Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

464






"Thanks Again"







ballard@ballardborich.com




Saturday, December 28, 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Friday, December 20, 2013

455 "What about cirrus" (successful)






Clown Funding
Post #437 November 24th
Still available
$1548 framed/$936 in portfolio









Cloud Funding "I'm thinking cumulus"
Post #448 December 11th
Still available $938 framed











Thursday, December 19, 2013

454 Cloud Funding "What about cirrus"









CLOUD FUNDING
“What about cirrus”

This is a series of five individual paintings. 
The series is called “Eighteen”
Each painting is 10.25 inches high by 7.125 inches wide. 
They are gouache, watercolor and graphite on Arches 140 pound hot pressed watercolor paper.
This series of five is meant to stay together and be displayed in this order. 
Each painting was posted individually on posts 449-453. (They were the last five posts on this blog.) You can enlarge the images on the blog site.
These five paintings will be properly installed in their own individually handcrafted acrylic frames with a UV filtering face. As a group on the wall they would take up a space approximately 1 foot high by 4.5 feet wide. 
In the spirit of cloud funding (What about cirrus) I am pre-selling this framed set for $675.00. At $135.00 each this cost is below the cost of their framing alone. I am attempting to sell them to get the materials and framing for more works I want to do. 
I am sorry but this price is only if you can pick them up locally. Shipping elsewhere would of course be an additional cost. I will work to make that as reasonable as possible.
I understand that my work does not fit everyones walls, taste or budget. I only ask that if these are not for you but you can think of someone who might be interested please let them know.

Cloud Funding as always is
first come first served









Wednesday, December 18, 2013

453








"Eighteen" (e)








Tuesday, December 17, 2013

452








"Eighteen" (d)








Monday, December 16, 2013

451








"Eighteen" (c)








Sunday, December 15, 2013

450








"Eighteen" (b)








Saturday, December 14, 2013

449








"Eighteen" (a)







Today we will gather 
in our inadequate human manner 
to try and say goodbye to Dan Biggs
My Favorite Curmudgeon







Wednesday, December 11, 2013

448 Cloud Funding "I'm thinking cumulus"









CLOUD FUNDING
“I’m thinking cumulus”

This is a series of seven individual paintings. 
The series is called “4 or 5”
Each painting is 10.25 inches high by 7.125 inches wide. 
They are gouache, watercolor and graphite on Arches 140 pound hot pressed watercolor paper.
This series of seven is meant to stay together and be displayed in this order. 
Each painting was posted individually on posts 441-447. (They were the last seven posts on this blog.) You can enlarge the images on this blog site.
These seven paintings will be properly installed in their own individually handcrafted acrylic frames with a UV filtering face. As a group on the wall they would take up a space approximately (certainly no larger than) 1 foot high by 6 feet wide. 
In the spirit of cloud funding (I’m thinking cumulus) I am pre-selling this framed set for $938.00. At $134.00 each this cost is below the cost of framing alone. In my honest and informed opinion this price is so far below retail it doesn’t need this sentence to make that point. I am attempting to sell them to get the materials and framing for future works I plan to do. 
I am sorry but this price is only if you can pick them up locally. Shipping elsewhere would of course be an additional cost. I will work to make that as reasonable as possible.
I understand that my work does not fit everyones walls, taste or budget. I only ask that if these are not for you but you can think of someone who might be interested please let them know.

Cloud Funding as always is
first come first served

Next
“What about cirrus?”










Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Monday, December 9, 2013

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Friday, December 6, 2013

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

440








Note to Spie (3)








Monday, December 2, 2013

439








Note to Spie (2)








Sunday, December 1, 2013

438








Note to Spie (1)








