So I realize it's a little late for a midterm evaluation of myself but I'm just going to go ahead and talk about how I feel i've progresses up until now.

So coming into the coarse I was absolutely under prepared for the class overall. My last painting coarse was with Trace Miller two semesters ago and prior to that I've have little to no experience with paint. The difference between drawing and painting is huge for me. You need almost a completely different mind set when painting. So it came as no surprise to me when my first work didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I felt like my second series of paintings didn't come out too wonderfully either.

After those two I felt like I needed to try something new, so when I found out that we wouldn't be graded on quality of work for our abstract projects I decided just to go crazy. It was through this that I found that the feel and mark of the pallet knife was something that i like more than using the brushes. So as of right now I feel like I can explore a whole new side of painting and I hope that from here on out I can a have good amount of success in it.

The man I chose to study for this rather delayed second essay is Adrian Ghenie. Adrian Grew up in Romania where he spent his entire early life. He owes most of his success in art to his childhood neighbor who saw his potential as an artist at an early age. He notes that she would more than often lend him art books and would sometime come draw with him.

His father was a bug figure in his life and remains so in his artwork to this day. His father was a member of the secret service in Romania until the political views of the country changed. After that his father entered a reclusive state of mind. Adrian often looks to this time in his life to spark ideas for pieces. He soon made the move to Berlin where he resides to this day.

The thing that really draws me to this guys as an artist is first and foremost, the look and feel of his paintings. They all have a very eerie feel to them that seems to make you forget your surroundings and become consumed by them. From far away the paintings seem to be very neat and tidy but upon taking a much closer look at the work you can see the beautiful untidiness of the work.

The second aspect that draws me to his work ties in with the untidiness of the it. All of his art is done with a pallet knife. An interviewer noted that they didn't see a single paintbrush in sight upon entering his studio.  Such mastery over that tool is inspirational to someone like me who is just beginning to get a feel for the medium.

Overall I see Adrian Ghenie as one my favorite artists I've encountered as far as painting goes. Assuming i ever consider a career in painting, I will remember to look back at this man for ideas and inspiration.

Alice Neel

Odd Nerdrum

Eric Fischl

Elizabeth Murray

Peter Doig

Adrian Ghenie

Barnaby Furnas

Inka Essenhigh

Paul Finniak

Christine Gray

British painter Lucian Frued is was well known for his large, graphic oil paintings of people animals and still life. Often times his subjects were painted in strange positions and would also have exaggerated features. His portrayal of clothing, although not often seen, is a real highlight for me personally. The flow and feel of the drapery is amazingly accurate and appealing.

            One thing I notice about his work that peaks my interest is the eerie and sometimes gross feeling that emits from the work. An example would be his painting named Benefits Supervisor Sleeping. Just looking at the work is hard enough. Not necessarily due to the overweight woman but more because of the extreme amount of detail he put into every fold of her body.

            Lucian has a whole ship full of insightful and intelligent quotes. The one I found most impactful was, “The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.” He doesn’t elaborate any further upon the quote, which leaves the reader to interpret what he means. I personally believe that he is saying simply staring at a subject/object for a long period of time allows that thing to become stamped on the artists mind. From there it is his to change and mold to what he or she wants.

            Freud’s paintings as a whole are each dark and different in their own way. The shear amount of time and detail placed into perfecting the flesh is what makes his works stand out among the rest.

Catherine Murphy

John Currin

Jenny Saville

Frank Auerbach

Matthew Ritchie

Julie Mehretu

Lucian Freud