A New Year’s Fire Sale
Many of you who have graciously visited this site have taken the time to view the paintings in the “portfolio” section above. I have decided to part ways with some of those paintings and am taking advantage of the WordPress community to let you know they are on the artistic sales block. Yes, I know there was that little thing called Christmas that just passed but I have never been one to lament my lack of perfect timing. So have a view and if any of you dear readers (or someone you know) may be interested or have any burning questions, feel free to e mail me (bruceczopek@yahoo.com). The original paintings are available as well as limited edition giclees.
I chose to paint these in a hyper realistic manner where I wanted to remain as neutral to the image as possible, just recording the great light that all of them were occurring in. So they are not your normal romantic Hawaii subject matter, but rather a slice of everyday life on the island of Kauai. Some of the originals have been slightly reworked for the better since these photographs were taken but I chose not to rephotograph them as I was finessing the contrast and highlights in the foliage and didn’t change subject matter.
Whether or not you are in the hunt for something new for your walls, I hope you enjoy taking a few minutes out from wintertime for a little Aloha.
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The Roxy Hula. 24″ x 36″, acrylics. Kapaa, Hi.
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Canefield Church. 24″ x 36″, acrylics. Hanapepe, Hi.
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The Aloha Theatre. 18″ x 24″, acrylics. Hanapepe, Hi.
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It All Started Here. 18″ x 24″, acrylics. Poipu, Hi. (the first sugar cane mill on Kauai)
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Salt Pond Country Store. 18″ x 24″, acrylics. Hanapepe, Hi. (I love the dirt patina on the truck)
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Quan Yin. 16″ x 20″, acrylics. Hanapepe, Hi. Quan Yin is the female Bhudda of Compassion. The statue is about 20 ft tall.
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Odalisque 1- Omo’o. 16′ x 20″, acrylics. Kapaa, Hi. A lazy, cloudy day on a spider orchid, under the banyan tree.
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Odalisque 2 – The Waiting Prince. 16″ x 2o”, acrylics. Kapaa, Hi. (he’s backed up against the wall of a reflecting pond, hanging out on a scrunched up lily pad)
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The Price List:
24 x 36 = Original $1290, Giclee $540
18 x 24 = Original $ 990, Giclee $350
16 x 20 = Original $750 Giclee $250
plus shipping of course.
The Aloha Coffee Table
While stretched out on the couch the other night, I noticed the heightened trompe l’oeil effect the ambient light and viewing angle gave to this painting leaning against the wall. Had to take a happy snap. BTW those are cheesey X-mas icicle lights hanging under the rusted red iron frame work. The painting was one I did a few years back of the abandoned Aloha Theater in Hanapepe, Hawaii. It’s in the portfolio section of the header tags.
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Mele Kalikimaka!
Ha! My good friend, Aaron, who lives on Kauai, just let me know he saw this post. He really wanted to see the icicle lights lit up. He’s very good with photoshop so he worked up another version. Have a look.
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Forgetting #1
Finally, a new series of paintings is started. After spending several years experimenting with the hyper realism style( as well as taking some time off from the canvas), it felt the time was right to move back to abstracts. I am hoping to explore the process of “forgetting”. Why we forget, what we forget, how do we choose to forget, forgetting of the self, etc. Could be interesting. Could be boring. But hey- a painter’s gotta paint. Here’s #1. Of course I’m reserve the right to rework it as the series unfolds. It’s always a challenge to take a concept and communicate it via abstract media. Should be a good stretch. It’ll give you guys a break from the backpacking photos, too.
It’s worth clicking on the photo to enlarge it and clicking again for a close up. I chose to adhere cheesecloth over the canvas for another element of texture and movement, before beginning the painting. And yes, the photo is in focus. It is the painting that is blurry.
Forgetting #1, 36″ x 48″, mixed media on canvas, 2012, Bruce Czopek
Kiss Me You Fool
“Ya sure, let’s find out.”
Last week we received an email and photo from a contractor who MC Artisans have worked with in the past. It was a request for an estimate to repaint our above friends- a most colorful statuary portrayal of youthful curiosity.
The statues, prior to this photo, were of course fairly shabby, having lived outdoors a considerably long time. The contractor didn’t give much detail, just asked how much we would charge to give them a new coat of paint, matching the existing.
Having been in the decorative painting and interior arts since 1986, this was one type of project I had not yet done. So imagine my uncontrollable delight when fate gave me the opportunity to expand my portfolio a tad further than I would have dared hope to imagine.
