I'm in a group show at Copro Gallery that opens Saturday, Dec 10th at 8pm. The gallery is at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave T5, Santa Monica 90404. I struggled with what I was going to paint for it, there are two other paintings underneath this one that didn't pan out. But I struck on this idea and really like how it came out! Santa shot JFK! Click here for the show information. oil on canvas, 18 by 24
I found this article in the arts section on the Huffington Post: CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK I'm always excited to get on that site. A great slide show of paintings and succinct article. Love it!
I took this painting back on location yesterday to resolve some areas that needed it, especially the lower right. Here's a CLICK BACK to the first plein air session. I really dig how it came out! The people on the street think it's magic. oil on canvas, 28 by 22
It was a beautiful day in Venice Tuesday so I went out to paint the Chase branch there. An art gallery owner in Los Angeles is taking one of my burning bank paintings to the madness that is the Art Basel Miami show so I got inspired to paint a couple new ones before he leaves for that, like the Miracle Mile piece, but I realized they would be too wet to go and he's in love with the Los Feliz painting so that's the one. Nonetheless this number turned out nice! oil on canvas 28 by 22
They definitely to have to look further than me! ahahahahah! This is the 3rd episode in Bradford Salamon's "Looking for Genius" film series where he paints and interviews me while we broadcast live on my show the "Alex Schaefer Hour". Shot and edited by Eric Minh Swenson. Here's the video and also the original broadcast on coagula.com live from the Hive gallery
I've stayed in acrylic on this number to keep the drying time fast, but still laying it down fast enough in each attack to stay "wet into wet". I'm working in established "old master" stages, b/w, then limited palette, then full color, etc... so far I'm half way there? This one has had three full corner to corner layers of paint, wet over dry, leading to a rich paint surface. Still work in progress but I'm into it! "three palm trees: untitled: stolen art" google it! lol acrylic on canvas, 28 by 22
One thing I learned today is nothing is too big to fail! ahhahahah! Like my recent ebay auction. wtf? I think it was a great painting and a steal at $875 but not a single bid. The art world is capricious and I will never try to understand it. No less than Rembrandt died broke, patronless, studentless, and without a single commission. What are you gonna do?!?! I went painting 20 minute live portraits today! That's what I did. I was at the Artillery magazine booth at the Patchwork art and craft fair at the Helms Bakery building. It was a sell-out event, which lifted my spirits! I brought seven canvases thinking that was way more than I'd need, and ended up selling every single one and could have sold more! here's a group shot, unfortunately not the best photos... each oil on canvas, 12 by 9
I had a good time Wednesday doing a "too big to fail" episode with no guests, just the ice cold mic and the yawning expanse of the internets! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW! Art supplies helped. I painted this portrait of Justin Bieber on top of a previous failure on top of another failure that is all over a demonstration painting from teaching at the Art Center College of Design. That's a lot of failure, but you never know when it'll turn out to be a success! Just gotta keep trying... stay up to date with the art world at COAGULA.COM oil on canvas panel, 24 by 18
I started this painting on 11-11-11, a good luck number day! I went out to Wilshire Blvd, found this great vantage from a park across the street and setup to paint this somewhat odd Chase building. But I only got as far as the drawing before security informed me I was on private property. It felt like a park! bummer! I took a picture and laid this in at home in acrylic. I'm digging it so far! 28 by 22
Venice CA that is! (Although it would be fun to paint the original Venice in Italy too) I took artist Annie Preece to my favorite spot by the ocean for her first plein air adventure. Nothing like painting outdoors and in public to shake things up. I think I sort of took this one over like I tend to do, but I have to make sure to get Annie to sign it as well!
"City to a Fault, urban painters of Los Angeles and Environs" opens this Saturday November 12th in my neighborhood Eagle Rock! It's an amazing group show at the Jose Vera Gallery, 2012 Colorado Boulevard 90041. The reception is Nov 12 from 6 to 9pm and it runs until Nov 29th. The artists are Oscar Arroyo, Jose De Juan, John Kilduff, Alex Schaefer, and William Wray And it's happening during the NELA Art Walk, so it'll be a power night to check out art in my favorite part of town!
Saturday's going to be exciting day! First off it the official Move Your Money Day! I hope hundreds of thousands of people can come together and make a real statement to Wall Street and corrupt Banks by closing their accounts at a Too Big To Fail Bank. Let do it!
Also this Saturday is the opening of the sculpture show at the Hive Gallery. I'll be there pretty much all day tomorrow painting, goofing off, having fun. I have lots of paintings for sale if you're a collector. Good timing with the recent issue of Artillery Magazine coming out! Come on out and say "Hi!". The show opens at 8pm and the address is 729 So. Spring St, 90014 in downtown Los Angeles!
This week was an awesome episode of the Alex Schaefer Hour! My guest was Bradford J. Salamon, an amazing painter himself, and i was his guest on his ongoing video series "Looking for Genius". It was kind of a role reversal as he asked me questions, and I sat still while he painted me! Some good art talk and wonderful portrait. And what our listeners couldn't see is thuvanarts.com and Eric Swenson and Randall Mills making the video! Click HERE to listen! I hope you enjoy the show...
Inspired by Zuma Dogg, I've been going to city council meetings to make public comment about the Occupy LA movement and how the city is going to resolve the free speech issues that have arisen there. Occupy LA is talking about "exit strategies" which is positive so that LA doesn't end up like Oakland. Council Chambers is a really amazing room, fun to draw. Here's Zuma Dogg burning up the mic on Tuesday, occupying city hall... check his website: lacitynews.com
I've been throwing paint on this one I'm calling "The Board". It's a biggie for me and I'm having a good time with it! It's an excuse to experiment with a limited palette and photo reference. I'm somewhere halfway between Gerhard Richter and Lucien Freud... it feels good!! oil on canvas, 48 by 60
WOOHOO! ARTILLERY magazine on the streets now! Just in time for everyone to Move Their Money from a Too Big To Fail Bank this Saturday, November 5th! Reward a community bank or credit union for their sane business practices with your money. moveyourmoneyproject.org So Exciting!
Zuma Dogg, the OG Occupier of LA, has caused the scales to drop from my eyes. Here is an amazing clip of him on a free speech rampage today in city council chambers, after public comment and the city council, for some reason, went into closed session. He perfectly articulates how trickle down fraud takes form on the local level, from DC to LA.
I'm starting to feel that "Wall St" is a strawman, a scapegoat. Occupy LA does not need to look to New York for fraud, theft, corruption, waste, and greed, it's happening right here in Los Angeles City Council chambers. The fraud takes place on different levels, from federal to local, but it happens in much the same way all over.
I think the only place you can really make any sort of impact in on the local level. Occupy Your City Council! It is people and speech like this that will plug up the holes, prosecute the criminals, and begin to fix the system! I humbly genuflect to zuma dogg. CLICK FOR HIS WEBSITE: lacitynews.com
