J. Timlin

The Silent Giants

2011-09-02T01:22:00.000-04:00

So, today I found out about these designers who are the geniuses responsible for all of the Dead Weather summer tour posters that I have been drooling over since last year. And better yet, it seems that nearly all of their products are equally desirable (see: Iron & Wine and Bright Eyes posters shown below). When I say, "I really identify with their aesthetic," I generally mean, "I'm addicted to black birds and trees."
Kudos, my friends! Want to give me a job?

Find them at their site here: The Silent Giants

(P.s. - Nice cameo by The Head and the Heart on that Iron & Wine poster. Love them!)

So much catching up to do!

2011-08-31T01:23:00.001-04:00

First of all, here's the latest: some ceramic items I made while working at camp this summer. Camp was the main reason for my 2+ month absence, so at least I got some decent work out of it.

Stay tuned for more!

Images © J. Timlin 2011

Chris Russo

2011-06-08T16:06:00.000-04:00

This is a really awesome woodcut by a friend of mine at Pratt. Check his stuff out!

via the artist's blog, Don't Panic

Drawing for class

2011-06-04T14:02:00.000-04:00


Joaquin Sorolla, Sewing the Sail,

Powdered graphite on Lennox,
Image © J. Timlin 2011

Commencement Exhibition!

2011-05-29T12:48:00.001-04:00

I'm a little behind here, thanks to all the year-end fuss, but let's start back up with this:
Some photos of my senior thesis work at the Commencement Exhibition! There was a big pedestal with my sketchbook and scroll too, but I guess I didn't get a picture of that. Oops.

Also, better images of all of these are now on my website, just click on that black feather in the upper left.
Preview:

Update: Sketchbook online

2011-03-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to scanning some spreads from my big sketchbook. They are now up on my website for your perusal, so check them out!
Right here!

Preview:

Image © J. Timlin 2011

Brad Kunkle

2011-03-21T07:29:00.001-04:00

These really lovely paintings are embellished with real gold and silver leaf, so the reflections of light change the image as you move (see the artist's website for details). Beyond that, I'm more interested in the repetitive use of the leaf and grass forms to create fluttering texture fields.

Brad Kunkle, Eidolon

Brad Kunkle, Windhandel

Brad Kunkle, The Proposition

Brad Kunkle, Summoning a Sleeper

via Brad Kunkle
via Artist a Day

Armin Mersmann

2011-03-13T00:10:00.002-05:00

This drawing caught my eye over the rest of the artist's work. I find it very closely related to what I'm doing lately, including the tree roots, black bird, graphite texture, and narrative qualities.
It's super awesome!

Armin Mersmann, Stripped, Graphite on board, 2007

via Armin Mersmann
via Artist a Day

Cleaning house, New website

2011-03-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

I've been making some updates to my web presence! In small news, you'll notice that my sidebar links have been moved, as this blog now has a "Links" tab up above. In bigger news, you'll notice a gray box to the left, which is a link to my new website! It's still in progress but it's getting there. Mostly I just have to photograph my more recent work and upload those images.
I'd appreciate any feedback on the new space, as I'll shortly be paying for it and I want to make sure its worth it. I think it is.
Enjoy.

Drawing and Painting Exhibition, Parent's Weekend

2011-02-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Drawing and Painting departments asked for my studio-mate and I to each put a drawing into an exhibition that would be up on Fox 2 through Parent's Weekend. Unfortunately I was too busy to post pictures during, and the show has since come down, but here are some photos of the gallery.

Art History Conference

2011-02-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

This post is a little late coming but I've been busy, so I suppose that's ok.
Many many thanks to all who came out for the Art History Senior Thesis conference. We had a pretty decent turnout, good questions, good food, and a bunch of really great lectures. My peers, my professors, and myself were all very happy with the way the event went. Following are some pictures that a friend (Kate Robinson) was able to snap from the front row.
Enjoy.

MICA's 1st Annual Art History Senior Thesis Conference

2011-02-04T12:30:00.001-05:00

Please come! There will be free food and much to be learned!

