"A Dialog from the McDevitt Show"

[As related in an email from Curtis Bathurst]

Three people in their late 50s and 60s wander to the back of the gallery.

Person 1: Is it snow?

Person 2: It could be snow.

Person 3: It could be snow or it could be sand.

Person 1: It says, "Return to distance."

Person 3: It could be snow on the sand, too. This guy has on special shoes.

Person 2: I wonder if there was a computer used.

Fog & Other Mysteries

Artist's Reception
Friday May 2nd
6-9PM
Gallery 070, Vashon

This evening is the opening of my new show at Gallery 070 on Vashon Island. In addition to the requisite food and booze, my opening will feature the mysterious musettes and foggy tangos of Maggie Kim on the accordion and the incredible voice of Maeg O'Donoghue-Williams as she performs traditional Javanese songs and original compositions. While you are out on Vashon, you can enjoy the rest of the first Friday art walk featuring... more food, booze, and music!

Also, my show is included on the Vashon Studio tour, which will be going on Saturday and Sunday of this both weekend and the next.

Here is the artist statement that accompanies the paintings:

The paintings in this show are from the series ‘Fog & Other Mysteries,’ which explores the mysterious within the mundane. The work, all of which is new, is executed in both oils and acrylics. I made numerous preliminary studies, drawing on a combination of direct observation, photographic reference, and imagination. It is my first major return to oil painting in five years, and the first time that I have combined oils with extensive acrylic underpainting.

When I began ‘Fog & Other Mysteries’ I intended to create a series of monochromatic paintings that used tone and atmosphere to evoke a sense of light and space. My goals, as you can see, changed significantly between conception and completion. My initial sketches focused on scenes of fog, snow, and dusk, and it was from these images that the series earned its name. As I worked, the series grew to encompass a range of imagery far wider than the original dim scenes. The sunny fields, craggy heights, and ramshackle greenhouses that emerged pushed me to open my palette, increase the size of my canvases, and create the work that hangs before you.

‘Fog & Other Mysteries’ was both challenging and rewarding to paint. The process of its creation involved both technical and spiritual struggles. I emerge from this process with a greater knowledge of my craft and a deeper appreciation for the mystery that is at its core.

Fog & Other Mysteries

The following images are from the series "Fog & Other Mysteries," which is currently hanging in Gallery 070 on Vashon Island. For purchasing information, contact the gallery at 206-463-9280 or email info@gallery070.com

[Note-Two paintings that are included in the show are not posted here.]


Fog #3
10"x8"
Acrylic on Canvas
Sold
........................................



Hoodoo (Yellowstone#3)
12"x12"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas

Sold
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Seaside Shrine
12"x12"
Oil on Canvas

Sold
........................................



Filigree
5"x7"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Available
........................................



Undone (Yellowstone #1)
12"x12"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Available
........................................



Selective Memory (Yellowstone #2)
12"x12"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas

Sold
........................................



The Persistence of hope in the Face of Doubt
48"x36"
Oil on Canvas

Sold
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L'Incertitude des lumières
36"x24"
Oil on Canvas
Available

Fog & Other Mysteries

More and Then Some
36"x24"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Available
........................................



The Oral Tradition
36"x24"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Available
........................................



On Progress
12"x12"
Oil on Canvas
Available
........................................



Return to Distance
45"x72"
Oil on Canvas
Available
........................................



The Thin Line Between Dreams and Memories
36"x24"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Sold
........................................



The Trials of Dismas
36"x18"
Oil on Panel

Sold
........................................



The Solace of Heartache
12"x12"
Oil & Acrylic on Canvas

Sold

Maeg O'Donoghue-Williams

I just finished this poster for Maeg O'Donoghue-Williams, a talented Seattle singer. Maeg sings traditional Javanese music as well as original compositions. If you can't catch her at this recital, you will be able to hear her perform at the opening of my new show, Fog & Other Mysteries on May 2nd. Catch her if you can, because soon she will be flying across the Pacific to study her adopted music at its source.
My reception will also feature the music of Maggie Kim on accordion, who can be seen performing at the Pink Door every Thursday.
For a sneak peak of a painting in progress (and a silly picture) click here.

Hard Candy

Crocodiles will do all sorts of neat tricks to get a giant lollipop.
Look how excited the little guy is.

Updates

study for The Oral Tradition
Charcoal on Paper
18"x12"

We're entering the home stretch for "Fog & Other Mysteries." The paintings are lining up, and I am preparing for a new semester.
While I get the work together, I am also working on other projects and booking new shows. Next March I'll be showing "the Voyage of the Manticore" at the Joe Bar on Capital Hill. Look for new Hard Candy posters, and there's a chance that I'll be seeing some interesting print possibilities in the near future.
I'll be posting images of all the paintings in "Fog & Other Mysteries" on the morning of the opening. Presales will be handled by Gallery 070.

