Current Art Shows and a Thank You

 

A few years back, I left my career in art and teaching to work as a dean and later as a principal in public education. While in those roles, I gave my best, focusing on my responsibilities in leadership, but I knew I had set aside my artistic ambitions for a while.

Garden Muse

Garden Muse

©2023 Kevin Wasden

Angels of Music

People who have accompanied me on long car rides are well aware of my passion for music. I have a tendency to take control of the aux cord and share endless trivia about my favorite singers and groups.

Upcoming Show: Femme Fatale at Urban Arts Gallery

From December 4th to January 1st, Urban Arts Gallery will host the Femme Fatale art show in Salt Lake City. Two of my digital paintings—Aphrodite and The Shadow (original version)—have been accepted into the show. A special thanks to Urban Arts Gallery and the Utah Arts Alliance.

Upcoming Apearance: LTUE #42 in February 2024

 

I’m so excited to present at Life, the Universe, and Everything #42. FORTY-TWO!!! Will this be the event where we finally learn the ultimate question? Maybe. Maybe not. But I am confident that the symposium will be worth your time.

Upcoming Publication: Book of Mormon ARTbook

  

 

When asked about my favorite book, I can honestly say it’s The Book of Mormon. It has provided me unparalleled guidance and understanding throughout my life. Because of that, I am grateful to be able to contribute two illustrations to the Book of Mormon ARTbook, an art companion to the 2024 Book of Mormon Come Follow Me curriculum.

New Art: Portrait of a Mother

 

"Portrait of a Mother"

©2023 Kevin Wasden

Digital Painting in Procreate

Fine Art Prints Available

Artist Statement

As an artist, I have always been drawn to the power of the human spirit, and few expressions of this power are as profound as the love of a mother for her children. This painting is a tribute to the countless mothers who have sacrificed their time, energy, and love to raise their children with patience, dedication, and unwavering devotion.

New Art: The Return

 

"The Return"

©2023 Kevin Wasden

Digital Painting in Procreate

Fine Art Prints Available

This painting was inspired by song lyrics by my friend, the amazingly talented Kira Gatiuan.

New Art: Aphrodite

"Aphrodite"

©2023 Kevin Wasden

Digital Painting in Procreate

Fine Art Prints Available

Artist Statement

In this painting of Aphrodite, I wanted to explore the many facets of womanhood and femininity, and the ways in which these qualities are intertwined and interdependent.

Reflections on the Impact of AI on the Art World: Challenges and Opportunities

Around the turn of the millennium, as personal computers developed the capability to run more advanced programs, the art and illustration markets experienced a revolution. Programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Paint suddenly enabled artists to create images at an unprecedented speed and scale. However, the impact of these technological breakthroughs also brought new challenges. The influx of new artists and the speed of production led to increased competition and decreased pay across much of the illustration industry.  Artists were forced to adapt to new mediums and expectations. 

Fast forward to today, and the art world is once again being shaken by digital technology, this time with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation of art. With AI art generators, anyone can now create art with just a few words. This technology has ignited a deluge of new debates and controversies regarding the nature of art and originality.

Painting Goals

I've had to be kind to myself as I have tried to find time to draw and paint more.  I set the goal of completing 25 acrylic paintings by the end of June.  It was a good goal, but, with only 10 paintings currently completed, I have little hope of achieving my objective.  Still, the effort has been beneficial.

Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show

Between 2005 and 2013, I had the privelege of contributing art to twenty-two issues of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. Sadly, the online magazine printed its final issue in 2019. It will be missed. Below are a few of the illustrations I created for the magazine.

Beskar Vader

© 2020 Kevin Wasden

What if Vader wore Beskar armor?  And, what if Vader wielded the Dark Saber and led the Mandalorians?  That, I believe, would be an interesting story.