On Facebook!

Self-Portrait

2011-02-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

A sketch from my new little sketchbook. Self-portrait from the reflection in my computer screen, during class. Those are some wonky eyes, but I didn't have a chance to fix them.

Image © J. Timlin 2011

Stephanie Kunze

2011-01-28T00:54:00.000-05:00

I saw this drawing on Fox 2 yesterday. I don't think I'm really exaggerating in saying that it's probably one of my favorite drawings that I've seen come out of MICA in 3 1/2 years. It reminds me of Seurat's drawings in its really subtle tonality, and variations in focus. I like the sort of ambiguous narrative, where you're not sure what the subject is grasping at, or if she grabbed a bubble that has just popped; that fleeting impermanence is great. Additionally I think the treatment of materials and textures is really incredibly delicate. It gives you the initial impression of a print or photo, and sort of wavers as you come closer and try to discover whether the lack of focus is your eyes or the image. While the really beautiful fields of graphite texture become apparent close up, the wavering focus that make the image really interesting never leave. Check it out while you have a chance!

Kudos Stephanie!

via Stephanie Kunze - Illustration

Fourth book.

2011-01-23T17:18:00.000-05:00

My personal favorite so far. That blue floral pattern is beautiful, and a perfect red wine-colored cover paper makes for a really great combination that is more interesting than the others up until this point. Same size, format, and leaves.

I'm thinking that I will continue to make this size book until I run out of paper for the leaves, which should make about 5 more books, 8 total (not counting the first one, which I am currently using as a sketchbook). Since I also gave one book away, I should have 7 which I will make available via an Etsy account, for anyone who is interested in purchasing one. If I have the time and materials maybe I'll take it to 10. Keep your eye out for updates!
I may be available for custom work, also depending on time and materials. Contact me directly via email for those inquiries.

Some recent sketches

2011-01-12T18:47:00.000-05:00

Some pages out of my bigger sketchbook. A few are just studies drawing landscape features and such, others are thumbnail ideas for larger drawings.

Images © J. Timlin 2011

Third book.

2011-01-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Another, the same size as the first two, with gray cover papers, and patterned green and gold spine and endsheets.

Second book.

2011-01-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

Another book I made with some patterned blue paper. The leaves of it are Strathmore drawing paper. This one is an improvement over the first, with stronger and better binding, higher quality cover paper, and endsheets.

I made a book!

2011-01-07T00:35:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of a little sketchbook I made this week. I used some Italian marbled paper for the spine, and a textured blue paper for the covers. The pages inside are smooth surface rag drawing paper and measure 3"x5".
I designed (via collage) the address box in the front, and the insignia on the inside back cover. I thought it might be useful if I make any more books to give away or sell.

Nora Sturges

2010-12-23T21:24:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to start catching up with posts about the wealth of artists I've been looking up lately.
This is the work of Nora Sturges, recommended to me by MICA professor Michael Weiss, based on my Allegory of Home #2 drawing, and my interest in the vast, surreal, and narrative landscape. I love her work, and there is a ton of it. She has an interesting narrative series about the explorer Marco Polo, which has a similar feel to what I'm trying to do with my self-portrait drawings: sort of taking a single character on a journey, which in my case illustrates my personal experience.
These images and many more on the artist's website.

At the End of Five Days' Journey, You Begin to Discover a Few Towns Built Upon Rocky Heights

Development

You Traverse a Country that is Destitute of Every Sign of Habitation, the People Having All Fled

Platform

Open House exhibition

2010-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

My sketchbook is in a show right now, in MICA's Fox 2 Gallery.
It is a show that the Drawing/Painting/GFA departments put together for the National Portfolio Day, which took place at MICA this weekend. It showcases a lot of great work from juniors and seniors in the above-mentioned departments, handpicked by faculty.
Following are some gallery photos. The show is up through next Monday, 13 December, so check it out if you have a chance!

My book, (image © J. Timlin 2010)

Update

2010-11-30T01:31:00.000-05:00

I've updated the "Progressions" page with the latest stages of the Allegory of Home #2 drawing. Check them out by clicking the tab above.