Let me put it another way. My artistic nose was so high in the air it is rather miraculous I did not suffer from a non stop five-day nosebleed. However, pride goeth before the credit cards, so what the heck. We assumed this was for our normal clientele who had substantial funds but just happened to be suffering a temporary loss of cultural sanity. Ergo, we bid it for what it would take to do a preposterously correct job. Wash them thoroughly, prime with a masonry paint, translate the faded existing colors to a newer, fresher version and repaint everything, then put several clear coats on them so they’d be good for another 25 years. Of course, the price reflected that. We felt that if someone wanted to have these two painted just so, the clients would understand the quality reflected in the estimate. And if by chance they chose not to do go ahead with it, that would be just fine.
The contractor gulped at the price but said okay. He graciously brought the little cement cast heavyweights to us so Bryan or I did not have to make the trip down to too far to go get them. However, when he dropped the kids off he let slip that the statues were for his folks who the family had just moved into a retirement home. Now this contractor and his brother (also his biz partner) are in their mid to late 50′s, so imagine how elderly their parents must be. Wow- still together and heading into the next phase of their lives with one another. Mega bravo. Apparently the statues had been in the family yard forever and the brothers thought their mom and dad would really like it if they had them for company in the new surroundings.
Ahem……. how many different ways can you say “Boy, do I feel like schmuck”? However many you have thought of, I probably ran through a few more. So although it was not mentioned on the spot, there was no way we were going to charge the brothers very much for this gift project. It was an incredibly sweet and thoughtful gesture on the family’s part- one we felt genuinely happy to participate in.
And yes, it was actually kind of fun. The young couple inhabited my kitchen table for four evenings or so while I chipped away at them after dinner, accompanied by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Guy Clark, John Prine, Amy Winehouse, Emiliana Torrini, J.S. Bach, Pavarotti and others. Just put Pandora on quick mix and be prepared for musical schizophrenia.
The kids were pretty quiet, so I wasn’t able to glean much of their young life’s story. But it is obvious they are quite attracted to one another, have a good sense of humor, and are snazzy dressers. A good formula for a potentially long-lasting relationship.
And it seems like they have a grand example of a long-lasting relationship to go home to.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
P.S. If you are curious just who MC Artisans are, click on the MC Website under the butterfly. Photos speak louder than words.
Louis’, meet Louis’
New mock up for proposed building mural.
As the Squaw Valley work era draws to close, biz partner Bryan and I have been talking once again to Chris Shanks at Louis’ Basque Corner. (To refresh your memory: (http://bruceczopek.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/uma-meet-louis/).
We had put together a mural proposal Chris liked but it was put on hold. Since the building mural was part of an overall facelift package, Chris first needed to find out the cost of the other puzzle pieces.
It turns out the cost of moving the electrical pole that receives the power lines from the street is too costly to move. Good news and bad news. The good news is he can now afford to hire us to do a mural, the bad news is we get to incorporate the pole in the mural. If it works, we live to paint once again.
Chris and Bryan and I thought it would be a great idea to take the earlier concept and replace our anonymous Basque character with the real Louis’. A spry 86 years old, Louis’ came over to the restaurant last month for a glass of picon punch and a photo shoot so we could do a mock-up using him in the mural.
The finished product will look a lot more tidy than this mock-up. The building is already painted, and a new sign and awnings adorn the front.
As it turned out Louis’ showed up with a shepherd’s staff he uses for a cane. We decided to make the most of that and now the electrical pole will be the staff. The pole will of course be painted with the building and mural colors. We’ll see what everyone thinks. You gotta play the hand that’s dealt you. I’ll let you know what happens.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
The Space Between
Miracle. The word conjours up great visual scenarios – a lifelong crippled person suddenly walking, the spontaneous remission of a deadly illness, someone coming away from a fiery car crash without a scratch.
There is however, a miracle that goes unnoticed all the time. The beauty is that one can be aware of it, but it is impossible to understand. And by the time you are aware you are experiencing this miracle, it is gone. Hidden once again in plain sight. An open secret.
It is what goes on in the space between intention and the exact instant of the commencement of intended action. Slip into this space and what appeared to be a seamless event is now a happening you can drive a truck through. I am sure neurologists can offer practical explanations of what goes on, perhaps relegating all this to the moment it takes for countless neurons and synapses to fuel and fire whatever is going to bodily happen next. But that doesn’t cut it. It is a place of vastness where nothing happens yet there is a mystery of being. Vastness passing in a fraction of a second yet going nowhere, forever holding the space for the spark of that mystery to explode once again into some aspect of movement, of incarnation. It is a space that cannot be held onto, for that takes effort, which is an action, which is so far past intention and commencement it isn’t even funny. Yet there it goes again, now and now and now. Get acquainted with this and all solidity will be redefined. Loosened beyond the capacity to be identified, the absence of conventional knowledge a refreshing breeze on a hot summer’s night.
Rather miraculous, I say.