Well Google My Socks Off!

Sketchbook page circa 2002

I think Google is weird. I've had total strangers say that they googled me. Just like that. "I googled you." No shame or shyness. Once, I met with a professor to inquire about the UW's MFA program. The whole time we talked I kept expecting him to want to see my portfolio. In the end I had to ask if he wanted to see it. "I googled you," he said. Sheesh. I guess it makes sense, but it still feels odd.
Anyway, I'm proud to announce that I am the top Michael McDevitt on Google. Hang on to the confetti, because I don't feel like vacuuming.
While I was googling myself (I feel dirty just saying that), I noticed that 'Just Like Any Other Morning' is exhibited on the Circo dell'Arte website. It is kind of a stark photograph, but it does not suffer from the glare problems that mar the image I posted. I'm kind of surprised that the website is still there, but I suppose these things tend to linger.
So, let's drink a cup to all the other 'Michael McDevitt's (+) (+) (+)and get back to our googling.

Grimm Spots

Recently, as you may have noticed, I've been posting odds and ends both recent and old. I'm working feverishly on my upcoming shows and thought this was a nice way to keep the content flowing.
These images are spot illustrations for 'Grimm: An Illustrated Collection,' which was (is?) to be published by the Richmond Illustrators Club. A number of illustrators collaborated to put together a handsome volume of selected Grimm tales. I did illustrations for "The Willow Wren and the Bear" as well as for the back cover. The story is silly, and you should read it.

The Gnat is the spy for the army of winged creatures.

Here, the Bear bows down before the little palace of the willow wren.
Both of these images were executed in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet (my digital weapon of choice). It's amazing what can be done with the graphics tablet. Still, I must confess that I spent great deal of time on my computer fussing unsuccessfully with the faux celtic knot-work, Eventually I threw my hands up and went to my favorite coffee shop. I sat down with a pencil and a cup of coffee and banged it out in 15 minutes. Just goes to show ya what the old #2 can do...

Fog & Other Mysteries

Fog #3
Acrylic on Canvas
10"x8"

Sold

This image will be featured on the promotional postcard for my upcoming show at Gallery 070. The reception will be on the first Friday of May (5/2) from 6-9PM.

I am also proud to announce that I will be participating in a show at the Gage Academy's Rosen Gallery. It will feature the work of the Kang-O'higgins Painting and Drawing Atelier. It also opens May 2nd 6-8:30.

I encourage all of you to attend both openings simultaneously via the 4th dimension. Just remember... even though you'll be in two places at once, drinks are cumulative. Teleport responsibly.

Music and Tomfoolery

I'm at home and under the weather, so I thought I'd post a couple of odds and ends just for fun. These images are all digital, though most are reworked from some sort of physical sketch.

This is the poster for the second Hard Candy night at the Showbox SoDo. The organizers wanted the poster to feature a naked man this time. I'd just spent weeks drawing from a plaster bust of Hermes, so I brought in the obvious choice. I based the figure on a conglomeration of two statues of Hermes, one by Praxiteles and one by Giambologna (actually Mercury). I nixed the wings, swapped the rod for a lollipop, and called it a day. Originally he was tossing candy to the crocodiles, but I liked the simplicity and ambiguity of the image without the candy.


It's at this point that I confess that I not only have an imaginary record label, but a whole gaggle of imaginary bands. It's a fun game that I play to keep myself amused and interested. This is the CD art for the debut album of Hermes, a prog rock band from the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota. They signed to Pepperhouse last year and are touring with the Null Set, whose third album is due this summer.

I did this T-shirt design on spec for Sixer, a band that actually exists. Evidently, they are the Greatest Rock Band in the World. I used to work with Casey back in Richmond. He asked me to do an image of a guy digging the grave of Rock & Roll. Hey, sure, whatever. I don't think they ever used it, but it was fun to draw.

I sure do hate traffic. Don't you? Someday maybe I'll get shirts made from this design. There's a second image for another part of the shirt. It has a tiny, yellow chick preposterously seated on a mountain bike with a doomful Latin banner. I'd post it, but I never fully rendered it.

That's all from the land of incipient illness. I hope I didn't breathe on you while you were reading this.

