My Review of Grey Matters Paper Palettes
Originally submitted at Jerry’s Artarama Art Supplies
The Perfect Backdrop for Color Mixing This disposable paper palette offers the unique advantages of mixing on a toned, neutral grey background. Unlike other white colored paper palettes the neutral grey background lets you see color as it will appear on your painting. Each 50 sheet pad comes with a…
Perfect Solution for My Needs
Describe Yourself: Artist
Primary use: Business
Was this a gift?: No
I make my full time living from art, so good tools are important to me. This gray palette paper is just what I need for quick painting sessions between other demands of the day. I paint a lot of portrait commissions, and the gray color really helps with mixing light flesh tones (as compared to a white palette). The paper is pretty thin so you’ll need to support it (see photo). It has a smooth gloss coating so the paint doesn’t soak into it at all. Well worth a dime per session (I buy the 12 x 18 size and cut it in half). I’ve tried lots of other palette solutions and this is the best I’ve found so far. Give it a try!
(legalese)
Anna 1
“Anna 1″ acrylic on 12 x 16 panel, using as reference a photo I took last spring. Thanks Anna!
Group Portrait of Twelve
Portrait of twelve relatives commissioned by a local couple, B&L. Acrylic on panel, 20 x 32 inches.
Reference provided was actually a “photoshopped” composite of three different photos taken at different times and places.
Thanks B&L!
The portrait will be framed and hung on the brick wall behind.
June 14 Presentation — You’re Invited!!!
I’ll be giving a one hour Portrait Painting demo and slide presentation at the Oregon Society of Artists, 2185 SW Park Place, Portland, on June 14 at 11 a.m. Free parking. I think they’ll have a potluck afterward.
You don’t have to be an OSA member to attend. As far as I can remember, this will be the first time I’ve had to speak in front of a crowd since 1977! At that rate, my next presentation will be when I’m 93, so you’d better come to this one.
Here’s the blurb from the OSA newsletter: (link will only work for this month, otherwise check the archives)
Looks kinda like…
And it appears I’m off on yet another side trip…indulging a recurring fascination with trying to do likenesses of people. I check in every ten or twenty years to see if I can do it yet. No clear idea of why, or what I’ll do with the results if I do…but it seems like a good skill to have in my toolbox.
‘Obsession’ show write-up
Nice write-up by Teri Sund about the ‘Obsession’ show:
Steve Eichenberger refers to himself as ‘sculptor,’ yet that term seems limited in describing his artistic accomplishments. Perhaps the titles builder, engineer, architect and alchemist all contribute to the understanding of what is involved in the creation of each work of art. For Eichenberger, who works primarily in clay, the finished piece is the end result of a long developed process of “how to.” His obsession lies within the challenge to do what appears to be the impossible. While his imagery is strong, direct and uniquely profound, for Eichenberger it is not the crux of his drive and/or passion as an artist. His obsession lies in deciphering what needs to be developed to achieve the monumental sculpture he is known for.
That being said, Eichenberger’s imagery cannot be taken lightly. When discussing his work, he states, “Sculpture is my attempt to combine desirable and/or necessary attributes for navigating our post–911 world into symbolic form. It’s a messy business trying to decide what’s ‘right’! For example, gentleness sounds good, but too much of it and tyrants will rule. Heroism sounds good, but what if the saved aren’t worthy of the hero’s sacrifice?” These are considerations of Eichenberger’s as he utilizes the three dimensional realm to convey the complex question of what it means to be human. He incorporates such things as massive musculature, impossible balance, direct meaningful gaze, the tension of posture, animal analogy, as well as scale to reflect the delicate battle of balance within mankind, as an individual or a society. “I don’t mind looking strange to others as I struggle to concoct the optimum balance of attributes to ethically deal with today’s out-of-balance world. The privilege of being alive is so enormous that I don’t mind putting enormous effort into appreciating it, observing it, and reflecting on it…and I use sculpture to do so.”
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And here’s the statement I wrote for the ‘Obsession’ show:
Artists’ Statement:
Steve Eichenberger
A person who is obsessed may well not consider themselves to be. This has been the case for me. I’ve simply been going along with what appeared in my sketchbook, trying to stay out of the way. And rabbit ears kept showing up. On everything.
The obsession’s first project was the physical challenge of keeping tall ears from falling down in the wet clay stage. I propped and skewered and accepted whatever motley shapes I could get to stand up. The familiar inner response of “that’s cool, but you can do better” compelled me to keep trying again, and again, to form the perfect pair of hare’s ears. By “perfect” I don’t mean anatomically correct, but rather a vivid, insistent inner vision I was compelled to replicate in reality.
