Starting over after the accident

I have not worked on this blog for a long time. 

In 2009 I was hit by a car.  It was very serious, I suffered a traumatic brain injury that has changed my life completely. When I say it has changed my life, I truly mean every aspect of my life. 

My professional career as an artist suffered as a result of the accident.  Normally, over the last 12 years, I have always had a rotating collection of oil paintings.  I would always have at least five new works, three or more that I was working on, and three or more that were leaving the studio door in sales.  I was able to keep that up because I was able to paint all of the time, every spare moment that I had I painted.  As a result of my recovery time, my remaining works were sold without me being able to create replacements.  

I intend to rebuild my collection, and then open sales up again.  I will be taking commissions and continuing with my commercial works during this rebuild of my studio collection. I will need some time, as I work slower than before.  

Before the accident...

I worked full time and very often worked overtime.  I was never working less than 40 hours a week.  I went to college part time and maintained a 4.0 grade average.  I also was working on my oil paintings daily and maintaining a professional career in the arts as a professional artist. 

My average daily schedule was...

Wake up about 5:30 or 6am, get ready for my day and then start working on my oil paintings.  I worked on my paintings until 7am when I had to leave for work.  I worked a full 8 hour day. On school days I went to class then came home and did my study work until about 12 or 1am.  On days I didn't have class, I went right out to the studio and painted until about 12 or 1am.  Then I was right back up at 5:30 again.  On my two days off (if I had not signed up for overtime which I did on a regular basis), I worked in the studio all day from 7 or 8 am until about 2am.  I didn't go out more than once or twice a month, and when I did, I had a pretty good time.  I also rode my bike everywhere and I was in fantastic shape. 

I had lived this very busy life for 12 years straight.  It was who I was and I loved it. 

My life after the accident...

First off, I was out of work for a year and four months.  The entire time I was completely unable to paint.  I first started back to work 4 days a week, but had to reduce my work hours to three days according to my doctor.  I can't paint for very long because I live with a bad headache every day.  When I say a bad headache every day, I mean it.  I have been on 15 different kinds of drugs to help with my headaches. Nothing works.  I'm tired all the time.  Not just tired, exhausted. 

I can't ride my bike for several reasons, the Number One reason being that if I exert myself, I'll get a migraine headache that lasts an entire day. 

So needless to say, it will take me longer to create a new set of oil paintings, as I cannot work fast and my responsibilities commercially are pretty heavy.  Eventually things will return to normal for me.  I will keep posting as I complete work.

-Adam

Artwork of the month: "Veiled Lady"

If there is one thing that I can count on while working at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, is that someone will ask me where the "Veiled Lady" is.

The "Veiled Lady" is the most popular work of art at the MIA.  There is a good reason for it, it is simply amazing.   The marble was sculpted to look as if the woman was wearing a veil, and it truly captures the illusion.  This is a magnificent work of art.  Albeit, this type of sculpture was extremely popular in Italy during the late 1800's.  Regardless of this type of sculpture being common, this is a masterwork.

Raffaelo Manti

Italian, 1818-1881

"Veiled Lady"

1860, marble

Come down to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts...

...ask a security guard where it is.

Artwork of the month by Paul Signac

Paul Signac is a simple painter, chiseling subject matter that was popular and commonplace in his time.  As was his life and his paintings - commonplace.  He married, left her later, shacked up with a woman, painted some, and died.

I have always liked this painting.  I enjoy the seemingly random color placement of his work.

Paul Signac

French, 1863-1935

"Blessing of the Tuna Fleet at Groix"

1923, oil on canvas

Go see this at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts...

...it is worth a few moments of investigation.

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 that 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

Artwork of the month: "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 magic 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 America's 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 ten years.  It is on display on the third floor of the 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.

Artwork of the month: "The Attributes of the Arts and the Rewards which are Accorded them"

Throughout my life, there have been a few paintings that heavily influenced me to become an artist.  As an artist, I partially blame my career choice on this painting.

Jean-baptiste Simeon Chardin

French,1699-1779

"The Attributes of the Arts and the Rewards which are Accorded them."

1766, oil on canvas.

I saw "The Attributes of the Arts and the Rewards which are Accorded them" for the first time while on a grade-school field trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It changed me forever (as powerful paintings do).  I already wanted to be an artist, and after seeing this painting, I was convinced that being an artist was the most important work a man could aspire to do.

This painting is currently on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Go check it out and enjoy its truth and lies.

"You can be sure that most of the high positions in the country would be empty if one were admitted only after an examination as severe as the one we painters must pass."

-Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin.