Attending a wonderful show at the Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY, New Paltz, I came upon the above painting, entitled “Hearts of Men” by an artist hitherto unknown to me, Richard Thomas Scott. He works out of Georgia where he teaches at the Savannah College of Art (SCAD) and terms himself as a “New Enlightenment Painter,” a description I had also never heard before. His online bio states that he “explores the complex tensions of American identity through the transcendental perspectives in Buddhist and Humanist philosophies.” which, to me, explains the powerful draw of his narrative work. Walking through the show, which was a group show, beautifully curated and full of compelling art, I found myself returning to his piece, exploring the deeper story he is telling. It warranted further exploration, so to Google I went.

It I won’t repeat the entire online synopsis regarding this specific painting - suffice it to say that it’s a highly personal statement about gun violence in America today. What struck me was the complexity of how he told the story. Combining imagery, color and rhythm into an emotional composition that made the viewer look deeper. I think that is a very difficult thing to accomplish as an artist, especially one as young (44) as he.

This viewing comes at a time in my studio life where I’m considering delving into more narrative work myself (not the first time, and definitely out of my comfort zone), so it is providing much food for thought.

As I wrote a couple of posts ago, I spent the past two months enrolled in figure drawing sessions at the Woodstock School of Art. Those sessions are over - for now - and I have to say that it felt really good to be back in a large space with a good model and a group of likeminded artists. The vibe was perfect - quiet, serious, focused, but also warm, friendly and welcoming. I will surely be returning in future classes, especially if figures begin to migrate into my compositions.

In the meantime…

While I overthink changing my focus to more obvious storytelling in the form of narrative painting, I’m continuing my landscape work. The piece above is what’s in the works right now. It is one of a series of pictures that explore tree-lines and the edges of fields and I suppose it is turning into a form of narrative painting, if I stop to think about it.

At my recent opening of the Iceland work, a colleague who is very familiar with the arc of artwork I’ve produced over the years approached me with a comment (accompanied by a wry look). “So your automobiles have transformed into mountains, have they?” He was referring to my urban landscapes from the past, where, he once claimed, I was representing humans through the visual metaphor of cars. In his pseudo-psychoanalysis, he posited that it was an avoidance of some sort. Pshaw!! I said.

But, now that trees have become characters in my play, perhaps he’s right? Hmmm…