Lands End Project

Lands End Project is a fresh series of paintings I've created in the last four months and is the first phase of paintings based upon my fascination with the region of San Francisco known as Lands End.

This series is another leap from the drawings in my sketchbooks to paintings on canvas. Sketching is a favorite ritual because it combines both internal and external observation. The sketches are glimpses, vignettes and often unplanned stories. They are a stream of consciousness where pen and ink make  the unintentional intentional. The results are a visual journal expressing the magic I find in this landscape of objects and place. 

There's a thread that weaves through my sketchbooks that advises me on what to paint and this group of artworks is another phase of my listening. 

Lands End Project distills my visual experience. The balance between opposing forces, the tension of opposites and the space between. The ephemeral nature of a ripe persimmon placed upon the enduring strength of the rock that remains long after the lifespan of the vibrant fruit. Mortality and immortality coexist. The sky and sea reinforce the solidity of the stone altar and speak to the changing climates and seasons of a lifetime.

At this point in my evolution as an artist I extend my artwork to integrate all the iconic elements of the world familiar to me near the coast at Lands End. In doing so I aim to unify these disparate components and reveal their essential meaning in a spectacular place where grounding gives way to an ocean of limitless possibility. 

- Jay Mercado

"...deserve your dream."

Three simple words. A thought distilled to its essence by Octavio Paz. What more needs to be stated? So...in my studio are a handful of projects in progress including the details below. 

fragrant cloud rose

The scent given by the Fragrant Cloud rose is one of the most pleasing to experience. The flower itself is a fantastic visual treat and it's beauty is matched by its own perfume. It's impossible to capture the rare aroma it exudes through my art. It's not a rose. It's paint. Still I was compelled to honor this flower just the same. I've reworked this painting several times and finally it is complete as the composition above. Fragrant Cloud, 24"x24" oil on canvas.

...ocean beach pillow.

Living near the beach I can't help but include the ocean in my sketches, my concepts and ultimately my artwork. The above image is a detail from one of my recent paintings. The ocean starts to appear as I walk west toward home. The horizon always seems high as I descend westward through the avenues. This is especially so as I get closer to Lands End begins above Sutro Baths. The view never gets old and is always worth the walk from 10th avenue to 48th.

...new paintings.

I have a pair of red-lens glasses that when worn makes the world a monochrome place. They've helped me see form without considering color for the moment. Looking at a painting in a mirror or through a reducing lens provides a fresh perspective on a developing artwork and so does the removal of color. And then I appreciate the power of color more after I've taken it away for a bit.

New Gallery Representation!

I'm delighted to announce that I have entered into a committed relationship with a San Francisco gallery. Last month, the owner of CK Contemporary gave me a call after seeing my painting Lone Jimador at Copita in Sausalito. As luck would have it we found common ground. Now I'm officially among the cavalcade of talented artists they represent from all over the world. My work has been shown in different galleries over the years, but I've not been fully represented in this great town, my home town, until now.

CK Contemporary has an inviting street level store-front which is half a block from bustling Union Square. Collectors from all over the world stop in. Even though the setting at CK presents my art in the best possible way, it's the gallery director Lauren Ellis who makes all the difference. She is friendly and approachable and I am pleased to know that people looking at my fine art will feel comfortable and engaged in a bright welcoming space.

...pillow #2 in progress.

This painting is number two in the ongoing pillow series. I'm beginning to see a crashing wave here. Since I live on the coast it is inevitable. Seems like the ocean wants to be a part of what I do whether I'm on the beach or in the studio. It will have it's way. Undersea art is coming.

'of all things visible and invisible'

These three photos show my most recent painting commission during its last moments in my care: freshly varnished, patiently waiting and then coming fully into bloom on the eager waiting wall.

Studio Holiday Open House & New Still Life Painting Preview: 12/11 from 10am-6pm

Weave your way to 4754 California Street @ 10th avenue for homemade cookies, cider and art!

New Still Life Paintings

Minneola on the wall at Ocean Beach. Number seven in a series of twenty twelve by twelve inch paintings.

Caribbean Red

The closest I can get to the Caribbean lately is to begin a painting inspired by the tropics. When on the island it's best to buy papaya from the guy who shows up sometimes with a truck full of edibles. Nothing is better sliced and stored in the fridge for snacking than the fruit of angels. Papaya. I found this beauty at a local market. Maybe it's from there. Maybe it's a variety of papaya that can be grown anywhere. Maybe it's named after a pirate. The sticker reads Caribbean Red. It tasted anything but rough and salty. The slice I savored was ideal. No maybes. My intention was to eat it all, not paint a papaya, but that's how it is sometimes. The papaya insisted and so it begins.

Bodegon: Sheet on a Stone Ledge at 4am

My sheet on a stone ledge at 4am is like an ocean wave. Not too far off, the sounds of pounding and slapping resonate.

Fruit of the Gods

Every year persimmons show up in my paintings. This one on the bench is waiting for a coat of varnish to take the glare off the surface and even things out. Other than that it's almost done. Usually I compose with the light source coming in from the left but not this time. This painting is a commission intended to hang in a spot with an ambient light source from the right. Both the real and imagined light are consistent. So until this piece is hanging on that chosen wall this persimmon painting remains unfinished.

3 Persimmons on a Shelf (day two)

The prep-work is so important in my larger paintings. Fortunately, for this one I created small oil and acrylic studies several months ago when persimmons were in season. Color is always intuitive for me. This is clearest when I work with the immediacy of pastels. For this commission I'm channeling that same playfulness with paint.  I'm tackling the possibilities that exist within the gem-like beauty of Hachiya persimmons. At 2.5' X 6' this trio of exotic fruit are nothing but fun right now as I head into day three. 

Art Over the Fireplace

Is there a more honored space for art in a home than over the fireplace? I don't think so. I see the hearth as the symbolic center of the house. Television may be the modern day hearth-fire, but the true hearth and the art that hangs above it represent something deeper. The fireplace symbolizes kinship, family and a place to gather. The artwork has the opportunity to take us deeper and reflect the taste and sentiment of the family itself.  With that in my mind, I'm grateful to have paintings hanging in this esteemed spot. What's hanging above your mantle?

Crumpled Cloth in a Crate