Portraits |
Not-so-still-life at R Productions |
Having interesting subjects to paint was never a dilemma for me while living in a 2000 square-foot three-ring circus warehouse on 6th street in San Francisco. I had the charismatic personalities, colorful faces, and bizarre gadgetry that made my life rich with excitement and pageantry. This is the life that I find inspiring to capture on canvas.
Friends, lovers, and roommates joined me for a weekly "Art Night" in the colorful, dimly lit, jungle-like atmosphere of our loft. I sat on a pillow in the middle of the cold cement floor with my newly stretched canvas leaned up against the brightly decorated center beam of our living room to paint the cast of characters that surround my colorful life. The biggest obstacle I faced was getting this life - my version of "still life" - to actually sit still. It helped that many had projects to keep them occupied while in a household that never sits still at all.
J had a bottle of Absinth and his cat to stroke while his eyes darted around the room planning the next line of his drum 'n' bass track creations that would inevitably keep me awake all night. Kairsten had her knitting and goal of creating a hat for a boy that she thought might be the one she would marry, only to be left broken hearted once again. Laura had a book and a pack of Marlboros. Julie had the old piano that my roommates pulled out of an abandoned building down the street, rolled along the sidewalk past the homeless and prostitutes to our gated freight elevator up to our third floor madhouse.
Terry was the stillest of all - mesmerized by the screen of the custom built machine that housed every videogame known to man. Encased in an old Blasteroid's arcade game cabinet, this computer worked magically to keep Terry's entire body, save his joystick hand, still as a statue for hours while I worked.
My paintings are a reflection of this intriguing world and the
stories, personalities, and spirit that make it so colorful. It is these colors
that I have squirted on to my palate, mixed with my brush, and spread on large
canvases so that others may get a taste of this unique slice of life.
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 Jay |
 Laura |
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 Diamond Dave |
 Terry |
 The Rocker |