The cityscape is starting to develop. I'm not sure how I feel about it and its effect on the work both conceptually and formally/compositionally. I'll keep working though, and see where it leads.

Also, soon to come: Sketches for my projects on deck.

Another New Drawing

2010-11-15T23:51:00.000-05:00

This is the latest stage of another new drawing, from the same series.
You can also find images of this drawing's progression on my "Progressions" page (see tab above).

Allegory of Home #2
Charcoal on paper
3' x 6'

Image © J. Timlin 2010

New Drawing

2010-11-14T02:13:00.001-05:00

The paintings were getting to feel laborious, and I wasn't enjoying working on them, so I started reinterpreting my topic in large scale drawings. The idea was to make the compositions more dynamic, and break the "fourth wall" more effectively. This is the same subject, but less frontal, and the hierarchy of scale is less irresolute, meaning that the important objects in the image are actually treated as though they are important.
They are still in progress. More images to come.

Allegory of Home #1
Charcoal on paper
3' x 5.5'

Image © J. Timlin 2010

New developments

2010-10-26T19:27:00.000-04:00

The results of some more studio time today:
It still looks too effeminate, which is something I'll be working on changing. I also still need to resolve the bottom/lower right, and activate that expanse on the left, but I have tentative plans for all of that.

yet the Fates said No.
Charcoal on canvas
32" x 42"

Image © J. Timlin 2010

"Allegory of Home" series

2010-10-25T17:39:00.000-04:00

These are the early phases of my Allegory of Home series translated into paint:

Allegory of Home: Long Island
Oil on paper
16.5" x 14.5"

Image © J. Timlin 2010

Allegory of Home: Florence
Oil on paper
14" x 18"

Image © J. Timlin 2010

Today's progress

2010-10-25T17:28:00.001-04:00

The product of today's studio time, it took about 5 hours of drawing to get this far:
Self-portrait as Proserpine. Reinterpreted from Rossetti's.
Charcoal (and soon to be oil) on canvas
32" x 42"

Image © J. Timlin 2010

Proserpine

2010-10-25T03:10:00.000-04:00

Proserpine, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874

Copy in graphite.

Sketchbook page, Image © J. Timlin 2010

Artist statement

2010-10-17T00:29:00.000-04:00

This is the latest draft of my artist statement, after some revisions for my senior thesis class.

In a certain sense, all art is about its maker. My art is about its maker in more than one sense. Through art media I investigate my level of cognizance regarding my experiences. Sometimes the work is searching and sometimes it is explaining, but it is always an attempt to apprehend the significance of my personal history to my amalgamation as this individual. I have begun searching out my personal visual vocabulary, which I utilize as a tool to revisit, reflect on, and reinterpret my life in visual terms. I address past and present occurrences, acquaintances, impressions, remembrances, affinities, and what they all mean to me in the moments of creation. At times, the pieces may coincidentally pertain to the more general questions of the human condition. Humbler are my pursuits, however, typically seeking answers more selfish and specific. While in a certain sense all art is about its maker, my art is about its maker in every sense.

Just a few minor but significant adjustments. I think I resolved alternatives for certain ambiguous or vague terms which make my intentions a bit clearer.

Senior Thesis

2010-05-22T02:42:00.003-04:00

So far this summer I've begun to think about and work on my senior thesis, building off of the ideas I latched onto last semester. I've been writing a little about the work to flesh out my ideas, and sketching for some eventual pieces. More updates will hopefully be forthcoming, but until then here are some tidbits of what I have thus far:

Working Statement:

In a certain sense, all art is about its maker. My art is about its maker in more than one sense.

In my work I deal with my measure of consciousness (awareness) regarding my experiences. Sometimes the work is searching and sometimes the work is explaining, but it is always an attempt to understand the significance of my experience to myself and to my development as an individual. I have begun searching out my personal visual vocabulary, which I use in my work to revisit, reflect on, and reinterpret my life- from the events, to the feelings, to the people it contains- and what it all means to me in the moments of creation. At times, the work may coincidentally play to the universality of human experience, but typically its aim is solely the selfish, and specific. In a certain sense, all art is about its maker. My art is about its maker in every sense.

