment is Not Just a Moment

I like the idea of spending an hour, a hundred hours with [with, in, or within] a moment. By dedicating that time to a moment beyond its original existence it almost extends its life. It will become a part of you and your memory if you spend enough time with a moment. We are created by a series of moments, a never ending string of moments. We are not only a result of those moments, we are every one of them.
-Sami Lee Woolhiser

There is Nothing and Nowhere to Hide

Hey everyone!

Working on a little something here.  My new motto: "There is Nothing and Nowhere to Hide."
I believe in honest paintings, what I mean is that there is truth and meaning in the concept, content and process.  Here is a practice press release I wrote for Marianne Kolb at my internship.  To be honest you have to see her paintings in person to truly appreciate her work. It has an incredible tactile quality of texture and gloss. Here you go: 

Marianne Kolb’s figurative works present her individual interpretation of the world. It is through the act of creating that she finds significance, purpose and reality in her surroundings. Kolb’s passionate and intense process is a rapid progression through an additive and subtractive method. She builds up the piece through layers of panel, canvas, newsprint and water-based paint all encapsulated within a glossy varnish. High color and value contrast between the foreground and the background add to the boldness of her compositions. The tactile quality and physical elements build on the presence of the work where the form and contours of the figure and the environment blend and overlap in layers of raw texture.

These works have an intense gravitational pull that draws the audience in for a personal experience. The creation of her work is a conversation where the meaning and story of the work gives and takes, coming in and out, back and forth. Her eye for color, shape, light and texture translate subconsciously as she paints allowing her to focus on meaning as well as acting and reacting to the process. In the presence of her work everything is exposed, every emotion and every thought. These are wonderfully honest paintings; there is nothing and nowhere to hide.

Studio Madness

I have had no time to work on my own art this summer between my internship at Hespe Gallery in SF and a start up company in Cupertino called ZeroUI, (more on ZeroUI to come).

Finally I had (almost) a whole day to myself in the studio and I like what's coming out. I'm doing a little of gearing up for my landscape class in Lacoste, France this fall. (Going for 2 1/2 months!) Also a little style and concept development. Like every other artist I'm sure I am struggling to discover what I am about and what I want to say. I try and take advice and be inspired by what and who I see, but I just like so much. All kinds of art: the traditional, the modern, the contemporary... Well bare with me guys, I'm getting there.

My studio space:

Messy but productive!

Spaces

Here are some pics of the gallery that we are renting out temporarily in addition to Hespe Gallery's original space. High ceilings and natural light, I would die if this was my studio space. It makes these Eric Zener and Kim Cogan paintings look AWESOME!

Cogan

Zener

Here is a bit of the show in the main space upstairs. This is a young artist by the name of Amberlee Rosolowich, her mom worked at a zoo so she grew up around animals. Her work is about these relationships where the animals take on a friend and protector role.
As a young artist myself I find her work inspiring. I love her technique, style and subject matter. Check it out! The show is up till the end of the month.

My Favorite! 

Summer Update

Hey everyone!
I have been so busy! Just a little update on what's goin' on this summer:
Internship: I've been working at Hespe Gallery in SF near Union square. Please stop by if you're in the area. There is a great show up right now by Hiroshi Sato which will come down on June 30th, then up is Amberlee Rosolowich. She has some amazing paintings. I can't wait to see the rest of the show and meet the artist!
My duties consist of helping install work, store and package paintings, admin and social media. It has been a fun ride, I've been learning a lot and asking tons of questions.


Studio: I have been trying to convert my bedroom into a painting studio. Slow going, not much time for painting because of the 1-2 hour commute up to SF for the internship and all of the chores and errands on top of that!
Digital: I have joined a company called ZeroUI. I can't say much but I am doing art. If you want to hear more about the project please follow this link and join the mailing list: http://signup.zeroui.com/

Internship at the Hespe Gallery

Hey everyone! Lighter on the posts lately. I have started an internship at the Hespe Gallery in SF near Union square. It is an amazing space, beautiful lighting, perfect location and great art.
Here is the first show that I helped install and worked the reception.

Hespe Gallery website: http://www.hespe.com/
Blog: http://www.hespegallery.blogspot.com/
fb page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hespe-Gallery/172262724860

Hiroshi Sato, a very young talented painter. He is still a student in SF but I am blown away by the sophistication of his work. It has an airy essence but the geometric breaking of the color fields ground the work and add a contemporary spin to the classical subject matter. I actually knew his girlfriend, Whitney, who I met at Michael Buffington's "drawaholic's anonymous" workshop. She is also a very talented artist and a fun person, plus it was nice to have known at least one person at the opening!

Hiroshi Sato at Hespe Gallery is up today! The opening reception is Thursday, June 7 from 5:30-7:30. The exhibition runs until July 3. 

My personal favorite.