“Let’s Get Dense” – 5′ x 7′, acrylics, by Bruce Czopek, 1998.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Taking Care of Business
This rather poor quality photo reflects the state of my blurry eyes yesterday at the end of our creative work day.
Having enjoyed the great outdoors last weekend this one was dedicated to keeping the work train chugging along. Self employment does not perpetuate without the fuel of enterprise- marketing. Henceforth, a beginning batch of 24 classy 5 x 7 inch business cards to dazzle and intrigue potential new clients with and to remind old ones that we had a good year but haven’t forgotten you, so please don’t forget us. Although these cards in no way fit in a wallet, they often end up being saved and not casually thrown away. Even if work doesn’t immediately come out of this effort, the business name is somewhere out there in the economic ether, waiting to manifest at the most opportune time. Like the ever hopeful dog, eyes fixed on a full plate of universal abundance, I know the universe has some juicy tables scraps with our name on it.
Biz card production line.
These cards are an idea from the early days of my finishing career. Bryan did his normal excellent photoshop work, bringing the font into the present era and precisely laying out the lettering and box. The rest was easy- get re-aquainted with how to finesse the materials for the desired results, turn off the left brain, and release the right side to wander freely.
I stuck one on the wall ( notice the classy use of scotch tape) to take a happy snap versus standing on a kitchen chair for the overall tableview photo shown above. Nothing is too good for you LIPsters. 
The cards are clear except for the black print and the metalwork we individually apply on the backside, so the borders will take on the color of the surface they are placed on. Thus, the slightly more grey color on the solo card shot. For the bigger photo above the cards were on white paper.
We are winding down to the end of the Squaw Valley project. The next week or so will be spent applying a rice hay/plaster mixture on the walls of the family room and then glazing the walls to relate well to the wood trim and floors. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out (as, I am sure, are the clients). There are irons in the fire for other projects, large and small so things are looking favorable for continued food on the table.
But to all of the WordPress readers from other countries who check in here from time to time……” Have creativity, will travel.”
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Uma, Meet Louis
Artist's mock up of building mural to be.
“Excellent choice”. We’ve all heard these words before from the waiter who wants to make us feel happy and secure in our epicurean choice of delight for that special meal. Well, we ( Melillo Czopek Artisans) would like to echo these words to the new owners of Louis’ Basque restaurant in Reno. Louis’ ( pronounced Loo-ees) has been around almost forever – at least since 1967. A great year for automotive design and restaurants.
Last week, Chris Banks gave us a call. He and his partner, Brian Elcano, are the relatively new owners of Louis’ Basque Corner. They both come from generations of Basque heritage and Nevada citizenship, so it is a natural for them keep this family style restaurant alive and well in Reno. http://louisbasquecorner.com/ if you would like to scope it out.
Chris and Brian are in the process of spiffing up their 1906 brick building. One of the spiffy elements being a building mural. Henceforth, the phone call. Cool, murals r us. We were excited but first had to establish the economic viability of yet another mural. So Byan and I felt we needed to do our own interview with Chris. We came up with a list of three simple questions to gauge how well we all would creatively work together: 1) Are there any colorful tropical fish involved with this mural? 2) Do you fold your socks and underwear, labeling them as to what day of the week they will be worn and laying them out in that exact order in their own respective drawer? 3) Do you have a checking account?
Before we could ask our questions, Chris sent us a dynamite, well researched bunch of photos that we could use for inspiration and to give us an idea of what he had in mind. We were so impressed we decided not to ask him our questions. Probably a good thing.
Armed with useable information, Bryan did some photo shop magic. I took a photo of the building, we took the photo of the Basque gentlemen provided by Chris, Bryan took a photo of me wearing my brown bomber jacket and holding up a glass of good cheer, cut the head and neck off the poor Basque guy, mercilessly chopped my head out of my picture, and then replaced it with the now very confused but happy to be employed Basque character. Then he colored the building close to the color of the upcoming paint job and laid the surgically enhanced photo on the building with the appropriate lettering to make sure everyone knows just where they are eating. It will be approximately 25 x 15 feet. And since it is a mock-up, we can count on things changing which is all part of the process and all good.
Chris really liked the mural mock-up. We gave him a reasonable price - much more than we charge for fishes yet still not out of the ball park for a building mural of that size. And quicker than you can say, “Pass the Picon Punch”, we got the job. Excellent choice. It will start in a couple of months.
I’ll save writing about the actual process for later. It will be interesting though, because we won’t actually be painting the mural on the building itself. Rather, we’ll be painting it in on a thin, tough fabric called “parachute cloth” in 5′ x 5′ panels and then we’ll install (paste) the panels on the building. In correct order of course.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Melillo Czopek Sleeps With The Fishes
There is an old American saying- You might want gourmet but sometimes you just have to settle for fast food.