Allegory of Home series:

Charity:

all images and text © J. Timlin 2010

Sketchbook, Fall 2009 & Spring 2010

2010-05-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

Here are some sketchbook pages from last semester, when I was at MICA, and taking the train into DC often for my internship.

Here are some more recent pages from the same book, from trips and wandering around Italy and Florence.

all images © Jeff Timlin 2010

Some studies

2010-05-12T18:30:00.002-04:00

Ponte Rialto, Venezia by night.
Firenze from Piazzale Michelangelo.
Sketchbook page: Firenze and Venezia.

All images © J. Timlin 2010

The landscape of Florence

2010-05-12T01:24:00.001-04:00

Ciao!

2009-12-30T01:03:00.000-05:00

     A little less than two weeks ago, my toughest, busiest semester so far ended. Shortly after, I realized that I had neglected this blog since the semester hit the ground running in August. I have quite a few drawings that I am happy with as a product of this fall, but they have been packed and stored without being photographed amidst the hectic nature of my final week. And while those drawings won't make their online debut until the summer months, I do have a number of pages in my current sketchbook that will grace this site as soon as I get the chance to scan them.
     In other (and much more exciting) news, my winter break this semester is a short one. On January 6th I'll be boarding a plane for Florence, Italy, where I'll be spending the entire spring semester studying in the Studio Art Centers International program. I'll be studying painting, High Renaissance art history, and museum studies, as well as doing any traveling possible, and a ton of museum/church hopping. My professor is requiring us to keep a sketchbook/journal of our visit, so expect excerpts from that to be posted occasionally, as well as photos of travels, and new work, and other random entries as usual.
     I'm sure to find communication with the states much more difficult while abroad. Friends and relatives please find this blog to be a resource in following my travels and experiences, as I intend to be much more diligent in its upkeep than I have been in the past 4 months. I'm really looking forward to this experience, and posting about it, so keep an eye out for new things.
     And on that note I'll close by utilizing the entirety of my Italian language knowledge... Grazie! Ciao! Spaghetti!

Jeff

Victorian Aestheticism

2009-12-29T02:57:00.004-05:00

Researching for a paper on artist Frederic Leighton introduced me to a great book:
"Art for Art's Sake: Aestheticism in Victorian Painting" by Elizabeth Prettejohn.

The book includes essays on a number of Victorian painters, some of the first to express aesthetic values, and the formative characters of the Aesthetic movement, including Frederic Lord Leighton, Albert Moore, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. The essays talk about each painter in the way that his work specifically addresses aesthetic concerns, or diverts from the academic traditions of the day, and the realism of Pre-Raphaelite painting. For anyone like myself, with an interest in 19th century Aestheticism, or even 19th century art in general, this book will be an interesting and educational read.

The essay on Frederic Leighton is really interesting for explaining his background, association with the Royal Academy in London, and the way he creates a relationship between his academic working process and aesthetic ideals. The book also gave me my first real introduction to the work of Albert Moore, whose paintings utilize repetition, rhythm, and other musical ideas in visual form, which parallel the symphonic references of Whistler. The information on his use of repetition as a compositional device was unexpectedly relevant to my own taste and ways of thinking about organizing an image and controlling the gaze of the viewer.

Frederic Leighton:

Pavonia, 1858

Icarus and Daedalus, 1869

Albert Moore:

Dreamers, 1879-82

The Quartet,1868

Apples, 1875

Sargent copy

2009-09-11T17:16:00.004-04:00

Interesting Article

2009-08-29T18:56:00.002-04:00

This article is from the Guernica magazine website that I stumbled upon. It discusses President Obama's choices of art to add to the White House collection thus far in his presidency. While I'm not usually one for political discussion, this article touches on some interesting points when comparing Obama's choices to those of previous White House occupants, and what the differences might say (or not say) about their differences in leadership.

Read the article here.

Alex Kanevsky

2009-08-24T20:54:00.005-04:00

A contemporary painter dealing in beautifully textured works in oil, primarily figurative but also relating to a few series. The paintings are a very interesting hybrid with similarities to Francis Bacon, Euan Uglow, and Odd Nerdrum. Bacon for their psychological weight, and the figures' interaction with the bed, chair, and bathroom; Uglow for their often fragmented and planar painting style; and Nerdrum for the repetition of figures, their cloak-like covering, and the compositional arrangement of portraits. Kanevsky seems to favor a near square format, which he handles effectively in his composition.
Images from the artist's website.

Kanevsky's paintings have a very fresh feel, which he states (in an interview) is his aim. He achieves this effect with continued reworking in which he attempts to hit his mark in one shot, and if he fails, he waits for the paint to dry and tries again. The artist has a very interesting section on his website where this process can be seen, something I've always wanted to do myself but never did. He also has a great list of links to get you searching around. It is a recommended stop for fans or fellow painters searching the web.

Rosy Lamb

2009-08-20T01:41:00.003-04:00

A painter/sculptor in Paris, using primarily plaster and oil paints. I like the effect the plaster surface has on the paintings, and she does some really interesting things with plaster frame imprints. I'm also a fan of the "unfinished" finish of some of the portraits. Although I think that relates to time constraints, it's still a good exercise in decision making and painting economy.
More of her work here.

The project she worked on called The Sleeping Author Project sounds really fun, and similar in certain ways to the portrait project I was developing. While Lamb's paintings attempted to capture the subject (a stranger) within an hour of their personal introspection or dreaming, I would want my time to be unrestrained. My painting would aim to be the physical and visual record of that time spent in the presence of the sitter (a strong personal relation or acquaintance). The process would also involve good decision making, editing, and painting economy. I anticipate my most difficult and frustrating obstacle to be the time necessary for my subjects to spend in my presence. Time is always seen as valuable and precious, something to be held onto rather than given away. Though I'd like to think my sitters would take something away from the experience on a personal level. We shall see.

Bruce Yardley

2009-08-19T16:51:00.011-04:00

Images from The Catto Gallery.

This guy is a great painter of light. I'm not always one for landscape painting, but the composition and light effects of these are beautiful.

The shaded buildings in the background, harsh light and cast shadows of the tables and chairs here are incredibly well observed.

A great use of sun and shade to really create and fill a space with light and atmosphere.

More here.

Disappointment.

2009-08-19T02:46:00.009-04:00

I'm so upset that I couldn't see this show of Joaquin Sorolla's work. I made it out to the Hispanic Society last semester but the work was in Madrid at the time. And if all goes according to plan (which would be great, don't get me wrong), I'll be making my way to Europe as these paintings make their way back to the States.

Even so, it's a nice little article/slideshow, and I'm glad the guy is getting some attention. He is truly underrepresented.

More of his work here.

Sargent Database

2009-08-19T00:50:00.002-04:00

I've just stumbled upon a full database of John Singer Sargent's work.

Check it out here.

Quick.

2009-08-18T01:55:00.002-04:00

Mystery Bug (Cicada)

2009-08-08T19:49:00.026-04:00

Yesterday while exiting the house, my family and I encountered a very strange looking bug. It was attached to a vertical support of the porch, and it seemed to be a beetle-esque little creature with a strange (rather disturbing looking) growth on its back. I of course returned to the house to get my sketchbook, and when I returned I found the "growth" to be the actual bug itself, which was in the process of evolving or emerging from its hard exterior shell. The bug sat there for hours, as it must have been adjusting and allowing its wings to shake out and dry out. I did some drawings of the little guy, and then stole his shell, since I figured he wouldn't need it.

Following are some sketchbook studies of the hatching in red pencil, and some more detailed and closer studies of the shell.

After some research today, the bug was found to be a cicada.

This is sort of what it looked like when we found it, except I couldn't see the eyes.

This is my photo of the cicada on its empty exoskeleton.

