Nora Sturges

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Proserpine, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874

Copy in graphite.

 

 Sketchbook page,  Image © J. Timlin 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist statement

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.