Confession

The byline in my Rocktown, Indiana should read "Life and Art in Mystical Middle America". I accidently typed "mythical". It's a pretty big difference, and yet I've never corrected it.

Google Earth and Titles

I've greatly improved my Google Earth method for titleing (titling? that can't be right) paintings. With the Love Hovels (a series which I have yet to really flesh out [so to speak {and I love an excuse to use multiple bracketing (stop me!!)}]), I roamed Google Earth from various starting points. I had a vague idea of where a specific 'love hovel' could possibly be located, I went there via Google Earth, and then I tried to hover over a spot with fairly rounded off coordinates.

So I had exciting titles like "46N, 123W", and "38N, 91W". Very tedious and confusing.

With the '"land markers" I did imagine a place for each one and 'went' there, I then zoomed in, switched into map mode, and scoured both the street names and landmarks for something that struck a chord. This worked really well. I love that these titles reference real places, but intuitively and anonomously. I sometimes changed or added 'road', 'lane', etc. I don't think these references are traceable through google, though I haven't tried.

Without further ado (because this post has plenty 'ado' thus far [surely no one is still reading this post {which clearly earns the 'entertaining myself' label}]), I give you these new titles:

Rothboden Place
McJunkin Road
Upena Cove
Obofia Forest
Pump Station Bend

The best part is, I know exactly which painting each is, and even remember where on earth I have placed it.

Lane Markers

Tea Plantation Road

Pump Station Bend

Obofia Forest

Upena Cove

All are 9" x 14", oil on linen.

*10-29-10 Updated with Titling :-)

Todd Matus "Mounts" review

Todd Matus wrote this thoughtful review of my Four Star Gallery show last fall. Thanks so much for so generously addressing my work.

Carla Knopp Mounts 3

Dan Coats' Lobbying

Regardless of where one stands on these issues, Coats is among the most blatantly self-serving and cynical 'public servants'.

"Here are the facts about Dan Coats lobbying history. Dan Coats got rich by supporting the very same policies he rails against on the campaign trail: the TARP bailout, the economic stimulus bill, the job-killing energy tax, and more."

The Case for Obama | Rolling Stone Politics

A very favorable overview of Obama's presidency, thus far. Still, it's a reasonable assessment, and it's pretty impressive.

The Case for Obama Rolling Stone Politics

Henri Art Magazine Studio Series

I'm so pleased to participate in Henri Art Magazine's current Artist Studio Series. My photo essay was just posted here. Read Paul Corio's essay here, June O. Underwood here, and Hans Heiner Buhr here.

Writing about my studio was more revealing than I expected. I still flip between loving and hating this place, but I think overall I'm becoming more objective about it.

Link Branch

Ken Kewley, Chocolate Cake with Orange Slices, 2000, 8" x 10", oil on panel

Ken Kewley - writing on color - posted on Painting Perception blog. Re-posted and brought to my attention by MW Capacity, where it was commented on by Undercover Painter. Undercover Painter blog has the finest running sequence of artwork postings I've seen in some time, including Norbert Prangenberg. More work by Norbert from show at Betty Cuningham Gallery.

Norbert Prangenberg, FUR CASPAR (01.07.09) 2009

Audience

I don't think we should make art based on where, or who, is our audience. We spend ridiculous amounts of time and attention engaged in the artistic process. This is where its value lies; in what cool new comprehensions we can sometimes, if we're lucky, bring forth into existence. This is the value of artistic exploration.

We've all had those things materialize, which we doubt anyone else will respond to. They are too obscure and too situational to extend beyond our own audience of one. These experiences have value. It does not matter that I, Carla Knopp, experienced it, but it does matter that some human did. It matters that it happened.

This is purely belief.

It comes down to "does life matter?" or does it need justification. If life does matter, without justification, then a single artist painting in the woods matters. It is enough. This is why it is such a great bonus when the work clicks with others as well. If you're reaching into barely comprehensible places, then it is just amazing when others can and will peek into that realm with you. I find this more exciting and meaningful, for everyone, than crafting my boundaries to engage a particular audience.

...handed to me on a plate

"Peak" paintings by Julia Kuhl courtesy of frosch & portmann gallery........

"Mount" paintings by Carla Knopp.

Julia's are so beautifully distilled to the essence of their painted imagery.

Mine seem self-indulgent and lacking the confidence to be simple. ....or to simply be.

Lately I've been pondering the honesty of my work. It seems I'm still overly influenced by external considerations. I really do best when I go hyper-insular. That's where the beautiful shit is, and it's my job to go find it. It is not my job to make sure everyone appreciates it. It's not my job to limit my findings to that which can be easily consumed by a mildly engaged audience. It's not my job to devise social constructs under the guise of art.

Go see all of Julia's work. I really like it and it deserves to be presented as its own post. But it's also such a weirdly direct lesson for me, that I had to compare. It's both devasting and exciting.

Graphic Style Jungle Nursery

A really simple scheme, with nice dense colors, filling the entire room. My favorite approach for a nursery. This graphic style actually takes as long to paint as a more realistic style. The flat areas of color need two coats to look good. With more realistic work, I can often use glazes and washes and brushy strokes.