I also found this animation on wikipedia, depicting the event we experienced.

Sargent copy

2009-08-07T18:44:00.005-04:00

This is a sketchbook copy after Sargent's portrait of Beatrice Townsend. The more full-body drawing was done with the sketchbook lying on the table (because I'm an idiot), so everything's a little bit elongated. I'm pretty happy with the face study though, I think I got a handle on the facial features (particularly the nose) much better in that one than the full-body version. Graphite on paper.

image © J. Timlin 2009

Latest Reading

2009-08-04T22:54:00.006-04:00

I am currently absorbed in The Art Spirit by Robert Henri. The book is an unorganized collection of the artist/teacher's writings and musings, compiled by the man himself. The subjects range from the broader questions surrounding the work and spirit of an artist to formal and technical advice for painters of any experience level.

This work was a lucky stumble, for though I've seen it in the store before, this time the subject was particularly related to what I was looking for. I highly recommend the work, while I am only 25% through it, for to quote Henri directly,

"If the artist is alive in you, you may meet Greco nearer than

many people, also Plato, Shakespeare, the Greeks.

In certain books-- some way in the first few paragraphs you know

that you have met a brother."

Henri taught at the Art Students League in New York and contained in his book are quite a few letters to his students discussing such subjects as commencement, backgrounds, hair, solidity, color, brush strokes, etc. He often drops artists' names for reference to illustrate specific points, and suggests more books for further reading on certain subjects.

In short, the book is a perfect jumping off point for any art student, covering all bases of study and providing many additional resources with which the reader can choose to envelope himself further. The book's format makes it an easy and fast read, such that it isn't meant to be read necessarily from cover to cover, but to be used and consulted as a guide or resource.

At the same time keep in mind (as Henri states himself) that the opinions and advice expressed are derived from the experiences of one man, and as such the reader is free to agree or contest as he will. Personally I have thus far found Henri's advice particularly enlightening even in so far as being some of those things you already know, but hearing them from a respected voice confirms them and awakens them in your awareness.

I find myself inspired and excited to take on some new work with this advice in mind. It is my recommendation that any artist, but most particularly painters, invest a little in this short, cheap book. Perhaps you too will find a brother in Henri.

Sketches.

2009-07-28T19:07:00.007-04:00

Quick sketch of mom. It's eh. The eyes bother me, but she went to bed.

Brainstorm.

2009-07-27T19:34:00.003-04:00

While mindlessly working and contemplating my art career, the foundations for a new series in my painting began to develop.

The idea is to reference painting as it was in the 19th century: much more a form of social engagement than a solitary personal struggle as it tends to be today.

In addition, it is to be a form of visual name-dropping. Artists like Sargent painted "their people" in their portraiture; a sort of 19th century street cred.

While the physical and formal aspects of the work will reflect that time period as well (via composition and medium), I want the series to be influenced by the life of the 19th century artist. I don't want to be one of them, I simply want to experience a bit of what being an artist was like during that peak in civilization.

Therefore, I want the subject of the work to reflect not solely the people I know, but more specifically the people I know and respect, or admire. This will take that 19th century tradition and give it a contemporary and personal twist.

Many 19th century portraits were commissioned, while these will be more personal. They will be done from life in a one-on-one environment, and as such they will be more than just a record of the sitter. They will be a record of the passage of time spent in the direct company of each individual.

It is a series about respecting the ideas and practices behind the art that came before you, but it is also a series about respecting relationships and connections, and the value of an education supplemented with experience and conversation.

The idea will require more research, but seeing as I don't have a painting class next semester, I will try to make this my project.

More soon.

Updates.

2009-07-12T01:40:00.006-04:00

New website! here:
student.mica.edu/jtimlin

I also created this website:
www.portersonthelane.com

Back in action!...

2009-06-24T22:28:00.002-04:00

...possibly temporarily.

It seems I can never tell with this thing.
With that I feel justified in skipping a long introduction.
Not sure what I'll post yet anyway... probably whatever I want.
Come back soon!