A geisha study, because . . . . . well . . . . .I like. Gouache again.
If samarais and zen is your thing go see Mark Bailey's blog, he does it up good, and many other thngs as well.

www.markandrewbailey.blogspot.com

We have had some great storms roll through the Northwest this week and watching them unfold on the city has been inspiring. My studio looks right across the Willametter River that splits Portland in two, giving me a sweet view of Downtown and the West Hills. As these big storms roll over the hill and unleash their fury, I have a front row view to these massive cloudbanks. They remind me of how little we are in this world and that we should do what makes us happy, daily.

However, this morning was clear and this was the scene that greeted me. Pretty stunning. Now that should give you your fill of Oregon today. This is the first installment of my new series titled "This Day in Oregon." Plenty more to come considering this is part one of my 3500 part series of "This Day in Oregon." Won't you join me for the other installments.

Well, it has been almost two weeks since I last posted anything new. After my Open Studio I have had a little down time, which has been easy to get into, especially with the holidays, and everyone seems to be able to find a little more free time than they normally would. Holiday parties, family gatherings, all that stuff has been fun. But now its back to work, I 've got plenty to get done before Christmas so time to crack the whip. My time has been very good for creativity and with every transition my work always takes new twists, so this gestation period has really let my ideas marinate.

These two little paintings I will post as filler before I delve into what's on the easel. But what's on the easel will have to wait since I have a few things in the works and want them completely finished before I put them on here.

What's white on white look like? Thats what I was thinking. Unknown animal skull.

MORE FROM THE SHOW, PART 3

MORE FROM THE SHOW, PART 2

OPEN STUDIO SHOW, PART 1








Hi Everyone,

I wanted to thank all of you who came by my studio. It was very good to meet many of you and hear what you had to say about all things art. You are all invited back! For those of you who were not able to make it, here are the studies I had on display. Some of them you will recognize from earlier posts on the blog. All images are in between an 8"x10" to a 11"x14" .

If you are intersted in purchasing one of these items please give me a call at 971.219.7588 or jobaflint@yahoo.com. If you like a piece but want a closer look I could email you a higher resolution image. Each one is framed with archival materials and is behind UV coated glass. Shipping is free.

More good stuff soon to come your way.

Here are a few shots of what my creative space looked liked this last weekend for the Open Studio Exhibition, for those of you who weren't here or couldn't make it. Yes, there were actual people stopping by all night, which I failed to get pictures of. Over 300 people visited the Towne Storage building on the night, and I would say, that I either met or greeted over 100 who came through my door. Overall it was a good night and if you came I hope you enjoyed the shows. This was the first event of its kind and with this type of reception I am sure there will be more.

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to give you an idea of the type of work that will be on display at my OPEN STUDIO EXHIBITION this Saturday evening, from 6:30-9:30pm. These works are my studies and sketches that I do on a regular basis. Each one lets me work with ideas and concepts that I am exploring. Some move on to become finished paintings while some only reach this preliminary stage. I really enjoy moving through an idea (fairly) quickly and often times these spontaneous works, I think, are better than a final painting. There is an immediacy that can't be replicated in a larger work, and that kind of honest application is what creativity is all about. So I do consider these paintings and drawings little gems.

I will be posting all of them soon, and they will be made available to purchase online after the opening on Saturday Nov. 18th. If you would like information about pricing get a hold of me via email at jobaflint@yahoo.com or call 971.219.7588. Each piece is framed with archival materials in the style displayed in the above image. I will list sizes when I post them all later but most are from 8"x10" to 14"x18", in that range at varying sizes. I am using gouache mostly but some are mixed media.

Hope to see you all here.

STUDIOFLINT: 17 SE 3rd Avenue, Suite #312, Portland, Oregon. Right by the eastside of the Burnside bridge.

Best,
Joshua Flint

A small quick sketch with an ink brush, that could very well turn out to be a larger painting. Stay Tuned!

Untitled (as of now, that may change)
30"x40" oil on canvas

Perception is a unique thing. Personal yet universal, individual and collective. It changes over time but memory can link us to that past state of mind.

