Grubbs Artist

Digital Art using FlowPaper

2012-01-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

My son just downloaded FlowPaper and let me sketch with it on his iPad. This is the sketch I came up with - 'Seated Figure'.

New Painting

2011-11-05T11:37:00.002-07:00

'Abraham Sacrificing a Ram', Watercolor, Gouache and ink on board, 9" x 12"

California Art Studio, November 2011

2011-11-05T11:27:00.003-07:00

These are some views of work in progress in my California Art Studio. The first and last views are my work table where I do smaller study works; the middle two views are the wall that I use for larger works. These images give you an idea about the materials, etc. that I use in my work.

Desert Vista outside Desert Center, California

2011-11-05T11:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a shot out of my vehicle window driving along Desert Center Rice Road during the storm yesterday, 11-04-2011. Quite a haboob in Phoenix, didn't get a picture of it since my view was mostly through a brown mist, but I am still coughing up remnants of it this morning.

New Drawing

2011-10-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

'Landscape Study', graphite on paper, 10/2011

New Drawing

2011-10-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

'Intervention of Madyson', graphite on paper, 10/2011

New Drawing

2011-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

New drawing, 'Three Figures in Landscape', graphite on paper, 10/2011

Study Drawing

2011-10-23T15:15:00.001-07:00

Study from Goya, 'Saturn Devouring His Son', graphite on paper, 10/2011

Drawing 10/2011

2011-10-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper, 'Landscape', 7" x 7", 10/2011

9-11 remembrance - Elijah Grubbs Drawing

2011-09-11T14:13:00.002-07:00

This is a picture my son, Elijah, drew on the evening of 9/11/2001. He was 5 years old at the time.

While we were watching the events unfold on TV, I asked him to take a break and go to his room for a while, and he drew this image.

I'm always amazed at the way children view the world - that he pieced all of the events together in a prescient moment; in part because that is the way he perceived it from viewing the unfolding events through the media, but another perspective is that by placing the planes apart from the buildings that it is an act of intellectual resistance - that it might be possible that either the event doesn't actually occur or that it could somehow be prevented.

The image depicts a frozen moment in time before the world changed.

9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-11T13:16:00.001-07:00

Study of right panel of 9-11 remembrance triptych. Gouache on paper.

9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

Sketch of right panel of 9-11 remembrance triptych. Graphite on paper.

9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-11T12:58:00.004-07:00

This is a study of the right panel of the 9-11 remembrance triptych. Oil on panel, 48" x 72".

9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch of the center panel of the 9-11 remembrance triptych. Graphite on paper.

9-11 Remembrance

2011-09-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is a graphite on paper sketch for the left panel of the 9-11 remembrance triptych.

In Remembrance of 9-11

2011-09-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Memory of 9-11, Gouache on paper. This is part of a series of studies for a 9-11 remembrance triptych I've worked on annually since the event.

California Studio, July 2011

2011-07-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

This is a recent photo of my California Studio. Yes, its a mess. Enjoy!

Competition - Three Figures

2011-07-30T12:58:00.001-07:00

Acrylic on canvas, 'Competition - Three Figures', a recent painting from my California Studio.

Recent Painting, Seated Figure

2011-07-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas, 'Seated Figure'.

Study Painting - draft version

2011-07-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas. This is a draft version of a study painting that I'm working on. If you were interested in buying it, sorry, I've already painted over it. Don't worry, the new version looks better!

Recent Paintings, 7-29-2011, California Studio

2011-07-30T12:36:00.001-07:00

Painting, acrylic on canvas, study sketch of figure in landscape.

Recent Work in California Studio

2011-07-30T12:29:00.001-07:00

Sketch, graphite on paper.

Recent sketch in California Studio

2011-07-30T12:24:00.001-07:00

Recent Sketch, graphite on paper.

Recent Work in California Art Studio

2011-07-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas, 'Sports Play'.

Recently, I've been working primarily with charcoal, pastels and acrylic on canvases. Some are stretched over wooden frames, others I'm stapling directly to the wall of my studio. I'm saturating the canvases with water and keeping wet while working - the air is very dry in the California desert, and the heat tends to make the paints dry quickly. Each painting is developed over multiple sessions, and worked at varying levels of impasto and dryness.

I'll update the blog with some of my larger works in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Enjoy!

Recent Work in California Studio

2011-07-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas, Seated Figure

Recent Work in California Studio

2011-07-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas, Two Figures.

