STUDIO

God's enthusiasm

2010-10-14T22:41:00.000-05:00

"Unbelief comes and throws a cloud over us and shuts out the light of God, and we don't believe that God is infinitely delighted with us." -A.W. Tozer

Yet another example of a "box" that's too easy to walk around with and not even know that you're in it.

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Pier 1

2010-10-01T10:20:00.001-05:00

Uh-oh....this gold leaf experiment has turned into something I could easily find at Pier 1 and I can not get it out of my head. Thanks Tim Dooley.

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Losing to win.

2010-10-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

Here's a biblical verse that I believe can apply to portraiture and figure drawing.
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:25-26)

This is not seeking profit but God, acknowledging that God has ultimate control and enjoying the process. Redirecting one's focus to what really matters.

I find that looking for and drawing the abstract shapes around an eye will inevitably reveal the true shape of the eye without seeking it and when applying this to the entire portrait the likeness will be there without seeking and worrying about getting it all right, perfect and, for that matter, wondering what the model will think about capturing their likeness. The marks also tend to be fresh and full of life when enjoying the process and not seeking a product but the joy in God reflecting him as a creator.

It may sound silly but I don't find this to be much of a stretch just the application of the much deeper principle within these two verses.

Humbly attempting to apply my life to the work of my hands. Who really wants a stiff, stale, soulless portrait of anyone anyway?

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Gold leaf?

2010-09-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

So I'm working on two new pieces. This post is about the first of those two. I found this beautiful deep satin red that I couldn't resist using. For around two weeks I didn't know what the box was going to be. I've been referencing a lot of Rothko paintings as leads for color choices. I haven't always followed through but they've definitely served as inspiration. Anyway I thought I was leaning toward white for the box. After reconnecting with a friend whose currently doing a lot of gold leafing I decided to take a risk and leaf the box.

I've used gold leaf in a painting before so I know it's a huge risk. It dominates the picture plane. It's a magnet for the eye and it's loaded conceptually. Immediately I think of eternity, purity, value/wealth, spirituality and covenant. It's also easy to start gold leafing and want to gold leaf everything. It's addictive. A mess. And exciting. I fell in love with the big golden silhouette amidst this color field of japanese red.

Then came the burnt sienna.....
Wasn't it Picasso who said while painting, if you ever make a pretty discovery destroy it? Well I unintentionally did that. It shocked me when I applied the burnt sienna. Others in the studio seem to like it but apart from the effect it has to control the gold leaf I think it's the worst box I've ever drawn.

I'm not giving up. More to come.

2010-09-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted an update. I'm up to box number 8 and 9,10, & 11 are in process. Below I've started a buddy to the pink piece. And I'm attempting gold leaf for the biggest piece I've attempted yet: 5' x 7'.

Things not seen

2010-08-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

I started another box painting. Again I've been shown something more thru this series. It seems so obvious now that I'm aware of it. Faith. A firm conviction in what cannot be seen. In the 2nd book of Corinthians, chapter 4, at the end of verse 18 it states, "the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." What's inside the box? What's outside the box? Can we see the invisible if we look with the heart and not our eyes? A complete stranger emailed me a few days ago after finding my work online. Judging by their response to the box series they saw the invisible and were changed. I can't put into words how encouraging that is.

Germany

2010-07-15T16:02:00.001-05:00

"Box No.3" is off to Germany for exhibition. Here's the crate I built.

Boxless

2010-07-10T23:16:00.001-05:00

"God Almighty is running His world; the day will come when God will lift a cloud off the world and they shall gather in admiration from everywhere and say how wonderful God is" -A.W.Tozer

We are under occupation. This blinding oppressive cloud will one day be completely gone. Now we see in part but then....whole. No lies, no masks, no false belief systems, no sin. We will be boxless.....

1 Corinthians 13:12-13

12 For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Finished Box No. 5

2010-07-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

Here's Box No. 5

Call for models

2010-07-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

I need some more people to model for my box series. Some guy(s) in suits(maybe a briefcase too) some women in a formal dress, and some (male and female)bare foot with shorts to give the impression of a nude. craighawkinsart@me.com

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Finished

2010-07-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

I've posted my newest painting on my website. See it here.