Sunday, November 24, 2013

437 Clown Funding









CLOWN FUNDING
I’m a fun guy

This is a group of nine individual paintings. Each painting is 10.25 inches high by 7.125 inches wide. The series is called Nonet II. They are gouache, watercolor and graphite on Arches 140 pound hot pressed watercolor paper.
This series of nine is meant to stay together and be displayed in this order. When the numbered paintings are arranged in the same order as The Lo Shu Magic Square the 0 wins an uncontested game of tic-tac-toe. (Raise your hands in celebration.) 
Each painting was posted individually on posts 331-339 in August this year on this blog.  You can actually enlarge the images on the blog site.
These nine paintings will be properly installed in their own individually handcrafted acrylic frames with a UV filtering face. As a group on the wall they would take up a space approximately 40 inches high by 30 inches wide. 
In the spirit of clown funding (I can laugh at myself) I am willing to pre-sell this framed set for $1,548.00. At $172.00 each this cost is around the cost of framing alone. In my honest and informed opinion this price is about one third of retail. I am selling them to get the materials and framing for more works I want to do. 
I am sorry but this price is only if you can pick them up locally. Shipping elsewhere would of course be an additional cost. I will work to make that as reasonable as possible.
If you are interested in helping me out but do not want the paintings framed I can put them in a portfolio and sell them for $936.00. Once again shipping as reasonable as possible if needed.
If you are not interested in this set I have another set called Nonet that were posted individually on posts 286-294 in Jun/Jul this year on this blog. X wins the uncontested game of tic-tac-toe in Nonet. (Raise your hands again.) I can offer them in this same manner instead of Nonet II if you would prefer. 
I understand that my work does not fit everyones taste or budget. I only ask that if these are not for you but you know of someone who might be interested please let them know.

Clown Funding as always is
first come first served







 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

436









I have no interest in increasing or decreasing the value of your artistic expression.  

I have no interest in concerning myself with the value of your artistic expression.  

I have no interest in thinking in terms of value regarding artistic expression.  

I have an interest in working on my own expression.








Friday, November 22, 2013

435








PROCESS  -  PROCEDURE  -  COURSE

When one of us sets the parameters. Establishes the scale. Gives the marks in reference to all the rest of us. We are missing the point. The point is not whether what we do measures up to some else’s scale or not. What we do must measure up to our own scale.  

And what I currently do tells me that I am on a consistent move forward. Sometimes it is quicker. Sometimes it is slower. Sometimes I might even take a step backwards but it is still the movement that is important. At the end of this movement is the possible accomplishment. Not in the middle of. Not at a high point. In the movement itself.  
I will question. I will learn. I will improve. I will prove. Doing the experiment over and over again is what tells me whether it is valuable or not. Succeeding once can be incredibly helpful but having something I can depend on is the actual goal.  

What that turns into for me is in the future.
Not today. The future.
That is why I am doing what I am doing today.
If I knew what it was going to turn out to be.
Or if I knew exactly what it was going to look like.
I would not be interested.  

I like nonobjective works.
I like nonobjective works on paper.
I like dealing with words and numbers.
I like archaic and esoteric concepts.
I like older versions of word meanings.
I like older versions of dealing with the universe.
These are interests of mine.
They influence who I am and what I do.  

Whether another is skeptical of my means.
Whether another is skeptical of my thought process.
Or skeptical about the way I approach artwork really doesn’t matter in the long run.
As long as I am doing what I want to do.
In the ways that I want to do it.
And I still have the ability to judge.  
To judge whether I am doing well or not.  
To judge whether I am moving in the right direction or not.  
To judge whether I am achieving anything or not.  
The movement itself is the purpose of all of this. 







Thursday, November 21, 2013

434









I ASK MYSELF QUESTIONS ABOUT ART

I ask myself questions about art because when I ask others they don’t always seem to understand my questions and often they don’t have or offer me answers.
I ask myself because I am probably the only one who can recognize my own personal vision while it is still on its way.
I ask myself because others are almost completely interested in their own vision.  
And I ask myself because I am that way too.
I ask myself because others and I are often not in alignment about art and arts practices and purposes.  
I no longer believe that artistic expression is competitive.  
I no longer care about doing something original or doing something first.    
I only want to do what I choose to do to the very utmost of my ability.

I ask me these questions because I am trying to become aware of something. I am talking to me. I am attempting to instruct me. I am attempting to enlighten me. These questions are by me and for me. I am not trying to influence any one in any way about any thing.
I ask me these questions because I think there is supposed to be more to my life.  
That quality or attribute I am calling “more” has to do with a personal vision and a personal expression.  
It has to do with my works based on that personal vision and means of expression.  
Photo-works.   Art-works.   Word-works.    
Works complete in and of themselves and the very best they can be. 
Works produced for the sake of experiencing them.  
I ask myself these questions because the most appropriate questions for the moment will help or allow me to move toward the most important works of my life. I need the questions to find the way and I need the questions to explore that way toward these most important works.

Can making these works can be more important than showing them?
Yes.

Can a quiet person find peace as caretaker of his own vision?
I would like to find out.

Is importance possible without relentless ego?
I hope so. I am counting on it.  

Is importance necessary?
It would be nice to know that I had completed one of the most important works of my life. But it would also be nice to know that even more important works were yet to come.

What would tell me that any particular vision is the actual vision I am searching for?
I only believe that I will know.


