American Icon Series

Four from my ongoing series of American Icons.

The Only Way Out is In.

Nothing feels or sounds like charcoal. It's raw and messy. Black and filthy. It has a raspy voice like leafy branches scraping the side of a house on a windy night. Drawing with charcoal makes time stand still. A primordial connection lives inside charcoal. It's a link to ancient artists who took whatever they had and made something out of nothing. With burnt chunks of wood they made images, lines and marks. They made art.

Labor.

Why do I continue to make artwork about labor?

Because it's real and tangible. It's a ceaseless act of gritty physical effort. It's as familiar, ubiquitous and timeless as dirt itself. It's everywhere and always. Right now there are hands reaching, pulling, pounding and fully exerting themselves for a necessary purpose. These stretching, toiling, striving hands perform a back-breaking work that can really only be done by hand. That's what I see. It's honest. That's what I feel. It's pure. Which is what I try to distill in my paintings of field labor harvest scenes.

The above painting of a grape gathering is based upon my observations and sketches during a harvest in the Alexander Valley. But it could be anywhere any year. It's the remaining available piece from this particular series. It's an oil painting on linen-stretched panel and measures 48" X 48" square.

Contact me to see how it will look on your wall.

Jay

415-751-4232

The Antidote to Civilization

"3:48am...tuesday morning. have to pee. the full moon tricks me into thinking the sun is rising. hard to tell in a tent. it's a big bright floating globe hovering over a snowy mountain. below is a lake full of reflected light. it's a magical sight. the only sounds aside from my rustling are the applause of a nearby river and the wind blowing through a faraway canyon . the absent noise from the city is not at all missed. here the stars are a constellation party even with the moon waxing gibbous. i'd forgotten about stars. it's cold but i don't care as i walk into a bunch of boulders for relief while admiring the show at this newfound planetarium. i don't feel much like sleeping. i'll try anyway out of respect to the others. but i'd prefer to rise and begin the day. there's so much to see and i don't want to miss a thing."

-this journal entry is from day one of the benson lake loop hike 2010. so far it's the most challenging and necessary backpacking trip i've taken.