On concealment: secrets

2010-07-01T12:59:00.001-05:00

A fellow artist once said during a critique, "A secret can control or shape your entire life." What's your secret? What boxes you in from truly living?

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Progress

2010-07-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

Thinking inside, outside, and back in the box.

2010-07-01T11:40:00.001-05:00

I'm nearing the end of these pieces and think I need to make...eehhh, maybe 3 more. 2 people sharing a box is next for sure. If you look back at my work, starting around three years ago, you'll see I began to use a square behind a lot of my subjects. It started as a template for size constrains/desires and soon after I broke the boundaries of the square/box. My daily drawings began to use the square/box as something to push and pull space within the composition. I began to favor the box as aesthetically pleasing to the point of almost needing the box to consider a work to be complete. The last pieces that included the box were the cow drawing, "meditation" and the cloud series, "presence". During the creation of these pieces I realized this obsession and decided to attempt some work without this "miracle drug" of a box. What helped was a concept that blatantly opposed the need for the box, the notice series. The white space was the unsung hero of that whole group. I drew 16 life-size back portraits and didn't even think of the box once. I admit I regressed and drew a few bird drawings with the box afterward but I have since drawn a series of 7 lightning bugs and haven't considered the box for months. Now, without realizing it, I've made the "square/box" three dimensional and the focus of my current series. It makes me laugh. I'm okay with this and I feel like I've taken what I compositionally loved in the past and partnered it with what I've conceptually come to admire in my recent notice series, concealment that allows more questions and applicability. So, last week I decided to go through a book of mine about symbols in Christian art and do some research on the web about the square as a symbol. This is what I found:

In Christian art, the square halo identified a living person presumed to be a saint. A circle is perfect; so is Heaven. Earth is imperfect; so is the square. The square, in contrast with the circle, is the emblem of the earth, and of earthly existence. In this sense it is used in painting as the nimbus(Halo) of living persons. The square in a horizontal-vertical position is an expression of the two dimensions that constitute a surface. Basically means land, field, ground, or the element earth.

What or how this applies is questionable but I found it interesting at least. The box could represent being "in" vs. "of" the world/earth I suppose. I think I like that but I'm not really claiming it quite yet. It's still just a barrier that the figure can not, chooses not, or naively doesn't recognize the need to escape.

Oh no....it's the Matrix.......10 years later that first movie still echos in me.

Craig Hawkins

craighawkinsart.com

(sent from iPhone)

sorry for the massive emailing

2010-07-01T10:44:00.001-05:00

sorry for the massive emailing...HUGE mistake with my blog....haven't figured it out yet. Please forgive the flood of unnecessary stuff. I'm shutting down the email list for now. Let me know if you're interested in being added once the problem is solved.

Apologies,

Craig Hawkins

New work posted on website

2010-06-26T20:51:00.000-05:00

The two pieces I recently finished are now posted on my website.

www.craighawkinsart.com

Click here and here to see them.

Mezzanine

2010-06-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

I worked on both of these today and feel I'm somewhere between thoughts and decisions with them both. The piece with the light coming out of the box is becoming less and less like the others and I don't know how I feel about it.

Innocence vs. Purity

2010-06-25T09:33:00.000-05:00

I'm discovering that these box pieces have more applicability than I thought. They keep giving. The Lord keeps showing me things with them. I relate innocence to the box. It's a veil. A veil representing the unreconciled self to sin.

"But this is your hour--when darkness reigns" Luke 22:53

It's odd to think of innocence as darkness but I think it's true at least in the sense of knowing. Illumination comes with the recognition that innocence is dangerous. There's a freedom in purity that doesn't lead to destruction. So the question is, "what is purity?" It's what Jesus has done for human nature. In light of these paintings, it's the removal of the box.

New work

2010-06-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

I'm walking away from these two pieces and calling them finished.
After completing the others I may tweak them if necessary.

Doubt?

