My Twins, "day and night"

Day and Night, 2013, 12" x 16", monotype on Rives paper, Andrew Portwood copyright 2015

My Twins

It boils down to observation, emotion…and a visit from the “muse” for the flow of a makers or artists creativity . The ancient Greeks say the inspiration or “muse” will only visit your house if you are already busy trying…i.e…“god helps those who help themselves”…or the physical law: “An object in motion stays in motion” and Goethes famous truth …“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it“… all truisms indeed, one action leads to another action intuitively I think. The hard part is combining creative with the pragmatic actions necessary for a business.  “You have to put down the brush and build the bus that takes the art to the mart “..that’s my own quote !

My “twins” co-exist…or try to harmonize.

 My “Twins”,  one being creative, ..the other being pragmatic, are trying to get the job done …and I, or “we” admire the ultimate jugglers and multi-taskers out there because my “twins” can’t work in the same room together. They work separately, one at a time.  That’s the challenge right now.

Making the work is a process which I am familiar with…when it’s firing on all cylinders…it borders on euphoria. ..but the other…; inventory, marketing, cataloging, photographing the work, how is the best way to present this…thinking in a “physical problem solving practical mode“…efficiency?..,that  comes from another part of my brain. Don’t get me wrong… I am enjoying this…I’m in a good place trying to figure this out.  It resembles the life I had when I was a free-lancer….it’s entrepreneurial. I now have a home base to place my work and I , or “we” are learning new things everyday…

new large painting

Prayer Trees, 40" x 40", acrylic, collage & mixed media on canvas, Andrew Portwood copyright 2015

my sculpture in stone

Figure L, approx. 16"h x 8"w, sculpture in white marble, Andrew Portwood

Newly installed in my gallery space at 14th Street Antiques & Interiors...2 pieces of stone sculpture that I carved when I was around 20 years of age,...let's hear it for youth & vitality. I recently rediscovered, and re-evaluated these pieces... and realized that their design integrity has held up very well over the years. I have found some old drawings as well that are familiar... but look very different today after experiencing a good bit of life. At the time, I was drawing figures every day, so it was only natural to try an abstract form in stone.....I am very proud of this work.

Princess Nile, approx. 15"h x 8"w, sculpture in pink alabaster, Andrew Portwood

These sculpture pieces took 3 months a piece to carve...starting with the white marble block I purchased at a quarry in Sylacauga, Alabama. I began first working up a design...building a small clay model. Then,.. I removed large chunks with a heavy chisel and hammer...slowly subtracting with finer chisels and refining with various files. Then begins the sanding...stages from rough to fine wet sanding under running water. The alabaster was not nearly as hard a substance as the marble, but still solid stone. The thing about sculpting from stone is.... that it is a subtractive (subtraction) process....once you remove material, it's gone. So...it's kind of a destructive, and a bit violent process that yields a new form. But to achieve that new and ideal form...it requires constant maintenance from all sides...every angle at the same time....subtracting little by little. Very labor intensive, but worth it for the results...that rock should be around for a long time!
In the future though, I should like to try casting in bronze.

They are both available at my gallery space at 14th Street Antiques & Interiors

Andrew Portwood Gallery Space at 14th Street Antiques & Interiors

new painting

My yellow bird garden,30" x 40", acrylic & mixed media on canvas, Andrew Portwood copyright 2015

My yellow bird garden, detail, 30" x 40", acrylic & mixed media on canvas, Andrew Portwood copyright 2015