5 reasons we all might like Goya.

In lieu of "Artwork of the month" I give you Goya.

I like Goya, maybe you do too.  I have been looking at one of his paintings for years now.  So why do we like Goya?

1.  Francis Bacon and Goya would have been great friends. 

2.  Goya's work is dark, realistic philosophically and visually, and honest.

3.  Goya is a war hero of sorts.

4. Goya's historical prowess is accurate. 

5.  He is not boring all of the time.

 This oil painting is on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  I enjoy looking at Goya's work for the visual record of his times hat it gives us.  Albeit, I do not really like his work.  It is boring to me.

Francisco Jose de Goya Lucientes

Spanish, 1746-1828

"Self Portrait with Dr. Arrieta"

1820, Oil on canvas

“The dream of reason produces monsters."

- Goya

Line composition studies.

I was into the simple line for a time.  I felt that I could design a line that eludes to multiple subjects.  

Here are a few of those older illustrations where I was working out that idea.

Thanks for taking a look at these...

...they are simply studies but i turned them all into cool oil paintings.

"Line Compositions" series of paintings

Lets take another look at my past as an oil painter.
This series of paintings was created in 1999.  There were 20 in total, but alas I was not very organized and only have a few images from those days.  I have no idea where the rest of these paintings are and if you by chance own one and come across this blog, please email me a picture of my work.  I can not even remember what they look like.

Artist Statement

This series of paintings are the study of a single line becoming multiple forms.

Adam M. Considine  1999

Line 1

oil on canvas

48" x 24"

Line 2

oil on canvas

70" x 40"

Line 3

oil on canvas 

60" x 48"

Line 7

oil on canvas 

80" x 40"

I know they ended up more allegorical as the series went on...

...but who can be sure.

Word composition studies.

These studies were all improvisational.  While woking on my poetry volumes I found myself just zoning out sketching out these ideas.  I didn't turn these into oil paintings, but they ruled the eventual series of Word compositions a few weeks later.  

Artwork of the month: Harriet Goodhue Hosmer's Medusa.

I spend a lot of time at museums.  I live a few blocks from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where I find myself walking among the magick of art history on an almost daily biases.  I visited the MIA as a child, and  now as an adult I have been a regular patron since I moved to Minneapolis since 1996.  I have fallen in love with a sculpture there;  "Medusa" by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer.

As one of americas first female sculptors, Harriet Goodhue Hosmer focused on the historic plight of women.  I truly love the philosophy of this sculpture, and it is a beautiful work of art.  I have been fortunate enough to look at this sculpture for the last 10 years.  It is on display on the 3rd floor of Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Harriet Goodhue Hosmer

American, 1830-1908

"Medusa"

1854

Marble

Go to the MIA and spend some time with this marvel...

...it will teach you beauty and suffering.

"Word Compositions" series of paintings

Taking another look at my past as an artist in Minneapolis we come to my poetry works on canvas...


These paintings were created in 1999 somewhere during the time when I was experimenting with poetry, and they were fun.  I will explore this idea again.  I wrote three full books of poetry between 1996 and 2000.  
Sooner or later I will publish them here on this blog.  For now just enjoy this abstraction of words.  

Artist Statement

These compositions are based on a single improvisational repeated word scratched into the surface of the oil painting.  Surface and composition are the focus of this work.

Adam M. Considine  1999

Word Composition a 

oil on canvas

22" x 18"

Word Composition b 

oil on canvas

18" x 22"

Word Composition c 

oil on canvas

48" x 24"

Word Composition d 

oil on canvas

22" x 18"

Word Composition e 

oil on canvas

36" x 24"

Word Composition f 

oil on canvas

24" x 36"

Word Composition g 

oil on canvas

22" x 12"

Word Composition h 

oil on canvas

48" x 24"

I love compositional poetry...

...I use it as I do oil paint.

3+2=5 isms exhibit

Here are some pics from the end of the opening at the Art major.  It was a pretty fun night.

Artwork of the month: Fernand Léger.

I have been contemplating this work of art at the Minneapolis institute of arts for several years now.  Up close and personal this oil paining looks vibrant and alive while muted and soft.  Compositionally this painting is bold and subtle.  The subject matter is plainly laid out for the view to understand through the abstraction.  

The impact that this has had on my own compositions is telling in my art three studies.  The example that Leger leaves behind for abstract painters is one of simple bold daily life.  Besides life is more interesting than stories, and this painting tells us no mythology, but only presents its subject.

Fernand Léger

French, 1881-1955

"Table and fruit"

1909, oil on canvas

Thanks for checking in with the blog...

...I will post more of my ink studies soon.

Exhibit opening: 3+2=5 isms

I will be in a new group exhibit at The Art Major this month.  I will be showing the remaining works in the Bullfight series and my fist four works in the Rabbititus series of paintings.

3+2=5 isms

@ the Art Major 2404 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 

March 11th to April 29th

Adam M. Considine

Christi Furnas

John Grider

Catherine A. Palmer

Amy Rice

I hope to see you all there.

Random paintings created in 1999 (I think).

These paintings were created in 1999, and I barely remember any of it.  

There are so many paintings missing from these days.  I lived with 3 other guys, Chris Keller, Scott Rasmussen, and Stefan Johnson.  We threw art parties at our flat where we gave paintings away, sold them for next to nothing.  Those parties were wild, always wild but we had surrounded ourselves with the coolest artists in town and we always had a really good time.  They are still good friends of mine today and I would do anything for them.  

These were good times man.

Artist Statement

The work created in this time period were simply to further study the craft of oil painting.

Adam Considine 1999

Catherine Palmer 

oil on canvas

48" x 24"

City Clown 

oil on canvas

30" x 30"

Contrast Abstract 

oil on canvas

30" x 30"

Faust study 

oil on canvas

20" x 16"

Guitar and Gastank 

oil on canvas

30" x 26"

Kitty 

oil on canvas

48" x 36"

OCD Album Cover a 

oil on canvas

30" x 26"

OCD Album Cover b 

oil on canvas

30" x 15"

School Girl 

oil on canvas

36" x 22"

a buddy of mine asked me to paint something horrible, i painted a school girl.

Sky 

oil on canvas

30" x 15"

Stilllife with Grandmothers Vase and Speaker 

oil on canvas

60" x 36"

Stimulant a 

oil on canvas

22" x 18"

Stimulant b 

oil on canvas

22" x 18"

The Painter 

oil on canvas

30" x 30"

Wine Store hennipen ave 

oil on canvas

30" x 15"

There were many more works back then...

...I just have no idea what happened to them.