2010-06-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

I'd have to say I'm at a stopping point with this one for a few days
at least. The balance between capturing the immediacy of what I'm
doing and "finishing" it becomes a gutteral and seemingly
immeasureable thing. What I do not want to do is over work it and
produce a sense of under valueing the "fresh" aesthetics and leaving
the content to do all the work. It could (and may already) feel like
presenting dead facts vs. presenting the truth in love. The more I
look at this it feels lacking...

Questions

2010-06-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew that attempting to start multiple paintings at the same
time would lead to knew discoveries and delay the tough question, "how
do I finish one of these?" More than I used to, I find myself paying
attention to the form and color of my work along with the content/
context. Don't get me wrong, I've always had it within focus but I've
never been so willing to let the process open up new possiblities
while checking them against my intent and content. If you could see
this "electric salmon" colored piece in person it would be easier to
understand. It may not be finished but it feels really darn close. I
can't figure out why yet but it's throwing a kink in my assumptions
for this series. This is the first piece I decided to give the box an
undercoat of yellow since I am enamored with the yellow of the piece
with two boxes. It makes all the difference in the world and leaves me
with a question...more like an ultimatum. Do I continue and ignore
what has given me pause or preserve this surprise of color playing
against loose brushstrokes of translucent gesture? The yellow isn't
finished. Neither is the green one but this red one. It's different.
More to come...

3 new pieces to start on

2010-06-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to fill up my studio with around 6 pieces to work on at the
same time. Here are the newest ones I 've just started.

More progress and an interesting quote.

2010-06-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

I googled "cardboard box" the other day and found someone's blog that
sounded a lot like a puzzle piece for this series. It also reminds me
of, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what
happens to you."-1 Peter 5:7

This is the quote, "I need to find a really big, albeit invisible box,
in which to put all the mental and emotional that I have used in the
past six months but that I hope to get rid of now. There's a heap of
anger. Stacks of sadness. A few pounds of self-pity. And cases of
fear. More than anything, I'd like to throw out every ounce of fear.
It's done me no good.

I wonder about my friends' box. About the people out there reading
this. What's in everyone else's boxes and what would it look like if
we met at the spiritual dumping ground, passed our boxes around,
giggled kind heartedly at them, smiled at out small human selves, told
a few jokes, passed along a few hugs, and went home to our much
lighter, brighter homes?"

Thoughts on the color yellow

2010-06-10T18:48:00.000-05:00

I'm beginning to think yellow on canvas operates in a similar way the
white of paper can exist without question and serve as both a flat,
infinite, and psychological/spiritual space.

Artist Statement

2010-06-10T09:21:00.001-05:00

I collect moments of revelation and try to give them away as a drawing
or a painting.

Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

Great quote that speaks to the new series

2010-06-09T23:17:00.001-05:00

"We have lost an awareness of the invisible and eternal. The world is too much with us
so that the invisible and the eternal seem to be quite forgotten or at
least we are not aware of it. We're only briefly aware of it when
somebody dies. " -A.W. Tozer, The Attributes of God Vol. 1
Craig Hawkins
craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

New series

2010-06-09T18:41:00.002-05:00

I've started a new series about boxes. I've completed the first of the series already and it's up on my website. This one is life size. If "art is a lie that makes us realize the truth" -Picasso, I'm beginning to think the box is a lie. Here are some thoughts I wrote with the first painting:

Initially I'm trying to question the way we hide. Dealing with isolation, and compartmentalizing. What feels safe and comfortable may not always be beneficial. We were created with the need for community, and communication beyond ourselves. Struggling to reach out and make the personal something accessible and local requires acts of love and patience. Asking questions is a great way to encounter someone else's inner dialogue with the hope of understanding. The hope of relationship. It's seeking the heart not the box.

Craig Hawkins

craighawkinsart.com
(sent from iPhone)

studio progress

2009-03-08T11:26:00.005-05:00

It's been a long time...I'm in a different studio now. Here's some pics of more up-to-date work finished and unfinished.