Work in California Studio, continued

2011-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Crayon on Paper, Portrait

Work in California Studio, continued

2011-07-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media on board, Seated Figure

Work in California Studio, continued

2011-07-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Crayon on paper, Untitled

Work in California Studio, continued

2011-07-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Crayon on paper, Seated Figure

Work in California Studio, continued

2011-07-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on panel, Seated Figure

2011-07-09T10:49:00.002-07:00

Ink on board, Portrait

Recent work in California Studio

2011-07-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas, Untitled

2011-07-09T10:45:00.002-07:00

Ink on board, Figure in Landscape

2011-07-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas - 'Seated Figure'

California Studio - the 'Desert Hut'

2011-07-02T21:24:00.001-07:00

This is an interior shot of my studio in Twentynine Palms, California, known as the 'Desert Hut'.

The painting on the right is 'Competition', the painting on the left is a portrait with a series of other canvases that are stapled to the wall beneath it.

When working like this, the painting on top leaves a residue on the painting directly under it. Architects often speak of the notion of palimpsest, where an aspect of the city or a previous building are left as a residual element in a new architectural construction. Extending this concept to painting, I'm discovering similar possibilities with the stacking and subsequent removal of paintings stapled directly to the wall one atop another.

This image can give you a sense of the various scales of work that I'm engaged in developing, ranging from small sketches to what I would call mid-sized canvases.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:16:00.002-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:15:00.002-07:00

Graphite on Paper. Seated Figure study of a work in progress.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:13:00.002-07:00

Graphite on Paper - developed study of the 'three figure' composition.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:12:00.002-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas, study of three figures. I'm working on a 6' x 8' canvas of this concept, this is a small black and white study of the relationship of the figures compositionally.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:09:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper - doodle.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:06:00.001-07:00

Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:04:00.003-07:00

Graphite on Paper.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:03:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T09:01:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper. This is one of a series of works based on the drive to California from Phoenix.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T08:59:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

Graphite on Paper.

CA Sketches

2011-02-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Seated Figure study sketch.

California Period drawing

2011-02-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've been working in the California Desert for the past several months, both as an architect and artist. I've established a studio and am able to work on paintings that are up to 6' x 8' in dimension, which is a good size for the way I work. This particular sketch is a beginning study for an architectural landscape idea that I'm still evolving in my mind.

New work in process, series titled, 'Running Man'.

2010-07-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

One of the paintings in the series 'Running Man'. Watercolor and Ink on Paper.

New work in process, series titled, 'Running Man'.

2010-07-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

One of the paintings in the series 'Running Man'. Watercolor and Ink on Paper.

New work in process, series titled, 'Running Man'.

2010-07-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

One of the paintings in the series 'Running Man'. Watercolor and Ink on Paper.

New work in process, series titled, 'Running Man'.

2010-07-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

One of the paintings in the series 'Running Man'. Watercolor and Ink on Paper.

'The Race', 06/30/2010

2010-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

'The Race', enamel and oil on panel, 36" x 48", 2010.

Study Painting, 06/30/2010

2010-07-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Study of male figure after Michelangelo's David, acrylic on panel, 16" x 10", 2010.

Proposed Solution to Gulf Oil Leak

2010-05-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

In essence, the proposed solution consists of placing a porous frame over the leak that has inflatable diaphragms that could be filled with seawater once the frame is ballasted in place. Once the leak is adequately slowed via this method, a steel form could be placed around the frame and filled with concrete to seal the leak.

First Friday Art Exhibit

2010-05-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'll have recent artwork in a joint show with Jason Nye this First Friday (May 7, starting at 7PM) at the Garfield Galleria, 316 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ. There are a number of other art spaces in the building for you to enjoy, so if you're in the area, stop by and have a glass of wine - hope to see you there!

New Painting, 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:44:00.001-07:00

I've been away from the computer for a while, so the past several images are the ones I've been working on over the past two weeks. This is a watercolor and ink on paper mounted on linen.

This painting is currently on exhibit at the 'Art by Architects' show at the AIA Metro Phoenix Gallery in downtown Phoenix, AZ.

New Painting, 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

New Painting, oil on panel.

New sketch - 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

New drawing, graphite on paper.

2010-04-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

New painting, watercolor and ink on paper.

New sketch - 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

New drawing, conte crayon on paper.

New sketch - 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

New drawing, ink on paper.

New sketch - 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

New drawing, graphite on paper.

New sketch - 04-06-2010

2010-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

New drawing, ink on paper.

New Painting, 03-22-2010

2010-03-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

This is the cartoon of a new painting, 'Urban Landscape', 48" x 48", oil on canvas.

