Matt Sesow's "31 Days in July Project" Painting for July 3, 2010

"Nighthawks"
oil on stretched canvas
30"x40"
contact sesow.com re: availability, click here
"31 Days in July Project", July 3, 2010.
Project started by Matt Sesow in 2003
background: Front page story on 'nighthawks' working in obama administration all night to ensure US security. image inspired by 'nighthawks' painting by edward hopper.

Dana Ellyn "31 Days in July Project" for July 3, 2010

From: http://www.danaellyn.com

July 3, 2010:

66 Children

Sometimes it's what doesn't make the news that is important. On July 3rd 1988, Iran Air Fligh 655, a civilian airliner, was shot down by US missiles killing all 290 passengers (including 66 children). The US government says the crew mistakenly identified the civilian plane as an enemy F-14. The US has never admitted any wrongdoing, responsibility nor have they apologized to Iran.




66 Children
12"x36"
acrylic on canvas

7/3/10

Dana Ellyn "31 Days in July Project" for July 2, 2010

From: http://www.danaellyn.com

July 2, 2010:

Last Call

"Last Call" was inspired by three of today's top news stories on the cover of the Washington Post.
1. 'Casablanca Rick's Bar of Kabul', a long time favorite bar of expats in Afghanistan closes its doors for good. (*Lamp and wall design inspired by Rick's Bar in the movie Casablanca)
2. Work runs dry at an oyster shucking plant in the Chesapeake bay (that imports much of their oysters from the Gulf) due to the BP oil spill. (*The pearls in the painting drip with oil)
3. Senator Byrd is taken to the Capitol where he will lay in repose. (*Bird finneal on the lamp).


Last Call
18"x24"
acrylic on canvas

7/2/10

Matt Sesow's "31 Days in July Project" Painting for July 2, 2010

http://www.sesow.com/31days.htm

"Byrd, Bees, and a cyclops head"
oil on stretched canvas
30"x40"

contact sesow.com re: availability, click here
"31 Days in July Project", July 2, 2010.
Project started by Matt Sesow in 2003
background: Sen. Byrd passes away and is laid to rest. former 'exhalted cyclops' of the kkk turned US senator

Description of the "31 Days in July Project" from Matt Sesow's website:
"The following series of works are part of Matt Sesow's "31 Days in July Project", conceived, invented by, and begun in 2003 by Sesow.
Each day in July, Sesow begins a unique painting (30" x 40") in response to an article or series of articles on the front page of the Washington Post print edition. All 31 paintings are completed by midnight July 31st.

This project occurs each year during the month of July. Results will be posted here on sesow.com and are usually available for sale to collectors and galleries."

Matt Sesow's "31 Days in July Project"

One of my favorite living artists, Matt Sesow is doing a painting to represent each of the 31 Days in July. He began the annual ritual in 2003 with his then girlfriend (now wife), Dana Ellyn and has been doing it every year since.

As part of Matt's 31 Days in July Project each of the full time painters begin a new piece of work each day. They give themselves until the 31st at midnight to complete all paintings for the project. Each piece represents their response to the days corresponding news and is posted for sale on their respective websites when completed.

It's important to have successful LIVING artists to look up to. Both of these artists are undeniably talented, wonderfully expressive and bloody brilliant. And the best part is they're also extremely focused, hard working and very dedicated to their work.

I love that they represent themselves (as far as I know) and that anyone can afford to purchase one of their pieces. You can find incredible art on both their websites for under $1000 (and many for less than $500)! It's true - see for yourself, www.sesow.com and www.danaellyn.com.

They are incredibly inspiring and I always look forward to seeing what they do next. As a tribute to them I am posting each of their paintings from this year's "31 Days in July Project" :)

http://www.danaellyn.com/7_10/july1.html

Puppeteer
(In the theater of war)

Dana Ellyn
24"x48"
acrylic on canvas
7/1/10

http://www.sesow.com/paintings/july2k10/july12k10.jpg

"Imperialism"

Matt Sesow

oil on stretched canvas
30"x40"
$700
"31 Days in July Project", July 1, 2010.
Project started by Matt Sesow in 2003

Art Collective.

So, I went to a meeting of artists today. A woman named Kim Villagante posted a message on Craigslist asking if any local artists wanted to get together to share ideas etc. I couldn't make the first meeting, but was able to be there tonight. We decided to call our collective the Main Street Art Collective.