Such is the case for one of our a local hospitals. Putting the finishing touches on a spiffy new pediatric care building, Marie Wikoff, the interior designer for the hospital, contacted Bryan and I– We would like you guys to do two very small wall murals. They are to be in two 5 x 8 foot niches that house the digital scales used in weighing all the big and little rug runners.
The idea was to continue on an already established tropical fish theme. A kind of lively, happy night at the Coral Reef Bar and Grill. In other words, bright fishes in blue waters. Paint some ribbon like kelp in there to use as a measuring stick for marking the increasing elevation of growing kids, and all is good.
Cool. We set our right brains to it and came up with a simple but colorful sketch to give the designer and doctor types an idea. Also included was an estimate for what it would take to do it. Not much really. Having worked on many wall murals and professionally underestimated most of them, Melillo Czopek Artisans are no fools. We now know how to make at least $1.50 an hour on fussy projects. “Melillo Czopek Artisans” by the way is the name Bryan and I chose for our artistic business. We thought it was a descriptive enough monicker till one contractor said it sounded like an appliance. Did I mention we work in Nevada?
How big are fishes?
Anyhow, Marie got back to us with the news that our realistic bid was slightly higher than the docs wanted to spend. Could we revise things a bit and come up with a lower price? Of course, we live to estimate. Numbers were crunched at the Hub, site of the best coffee and tea in Reno. The danger with this satellite office is that labor estimates can take on a certain “caffeinated idealism.” This means that a job normally taking you two days to accomplish when estimated at the end of the day in your home, now can suddenly be done in half the time when estimated at the Hub. Wary though we were, we scaled down the design and did the math. New numbers were sent on the spot via the electronic 
love child of Steve Jobs and oila! It was still too high. Sigh….. What started out as a solid dinner at a fine dining establishment was beginning to look like quick trip to Taco Bell.
But after a cheerful meeting at the job site, everyone was happy with what they could get for their desired budget and the artists were fine knowing that Michelangelo’s reputation would be in no danger of being surpassed by the latest Melillo Czopek murals.
# 1 finished
# 2 finished
paleolithic minnows
Of course we underestimated it. We are consistent. But in our defense, one can barely unload the Subaru, mix some colors, take a bathroom break, tell a joke and have stayed within this particular budget. So…. we got killed. But happily. After all, bright aquatic creatures are cheerful and fun to paint, you know. Fish tacos anybody?
and there is no such thing as a........
Thanks for taking some LIP from me.
Bruce
p.s: you can always click on the image for a closer look
Gan Dancers
These are statues of Gan Dancers. Not be mistaken for Kachinas. In the American Southwest Indian traditions, Kachinas are men dressed up as gods in order to teach lessons. Gan Dancers were gods dressed up as men in order to bless and protect. A big difference. To be a Gan Dancer was to have a priestly vocation. One that was taken most seriously.
These particular statues were carved by an unknown Hopi artist, around 1940 I believe. Gan Dancers, though were of the Apaches Indians. I am fortunate to have these fellows reside in my living room. Growing up in Southern Arizona, close to where Cochise and Geronimo lived, I feel a certain kinship to them.
After taking this photo of these potent mountain guardians, my first thought was to adjust the light and soften it, give the white more warmth. But the longer I contemplated the photo, the more I saw the balance and quality of the light and the hue of the colors, although seemingly sharp, were absolutely perfect – a rarity for a one time point and shoot. The blue in the background art is spot on. The salmon color of the Dancer on the right is exact, and the shadows are crisp. Indeed the shadows almost feel more alive than the dancers. Better not to thumb your nose in the face of Lady Luck.
Here is one more photo, this one of the real thing, an Edward S. Curtis photo.
thanks for taking some LIP from me
Bruce
Move Over David Hockney
All is quiet as the microphone slowly lowers down.
“LADIEEES and GENTLEMEN…… Welcome to tonight’s featured event…… A battle royal of Pigmented Pugilism.”
“In this corner, from Bradford, England…….wearing decades of complimentary colors, recipient of high praise, honor and financial reward……the original, self proclaimed Color Bully…..the reigning King of Chroma…….DAAAVID HOCK-neyyyy.” ( loud cheers)
“And in this corner, from San Anselmo, Californa………..the challenger, weighing in with no current recognition but sporting high hopes……..the Prince of Pastel, the Tarantula of Tint, the Rainbow Warrior………. GEEeeEENE McHUUUUUGHHH”
Bedlam erupts as the crowd goes beserk in a fevered pitch of expectation only a pollen starved hive of bees would understand.
#18- dry pastels, oil pastels, dry pigment on paper. 30 x 40 inches, Gene McHugh
Honestly, I don’t know a great deal about the respected Mr. Hockney outside of his unabashed use of strong color. And that he indeed once described himself as a color bully. And that I am grateful for his inspiration in setting the stage tonight.
