John Murray classes week of May 21, 2012

The idea of working from a still life setup is alien to me and too easy on the artist in my opinion, but I have been asked by an artist in my DeCordova  class to do so. I will bring a few odd pieces to arrange in each class and you can use the setup or work from your mind, (a dangerous place). See you next week, john.

john Murray classes week of May 14, 2012

DeCordova class will have a model. Please bring a new canvas or surface on which to work.

NewArt Center, please work further from drawings and marks you developed last week with the model. Deconstruct, collage drawings, transfer or otherwise push the image of the figure. see you next week, john.  

John Murray classes week of May 7, 2012

NewArt Center classes have a model in every class next week.

Thank you NewArt Center artists for my surprise birthday party, card and generous $!

I was overwhelmed and very appreciative. Thank you Karen!

DeCordova artists keep working on your ouvre and current visual-psycho-obsessions.

On may 12 ( a week from Saturday I'm bringing a group to the ICA for a tour and irreverent look at the contents of that bastion of bourgeois-postmodern-plasticity. Call the office at NewArtcenter to signup and join the fun. see you next week. john. 

John Murray classes week of April 30, 2012

There is a show of Frank Stella's early work (straight out'a Princeton!), what a child of privledge this artist was. He is, however, supremely talented and powerfully original.  

Go on line or take a look at the NYTimes WeekendArts  section (Fri. April 27) and see what Roberta Smith has to say about this work. I love his Moby Dick series from the 1990's and his lectures from 1988 at Harvard published as "Working Space are excellent reading for a painter.

Next week consider a mininal work, perhaps your initial in stripes in some fashion, or a combination of stripes and image. See you next week john.

John murray classes week of April 23, 2012

There is an interesting show at the Brooklyn Museum

There is a new and interesting show at the Brooklyn Museum called "Connecting Cultures"
If you have a chance go online and view some of the amazing objects on display.
For instance this 900 A.D. Huaxtec stone carving of a young man, the back of which shows the future of all youth: Death.
Welcome back deCordova artists (after a month off), as well as artists new to my class.
Also Newart Center artists (after a week  off). Next week let's try a piece that shows this life/death concept in some way: this idea has been around in all cultures for as long as we have been human and aas infinite visual possibilities. see you next week, john.

No John Murray classes week of April 16, 2012

The NewArt Center is closed next week.
Enjoy your week off. Here are 2 shots of the class project that artists have been playing with for the last 2 weeks. I remember seeing a painted wooden skid in a German gallery 30

years ago and when I saw a skid out behind the studio a few weeks ago I thought that we could do one too. It still needs more work and paint application, but it's beginning look intentional.

Still too fragmented: perhaps more simplified in paint application. That can wait until the end when we'll edit it and hopefully submit it to the June Student/Faculty show. In the meantime lets "right-brain" it for awhile. Have a great week, check this blog again next Friday (April 20th). John.

John Murray classes week of April 9, 2012

This week let's try a self-portrait.

A great way to face yourself and take a few chances.

On May 12, a saturday, I'm taking a group to the ICA, the office has the information... it should be informative and fun. I hope you can join me. Charline Von Heyl, the artist shown on the left here is showing as well as the color show. I like the look of Von Heyl's work and am excited to see it in the flesh. See you next week, john.