My work includes concepts of but not limited to: 
identity  spirituality  seriality  curiosity  creativity  systems

What do I mean by identity?
oneness   singleness   coherence (aesthetic/systematic consistence)
ability to remain the same in different circumstances
distinguishing character/personality (persisting entity particular to me)
individuality
conception and expression of individuality

What do I mean by spirituality?
the ability of something made of art materials to have a presence that is more than the sum of those materials
art works have a spirit when they cause the artist to have more concern for the existence of the art works than the artist has concern for their self 
art works have a spirit when they change or move someone who is viewing them

What do I mean by seriality? 
thinking in terms of works that are not meant to stand alone
making individual works whose existence or meaning is formed/advanced/completed by being a part of a series
works done and existing in related parts

What do I mean by curiosity?
the active desire to know or to learn or to investigate
intrigue

What do I mean by creativity?
the ability to create
to produce through an imaginative skill 
to invest with a new form or meaning
to produce or bring about by a course of action
to make or bring into existence something new

What do I mean by systems (systematics)?
systems
interdependent group of items/devices/symbols/concepts forming a unified whole
items/ devices/symbols/concepts or an organization serving a common purpose
organized or established procedure
harmony  pattern  order
systematics
relating to or consisting of a system
methodical in procedure or plan


Can this be done with the small sized works that I am working on at this time?
In some ways I think it can not.

Can this be achieved with the internet as I have been practicing it?
This can be achieved in this manner. However it needs work.  

Would the largest size flatbed scanner and daily postings be enough?
This may be only part of the answer.  
A friendlier site for visitors and comments could be part of the answer.

Can this actually be achieved without physical exhibition of any kind?
I have to answer yes. I will not always like that answer but I am sure that if I feel the need to make the work I can be satisfied by discussing it with friends one on one.  
The concept of a commercial gallery would be wonderful but only in an artist and gallery (gallerist) relationship. I take care of working toward show worthy pieces. They take care of the showing.

Do I really want to do it without exhibiting in a gallery situation?
I don’t know. I don’t know if the answer would be helpful. I would love to show works. I do not want to expend my limited time and energy doing the arranging. So the answer is no I do not want to do it without exhibiting in a gallery situation but I am willing to forego exhibition if it means more work is completed. 

Do I completely believe that art is more about the process than it is about the product?
Yes.

Am I content with the concept that my process can continue to play itself out in my seemingly endless struggle with typical art materials?
No. That is way too restrictive. I want to continue working/torturing typical art materials until something else takes its place. Things change. I want them to change.

What are the questions I am not asking myself?
Am I guarded?
Am I playing it safe?







Wednesday, November 20, 2013

433 (#26 Redux)







LAST SUNDAY OF OCTOBER
(October 30th 2011)



Permission:
The act of permitting.
Formal consent.

Permit:
To consent expressly or formally.
To give leave.
To make possible.
To allow.

Allow:
To neglect to restrain or prevent.







Tuesday, November 19, 2013

432








POETRY




Poetry. Writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning sound and rhythm. 
Although poetic form is more flexible in modern and post-modern poetry it generally remains distinguished from prose by its form. Except  in the case of prose poetry that shows attributes of both prose and poetry. This line becomes blurred by some writers who think that the difference between prose and poetry is only in the way it is displayed on the page. My favorite blur of the line is when every word of prose is written so well that you are overwhelmed with the feeling that you are reading poetry. 
Words and the way they are used most often do not make poetry. 
When poetry is achieved it is difficult to deny.






   

Monday, November 18, 2013

431







PAINTING




Painting produces a painting. The word painting refers to the action of painting as well as the result of that action. Historically the references are to the application of paint (a medium) to a surface (a support).  There are many types of paint.  There are many types of support.  There are many types of application.  Way to many of each to list here.  
I started with watercolor on paper and then worked with oil on canvas. Eventually acrylic on paper became my chosen paint and surface. While working with acrylic on paper I began to use other objects in the painting. Metal and wood and paper were added. At first they were laid on the surface and eventually they began to pierce the surface. This led to the stacking of papers. After stacks of paper became thick enough the paintings no longer hung on the wall but were laid flat on a horizontal surface or pedestal. They came to be made less and less of paint but I still called then paintings. Today no matter what the medium or what the support I have a tendency to call it painting. A collage on wood made mostly of metal I may call a painting. A series of block prints will also be referred to as paintings. Dry pigment on paper I have also call painting. It is a term I use broadly. I respectfully reserve my right to.