Gene, on the other hand, I have know for twenty five plus years. He is a natural artist. So talented, the story goes, that during his birth he sketched the doctor and nurses who delivered him, handing them a tidy 8 x 11 drawing before they had a chance to slap him on the ass and hand him back to his mother. He is the kind of artist us wannabe artists want to punch.
#15
As you may have noticed, currently he is big time into flowers. Averaging 22 x 30 inches, going up to 30 x 40 inches, they are drawn on archival paper using oil pastel, dry pastel, and dry pigments. It is safe to say your rods and cones approach vibratory overwhelm at warp speed, but somehow, miraculously, stop just short of complete sensory overload. The works are nicely framed and covered with glass.
When I walked into Gene’s living room several weeks ago he had twenty or more pieces inhabiting the space. Immediately, I noticed two things. One, his power bill would be going down because there was now no need to turn on any lights. And two, when contemplating these paintings, one feels really happy. The uncomplicated, tail wagging, no mind kind of happiness that makes you grin.
#16
Natural talent that he may be, Gene has not always been prolific. A lot of the time, he has been “getting ready to get ready”. Some false starts, a lot of stretched canvas in the storage room, concepts that never quite made it out to to the light of day. But he has kicked things into gear with this flower series. I hope he sells them by the truckload.
Even though he didn’t really need it, he now has some real motivation. In January, his wife, Deborah was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She is a supremely sweet woman, wonderfully giving and treasured by all her friends. Debbie has started her chemo and is truly a champ. She and Gene have always been a great team, powered by their Spiritual Master, their love and humor, and now, the appreciated help of their friends. People stop by often, offering whatever they can do to bring love and energy.
One of Deborah’s friends has a very successful yoga studio in Los Gatos, California. It is in an elegant, spacious setting. Jennifer Prugh, the owner, has graciously offered to display Gene’s new works for a period of time so he can make many sales to help defray rising medical costs. The yoga studio is called “Breathe” and the show will be there beginning in April. Jennifer is also smart, I think. She knows her clients will feel happy while yoga-ing underneath the auspices of Genes’ art work. More return business for her.
#9
Never accused of enthusiastically embracing modern technology, Gene has no website although he promised me one is forthcoming. If any of you out there in cyberspace want to add a little…..well, make that- a LOT of color to your life, feel free to contact Gene at: mchughgene@yahoo.com. He does know how to use the post office and ships flowers anywhere.
- # 10-
#20- 30 x 40 inches, Gene McHugh
Love to you, Deborah and Gene. Goodnight All.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Uma, Uma, Where For Art Thou, Uma?
Hello…… Hello……. HELLLOOO?
Oh, so sorry, I can’t hear you. I have Acoustiblok in my ears. What’s that you say? Acoustiblok? Yes, it is a sound deadening material, used in home theaters, recording studios, and in one clever application I just heard of, as wallcovering in a teenage son’s bedroom.
Partner in art, Bryan Melillo and I ran across it this year when Craig Bonds took us into a home theater at a private residence at Lake Tahoe. He was the designer on the project, and had used this material to soften the echoing sounds the bare walls yielded in the 10 x 25 foot theater. Craig had purchased four 4 x 4 foot panels, framed them, and mounted them on the walls. Several panels were also strategically placed on the ceiling. It was very effective but alas, aesthetically boring. It did the sound trick but the room looked incomplete in its whiteness. He wanted to come up with a finish on the panels to bring interest to the walls but knew we couldn’t mess with the surface of the material too much without losing the sound softening properties. A good challenge which we were happy to embrace.
Of course everyone is going to come up with a movie poster theme in a home theater. That’s okay, but again we were hamstrung by not wanting to put paper posters over the panels, or paint a poster look-a-like on them. We decided to push ahead with that concept though, and asked the client for images from their favorite movies. Next, we talked to the Acoustiblok rep and he sent us sample pieces to experiment with.
Up in Smoke, Pulp Fiction, The Guns of Navarone and The Last of the Mohicans were the subjects of choice. Bryan worked on the computer first, manipulating the composition and scale of the images provided to acceptably fit on a diamond-shaped panel. ( Craig didn’t go for a square panel look and chose to turn them on point.)
We worked in a grey scale, using charcoal and graphite and a bit of colored chalk. It worked surprisingly well, staining the material without sealing it. A sample was done, and we were all stoked to find the acoustic qualities of the panels came through unscathed by our artistic adventure. A very light spray fixative was used at the end along with stern warnings to keep the cleaning people away from all posters and use spill proof glasses for beer and wine during the Academy Awards.
