Same Sun

Sofia and Hennessy, who we have been following, have finished their first public art piece and I was lucky enough to have been there for the 'unveiling' of the mural. The appreciation ceremony that Sofia and Hennessy put together was as warm as the, sun shining down on us that day. My photos dont  give this piece the space it needs to shine, so check out the sites below to get the full vision of the piece. I am so happy and proud of Sofia and Hennessy and the City of Davis! Way to go! Public Art connects community, opens up a dialogue and improves the visual landscape. This water tank, "Same Sun" does all of that and  you learn some Latin along the way.

Yes, a small, yet big, cake of the water tank.

These two muralists made it on to the Lost At E Minor website: http://www.lostateminor.com/2011/11/12/water-tank-transformed-into-360%C2%B0-kinetic-art/

http://www.lcmuralanddesign.com/watertank/watertankhome.html

If you are every traveling in Northern California and find your way in Davis, CA, go to Mace Blvd, and check it out!

Rogelio Manzo :: New Work

Rogelio Manzo is showing his new work at the Skinner Howard Gallery in Sacramento, CA. Rogelio has been working non stop since we last caught up with him in the studio visit. While I was at the opening I could not keep my eyes off of these two particular paintings. I am so intrigued by these two women. I love their fashion, their pose, their body language. These pictures obviously don't do them justice, this work is bone chilling and strong. One of the women seems like the life of the party and I want to know more about her but maybe I just love that little peek into her cleavage which seems to be oozing self confidence and sexuality.

Knowing that Rogelio has been painting non stop, working on shows across the globe I couldn't help to wonder if all the constant painting would cause for unimpressive work. Much to my delight it is the opposite. Not only does Rogelio bring a consistently strong color palette and satisfying brush work throughout the show, but he starts to give us more of a view. Hand gestures and more torso are creeping into this new work. Along with the physical "more" to see, Rogelio uses different fabric that is eye catching and full of fashion while layering and layering, never muddying up his surface. Maybe it is his mixture of clean lines, painterly brush work and fashion are really what is making me hot, not just the peek-a-boo cleavage.

One of Rogelio's largest paintings has perfectly paired a mustard yellow with a muted blue (shown above) which has a great amount of depth.  Rogelio's 8x10in paintings start at $1500.00. Rogelio's gallery information is listed here at his website: http://manzoartworks.com/

17th Ave Studiomargo

Since my move into the 17th Ave Studios in Santa Cruz the robots are in full force. I'm set up and organized in the 11x12ft studio space that over looks train tracks.

Here is the entrance of my studio. Continued with a few shots of the space with my books and supplies.

 

 

Here is the first painting created in the studio.

Here is a shot for scale. "Let's Fly Away" is the title of this piece. This year I have been working on my relationships with friends and my family. I feel so grateful for the people in my life. "Let's Fly Away" is about relationships, partnerships that we form as humans. I was once isolated and surrounded only by the creatures I created. I am now surrounded by love of my family and friends. These 'robots' were created out of pain and longing for important relationships with people and now they are taking me on journeys that are pouring with love and pure bliss. I know I will always have these creatures with me, but it is so amazing to know that I also have love and support from my network.

I am in process of labeling and wrapping my work and storing it, here is one of my ink drawings on clayboard from Bonny Doon, titled, well, I think you might be able to gather what the title is, or make one up that is pretty close to the real thing.

Stirring It Up

It has been quite a busy last few weeks. I have officially moved into a collective art studio in Santa Cruz. I have a new cozy studio space inside the 17th Ave Studios, sharing a warehouse with about 30 other artists. I am setting up my studio and starting to get cozy and more importantly meeting more artists. Painting is what I do, however painting alone, day after day, month after month, is really quite lonely. So the next few weeks I will be organizing, making an art storage rack and settling into the space, which happens to be right next to train tracks which adds a special ambiance to the studio. If my work starts to resemble abstract trains, you know why. Chooo-choooo!

So, there is your sneak peak of that and we are moving on to the work that I have be creating.

I have mainly thought of myself as large scale painter. In 2008 I started utilizing a medium that would allow me to speak in a way I never dreamed of, I found a new language. In 2009 I create my largest painting which is 12x6ft and it would show at the National Steinbeck Center for the Steinbeck Festival. In 2010 I spent just about everyday learning the skill set of trompe l'oeil. I had not painted realistic work since high school. For some reason I had an urge to paint realistic that year and trompe l'oeil was a good skill set for me to learn. Nearing the end of my trompe l'oeil journey I started to become depressed in the studio. When I woke up I knew exactly what I was going to be painting and how I was painting it. The mystery and magic that I cherish so much in my studio work and practice was no where to be found. I respect trompe l'oeil painters all over the world. However, for me, there is nothing more magical and mysterious that of a large abstraction, you just don't know what's going to happen. Once you have been fooled by the trompe l'oeil trickery once, you will not be fooled again. You know it is a trick. It looses its magic. However if you see an abstract painting once, or  funny creatures like the robots, humans will usually find something engaging or an emotional connection. The traffic box I created for Santa Cruz allows people to giggle time and time again. Every time you go by that public art piece you can not help but to feel something. Feeling something, that is what I would like you to get out of my work (is that to vague?). Ideally I would like for you to feel, for lack of a bigger word, happy. This series I am working on below is created with thoughts of actions, people and emotions that make me feel like I am on cloud 9. I am capturing a passionate moment full of thankfulness, appreciation, admiration, imagination several feelings that just make my eyes tear with joy. That is what is going on in this developing series. I want to create something that is drastically different from any of my other work and create a space for you to feel a smile, to feel wonderful in. With all of the 'things' that are going on in the world today and in the USA, I want to be able to create a place of love. I want you all to feel my love.

This is a series in progress but I would like for you to see what is going on in the studio.

Most of these paintings have changed since the photographs. I am excited about where this work will led me.

 Stay warm, and happy fall!