Art, Nature & Soul #65

‘The Artist’s Palette"‘ is a new series of ongoing abstracts I’ll be putting out there for your consideration.

Over the years when I’ve completed an abstract, often times I think to myself it looks like an artists palette, mine in fact. I’m usually working on several artworks, both representational & abstract, at any given time, so the color palettes are often similar as they… the multi disciplines, echoes & rhythms are always playing off each other, in my work, for me, and ever present in my thoughts is this~

WE, ALL LIFE, ARE ORGANIC ALGORITHMS RECOGNIZING MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS OF FRACTALS x CHAOS, MADE OF THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MATTER & ENERGY OF SYNCHRONICITY IN THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUSNESS OF THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM...stardust be it named, the universe or God.

Like ripples on water or the breeze in the wind, a close up view of a wild flower patch, sand on the beach or the night sky, the patterns within patterns with patterns are the enigma we call life. These patterns are ever present whether we notice them or not, importantly we can repeat them and create them as prescribed by nature, life, the universe & everything.

Chaos changes the patterns, the new pattern changes the outcome & design, but if we can’t change anything because it’s already happened, then we may as well smoke flowers. I believe we can, we do change the outcome. As such it’s our our responsibility, if not our prerogative to try.

These novelty artworks reflect that idea and echo that sentiment. Most if not all palettes are initially used in the creation of one of my standard paintings, either representational or abstract. All though I must confess, sometimes I’m overwhelmed & inspired to push paint & color around, create textures & designs. These make a perfect impromptu painterly emotional escape for me. Each are a 9”x12” on wood palette and have an introductory price of $100. directly from me, the painter.

Your questions & comments are welcome. Message me if you’re interested in acquiring one of “The Artist’s Palette” pieces. ~Richard

Art, Nature & Soul #64

Pride x Infinity Squared = Love, was the working title as I built this painting up, layer by layer, medium by medium. An aerial view, of us, the viewer, hovering over the two figures… 2 people as they float face to face embracing in water, contemplating leaning in to kiss. They are the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character, hence the essence of being, their being complete in a sort of mobius strip configuration, of pure energy, infinite.

Today, everyone has their pronouns, especially from our youths, in their teens & 20’s it’s commanded, it’s demanded, it’s decided, at least for today. That so stated I declare myself a ‘Queer af Thon’, air quotes intended, which is to say that’s for me to decide, but expect the unexpected with a dash of the obscure ‘That One’ or ‘The One’. But back in my day or rather my youth, I remember, upon months before my first marriage to a woman, that my soon to be father in law , that is to say, her father sent us to a seminar, in our teens, that was to help us grow into successful, productive & happy adults. (*note-I was to marry another female before deciding on the male, whom my life partner was to be. All, persons were aware of my ‘more queer nature’.) I recall the speaker working his way around to me and asking, “who are you, what do you see yourself doing & being in 5 years?” I , of course had heard the multitude of rather hopeful but dry answers from other male & female participants in the audience. With that, I stood tall, firm and with a bit of a tone & an attitude and stated, “I AM” and sat back down. The speaker asked for me to elaborate, again I stood and repeated, “I AM” sat down, as he soon moved on, me unmoved.

So let me explain what I meant & mean, "I Am that I Am" let me repeat "I am who I am", "I will become what I choose to become", "I am what I am", "I will be what I will be", "I create what(ever) I create", and "I am the Existing One", which is for me to decide on my own terms, in my own time, transcendent, of all else, without need to justify, so long as no one gets hurt, intentionally.

After watching a coming of age LGBTQIA film where 2 youths discover who they are and fall in love, I was inspired to paint this piece, So I began by drawing the figures in water. Then began the layering of acrylic paint…iridescent & interference colors adding as a 3rd & 4th layer. Adding oil paint I began to block in the shapes, then using my ebony pencil added some relevant to the theme symbols and words, continuing with more oil paints, oil pastel, 18k gold paint, until finally using charcoal to add high contrast/dissolve and my signature 18k gold leaf, my vision was complete. This being the ambiguous & androgenous nature of the figures in love, as they embrace. As their gender, sexuality & identity was self defined & secondary to love, with the only thing needed from the outside world, being acknowledgement & acceptance, without judgement, criticism or reason, unconditionally. So I dare you, put yourself in the painting, we are all these 2 person’s, searching, in love, when that person that completes us, our mate is found. This “IS-FREEDOM” & self evident, our right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" as so phrased in the United States Declaration of Independence & have a Happy 4th of July, 2022.

Your comments & questions are welcome, Richard

‘ESSENCE” 30”x30” mixed media

Art, Nature & Soul #63

An artist friend wrote to me in regard to an abstract expressionist piece I had just completed & posted on one of the social media platforms I’m on.

Gabriela M. from Argentina,

“This one is guarding her! I liked it a lot! It reminded me of another face.de Abstraction that I did.. that I adored and here they purposely upload Realism to moan... no need to bother Antiques. I already showed that I do Realism well and I prefer Abstract... and other styles Like minimalism or Informalism and Suprematism included in the line of Abstract. and I generate 4 lines discovered by me that I upload them and they don't support me, maybe a chicken with potatoes. or a worthless cartoon. guys no one knows who he is! He doesn't even do it. It's clear that being an artist is not being these people! Fight FOR your taste. friend. luck!!! There is nothing that suits them good only evil.. the discouraged. envy me being me. bad people. thankful that I have some friends who pretend to be seen. They talk to you. they support you. . the other ghosts!?”