I’m a faux finisher first and fine artist quite second. Bryan, however, has an MFA and we put that to good use here. He handled the faces, bodies, clothing and general supervision. I tackled the backgrounds, bedspreads, mountains, etc. There is a term in Hollywood set painters use- “hero shot”. A hero shot is when the wall you painted or the door you antiqued or the column you marbleized is right there in the movie scene along with the hero.
And so it came to be that Mr. Melillo got the hero shots on this project and did great. I get to be in the photos though and look important because he had the camera and I pleaded technological ignorance. By the way, he did fall in love with Uma Thurman on this one after spending so much quality time with her Acoustiblok clone.
Le Muse
Protecting Ms. Thurman from falling art shrapnel
Just a little for inspiration…..
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Pass the Salt, Please
Yesterday I took a turn sitting at the Kauai Society of Artists annual show. It is held at the KSAA gallery space which is the old JC Penny store site at Kukui Grove Shopping Center in world-famous Lihue, Kauai. You get a couple of time slots during the course of the exhibition, show up, smile at people when they come in, remind the youngsters not to touch the artwork, (especially after just visiting Coldstones) and make sure no one walks out with a brazen art heist right out of “White Collar”.
During my three-hour stint, I got some pages turned on what is shaping up to be a good escapist science fiction novel. I was also treated to a wide range of visitors. About fifty adults and ten kids came through the show. All kinds of shapes, sizes, social strata, shades of color and levels of interest. Some folks took quite a long time to rest with each piece in the show. Some came in and did a quick lap as if combining their cultural requirement with their daily exercise routine. Couples or singles pushed their strollers, attention split up between what was on the wall and who was in the stroller. Married tourists made dutiful stops together as if the respective works of art had been scheduled into their vacation itinerary. Boyfriends impressed girlfriends with their artistic knowledge. Girlfriends exasperated boyfriends by not taking them seriously. One guy sat down and told me how much his wife loved to do art but just hadn’t done it in years as she winsomely floated around the show with a sad smile. A very wise man stopped his family from coming in with him and told them he’d catch up with them later. He took his sweet time, relishing every minute of it.
180 pieces were entered into the show. 50 were selected by Neida Bangarter, a respected gallerist and juror from Mauai. It was a good quality show, varied with different styles and expressions. She also curated the show well. She began the show with abstracts, the artwork becoming more finite as you continued along. And she ended the show with the most representational style of work. There were four awards of merit handed out and the State of Hawaii bought five pieces for their collection that is rotated for exhibition in public places. Ahh, the artistic ego. I felt very gratified when informed that my ” Salt Pond Country Store” made the cut and would be included in the show. But alas, I was not amongst the elite who had garnered an award or been bought by the State. So of course I left an utter failure after opening night, doomed to return to endless weed whacking. Or as an old friend once humorously said about a particular situation that he had royally messed up– “Hampered by the inability to create, I must destroy”. Well- it was’t that bad , but ego is a pain in the ass on a good day and I confess to temporarily buying into a level of non inspiration for future work.
However, I was richly rewarded yesterday. From a vantage point at the front door and from behind my cheesy sci-fi novel, I got a pretty good view of most people’s reactions to the artwork. For the most part, people enjoyed looking at everything in the show, others went back to a piece several times or spent longer in front of one versus another. I must say, I believe I was strongly in the running for most popular piece with the locals. You know, the locals- the kind who enjoys a good lunch at L&L and doesn’t own a pair of leather shoes. Those who enjoy strolling in the mall with their girlfriend or boyfriend on their afternoon off. Those who have a fishing rod in the back of the truck for after work. Those who have beer to celebrate something or just have a beer to have a beer. This series of images I’ve been working on the last two years are about Kauai. They are a threads that weave together a glimpse of the everyday Island. Some thing or place you see but don’t see because it’s too ordinary, so you miss out on a good story or an incredibly lighted moment. The paintings aren’t in your face emotional,they are more like dry humor. But even though they aren’t dramatic, I do want them to be engaging, to tell a story, to make someone want to take in the light. Honestly, I also wanted to paint something everyone on the island can relate to and take pleasure in (visitors and locals alike) while satisfying my own creativity.
So I felt validated yesterday to see a number of the locals really enjoy Salt Pond. They stopped and smiled while looking at it, pointing at various details. Inevitably they would get closer to see something better. Some waited for their partners to catch up and look at it together (hey, maybe they knew the lady going in the front door or the guy who owned the truck?). One gal went out and got her boyfriend and brother to come look at it. Cool, very cool. Mission accomplished. Thanks everyone. Onto the next painting.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
The Painted Bus and Other Art News
Sorry Folks, it has been an MIA kinda time lately. Dealing with some pinched nerve neck issues which makes for a creative and challenging period of world. I’ll spare you the verbage, but can say I sympathize with that bus.