This painting will be on display at my upcoming Open Studio Exhibition, NOV 18th 6:30-9:30pm. Come on down.

oil, 11"x14"

As creative souls I wanted to invite all of you to go to the homepage of the BBC, www.bbc.com, and look to you left on the side bar for a link title 'In Pictures'. Click there and then you will see many options to view images from around the globe. Click on the images from the day, and you will get a small series of daily life photos from around the globe that are absolutely stunning, These photographers are such amazing artists. It brings me a little insight into the world around me like no newspaper article ever could. I am a visual person, and thus I react greater to them then words. It also has a wonderful way of grounding me in my world and feeling connected in a way I never thought possible. The world is only getting smaller, and there is so much wonder out there which by far outways the negativity that is spewn at us US citizens via the corporate run media. Embrace that people, the world is getting smaller and its a good thing, because it all looks pretty brilliant to me. Maybe you will learn something new or realize something you never had before.

Enjoy!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/default.stm

Title: Radiance.
Size: 30"x40" on canvas.

A painting I finished earlier in the year, but I have yet to put it up on my 'official' website at joshuaflint.com. I figured I would show it here, since this is where its, at as of late. The blog is rolling right along. Hope you all are enjoying the images, and please tell a friend who likes art to come check out my work. Greater discourse is always encouraged.

Here is a very abbreviated look at my process for a painting titled Storyteller, 24"x30" canvas. I often change up my approach for every new painting, and that allows me to adjust to the work as it develops.I talked about "dialogue" in an earlier post and that's why I feel its important that each piece takes on its own character. I have things figured out in my head but its the translation that matters with each piece.



Here I am figuring out composition, light and shadow and have left it monochrome because I am still weighing up how I want to use color. What do I want to leave out or perhaps emphasize is a question I ask myself at this stage.



With this next phase I am just getting a feeling for the space around the figure, setting the stage so to speak. I am finding my color now and I am interested in how it will react on its own and in relation to the figure.



Now its mostly about the figure at this stage. There still is a lot of pushing and pulling to do with the color and their respective values in the entire painting, not just the figure. If you compare it to the final, a post you will see if you scroll down there are differences between the painting at this stage and the final completed version. Albeit they are subtle especially around the face.

As for the meaning and concept of the piece, I leave that up to the viewer. I have my interpretation and understanding and reason behind the art, but it will be different for everyone. If things are ambiguous, great. I am trying to stop someone to think about whats in front of them. The art of painting I'll even admit is a bit antiquated for our modern day, and how everything is digital and instant, but thats why I like it.

This run down of my process is brief, but the creative process is what its all about. Once the things done I usually want it out of my face. Don't get me wrong I like them, they are like my children, but I have learned what I have learned and it is time to move on, with the next idea.

Don't forget the open studio event on November 18th. Here you will get an even better glimpse into my work and the thoughts I have that don't always go on to be completed works.Hope to see you here.

Open Studio Event

I will be opening up my studio for a a one night showing on NOVEMBER 18th from 6:30 - 9:30 PM. On view will be a few new paintings and tons of smaller studies and sketches, in oil and goauche. I hope to see you here. More details will be announced the closer the date to the show. Any questions email me at jobaflint@yahoo.com or call 971.219.7588.

I'll post a map and official announcement later on, so keep checkin back. Thanks for your support.

Just some sketches today . . . . . . . .

Free Association Sketching . . . . . . . . always interesting.

This one is titled "Flight", its 3 x 4 feet, and really gave me a chance to use big brushes and free myself up. I thought of the background as a color field more than anything, with all the focus falling on this hip young woman. Areas of detail (figure) contrast the areas of rest (background), with a few other elements (birds and feathers) to help carry the eyes around the painting, and add a bit more to the narrative.

Is there a narrative? With me of course there is. I find it inescapable when painting people. Ultimately that is why I am drawn to paint people and the human form, it is ever fascinating and of the utmost importance to me.

A Triptych

I like the idea of putting one thought onto multiple canvases. It creates a narrative you can't get from one painting.

