a brief update

Hello you dahling! So, here we are at the end of the year. I've been awfully tardy here in blogsville, but that is because I have been hard at work out in the real world, plugging away at work.

There have been a few group shows I haven't promoted online whatsoever. For that I deserve a good slap on the wrist (doesn't sound unbearable...) Momentum Tulsa, The Champagne & Chocolate gala at Living Arts, and a great little underground show at Ebb & Flow Woodworks, tucked away in downtown Tulsa to name a few exhibits. These were great shows, and I hope I saw you there. Maybe I'll mention something here next time. foo.

Shortly to come are a few new posts. You'll soon be seeing three new works for my March show at JRB Gallery, in OKC, and hopefully tonight I'll finish putting together a technical piece explaining the troubles with wax blooming in colored pencils and what you can do about it. Bloom what?

Thank you for continuing to stop by during this stale period, things should be happening at a rapid pace from now until the opening in March, so, please continue to come by and see what's News. Also I promise I'll be more proactive about promoting group shows where you can see my work, and letting you know about other goodies abounding around.

Thank you, JP Morrison

i love my job.

all works in progress.

the girl in the high collar waits.

"Edwardian" 8" x 8" colored pencil, graphite and acrylic on board.

See her at JRB's small works show, 100 artists 8"x 8" pieces, all priced at $180. Opening Nov. 6th 6-10 pm. show runs through Nov. 29th

JRB GALLERY

Telephone Operator Girl

"Telephone Operator Girl" 8" x 8"

colored pencil, sharpie and gouache on board.

So, I hemmed, and I hawed, and I procrastinated and worked on pieces I shouldn't've and then I went and did something I don't like to admit I am capable of. I did the entire piece in one night. See, above. 8 hours of work, wah la. I am super super happy with her too. It was one of those effortless little undertakings, where the first choice was always the right one. I needed this boost as well, I've been moving a bit show since "Beguiled" opened, and I feel empowered. Huzah! High quality images will be posted to my flickr hopefully by the end of the week. see the link at the top of the side menu, or click here: flickr

a piece I should wait to work on... but I'm not.

This is a quick in progress shot of a piece I've been dabbling with for the last month or so. The shot is in reverse because I took it with the photobooth program here on my little maccy. I'm planning on adding much collage to this piece, it also includes much more invented rendering than most of my work, i.e. no photo reference for certain parts. I'm enjoying it immensely, but currently should be working on two other pieces that I have an Oct. 15th deadline for... this piece symbolizes two things I should be doing, one: not this piece, two: sleeping. for real. The foreground hand is only in its first three layers of work, very unfinished, you can see the difference in tonality and color between the two hands, and working up the wrist. The photos were taken at sunset and the colors are very rich and varied I am especially in love with the blues. I liked this particular shot because of the way the negative space in the background hand created a symbolic eye. Also it has been interesting drawing a face with gravity pushing the features sideways, since it's my own face I'm especially aware of the differences. I've been trying to avoid using myself as a model as much, but I'm right here when I need someone, and I know exactly what the artist wants. Sometimes I'm hard to pass up, what can I say.

The Next Show : a brief musing

I'm currently working on two pieces for my next show in March in Oklahoma City. I haven't entirely articulated what the blanket concept for this body of work is going to be, and the two works currently in process are very disparate in nature, though the mediums and styles unite them. One is a new drawing of a 'hand tree' or 'angel' an example of which is the header for this here blog, the other is me... sleeping... with airplanes... maybe...

I built 'Beguiled' my last show on a very specific theme, and I really enjoyed having the foundation of women in folklore to build upon, but now I want to loosen the reins a bit, wiggle in new ideas that may not necessarily fit into a single box.

Also in this last group of works I challenged myself to remove all nonessential information, wanting to shed my reputation for needing to fill every single space in a work with decorative material. (horror vacui) I shall restrain myself no longer! There will be airplanes... lots and lots of airplanes... in one of the two pieces currently resting on my drafting table... however I have learned some true moderation from my year of blank backgrounds and the 'hand tree' piece will have very little going on beyond the subject itself.

I know I'm talking in very vague terms, with no photos as of yet to explain myself. Describing art and the ideas that surround it with no visual reference is akin to trying to describe a smell; mostly impossible and rather frustrating... but here we are. The only comfort I can give you dear reader is the knowledge that these things shall reveal themselves in time... much like the true nature of this next group of works. I can't wait, can you?

TONIGHTS OPENING!

Tonight, Sept. 4th, 6-9pm @ The Base Gallery. Last Chance to catch me and "Beguiled : The Folklore of Women" in the same room together. Please come out and visit, show runs through Sept. 24th.

The Base Gallery is in the basement of the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, 2012 Baltimore Rd. KCMO

12 x 12

Here is this years 12 x 12, possibly my favorite arts-org. fund raiser, it is a great event for a great organization. You can see last years piece above, as the title art for this blog, and the year before that is prominently featured on my business card, the work I've produced for 12x12 has been some of my very best in my personal opinion, I seem to grow with these pieces. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on last years piece, absolutely worth it for the personal advancement and education, it was a huge leap forward for me. This years work turned out so much better than it appeared it would half way through the process, *wipes brow* sepias and grey tones always give me trouble, but I'm quite please with the results. Please come this year if you'll be in the OKC area on Sept. 26th. Get all the info :Here:

Beguiled Opening

Beguiled opened last weekend, and it was a wonderful evening! All my favorite people came out of the woodwork, and many new faces shared great ideas and feelings with me regarding the new artwork. It rocked. The cherrie on top goes to Josh Rizer for letting me share his lovely after party. He had an opening that night as well, please check out his tight writing and great paintings Here. Below are some photos from the festivities. Now, I'm gunna enjoy a little down time, and relax after teaching another week of summer camp before hitting the drawing board again. Yes soon there shall be news, but for now there is only a late Sunday brunch in my future. ahhhh.

Photo credits for this post, and all shots from the preview party go to RC Morrison (me daddy).

My Show Review on OVAC's Blog

check it out here:

http://ovac.blogspot.com/2009/08/exhibitions-jp-morrison-at-pearl.html