Some art news for you—- in the center of the art world–New York- Adi Da Samraj had a very successful opening at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery. Haven’t seent any formal reviews yet, looking forward to that, but the words from people there had a very common theme…” The gallery felt extremely Happy and Bright-high energy. The art was unique and the quality of the fabrication was extraordinary and cutting edge…. and happy.” People were milling about inside and outside on the street and no one was ready to go home even after the scheduled hours for the show to close. Hopefully much buzz will be created. It was the opening of the gallery season in New York as well as the opening of Fashion Week, so such a good turnout was an auspicious beginning to this show.
New York opening for Adi Da Samraj
On a much more humble and closer to home note- I submitted some paintings for the annual Kauai Society of Artists juried show. It’s a respected annual show here. The best one on the island. The juror, Neida Bangarter, is from Maui, and is a well thought of professional. There were 180 entries and she chose 50 for the show so it seems the bar was high which is good. One exciting thing for the artists is that this show is the only one on Kauai that the acquisitions committee for the state of Hawaii Art in Public Paces program visits and buys several pieces for the States collection. So it is a good place to be seen.
Got a call today and my ” Salt Pond Country Store” was one of the 50 selected for the show. Of course it would be tremendous if the state wanted to add it to it’s artistic coffers but even if they don’t it is rewarding to make the cut. The show opens on Sept.18th for six weeks. I’ll let you know if by some stroke of artistic luck “Salt Pond” will be staying behind with new owners. Glad the bus wasn’t entered, though. Talk about stealing the show. It would make one cool installation piece.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
How’s Your Bridge Building?
homage to Francis Bacon
True Confession -and no shocking revelation to those who know me- I am not a neat and tidy kinda guy. I try. Indeed, things have improved over the years and although I am non fully grown up yet, a Sloppy Sagittarius am I.
In case any of you out there were wondering just who the heck Francis Bacon was, he was an Anglo-Irish painter who died in 1992. He painted raw, emotional figuratives. Strong stuff. And he was the undisputed art king of mess. I mean the guy simply did not clean up his studio in his whole career. It was an archeological dig. Impressive actually. When something hit the floor, it stayed there. So although I am not in Mr. Bacon’s rarefied category, I thought a nod of the pallet would be appropriate in the caption to the progress photo from the weekend.
Not much progress actually but hey it takes a while to build a bridge, shape and trim coconut trees, pot plants and seed clouds. What the heck did you do this weekend, huh? Anyhow, since it is late and it is a construction site I confess it isn’t that neat and tidy as I say hello and goodnight and wish you all a good start to your week.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Kannon
In the wee small hours of the morning, when all distractions are fast asleep, Mr Aaron Nakagawa is just getting into gear. Musical phrasing, recorded tracks and layovers, retakes and EQ tweaks, it seems the the art of mixing music is best done after midnight. 
Recently, Aaron collaborated with Hanne Skov, a gifted Danish vocalist who had been spending time on Kauai, exploring the healing and creative energies of this Island. There is a CD in production from those sessions, a unique one that will soon be available to the benefit of your ears.
One of the songs on that collaboration, is “Kannon”, a piece Aaron wrote last year and used in his video production of my artwork. It is a different song now, rounder and more full with Hanne’s added contribution and the richly expressive clarinet of Kauai resident and music professor, Laine Griffith. Hanne’s mature voice is full and complex, intuitive and lithe, penetrating and suddenly floating. A very good team. Kannon is beautiful, haunting music.
Aaron took the newly reworked “Kannon” and added a two of my latest paintings so we could offer everyone a visual as well as audio update. I will let know you when their CD, “Twilight Ti”, has left the After Midnight Production Studios and is on the shelf.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Onto the Next…. I Guess
"Waters of Conscious Light" 24 x 30; arylics; Temple Adi Da, Da Love Ananda Mahal Renunciate Sanctuary
The “Waters” painting is with the print master. The giclee should be ready by weeks end. Thanks to Bryan and Aaron for helping me see some things that were either escaping my awareness and others I was ignoring and hoping no one would notice. The sidewalks still received a tiny more work after this last photo so this isn’t the absolute latest digital image, but plenty good. I must say though, the painting has a lot of mana in person.
It was an interesting time, painting a subject that resides at Sacred Grounds which are set apart for contemplation, meditation, service and the reception of uninterrupted Blessing. Moving onto the next painting, a street scene in Kapaa feels like a casual conversation after finishing a heart deep discussion with an intimate. I do have some other subject though I want to paint of the Sanctuary and will do so after this next one. Or maybe not. If I can locate one from the archives I have in mind it my just alter the course of the artistic river.
