Dreams and Divinities Exhibition, Dallas, TX –recap of reception

First of all, thanks  again to Liba Stambollian for organizing this fantastic finale to the traveling "Dreams and Divinities" exhibition and to Matt Anzak, director of LuminArte Gallery in Dallas, TX for hosting the show.  

(photo by Patrick Muni)

This show, entitled “Dreams and Divinities Equinox,” opened on March 21st in celebration of the Spring Equinox. The fantastic art was a blend of  Visionary Art, Surrealism, and Fantastic Realism. Pieces were inspired by cultural and spiritual references, Sacred Geometry, elements of nature, explorations into the subconscious mind, visions, dreams, and fantasy. 

The list of artists in this show included some super talented and well known folks from around the world including Liba Waring Stambollion, Peter Gric, Andrew Gonzalez, Joe MacGown, Martina Hoffmann, Emma Watkinson, Otto Rapp, Adam Scott Miller, Cody Seekins, Patrick McGrath Muniz, Sandra Yagi, Bruce Rimell, Raul Casillas, Miguel Tio, David Heskin and Aloria Weaver, Chris Dyer, Erich Moffit, Hector Pineda, Carrie Ann Baade, Zeljko Djurovic, Roku Sasaki, Elisabeth Slettnes, Android Jones, Marcus McAllister, Gabriela Garza Padilla, Martin Stensaas and Sunny Strasburg. 

I made the quick trip to Dallas with another Starkville artist, Laurie Burton, and although we were there only a short time, we greatly enjoyed the show and meeting some artists and attendees. We started out Saturday by visiting some other galleries and antique stores in the vicinity of Luminarte Gallery. One of the private galleries we found was owned by French artist Jacques Lamy (www.jacqueslamy.com). This guy was super awesome and had some wonderful pieces of art from abstract to almost surreal. Really enjoyed talking with him and seeing his artwork!! 

Jacques Lamy!

Work by Jacques 

Works by other artist at Lamy's gallery

Just a door or so down we found another beautiful gallery (or two or three). Check this stuff out! A small sampling of stuff in the Design District of Dallas. 

But, back to Dreams and Divinites! We arrived at the reception at 7 PM and met the owner Jamie Labar and director Matt Anzak. Super nice folks! Directly after that we met two other artists with works in the show, Patrick McGrath Muniz and Andrew Gonzalez. These guys are ridiculously amazing artists, both well respected worldwide, and it was wonderful to meet them both in person. And, they were humble genuine guys who just happen to be incredible artists. 

Patrick, Andrew, and me in front of Patrick's painting

Patrick and his wife

I really enjoyed this show. There were some similarities of styles with some of the "visionary" works, but in general, most of the artists were very unique. All of the artists were at the top of their game with technique beyond reproach. I even felt like my works fit in nicely to the blend of styles and genres. This was a good show for me to attend in that I was able to observe the reactions of viewers seeing my work side by side with artists who are known and respected worldwide. The response I received was overwhelmingly positive. I now feel like I definitely fit in with this crowd, even though my art is quite different than any there. It did not hurt me that I already had some pieces in the gallery. As a result, I actually had more pieces present than any other artist, with five total. Matt Anzak seized on this and actually placed my four larger pictures in a prime spot, where they received a lot of attention. Thanks Matt!

Two of my pieces, Ossiforestation and Convergence

Two more of my pieces, As Above, So Below and Zabulation

The piece on the left is mine, "Going Green" is the title

Here are a few pictures from the show! Enjoy! If possible, check this show out in person at Luminarte Gallery on 1727 E. Levee Street, Dallas, TX. It will be up for a couple of months. 

Liba Stabollian's work!

Gorgeous painting by Roku Sasaki

Luis Tamani Amasifuen's painting!

top piece by Michael Divine and bottom by Otto Rapp

3D work by Magi Calhoun

Martina Stensaas (left), Luist Masifuen (middle) and Martina Hoffman (right)

Aloria Weaver (left) and David Heskin (right)

Kathi Schmieder, Andrew Gonzalez, Patrick Muniz, and Kathi's Husband

Sandy Yagi (top) and Erich Moffitt (bottom)

Work by Zeljko Djurovic

Gorgeous works by Raul Casillas Roma. Very detailed and full of color and things.  