It was the first time I had met with other artists. I think there are about 10 of us and all seem to have varying backgrounds, styles. During their first meeting they decided we'd do a group show which I'm looking forward to.

Anyway, the reason I'm blogging about it is because it brought my attention to the question, "What kind of art do you do?" I have been thinking about this a lot over the last few months because I've been transitioning back towards creating images that are more literal manifestations of whatever I'm going through (or have gone through) rather than more abstract. So.... going back to creating paintings like "Holes" or "Think Straight" and moving away from creating paintings like "Many" or "Pieces of Color 5". It's still expressionism, still self-taught and still amateur but is less abstract and more symbolic -- or illustrative, I suppose. I'm still attempting to somehow materialize my cognitions and emotions.

Going to the meeting was an interesting self-challenge. I have confidence in many areas of my life, but my art is not one of them. I seem to be rather insecure about everything I create. Instead, I would like to feel more settled or even proud of what I make.

When I'm insecure, I become preoccupied with my perception of what I believe other people will think. Or I use "Will this look good in someone's living room" to dictate colors, shapes, composition etc.

I first started drawing when I was about 9 I think. I used drawing combined with writing to express my thoughts and feelings. I would usually only write and draw when I was experiencing something upsetting. For example, I remember doing several stick man pictures with journal-like entries about my parents separation. It was an extremely difficult time that would impact our family greatly during the years that followed.

I also remember realizing the power of art when I came across a Van Gogh painting in one of my mom's Art History Books when I was about 13. At the time, I felt very alone in some of my experiences. But when I saw Van Gogh's colors, movement and intensity I realized I was not alone. For the first time I knew that even if I never related to anyone again, I could always relate to this guy. It created an important connection for me. And that moment was pivotal.

I never thought of myself as a writer or an artist (or even a creative person) until my adulthood. But I continued to write and draw as a way to work-stuff-out. I've since burned some of my journals/sketchbooks but still have about 20 of them stashed somewhere in the back of a closet.

There have been a few periods during my life that I almost solely relied on drawing or painting to survive. I mean that quite literally. Those periods were during times of great duress caused by intense emotions and images. They were during times when there simply were no words to describe or process what I was experiencing. Words didn't work because I wasn't fully developed enough to make any sense of the experience, didn't have the vocabulary to process it or because I needed more than mere words to process it.

One example is after my sister's death. I was very impacted by it and for a loooong time couldn't seem to "get it out of me". Or at least move through it. I felt a need work through it, but not being able to almost made it worse. So I turned to felt pens and oil pastels to create shapes and colors that seemed to provide me with a better sense of expression.

Is that art? I don't know. But it is what I intuitively do and will continue to do it whether it is art or not. None-the-less , I think it is an interesting question.

Another Sketchbook Project

I've been working on another Sketchbook with the Art House Coop. This one is called The Fiction Project and is supposed to be comprised of at least 51% writing. And like the other project, I received a random topic to help give me some parameters to work within. My topic is "This is where we start".

Instead of writing a fiction story and adding pictures to help explain my words, I decided to create pictures and then use words to help explain my images. I've only created about 7 pages and have another 33 to go. I'll keep you posted.

So, after thinking about my topic, "This is where we start", I decided to make my theme about different states of being. At the time that I decided to use this theme, I was intending on exploring the different states of being experienced by those affected by any kind of mental illness. I wanted to explore everything from mild anxiety or depression to extreme fragmenting or psychosis. There isn't enough general awareness about such states and I wanted to contribute (even in this smallest way) to generating awareness about them. But after drawing a few pictures, I realized I could only draw from what I've experienced (whether it be my own state of being, something I've read or my experience of someone else's state etc). I realize this was too limited. So now I'm incorporating all states of being (ie emotional states, perceptions of self, perceptions of others in relation to self, internal conflict, thoughts, memories,perceptions etc). Regardless of what state of being I'm depicting, they are all MY observations or experiences. So, the images are all subjective expressions.

I have to go make dinner now but I wanted to write more. I wanted to describe why I'm allowing myself to create very child-like images for these Sketchbooks. And I wanted to write about what artists paint and whether it matters whether their inspiration is derived from intrinsic or extrinsic sources. I recently had a lengthy discussion with a friend about artists and their various states of being as well as the validity of certain kinds of art - particularly art that is self taught and strictly inspired by one's own emotions, thoughts, perceptions, memories and experiences. But, I am hungry and need to eat so I will leave those topics for another time.