“The other ghosts”, and yes most of us can draw & paint the more realistic and representational, as well, but we are the persons who see beyond the more traditional conventions of the day. It’s interesting how some viewers, other painters included, simply do not understand it or get it, abstract artwork that is. To me it seems so simple. I found myself explaining my work to an interested party, enticing them to participate at the gallery, just the other day, when they remarked, “You do everything,” in regards to both the representational and abstract nature of my work. “Can you tell me a bit about it? What inspires you?"” To which I responded , “I feel they are the same and play off each other. Do you know what fractals are? Patterns within patterns that exist in everything under a microscope to those seen from the largest telescope. Energy traces, the patterns are echoes of each other, from the smallest to the largest, where as chaos can change the patterns,“ I explained. Creating a square template, as a view finder, holding it over a 5” area, keeping composition in mind, over one of my representational artworks, stopping, I said, “here’s a small abstract, now imagine it 36” x36”. They both immediately got it, continued to look at my abstracts, then I added, as a response to what inspires me, “Everything, I see something, think a thing, have an idea and just have to paint it…I’m usually working on & building up 3-6 pieces at any given time.” That said, in the universe I’m working, there’s no lines separating us, only edges that connect us. I try to keep it free flowing, natural & organic, plus there’s lots of symbolism & mythology used in my abstract works and more obvious ones in the representational artworks.

.Interestingly, with the representational work, once I choose a subject they move along rather quickly and most directly, over several hours or days, to completion. Where as the abstracts, I begin with a basic idea and build off it over days, weeks, & sometimes, over several months, as I evaluate my next move, adding & subtracting visual information. This piece has more scribbles, marks & erasures then most of my other artworks of this nature. They are very difficult to photograph and capture their true depth and scope. More so they are best appreciated in person as the layering of mediums draw us in with an hypnotic quality. The mediums used are acrylic & oil paint, oil pastel, ebony pencil, charcoal , 18k gold paint marker & gold leaf. The 18k gold leaf & infinity symbol, has become my trademark, a signature of sorts, on most of my abstract artworks. Like peeling an onion, so then are the thoughts in ones mind, as are the layers of meaning within this piece. Adding & subtracting, making marks & erasures made, until finally the vision is complete for others to ponder & create their own stories within, which fascinates and is always what I want, the viewers participation and engagement, as my story ended when the piece was completed.

*Note~Having been suddenly struck and engaged by my abstract artwork, which led to an in-depth, but upbeat & fun conversation, about how & why I do what I do, to which they responded by acquiring not 1, but 2 pieces. Both 'Catharsis' & 'Eye of the Fire' 32"x32" framed mixed media, have found a new home & I couldn't be more grateful & thrilled

Your questions are welcome, thanks, Richard

‘Scribbles, Marks & Erasures’ 36” square mixed media by Richard Sperry’

‘Scribbles, Marks & Erasures’ 36” square mixed media by Richard Sperry

Art, Nature & Soul #62

What & How we see is equal to, how we convey it. A visual translation into its own language is how I choose to speak to an audience, hungry for a commonality expressed in paint. In an age of mechanical reproduction, from the most basic of tracing or graphing the image & modified digital recreations, masquerading as original art, makes the search for ‘art’ a more difficult task. Like all academic skills they have their place, but creation is creation, an original, an original, & a copy, a copy.

Even more so, it seems now a days anyone with a digital camera or cell phone, is a photographer. Please push the envelope if you’re going to claim said status, pretty pictures are a dime a dozen, even the misappropriated ones which seem abundant. That said, a photo is a great way to remember a moment you’ve experienced, so when I’m not painting on location I use them as emotional, as well as visual references, for both great times had & potential future paintings, expressed. In this photo capture the serenity of the beach, the quiet sounds of the waves rolling in as the birds, seagull & sand piper alike , spend their time looking for breakfast, along the shoreline.

The photo I’ve taken has seemingly crisp lines separating all entities and our eye has averaged the colors into blocks for easy understanding. Having been here, to this location, a beach, and making mark, a visual memory, I know that the color and light are much more dynamic in person and have set out to paint there depth and interactions.

Here I’ve begun by toning a 24”square canvas in an acrylic prism violet. The violet gives a subtle color continuity to the painting as a whole and when my sgraffito technique is used to scratch into the surface paint, thus giving an even greater depth. This also helps to give direction and the allusion of motion. After brushing in preliminary shapes and blocks of color, I get busy with a variety of palette knives, layering in the water, sand & birds along the shoreline. Artistic license is used here as I’ve made just a suggestion of the Sand Pipers, as to keep our primary focus on the Seagull. With the Seagull in mind, I’ve also modified its location and changed ever so slightly the shape of the wings & legs to give the appearance of lift off, where as the photo it’s running toward that moment.

I’ll spend weeks, days & a great many hours thinking about my approach and what my intended statement is, before ever picking up a brush. Once it’s in my head though, I work very quickly, blocking, layering & building the image, as to make it a non static representation, trying to keep it fluid, moving and changing. That being said, rather than a moment trapped in amber, I’m creating a moving , living landscape of the world we live in and you’re invited to come along as an active participant.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into my thoughts & creative process.

As always, you questions & comments are welcome,

Richard

Shoreline, Seagull & Sand Pipers

24”x24” oil