Drawing update

2008-09-09T21:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a pic of the newest drawing I'm working on. I've had some interest for purchase already and it's not even finished. It's 5 ft tall and around 7 ft wide.

painting update

2008-09-09T21:26:00.001-05:00

Here's an update on the painting I'm still working on...not too much longer I hope.

follow

2008-05-15T14:10:00.002-05:00

I can't decide if I want to add a butterfly to this piece. It's significant in meaning but i'd like to do a second drawing to focus on the butterfly aspect too. For now, this is finished. The color spells the word "follow" I was torn between "dialogue", "with you". "listen", "rock", and "follow". I think "follow" says more than the others in context.

more alphabet...

2008-05-14T21:21:00.004-05:00

Here's a piece I believe I've finished titled, "What I have I give" and the beginnings of a piece about a man I admire and respect very much. He was a key part of the inspiration behind my "fellowship" drawing in 2006.

Definition abduction

2008-04-27T08:20:00.003-05:00

I was just watching the history channel and found out that the word kamikaze means "divine wind". It saddens me. Such a great word with such a dark connotation from Pearl Harbor. I want to create a drawing or painting that will redeem that word to a more life giving connotation rather than being related to such a morbid attack and thief of lives. I don't know about you but when I think of the phrase divine wind it's a beautiful event....

Finished Tselay

2008-04-25T11:32:00.002-05:00

done

update on Eve

2008-04-24T19:05:00.002-05:00

Here's the current state of the Eve or "tselay" piece.
I like where this is going...

Song No. 3

2008-04-24T17:04:00.002-05:00

Here's progress on the third installment of the Song series

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

2008-04-23T16:24:00.002-05:00

The story for the piece is kind of all over the place. It's the synthesis of 2 ideas initiated by reading the Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee and the Lord illuminating Romans 8: 1,2 when i've finished the piece I will tell the whole story. I've used my color alphabet again and wrote "Law of the Spirit of Life in" across the drawing. To complete the phrase I will title the piece "in Christ" It's soooo close to finished I just ran out of time today to finish.

Current studio work

2008-04-16T20:23:00.004-05:00

Here's some pics from my current progress in the studio. I have two drawings in process too but no photos yet...

Anger

2008-04-16T19:17:00.002-05:00

Proverbs 27:4
Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,But who can stand before jealousy?

A flood will ruin where you live and pick you up and take you where you do not want to go. I wanted to paint someone being carried by flood water. I don't know if I achieved the movement I was hoping for and the water would probably need to be muddier to be thought of as flood water but this is the result so far.

Adam

2008-04-16T19:04:00.002-05:00

I've been working on a diptych based on Adam and Eve. I started with Adam and here's the result of that. The colors coincide with an alphabet i've been working on. I used the colors that spelled "Adamah" for this piece. "Adamah" is what the hebrew word for ground sounds like and I believe that's where the name Adam comes from. Anyway, I'm starting on the Eve piece soon and will be using the colors that spell "Tselay" because that's what the hebrew word for rib sounds like.

Tree of Life, start.

2008-01-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

I'm revisiting an old drawing concept and trying to push it further. This is also my first interaction with mylar...very nice. I write more about this soon. I will add some more keys....

Back in the studio

2008-01-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

Firstborn, 48" x 42", oil on board

It's been at least 10 weeks since I've been in the studio. What have I been doing? I've been learning how to live with a newborn in the house....I'm a Daddy. It's great and now that I have things a little more balanced I can give myself some studio time again. Here's the first painting of 2008.

You are invited!

2007-10-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

"walk" finished. "Sit" not so much

2007-09-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

I think I just finished "Walk" but now I'm dissatisfied with "Sit"

Donna's pregnant painting

2007-09-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

I love the way my wife looks pregnant! I started on a similiar piece that I never posted around march but have just painted over it because I love the photo reference for this one.

walking

2007-09-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

Here's some refinement to the walk drawing. I'm ready to play with some vellum now. More to come. I reread the walk" chapter last night and it really boils down to the application of our position in Christ. i.e. making life-giving choices. It's not about being "right" it's about the life within your decision. Everything Jesus did was redeeming and Jesus is our example to live by. It's not about winning an argument, it's loving the person you're arguing with.