...And So Forth

Death by Musette performing "Ushti, Ushti Baba" live at Frostburg's Mountain City Coffeehouse and Creamery, October 20, 2006

I am a regular reader of Christopher Reiger's blog, Hungry Hyaena. Aside from being an old and respected friend, Reiger is a voracious reader, astute art critic, and skilled writer. In a recent series of posts(+), Reiger wrote about his participation in the online, curatorial experiment "And So On..." The project asks artists to select two works by different artists who then select two works by other artists... and so on. What patterns would emerge in the organic network of aesthetic taste? I was intrigued and surfed right over to have a look.

To my surprise I discovered that the work of Michael Lease was among those selected. Lease collaborates with five other artists to create the online project, Sametime. Each night at 7:15, the artists take a photo and submit it with a caption. The result is more than a collection of beautiful photos. It is a small window into six lives-- humorous, mundane, and sometimes incredibly touching. Lease is a Richmond artist whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making two years ago.

To my amusement, I not only knew two of the selected artists, but had actually once caused them to be in the same room. In 2006 I saw Michael Lease perform at opening of "Waiting..." as part of the duo Death By Musette. I was lucky enough to book them to play at the opening of my show "Lost In the Park." Christopher Reiger came down from New York to see the show. Thus on the night of April 7th 2006 Michael Lease played the accordion several feet away from where Christopher Reiger snapped photos and drank wine.

While it's a pretty small item on the grand list of coincidence, it still makes me smile. There's a nice bit of symmetry between "And So On..." and the informal relationship of Lease, Reiger and myself. I wonder what other relationships exist behind jpegs on the screen. I don't expect that I'll ever know, but I take comfort in knowing that the relationships exist.

Ahem...

I recently discovered that I have accidentally had the comment feature disabled on all posts published after January 2007. Ahem... sorry 'bout that. I wondered why I stopped hearing from folks. I'll be going back and manually fixing the problem post by post. I hope that you will all feel free to comment on prior posts or on posts in the future. I value your feedback and take great reassurance in knowing that you are, in fact, out there.
Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the mistake.

Still Life with Hellmouth

Ink on paper

Available

The Hellmouth is a medieval theatrical motif that found its way into religious art. It can be found in engravings(+), illuminated manuscripts(+), Renaissance paintings, and contemporary pop culture.

For this still life I used a carved jaguar head that my brother brought back from Mexico. The figures were based on toys from Archee McPhee's, which I turned into devils. A visiting artist dubbed the whole setup 'Bosch in a Box.'

During my research for the piece, I stumbled upon one image in which the artist had rendered the flames in a manner resembling leaves. I liked the idea so much that I ran out and gathered a fistful of the freshly fallen Autumn leaves. As they dried their shapes grew more convoluted and flame-like.

Fog & Other Mysteries

The Thin Line Between Dreams and Memory (study)
Gouache on Paper
7"x5"

Sold

I am happy to announce that I will be exhibiting a new series of paintings at Gallery 070 in May. The series is entitled Fog & Other Mysteries. The work, which is executed in oils and acrylics, is a tonal investigation of space, light, and atmosphere. I will post more images in the future, and look forward to seeing many familiar faces at the opening.

Posting Notice

Despite my best intentions, my rigorous schedule has kept me from posting frequently. I have a great deal of accumulated work that I would like to share, and I hope to post much of it in the near future. In the meantime, the the backlog grows daily and most of my energy goes into learning, creating, and desperately struggling to keep the wolves at bay.

Photo: The Chaos of my life... (clockwise from top) der Junggeselle, Little But Hope (cropped at right), Irascible Desires (partially obscured), Standard Decay (sideways), The Missionary's Daughter.

Hard Candy

This poster is for Seattle's Showbox SoDo. Hard Candy is an bi-monthly event showcasing local and national bands. I reworked the Tantalus motif to fit the sweet, edgy vibe of the event.
If you're in town and up for a fun night, come check out Hard Candy at the Showbox SoDo lounge. Guaranteed delicious, just remember to brush afterwards.

Matchbox Reliquary

Acrylic on Matchbox
Available

This is a wee reliquary for the devout traveler. I was shooting for a feeling of street-fair preciousness.



The front features an Agnus Dei and a wandering vine. The side is an ornamental Memento Mori.

On the back are the Four Evangelists.

Inside, we find a little Crucifixion. Look! It's the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and St. John. Up by the cross is Longinus with the spear. The angled bar of the cross points up to Dismas, the repentant thief, and down to Gestas, the unrepentant. It is a symbol of the possibility of last minute redemption. Also, at the foot of the cross is the skull of Adam. The river is my own addition referencing St. Christopher.