Its warm enough to paint outside! Here's the latest . . .

2010-03-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

3 new oils in process . . .

New sketch - 03-06-2010

2010-03-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is a 3 minute preliminary sketch for a new painting I'm developing, 'The Race'. It is also an experiment using pastels with water.

I drew the white lines in to see how they worked going over a dark area. It didn't work so well where the paper was fully saturated, but was better after a first pass removed some of the water, or where the paper wasn't as wet.

The original black line work on the figures was done dry - just wanted to see how it held up by soaking it in water.

New sketch - 03-06-2010

2010-03-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Another preliminary sketch for a new painting, 'The Race'.

New sketch - 03-06-2010

2010-03-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch of a concept I'm developing for a new painting, 'The Race'.

New Painting, 02-27-2010

2010-02-27T20:50:00.001-07:00

Watercolor and ink on paper, 22" x 30".

This painting is currently on exhibit at the 'Art by Architects' show at the AIA Metro Phoenix Gallery in downtown Phoenix, AZ.

New Painting, 02-23-2010

2010-02-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Watercolor, gouache and ink on paper.

New Painting, 02-19-2010

2010-02-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and ink on paper.

New Drawing, 02/18/2010

2010-02-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper.

New Painting, 02-11-2010

2010-02-11T14:50:00.001-07:00

Watercolor, goauche and ink on paper.

New Painting, 02-11-2010

2010-02-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper

Current Artist Statement, February 2010

2010-02-02T14:15:00.003-07:00

Architecture, as a significant art form intensive in its use of resources, demands a rigor and discipline of collective effort to be properly planned and implemented. My work as an architect has informed my ongoing work as an artist, which is centered around three primary concerns: ideation, process and materiality.

Ideation
The ideation that drives the development of initial concepts emerges from three fundamental aspects of consciousness; perception, memory and imagination. My creative process is an evolving dialog between the external, which comes from perception, and internal, arising from memory and imagination. Briefly:

1. Perception: The results of immediate experience that can be literally drawn from life. John Ruskin, (1858), declares that ‘Artists must first be viewers’, and Anthony Santella (2005), notes that ‘artists control the amount of detail in the images they create . . . want(ing) the appearance of reality which has been organized and structured to make its meaning clearer, if necessarily more limited than the infinite complexity of reality.’ As an observer and recorder of the observed, the artist acts as a filter between observed reality and the work that results in the art object.

2. Memory: Engaging in work that emerges from the recollection of significant events in the artist’s life. It is an internalized vision which can be more fundamental or essential than perception, by the process of distilling the detail retained by the mind to that which is most salient.

3. Imagination: Employing various techniques which remove the artist from memory and perception, including automatism, collaboration, material processes, or any of a number of techniques that move one beyond routine experience and memory.

Process
My art is deeply rooted in process. This process is iterative, exhibiting discipline and diligence in pursuing a motif or idea. Often this work pursues formal ideals of composition, color, form, and texture rather than illusionistic representations. My outlook is forward-looking and experimental, evidencing a belief that the art object is a palimpsest resulting from the work of creation. Each act of creation necessarily results in new paradigms for subsequent efforts of creation leading to a continuum of nascence; a continual emerging and evolving.

This work conveys an expression of internal energies. Fundamental to this thinking is the distinction between the art work and the art object, as Albert Camus wrote, “It is not your paintings I like, it is your painting.” As a result of this focus on process, my art captures the essence of particular moments, imbibed with immediacy, serving as a record of temporal experience and process. Elbert Hubbard goes further to elaborate, “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” Some artists use means of machination in producing their art, utilizing machines, outsourcing, etc., which has a tendency to remove the evidence of intimate personal process. This removal of evidence is an integral characteristic of architecture, which demands the intervention and collaboration of many to create the whole. My art demands the opposite: evidence of personal process, an unfiltered collaboration between artist and materials.

Materiality
The pursuit of personal means of expression relies on an imperative of exploration, which by extension demands experimentation. This is why I execute the same motif across a variety of media – divergent results arise from using different media . Unique characteristics possessed by each medium contain a latent potential to reveal new opportunities for subsequent exploration. I use oil, acrylic, tempera/gouache, watercolor, encaustic, etc. on various surfaces; paper, canvas, board, wood, etc. Techniques include original works as well as monoprint, serigraph, stenciling, block cut lithographs, etc. In my work it is necessary to try multiple iterations of compositions exploring variations through different media as a means of pursuing alternate, and perhaps more ideal results. Through this process of experimentation I’m discovering new ways to explore new ideas.