I was/am mesmerized by the long slow curves, the tapering of the thickness of the clay, the ear shape’s inherent structural integrity, the volume enclosed, the interaction of negative space between the ears, the flow of line from nose to eartip.
Dozens of iterations later, after developing better armatures and refining sculpting techniques, I have come much closer to matching that inner ideal of form/shape…and the obsession is vindicated as I draw my fingers along fired curves.
Just as romance can be diminished by over-analyzing, an obsession can dry up when exposed to light and air by rational critique. Is it even possible to purposely generate an obsession? wouldn’t it then be a “pursuit”? I experience strong right and left brain influences simultaneously. Too often this means my left brain heckles the right brain into submission. So I value a good obsession once in awhile. The trick is to look the other way and let it play out.
RiverSea show Nov 6, Mtn views, new Raven birth
I’ll be in a three person show at RiverSea Gallery in Astoria, opening Nov 6 with a reception from 5 to 8. I took four of my large sculptures to be in the show. Jackie will have lots of work in it too. We’ll be interviewed on a local radio station, live, about the show on Friday afternoon the 5th.
New Raven sculpture completed for my line of cast ravens/crows available through galleries.
Mt Hood from my new studio location on Milwaukie Ave.
False color rendition of Mt St Helens looking to the north from my new sculpture studio location. If it weren’t for a willow tree precisely placed to block the exact outline of her, I’d be able to see Mt St Helens out my window as I work. I only have to go a few paces to get this view though.
Time Keeps on Slipping…Into the Future…
Just completed our first full week of full production in our new studio spaces and it went very well! There are still many minor things I need/want to do — hang more shelves and lights, organize my own space now that I’ve organized everyone else’s, remove and replace the door so it opens out instead of into our space in the big room — but lots of work is getting done, the wire racks are filling up with work that will eventually go to galleries or tile dealers, we fired three kiln loads of work.
I started this blog for discussing/showing my large scale ceramic sculptures, but I think it may be a few weeks before I can get back to sculpting my large signature works. In the meantime, I need to give some attention to my line of cast crows/ravens (worked on new molds yesterday and today), and maybe make some letters/numerals, and fun tiles like grasshoppers or whatever…to sell through galleries.
Now that the move is mostly completed, I hope to now have time to get back to regular exercise — to stoke my energy engines. And maybe even do one or two hours a week of non-work related activities!
I like my new studio. Now I need me “back” so I have somebody to work in it. All in good time……….
In other news, I’ve accepted an invitation to be in a three person show at RiverSea Gallery in Astoria next month. It’s with Jackie, and Shannon Richardson (painter).
Belated photo of my booth space at Art in the Pearl a month ago:
IT’S A BOY!
I’ve birthed a new studio! At least that’s what it’s felt like…lots of PUSHING to get everything installed and ready for us and our assistants to work productively/efficiently at 5040 SE Milwaukie in Portland.
Newest piece
SOLD
You can’t tell in this photo, but this one is MUCH smaller than the one in the last post. “Gratitude 3″
BAM was a success!
My first-ever show – was a success! Thanks to the customers who supported me with purchases, I can now justify continuing to sculpt my self-expressive works! This is huge! This show was truly a career changer. I’m already planning to apply to more shows in 2011.
Thanks, T., M. & H. for everything.
Meanwhile, it’s only 37 days till the Art in the Pearl show, so it’s back out to Studio G for me. If I push it, and if the weather stays warm to dry out the clay quickly, I might be able to get one or two new pieces done in time to show them. I’m definitely feeling motivated after the validation my work received at BAM — it will be such a relief to have more positive energy, less fear of failure to fight against.
Gratitude.
July 20 update
I added official photos of my newest pieces to the Portfolio section tonight, complete with dimensions and statements.
Welcome to any new visitors just tuning in from BAM (Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair show)!
July 13 update
things are coming together reasonably well for upcoming show, but so many things left to do that i may not post again till afterward.
“Aristophanes”
I’ve decided what to name the larger of the two hare sculptures I’m working on:
“Aristophanes”
Big name for a big sculpture.
He seems ‘aristocratic’ to me, which triggered the name. It is derived from the Greek words aristos, meaning ‘best,’ and phanes, meaning ‘appearing.’ (My choice has nothing to do with the 5th century B.C.E. Greek playwright of the same name.)
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Finished assembling bisqued Reprieve.
(Photos on Feb 2 post)
More hollowing out of Aristophanes, upper torso.
A World of Possibilities Awaits…
Oil sketch of Egon Schiele by Steve Eichenberger
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about giant rabbit ears.
(This was my very first test post during the “Under Construction” phase: two solid days of desk jockeying. It was nice having Egon to keep me company, so I’m keeping this post for nostalgic reasons.)