Walking

2007-09-04T18:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the first day's progress on "Walk". Tonight I plan on rereading the "walk" section of the book and then I'll write some more about it with my next update. As far as mark making, I'm going to be attempting to capture motion with this piece.

done...going to walk now.

2007-09-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

Tried some things and erased some things. I'm walking away from it now. Next step...walk.

line vs. value

2007-08-31T17:02:00.000-05:00

I'm frustrated. I like the outline of the boy, the contouring. But the face...ehhh frustrated. frustrated.

progress day 3

2007-08-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

hmmmm....All along I've been thinking I would put vellum over part of the drawing and then redraw the child on top. I wanted to draw everything first and see how I felt. I'm convinced. I'll play with the vellum tomorrow. It should reinforce the ledge line and push the top of the father figure back some.

progress day 2 of Sit

2007-08-29T16:02:00.000-05:00

well, the child looks creepy right now...that will change. I'll do my best to keep from looking like the little boy from the Grudge movie. I'm a little disappointed I didn't make more progress today...

Sit: begining with the rest.

2007-08-28T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have begun a new series. Well, it's a triptych. I've recently finished a great little book titled: Sit, Walk, Stand, by Watchman Nee and I loved it. I will do a piece based on each part of the book. This pic is the progress of "Sit". The book is a short comprehensive (oxymoron?) study of the book of Ephesians in the Bible (too many prepositional phrases) I'm rereading the book as a draw. The Sit section has had the largest impact on me. Christianity begins with a big "DONE". "We began our Christian life by depending not upon our own doing but upon what he had done. Until a man does this he is no Christian." (p.15) Anything we do as a Christian always begins with a resting in God. "Sitting" is an attitude of rest. Our given position in Christ is with Christ seated at the right hand of God. Ephesians 1:17-21 and 2:6-9 There's a mystery and a wonder to such a precious perspective.

The Law

2007-07-23T18:11:00.000-05:00

Here's what I'm calling the finished piece for now. I need to focus on a way of framing it.

The Law is like a map...

2007-07-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

Here's the progress of a piece I started earlier this week.
The idea began with God's Law and it's purpose. I've been reading and understanding how God's Law was never intended to be a measure of our acceptance to God, but an way of seeing and understanding what is important to God. The more we understand God's Law is directly related to understanding His character. One night, last week, before going to bed I asked God how to portray His Law in a work of art. In response I heard, "The Law is like a map." Depending on the direction and path we choose we can trace our destination and consequences of our choices. After talking with a trusted friend about this they pointed out that it's pretty silly to get mad at a map if you make a wrong turn. But you can go back to the map and trace your wrong turn to find the correct turn. God's rules were never meant to hurt us but protect us and lead us into a closer relationship with God. God's rules are an expression of His character. Next, I imagined a map with land and water labeled with aspects of God's character. A topographic map and when you look at this map from a larger perspective you could see a smiling face. I was sold on the concept but nervous about putting this concept into physical form. A photo session with Matt Armstrong's grandfather and some research on topographic maps led to this point. I'll begin labeling areas and rivers today and hopefully develop a compass too. My goal is to see a map first and then a face. Anyone I've shown who doesn't know the concept sees that map first so I think I'm on the right track.

50 Drawings show

2007-07-16T11:36:00.001-05:00

Who: Artist Craig Hawkins

What: A one man show of 50 Drawings by Craig Hawkins

Where: Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, 527 North Patterson St., Valdosta, GA

When: July 30th - September 17th ( Opening July 30th 5PM -7PM)

How: I've been saving my daily drawings to prepare for this show and now I'm going to sell them super cheap ($150 each) to get them out of my studio and hopefully develop a larger mailing list for future shows.

Link: 50 DRAWINGS

Purchase: You can purchase any drawing(s) by visiting the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts or finding the art you desire to purchase on my link and calling the Arts Center to place your order. Call 229-247-ARTS

Day 5

2007-07-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

When God speaks things happen. At least a month ago I was reading Genesis and became stuck on day 5 of creation. Since a voice is invisible to the eye, I thought about what it would be like to see something seemingly come out of nothing. How could a sound wave mimic an ocean wave, a whisper like a gentle breeze over the water. Fish falling out of the sky and birds emerging from water as a result. Or maybe simultaneously appearing from the horizon line, the surface of a whisper. My mind immediately went to an MC Escher print I've seen before and I used it as a starting point. Here's the end result.

