REAL Life Drawing: My Eye On Washington DC

REAL Life Drawing: My Eye On Washington DC
Photo- Gessoed Hand of MG Stout holding her favorite paint while prepping paper

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

NMWA - Art Out on It's Ear?

The National Museum of Women in the Arts wanted to get some of the art out of the museum and onto the streets.  Yahoo!  I say to all of you.  The first sculptures installed have been created by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle.  The works have been described as "whimsical yet monumental" meant to celebrate women, diversity, and love.  I'm not so sure they are successful in that campaign. While the figures are larger than life, their heads are disproportionately small. They are prancing around in some sort of  decorative under garment and seem joyful, but are they?
I wonder about this celebratory cavorting?  I would be pissed if I had to dance around the streets of Washington DC in my delicates.  Even on a good day (when I don't feel like a cow) the idea of rockin' my unmentionables in the middle of NY avenue seems well, dumb.  Are the figures simple minded gyrating gluttons?  Perhaps the artist is using scale and color as a decoy.  Maybe she wants to invite the viewer into a serious discussion about the how the female archetype has evolved since Venus? Has it?
Fertility Goddess Meets Modernity by MG Stout

The New York Avenue Sculpture Project will take five years to complete.  The plan is to install sculptures on NY avenue extending from 13th to 9th streets.  Each median is expected to showcase the works of a variety of artists and will be rotated every one to three years.  It is definite MUST SEE and I can't wait to see the next installation.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

PERSPECTIVES

Law with a capital "L" is defined as:  the principles set out in the Bible especially the Pentateuch, said to be the divine will. (FYI - Pentateuch means the first five books of the Bible traditionally regarded as having been written by Moses.)
Law with a lower case "l" is defined as:  the body or system of rules recognized by a community that are enforceable by established process.

Now I'm no rocket scientist but it seems to me that word law/Law has an explicit perspective, be it the Law of God or the law of man.   If justice is the act of applying or upholding the "law" how can it possibly be understood as blind?

This is what I was thinking about when I painted Equal Justice Under Law (the image seen on the top of this blog)  It is all about Justice having a particular perspective.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Getting Back to The Wall

Gerald James Gallagher, Dad & Vietnam Vet

This is my Dad as I left him last Friday.  Hands folded, eyes fixed and lips silent.  I grabbed my cargo and slowly made my way down the incline feeling like I was descending into Dante's Inferno.  56, 56, 56 I repeated in my head.  Fergus Carrol, Fergus Carrol, Fergus Carrol, 56.  I actually threw-up a little bit, but swallowed down hard as I came upon the stone with the number 56 etched into it.  I dropped to my knees and started to look for Mr. Carrol's name.  
My heart was racing, eyes were tearful and my hand shook as I ran my finger across each engraved letter.  About halfway down the the icy black marble...FERGUS J. CARROL.  My finger tips fell deep into the recesses of his name and I introduced myself.  "I'm Mary Gallagher Stout, you served with my father, Jerry Gallagher, in Vietnam." I asked him a few questions, shared a few stories, thanked him for his service and his ultimate sacrifice.  I said three Hail Mary's, and grabbed the Washington Post and rubbed his name off in charcoal and pastel.  I must have done this 35 times if I did it once.  Respectfully, I got up head bowed and walked the remaining length of the Wall.
My View Walking Away from "The Wall"
Turning Around to Say Goodbye to all the Soldiers
I'd reached the end of the line, turned around to survey the long, long list of soldiers who never returned to their families.  Bowed my head again and whispered farewell and godspeed.  I found a nice quiet spot across from the monument and decided to honor the Vietnam Veterans with a painting.  I used the Washington Post I'd just embossed with Fergus J. Carrol's name as my canvas and got to work.

My Perspective of the Wall
MG Stout Painting Her Heart Out for All the Lives Lost In Vietnam

"THE WALL" Meeting and Honoring Fergus J. Carrol Acrylic, Pastel & Charcoal on Washington Post MG Stout

  To every service man and woman who serves our country, thank you, thank you, thank you.  

Friday, September 17, 2010

Hit The Wall

Armed with my pastels I headed into the District for some real life drawing.  Destination - The Vietnam Memorial.  I was accompanied by my dad.  He is a Vietnam Vet and this visit was forty one years in the making.  He wasn't sure if he would even be able to walk over to the Wall.  His objective was to "get near it."  I dropped him off, found a parking spot and returned to find him on a bench to the left of monument.  I gave him his lunch, space to greive and told him where I would be going.  "Fergus J. Carroll," he uttered quitely..."56".  A giant pit grew in my belly.  Without another word between us, I kissed him goodbye and rolled my art supplies down the cobble stones toward the icy black monster.  All of those names, all the sons, brothers, uncles, dads, granddads, nephews who honorably served and ultimately paid for our freedom with their lives.

...to be continued

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Listening to The Bare Naked Ladies

So I am busy putting a boat load of paintings into clip frames.  I am singing along  to "Get In Line" I LOVE this tune.  It has to be one of my favorites.  I also get a kick out of their Yoko Ono song.  Hilarious!  Music makes every task easier to do.  For me, framing stinks like body odor that has been covered with gnarly tooth plaque, dipped in wet dog hair that is coated with shit.  What a pain in the neck!  I'm just about finished only eleven more to go.  I've written up most of my script for ART OUT LOUD, which is happening this Saturday night (7:00p.m.-11:00p.m.)  It looks like the weather is going to be perfect.  BGC (Big Green Cherry) and I are psyched!  It is shaping up to be a super show.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Back to the Blog

Well friends... I know that I let you down.  I dropped the ball.  I missed quite a few days of posting.  I'm such an asshole.  You see, I've been feeling pretty crumby.  I don't know why.  Things are good...  Art Out Loud is going to be a bitchin' event.  We had our dress rehearsal and the band is so BEAST!  Music moves me.   Finally this funk cloud that has been hanging over me has finally lifted.  I've made my way into the District on Friday and was able to get some painting done too.  I'll give you a sneak peek of a work in progress.  I wonder if you can guess where I went...

Monday, September 6, 2010

Swing Batter, Batter!

The Caveman Swings by MG Stout

We've been chasing the Braves all season and finally choked.  What to do? Move onto bigger and better things.  Like what kinda things you ask?  How about finding a babysitter so you can come to the Workhouse on Saturday, September 18 from 7:00 - 11:00p.m. for ART OUT LOUD!  Click on the poster (found in the top left panel) for more details.


Friday, September 3, 2010

"September Morn...

Stephen Before the Injury by MG Stout

...the night became a brand new day."  I don't know why I hear Neil Diamond crooning that tune, but it always plays in my head when I think about September.  Right about now,  I imagine that you are wondering what a painting of Stephen Strasburg has to do with this post.  I'll tell you.  Nothing.  Simply put, it is a non-sequitur!  The mind of this artist is full of them.  So if you are going to be a fan you might as well get used to it.  TGIF!


Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

My Favorite Kinda Meatball   by MG Stout

Don't play with your food.  Bahh! When it looks this delicious... I just can't oblige.  Quick someone grab my bib, cause this is going to get messy.