Title: "Theories", Each box canvas is 12"x12" and is 4" deep, so the depth at which they sit off the wall is a part of the presentation as well.

A Pirate
Here is another study from a model. This model sat for about 3-4 hours. I like aspects of this painting. I feels it is complete even though there are areas of the white canvas showing through. There is a wholeness to it . . . . a unity. I don't necessarily think " when is this painting done", an open ended question if there ever was one. Rather I try to get most of what's in front of me or in my head, out onto the canvas, and I stop when I feel it has achieved a certain unity. There is a dialogue I am trying to have with myself and the painting. Establishing that dialogue or finding it is not easy, but it is what I am after. That dialogue leads me to this unity within a painting.

The Finish

I had earlier posted a study in pencil of a model sitting in a chair. This is the finished oil painting at 24"x30". Unlike the study, which plays up his face much more, I toned down any real recognition of who the sitter might be. It played a much larger role in the overall mood of the painting.

I will continue to post new paintings for a little while longer, so check back to see more.

As intended the original idea behind my blog was to show a "behind the scenes" sort of look at my creative process. There is a tremendous amount of things I am usually working on that never get seen. It is only the final finished oil paintings that typically make it to the galleries. I often feel these small studies have much more feeling because of the immediacy of their creation. I can carry that initial impulse all the way through till its done, since most are completed in one sitting. However, today and for the next couple of days I am going to be posting the bigger more "polished" paintings. Since I don't have these up on my website I figured I would give you all a chance to have a first look.

This first one, is a 30"x40" painting titled "Mind Games". There are outdoor chess tables located downtown at Pioneer Square, which is the subject of this piece. I took it as a vignette and abstracted the background so the players were on a stage of sorts. I also divided the painting in two, potentially cardinal sin when designing a composition, but regardless I think I made it work.

Being an artist . . . or a creative type or hell any person on any bad day, can really get you down. So I fight back usually at that point. I had to illustrate this scenario. But I am not sure of the roles here. So therefore am I getting knocked down a peg or two or if the guy represents art and art is getting its ass handed to him. Or is art still me, regardless? Philosophical arguments may ensue.

I use goauche for sketchbook studies for a couple of reasons. The main thing I enjoy about the medium is that it can be handled like oil, or at least that's how I use it. I get progessively thicker and thicker with it, because it dries so quickly, but if I add a little water I can pick up the layers underneath and blend them as well. So much versatility allows for a lot of freedom. Plus I can carry a palette, brush, and water, easily everywhere i go. And I am on the go quite a lot.
The story here is fairly straightforward about relationships, trying to wrap your head around it just makes it seem that much more complex. Sometimes things last forever . . . sometimes its like ships passing in the night.

Today is a little 11x14 study of a model in oil. I did this about a year or so ago. I had to get it back from a friend whom I gave it to so I could archive it. I figured since I was archiving it that I would also post it. It took all of 15 minutes. I had finished a larger painting from this very model and had some time to kill. So I did this quick thing.

A couple of studies today dealing with the female form and features.

The first image is just challenging what I know from memory, just a small thing maybe 5"x7".I liked the sudbdued quality to it.

In the second painting (oil on board 6"x10") I am exploring the difference between a warm red, a cool red, and a muted red earth tone, in this case asphaltum. Each mixed with white. I was really looking at the color relationships that exist when playing a warm and cool color off of one another. Even though it seems like I know what would happen, or how to use it for a desired "feel", you gotta just experiment to truly find out. So I found out. I can see myself using more limited palettes along these lines to do larger finished works.

Check back soon,I am going to be posting the stages of a larger painting, and of course the final.
As I expand on my blog, which is an excuse just to let me rant about art, and filter through all the things that come my way creatively, I will discuss more and more topics at length. As always your thoughts are welcomed. If you have any ideas about certain aspects to discuss let me know. We can address them here. The more we share thoughts . . . . .the better everyone can become.

till next time.
josh.

Oil painting, 6x8 . . . .. . .. . today has been beautiful here in Portland!

Everything about the geisha is very interesting. Both are goauche about 8"x10". The first is a detail just to show the nature of the brushstroke and layering.