FINISHED

2007-06-14T20:19:00.000-05:00

Here it is. I framed it today. Total size = 36.75" x 48.75"

almost there...

2007-06-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

I'm giving my eyes a break until morning to decide whether it's finished. I know it's close.

progress

2007-06-11T17:47:00.000-05:00

I spent all day today working on this piece and I think I can finish it tomorrow. The photograph is strong but I don't believe it's worth copying the reference completely so I'll have some decisions to make tomorrow. I want to draw more attention to the mirrors and the direction of the eyes rather than the hug. I think I'll use some vellum and tape this time too.

brokenness breaks people

2007-06-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

There's something not right with the world. It's broken....I think looking at poverty, hunger, genocide, wars, theft, and the savage side of mankind will testify. We ,including myself, naturally contribute to the problem because we're broken too. We tend to push boundaries that don't fit our desires or comfort levels. We're selfish. Because we think of ourselves first instead of others it's very easy to hurt other people as a result of "helping" ourselves. Brokenness breaks people. I was thinking about all this and God gave me a picture of a crowd of people mingling, laughing and talking but everyone had a mirror in their hands and if I was to focus on any one set of people in conversation they were really focused on their reflection instead of the other person they were with. Everyone's a rebel in their own way. We aren't just innocent bystanders. So I believe the next piece I paint or draw will be about rebellion. The image of 2 people hugging but looking at themselves in mirrors behind the other persons back is strong and captivating to me. Rebellion: the lifestyle of brokenness.

FINISHED

2007-06-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Finally it's finished. After adding more stars and thinking about how I could do several more differently I believe I can walk away from this piece with peace and satisfaction.

Generation/Promise drawing

2007-05-11T17:57:00.000-05:00

I can't decide if all this came fast or slow. It was slow in searching and praying, fast in execution and I don't think I'm finished yet. Something is missing. My wife thinks it's more solid shaped stars and she could be right.
Here's the premise: promise.
God is trustworthy. From everlasting to everlasting he is God. When we are unfaithful he remains faithful. So when God says something will happen it will happen. God told an elderly man,Abraham, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and to begin this legacy his wife would give birth to a son in her barren old age. Abraham's wife laughed at the seemingly impossible but with God all things are possible. So it happened, Abraham's wife, Sarah, gave birth to a son the following year and Abraham named him Isaac which means "laughter".

After thinking about this story and the promises of God the image of a star as a symbol of promise seemed to resonate with me loud enough to take action enough to write it down and then it happened. I had an image of a little boy drawing stars on a wall. I asked God about this and it slowly began to make since. It's as if a boy had been told the story of God promising Abraham so many descendants and was then asked to draw his family. While other kids would draw a picture of mom, dad, brother, sister, and the family dog this boy begins to draw star after star after star after star, the promise of God. Child-like faith brought forth the bigger picture. I will name this piece "generations".

research helps

2007-04-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

so I'm a dork and found plenty of references for the drunkenness of Noah through google images. Yes, Michelangelo, Bellini, and Procaccini each did one. It's kinda funny that everyone in Michelangelo's piece it nude, and everyone in Procaccini's is clothed. Bellini was the closest but he has the youngest son taking part in the covering of his father, Noah and I don't think that's mentioned in the text.

New ideas

2007-04-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, new ideas. My wife is pregnant so of course that will probably be a focal point for many pieces to come. So I have started on one of those, kind of an announcement piece, and I have a concept that my Jeremy and I have been talking about based on his song, "My world is white" http://www.myspace.com/wilsonempiremusic
And I'm reading through the book of Genesis and want to add on to the old testament paintings I started a long time ago (Adam and Eve, Abel, Cain) I think I will do a piece on the drunkenness of Noah....I know I know. What about the flood? The tower of Babel? yes, I'm aware but I've never seen a painting based on the drunkenness of Noah. I've got some thoughts about a day of the creation too. we'll see what comes out.