Each compositional idea that I explore expands a growing understanding of inherent possibilities that might be contained in future compositions. The evolving nature of this vision and heuristic use of many types of media should not be confused with lacking focus; as I’ve been quoted in the past, 'I’m not portraying the world, I’m creating one.’

New Paintings, 01/26/2010

2010-01-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Collaged paper, wet on wet watercolor. Let me know what you think of the latest work.

New Paintings, 01/26/2010

2010-01-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

wet on wet watercolor

New Paintings, 01/26/2010

2010-01-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

These are some paintings I did last week while we had all of the storms here in Arizona. Enjoy!

It's warm enough to paint outside!

2010-01-15T12:11:00.002-07:00

Here's a view of my exterior studio; it's finally warm enough to paint outside again!

New Painting, First Draft (Cartoon) 'Figure in Landscape'

2010-01-15T12:10:00.001-07:00

Oil on Canvas, this is the cartoon (an underpainting) of an idea that I'm working on for a figure in a landscape.

Painting is no longer available - it has been painted over.

Red Figure

2010-01-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

A nice quote about my work from the poet Senaq, "l'élégance du noir met en valeur les couleurs initiées par la main de l'artiste."

"The elegance of black accentuates the colors initiated by the hand of the artist." - Senaq

Merci, Senaq, merci.

New Painting, 01/05/2010

2010-01-06T16:32:00.002-07:00

This is a new watercolor and ink painting on paper, about 10" x 14".

New Painting, 01/05/2010

2010-01-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

This is a new watercolor and ink painting on paper, about 7" x 10".

New Paintings, 01/05/2010

2010-01-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is a new watercolor and ink painting on paper, about 10" x 14".

Uncropped version of painting from December 2009.

2010-01-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

As requested, here is the uncropped version of painting from December 2009.

New Painting, 01/05/2010

2010-01-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

Painting titled, 'Mother and Child', watercolor and ink on paper.

Another painting before Christmas

2009-12-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Warm Figure - Merry Christmas!

This painting is not available, it is in a private collection.

A couple of new paintings for Christmas

2009-12-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

Figure in Landscape

This painting is not available, it is in a private collection.

Artist Statement and Bio - your comments are welcome!

2009-12-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

The image above is a sample page from one of my sketchbooks.

I've had several people ask me about my work, so by way of explanation, here's a condensed Bio / Artist Statement that I've been working on to accompany a portfolio of my art work. Any advice you can offer regarding how it can be improved is welcome:

Glenn Grubbs is a contemporary artist and architect. Born and raised in Washington, DC, he has been working out of Phoenix, Arizona for the past 20 years. He holds the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and the Masters of Architecture degrees from Arizona State University. Glenn is nationally certified in the U.S. as an architect, and has designed a number of buildings in the Phoenix metro area. His most recent exhibit of paintings and drawings was held at the Urban Abode Gallery in downtown Phoenix in Fall, 2009.

Glenn's art is deeply rooted in process, exhibiting discipline and diligence in pursuing a motif or idea. His outlook is forward-looking and experimental, believing that the art object is a palimpsest resulting from the work of creation.

His oeuvre navigates three fundamental aspects of consciousness; perception, memory and imagination. The oscillating nature of this vision and heuristic use of many types of media should not be confused with lacking focus, as Glenn has said, 'I’m not portraying the world, I’m creating one.'

New Paintings, 12/17/2009, #3

2009-12-17T14:13:00.002-07:00

I've been fighting a cold for the past week, and finally feel a little better, so this is the first of three paintings that I did to release some of that pent up energy. Each of these are watercolor, charcoal and ink on paper, approximately 10"x14" in size.

Also, I've added a rough draft artist statement and biography on my webpage. Please visit at:

www.grubbsartist.com

Hope you're having a good holiday - Enjoy!

New Paintings, 12/17/2009, #2

2009-12-17T14:11:00.001-07:00

This is the second painting.

New Paintings, 12/17/2009

2009-12-17T14:10:00.002-07:00

New painting.

New Work, 12/08/2009, continued

2009-12-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a draft painting of the two figures idea in an urban landscape.

New Work, 12/08/2009, continued

2009-12-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is a variation of the two figures scheme in a more open landscape.

New Work, 12/08/2009

2009-12-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a new composition I'm working on; two figures in a landscape.

'Seated Figure' - draft version 12/4/2009

2009-12-04T15:24:00.001-07:00

This is a draft of a larger version of the watercolor painting done in acrylic on masonite panel (work is still in progress).