Inside, where any little relics would reside, we find St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers. He was a giant (hence the dog head in the Orthodox depictions) who carried the infant Jesus across a river. As he crossed, the tot got heavier and heavier until Christopher carried the weight of the world's sins on his shoulder. The Vatican removed him from the calendar of saints in '69, saying it was unclear as to whether the whole story was historically accurate. I'll limit myself to saying that that's a mighty slippery slope for the old Vatican to be traversing.

Still Life with Virgin Mary

Conte and Chalk on Paper
Approx. 8"x12"
Available

Pigeon

Charcoal on Paper
26"x18"


Pigeon is one of the best models at the Gage Academy. As a result of her striking features and her skill as a model, she has been painted, drawn, and sculpted more times than I can count. Here the likeness is not exact, and there are some anatomical problems, but I enjoy the drawing nonetheless.

The Tears of Sleeping Birds

Oil on Panel
24"x26"
Available

This painting came in response to a news story about a moth that drinks the tears of sleeping birds with a harpoon-like proboscus. Originally, the painting had an additional area on the left, depicting a doorway through which a lamp-lit bedroom could be seen. On the wall of the bedroom was a painting that gave rise to the previously-posted Leviathan drawing. After some deliberation, I took a saw to the panel, removing about 8", which greatly improved the composition. Ironically, the cropped portion sold immediately as a separate work.

Leviathan

Pen on Paper
8"x12"
Sold

I based this drawing on the engravings of the age of exploration. There were several types of sea monsters that were commonly depicted. This whale-like creature is my favorite. Here, a passing vessel (upper right) bears witness to the sinking of an unknown ship. I took the liberty of substituting a Pacific Northwest landscape for the psuedo-tropical landscape more commonly depicted in this era.

Into the Wilderness study (detail)

Into the Wilderness Study
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Original Dimensions Approx. 17"x13"
Destroyed

This study was a late version of the sketches for Into the Wilderness (image below). I came across this file in a folder of bits and pieces on my computer. In addition to the traveller on the right, the original sketches called for a dark, distant figure in the space to the left of the building. The size of the paper exceeded the limits of the scanner that I used, which caused both the figure and corresponding space to be cropped out. I based the distant figure on this illustration that I made in 1998 for my poem 'Attempts to Map the Genome.'

"Trick: Banality is Adaptation"
Ink on Paper
17"x11"
Available

As I worked on the final painting I removed both people from the painting, which greatly simplified the composition. I was happy with the decision and quickly finished the work.
Unfortunately, calamity struck during the creation of the painting. A miscast cigarette butt ignited the building that was under construction across the street. Fanned by heavy winds, the fire advanced on the surrounding neighborhood of Carver. Burning insulation rained from the sky and set secondary fires that made many homeless. At its peak, the column of fire lay horizontally across the street and was twice the height of the VCU Fine Arts Building. The firefighters saturated the surrounding buildings for approximately eight hours. Many burnt, but the FAB was only mildly scorched.
Inside, the studios were soaked and much work was destroyed. Many of my fellow students lost their entire body of work. I lucked out and lost only some small drawings, photographs, and this study.
For eight hours, Into the Wilderness teetered on the brink of destruction. I was grateful to see my unfinished painting intact when I was allowed to return days later. My gratefulness has only increased with time as my painting has travelled the country and served me well. I am also thankful for this haphazard scan, and lament all that was lost in that fire.
Imagine if one could open a museum exhibiting the art that has been lost throughout history. I'm sure it would outshine the Met and the Louvre.

Into the Wilderness
Oil on Panel
48"x30"
Sold

My Art Space Featured Artist

I joined My Art Space at the recommendation of Christopher Reiger. It is an interesting and bustling free website that allows artists to exhibit their images and network. Artists can organize their artwork into 'galleries' and 'portfolios,' which gives the artist a great deal of flexibility in sorting work. Shortly after uploading images, I was notified that I am one of this month's featured artists. Surf on over and check it out.
Above Image:
Scribe
Digital
2007

Blue Heron Gallery with David Carmack Lewis

Not the Birthday Girl
Acrylic on Panel
12"x24"
Sold

Last month I had the pleasure of showing work at the Blue Heron Gallery in Vashon, WA. I shared the gallery with Portland Painter David Carmack Lewis. The show was a great success, and I bid farewell to a number of my favorite paintings, including the one pictured above. In the process of publicizing the show, an astute staff member noticed that David and I both earned our degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. Our work dovetailed eerily well, and the coincidence of alma mater simply drove the point home. Perhaps Richmond leaves its indelible mark on those that have sweated and soaked in the city on the James.