Amazing work by Carrie Anne Bade

Zeljko Djurovic and Martina Stensaas

Chris Dyer and Bruce Rimmell

Andrew Gonzalez's works 

Marcus McAllister

Visionary self portrait by Adam Scott Miller

A wonderful painting by Patrick McGrath Muniz

Andrew Gonzalez talking with fellow visionary artist Greg Pettit

A beautiful digital/collage work by Andrew Jones

Cody Seekin's interesting painting on the left and of course Roku's work on the right

An intriguing work by Miguel Tio

Work by Bruce Rimmell

Andrew Gonzalez 

Martina Hoffman

Otto Rapp's piece

Another gorgeous piece by Andrew Gonzalez

Chris Dyer did this crazy piece

Art stuff happening in Sessums, MS

Lots going on lately. Probably too much, but I guess that's how it goes! This fine Thursday afternoon I am inside my studio working on a new piece of art. Why am I here on a Thursday afternoon instead of at work? Snow. Yep. Once in a while we get a bit of snow here in Mississippi, and when we do, it basically shuts everything down. Fine with me. One of the cool things about the snow is you can see all kinds of animal tracks. My yard is pretty wild and attracts a good bit of wildlife. I have deer, coyotes, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, armadillos, foxes, some small rodents, lots of birds including ducks (on the pond), snakes, turtles, and various lizards and salamanders (not so much in the winter), and even an occasional bobcat. Just walking about this morn I saw the tracks of several of the mammals, so that was pretty cool! Here are a few pictures of my yard from this morn.

Back to the art. This latest piece I am working on is on wood and decent sized, about 3 X 4 feet. This time, I primed it with a flatter type of primer, instead of the glossier stuff I have been using. Over the last few days this week, I have been applying some colored ink with brushes, fingers, and paper towel to lay down some underlying color. Yesterday I started drawing with my Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph pens to draw some stuff on the crazy colors that I have going. It seems that as I get older, I am finding myself drawn to simpler shapes and figures, even if I create great amounts of detail within and around these figures. Also, I have noticed that certain creatures/faces/beings tend to reoccur. I am not sure why this is, but why fight it. I have this one face in particular that keeps popping up that is a simple round face with large eyes, no hair, and I would say it is more on the male side. Weird. Maybe I just suck at art and this is the only face I can draw! Or maybe my subconscious is trying to tell a long story over time with this "guy" as the main character? Well, I really don't know. Ha.

part of the new picture

large view of the new one

detail of my weird headed dude

the weird headed dude is connected to a very simple body

here is a detail from my painting "Memories From a Childhood Dream." Sort of resembles the face above. 

My piece entitled "Memories From a Childhood Dream". Maybe this title explains why I keep including this character? Maybe this really was a childhood dream?

Recent and Upcoming Shows

In addition to the various group shows I have been involved with locally with the Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC), I have had art in two different shows at Luminarte Gallery in Dallas, TX. The first exhibition, "No Body, No Evidence. Right?" opened late January, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a piece entitled "Zabulation" in that show.

"Zabulation"

The latest show, an abstract show of sorts, was called "Mnemosyne" and opened this past Saturday night (21 February 2015). I have two pieces in this show, "As Above, So Below" and "Convergence." These two exhibitions actually overlapped, so all three pieces are on exhibit there now. This is very cool as the LuminArte Gallery was voted the best gallery in Dallas this past year (and other years). Also, many of the pieces in both of these shows were created by artists who regularly exhibit internationally! Nice.

"As Above, So Below," colored ink and pen on wood, 24 X 24 inches, 2015

"Convergence," watercolor, colored pencil, and pen on illustration board, 2014

But wait! Theres more! I will have art in yet another show at LuminArte Gallery next month as part of the finale of the traveling "Dreams and Divinities" exhibition. This show opens on 21 March 2015 and will feature some fantastic international artists such as Patrick McGrath Muniz, Andrew Gonzalaz, Liba Stambollian, and numerous other amazing artists. To be included with likes of these folks is pretty sweet! Thanks to Matt Anzak, the art director at LuminArte for including me in these shows, and to Liba for inviting me to be a part of this last one.

In addition to these super trippy awesome international group shows, I will have two upcoming local shows here in Mississippi. The dates on these are not finalized, but basically I will be installing the first around mid March at Aust Gallery at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, MS. My buddy Terry Cherry, a great artist and instructor at the school there, invited me over for this. I exhibited there several years ago and greatly enjoyed it. The students seemed to appreciate my somewhat strange art, and even the older folks were intrigued.

The other local show will be going up late March in the Colvard Union Gallery on the Mississippi State University campus. This will be a group show with one or two other artists. Details to come, but it should be fun.