But for now here’s a sketch of the proposed new one: Looking from the inside of the Small Town coffee shop onto the tables and across the street to a bridge that goes over the river by the ocean. Clouds have yet to be sketched in.
Ben drinks Jo
Lotsa positive comments over this current piece. Thank you all for taking the time to voice your support.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
#10- Waters Of Conscious LIght
"Waters Of Conscious LIght"
There are four or five hours left on painting #10. Need to finesse, massage, sharpen lines, blur lines and be fussy. But hey it’s the weekend and so a good time to share the almost completed work with friends. It’s a tough painting to photograph so my apologies for a not quite on the money representation.
This is a scene from the full moon evening of July 2009. It was such an incredible, brilliant moon that Guru Purnima evening. Hopefully the last painting captured some of the Mystery of the Sanctuary and this one lets you feel some of the Magic. I didn’t doctor the physical aspect of the photo so it is extraordinary to look at the fountain waters at the end of the reflecting pool to see the Yantric symbols the crossing waters made.
Off to the printers on Monday with another thank you to Ritch who added a giclee of this painting to his collection.
Have a great weekend,
Bruce
P.S. As always you can enlarge the photo by clicking on it.
Out With The Old, In With The New
There was a famous artist who when queried how he know when he was finished with painting, replied, “I’m never finished, I’m just done.”
Well said.
And so I am officially done with the first Dome Temple painting and onto the next. You won’t see a lot of difference from the last photo posted of it. The dome is rounder, the finial is done, a reflective shadow is in there now and some wonderful subtleties of colors around the moon. Too subtle for the photo I just took but they and the rest of the painting glows under proper lighting. When I finagle a show in September ( positive thinking) you can come and see for yourself.
Temple Adi Da, 16 x 20, acrylics
On Monday, the painting goes to the printer to be scanned and made into a giclee. (Thanks Ritch! May it bring you great pleasure.) The scan will also render a better photo than this one for my archives.
In the meantime, the next painting is on the easel . I won’t torture you with a lot of progress photos as it will be such a magical piece I prefer to suprise everyone at the end. But a photo of the sketch can’t hurt. It’s another full moon shot of Temple Adi Da ( no moon in the painting though). This time from the front with the fountains of the reflecting pond going full tilt. This one will take a while.
It’s 24 x 30 inches. Nice to work a little larger again. Hey I may even be more communicative now that I’ve stopped obsessing about completing #9. For sure i have some emails to catch up on.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
p.s. Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them.
#9
Temple Adi Da, Da Love Ananda Mahal Sanctuary
Coming down the homestretch on painting # 9. The working title is “Guru Moon”, as it is a scene from Guru Purnima night in July several years ago at 2:30 in the morning.
“Guru Purnima” is a Hindu holy day that comes every full moon in July. It celebrates the relationship with ones Guru or Spiritual Master. Even though our Ashram isn’t a Hindu organization, this relationship with the Spiritual Master is the foundation of our practice, and so we embrace the spirit of this celebration. A spiritual practitioner who has been graced with any sort of real understanding will tell you that although on the surface it seemed like he or she was “doing” a practice that resulted in some level of Realization, in the end it was simply a gift from their Guru, who actually did the transformational work while you stuck around. It is as if they had been handing you an apple and suddenly after so many years of dropping it you finally held on.
Lots of massaging and detailing to do on this painting, more definition here and there, subtleties of color to go into the sky, soften some transitions etc. Will wrap it up this week though.
Take care everyone.
Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce
Hawaiian Graffiti
Only on Kauai……
Last year, the county built a serious retaining wall on the S-curve below our Wailua Homesteads neighborhood. Aaron and I remarked on many a trip up and down the hill how miraculous it was that such a pristine graffiti canvas had gone untouched for so long. We expected it to be tagged within a week after the last worker was gone.
Well, finally it has been used for its secondary purpose in life. Someone anoited it with graffiti on it a couple of weeks ago. The composition of the artwork, however, is a credit to just how benign an environment we are blessed to live in here…….
Basquiat lives.
On a personal artwork note– one of the full moon paintings is underway. Long way to go as you can see but it is always good to bury the resistance to starting a new project under many layers of color……
Except for underneath the Dome, and the reflection on the surrounding tile decking, everything in the painting will be shades of a deep nighttime color. There are also some great clouds waiting to take their place. It’s amazing how much subtlety of color actually registers under a very full moon.
And finally, apologies in advance for not writing as I need to take time off from the computer. My bargain basement trifocals from Costco work well enough overall but don’t mesh that great with the distance needed in viewing the computer screen. The results being not so much fun for my eye and cranial muscles. Since I’d rather save them for working on the painting, it is an easy choice and hopefully won’t be necessary for all that long. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking of you.
Aloha,
Bruce
