Rift | Fragment One

Rift Fragment | overall composition

My Orvis Artist in Residence doesn't start until July, but I have been working on the color palette and over all composition since last week.  At first I was over-working the symbolism: thinking too much about the haves and have-nots. Seon-Doh reminded me that the artist's conception depicted in the proposal conveyed the theme; basically she reminded to paint and not think, which is what a painter should do after all.

Rift Fragment Closeup

This week I also submitted three paintings of which two were chosen for the 45th Annual Aloha Show, sponsored by the Association of Hawaii Artists. This year the show was at Honolulu Hale (City Hall) and buyers from the State Foundation for the Arts were looking for pieces to purchase. Pretty sure neither of my two works will be purchased because they don't depict "Kodak Hawaii," or anything especially Hawaiiana. Still I hope that some who go to the show will remember my work. In any case it was good to get the paintings out of the house.
The reception for the show is next week, I plan on attending mostly so I can see those pieces chosen as "best in show." My hunch is the show is parochial; a suspicion I need to confirm. Lately I have thought that art shows are like applying for a job, where one tailors their resume to meet the recruiter's buzz-words. If that is the case, I am afraid I will never be best in show: I could never paint to a meet anyone's expectations save my own!