Exhibition at Mason Murer Fine Art

2007-04-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

April 6, 2007 - May 5, 2007

Exhibition: Jeanie Tomanek – New Paintings
Mary Anne Mitchell – Photography
John Hardy – Paintings
Julyan Davis – Paintings

Also Featuring: Fresh Blood – An exhibition of new and emerging artists

Nature, Nostalgia, and Nepotation: Deborah Landry, Alessandria Mucciaccio, Jess Snyder - A University of West Georgia Atlanta Gallery Project Award Exhibition

Opening Reception: Friday, April 6th from 7-10pm. Free and open to the public

On View: April 6th – May 5th, 2007

Location: Mason Murer Fine Art
199 Armour Drive
Atlanta, GA 30324
404.879.1500 tel
*Directions at: www.masonmurer.com

Gallery hours: 10-5pm Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday

Contact: Kelly Franchell-Syed - 404.879.1500 or Kelly@masonmurer.com

Brandon, FL

2007-03-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

I'm in Brandon, FL for the next two weeks painting a Cheesecake Factory with some great people. Studio work will resume once I return. Until then I've just recently updated my website with a page of my most recent paintings and large drawings. Just click on the big red update button on the home page of my website to see them. enjoy. click here to go to my website.
-craig

Song 2

2007-03-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

model 4

2007-03-09T13:17:00.001-05:00

model 2

2007-03-06T12:56:00.000-05:00

a week of work

2007-03-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

Last week my friend Matt and I shared my studio and experimented with painting from the same reference in a different process. We decided that every session we came to work would be split between 2 paintings and every session would basically be repainting the previous days work but leaving gaps where we thought the previous days work was successful. In the end we each came away with 3 finished paintings and slides shows of the works in progress. I'll post them one by one here when I have finished the editing.

finished

2007-02-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

2007-01-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

More details have been added.

2007-01-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

From this point on I will try and post a photoshopped image like this to compare and see progress.

surprising progress

2007-01-24T16:26:00.000-05:00

This is a lot like drawing because of a yoga block, yes, a yoga block. It's fun. And the scriptures I've been hearing are beautifully tied to this image...Matthew 11:15, Romans 10:14-17, John 5:24!!! He who has ears let him HEAR! What I do hope people ask themselves after seeing this painting is,"What do the plugs plug into?" I don't even think asking why the plugs are there is even that important because answering the "What" gives the answer to the "Why"

The progress looks like an under painting and the marks though beautiful in some places are borderline too similar. BUT that will change...I just have to wait for the paint to dry before I continue. I'm using a cut up yoga block to push and pull the paint like an eraser with charcoal...God revealed this tool to me while walking through a Walgreen's. Weird but providential. I'm having a blast. Enjoy

hmmm...

2007-01-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

i don't know...

2007-01-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

I've begun to work on this image but I'm so unhappy with painting....I'm really dissatisfied with copying a picture....I like my drawings because they maybe representational but they're something more than that too.

2007-01-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

I have my picture. It's really weird in a Matthew Barney kinda way. I can't stop staring at it. I played around with a transparency yesterday to see how big I wanted to do this because I believe some images just beg for a certain size. Anyway, I did this and I can't deny the visual impact this image has when it's 5'5.5" x 4'5.5". It feels like it's 8 feet wide at this size. It's kinda mysterious. Now I've decided to make this a painting too. a black and white painting. I've never done this before.

power source idea

2007-01-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

new idea...during a sermon my pastor was emphasizing that our source of everything is God. He described the availablity of empowered living like extension cords hanging out of heaven for us to plug into. God has made himself available to us through Jesus Christ. This image of an extension cord stuck with me and led me along a thought process of how we "plug" into the power of God. Romans 10:17 states, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." This verse leads me to an image of extension cords hanging out of a persons ears ready to plug into a power source. I think this will become a portrait. But it is my goal not to use myself as a model. I do that too often. I will use my friends Tim Fausett and Derrick Jackson.