Learning to See

   

As an art teacher, I learned early on that drawing is rooted in perception, and not so much about motor skill.  In class, I like to spout little catchy cliches, like, "Look longer, see more" or "Art is an action of the eye before it is a work of the hand."  Or, as some people much more famous and important than me have said, "People who look hardest in the end will be good artists" (David Hockney) and "It is my contention that most people, including many artists, do not use their eyes to really see, but only to identify objects" (Fletcher Martin).  It's not unusual for me to take away a student's pencil while she works on an observation drawing and tell her bluntly, "Now draw."  Many of my students probably think I'm a little crazy (they may be right), but there is method to my madness, and it's always satisfying when a student learns to use their "eyes to really see," not simply to identify objects.

Today, a student brought in a lion drawing she created in 10th grade (above, on the left).  She--now a 12th grader--wanted to compare it to a recent lion drawing she created a couple months ago (seen above, on the right).   As I'm sure you'll notice, there is a notable difference, which is due to the development of this student's willingness to use her eyes to really see.

Prepping to Paint, Part 2

I'm progressing slowly on this because a number of other projects have priority, but I wanted to post a photo of the second step on this project/experiment.  After "fixing" the powdered charcoal and ink, I then applied a generous coat of white glue over the canvases.  While the glue was still wet, I painted a fairly even coat of cadmium red medium acrylic on top of the glue.  As it dried, the glue pulled and cracked the paint, exposing the charcoal beneath.  I really enjoy watching the random beauty that occurs through this process.  Now  I just need to figure out what to paint on them.

Prepping to Paint

One of the things I like best about my painting of Virginia Woolf  is the texture created by layering charcoal, white glue, and acrylic paint.  Tonight, I laid the groundwork for two small paintings using the same technique. I used General's powdered charcoal and a spray bottle with water to apply the charcoal across the canvases. I then experimented by dropping ink onto the canvases as well.  Overall, I like the effect.  Much of it will be lost as I apply glue and paint, but elements of it will sneak through, helping make the final painting more visually interesting.

Layering with Elmer's Glue and Acrylic Paint

Today I tried something new, at least for me.  It wasn't the path I planned to take, but in the end it was better.

A Giraffe in a Hat and Suit with a touch of Magritte

Obviously, I have been a poor blogger.  I am working on my Master in Education, serving as a Scoutmaster, teaching high school, and doing my best to spend some quality and quantity time with my wife and children.  Unfortunately, in a world of finite time, something has to give, and in this case, it has been drawing and painting.  Luckily, I found some time to work on this giraffe painting this past week.  I painting is designed to be printed on a skateboard, which may or may not actually happen.  The medium is oil over acrylic.  The poor fellow hasn't received a title yet, and I am open to suggestions.

Sometimes Creativity Detours

After painting my robot skate deck last week, I really wanted to try another.  But I wanted to do something completely different.  I just couldn't come up with an idea  Then, yesterday morning, a student said to me, "I want to paint animals in suits."  In my mind I envisioned well dressed creatures in Victorian fashion, but upon further questioning, I discovered my student meant animals in "space suits."  I told him to go with his idea, and I would go with mine.  I found some reference of animals and vintage Victorian photos, then began sketching.  Soon came a pencil sketch a stoic bear in a boiler hat.  I liked him and decided to place him in the middle of the skate deck. At some point in the painting process, I began referring to him as "Papa Bear," which reminded me of the story of Goldilocks, and then I realized he needed a wife and son.  The whole idea developed in a very free-flowing way.  I enjoyed the process, but have one big problem with the result . . . what skateboarder in his right mind wants three Victorian bears on his skate deck?  I mean, if you've ever stood long enough near a skate park that skaters aren't exactly into children's rhymes.  What was I thinking?  Still, I think there is something here I might explore in future paintings . . . on canvas.

Class Demonstrations

Often, when I assign a new project in my art classes, I like to work along with my students in order to demonstrate techniques and development of a drawing or painting.  I find that many of my students learn a great deal from watching how other artists tackle a project. Here are a couple of recent demonstrations.  I began each of them in class, but put in some extra time after school.  Up next . . . the Snow Elf shown in my last post.

What we see depends on what we look for (18x12, acrylic on paper)

Long Voyage in a Small Boat (12x18, acrylic on paper)