The Making of the View From "H" Street

So I was so busy painting that I forgot to take pictures of the entire process.  Forgive me, for I know not what I do:)

Probably day 2 sometime?

I remembered again to shoot this work on day 4?

View From "H" Street by MG Stout 2012

All Done!
See it is as easy as one, two, three.

Announcing My RAW Status!

We Like the Box...The Box That Goes BOOM!  Acrylic on Canvas, MG Stout 2012


I am a RAW Artist & created this piece for the MENAGERIE show at Cafe Asia on 4/12/12.  It was EPIC!
So...

WHAT IS RAW? 

RAW:natural born artists is an independent arts organization, for artists, by artists.
We're a community made up of creative individuals across the nation.
Our mission is to provide independent artists within the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.


We encourage the creative success of the many visionaries and storytellers of our generation.
RAW currently operates in 32 cities across the United States and counting ...

HOW DOES RAW WORK?

 RAW Directors hand-pick and spotlight local artistic talent in film, fashion, music, visual art, hair & makeup artistry, and performance art. With artists from all genres in each showcase, RAW events come together to form an amazing one-night circus of creativity. These showcases occur once a month in each city location (32 showcases a month). Our RAW season runs from February-October and comes to an extravagant end with our indie arts awards show RAWards in Hollywood.


What can you expect when attending a RAW Showcase? You'll experience an independent film (usually a short, webisode or music video), a fashion show from an up-and-coming local designer, a musical performance, an art gallery featuring several independent visual artists and photographers, and performance art (comedy/dance/fire dancers, you name it...). You'll get a little taste of everything. Combine all this creativity with drinks, fun, and good company! To partake in the experience, RSVP ($10/ticket) to any of our 32 monthly, city showcases by clicking on the city tab at the top of the homepage!


www.RAWartists.org is designed to showcase our RAW artists online.  It hosts a plethora of online profiles -- exclusive to our hand-picked RAW artists. It is open to the public to view, however, the site profiles and perks are reserved for only selected RAW artists. RAW artists can connect with other RAW artists, post videos and music, promote upcoming projects, and track their success. We also host what we call our RAWk Wall, where art gets down to business. This portion of the site consists of exclusive art-to-business opportunities for our RAW artists to partake in.


I am so happy and proud to be a part of the RAW family and look forward to sharing the video of the show with you in a few weeks.

Cherry Blossom Festival Launch Party

Last week or the week before, my good pal Julie Booth, Community Relations Manager of the Workhouse Arts Center, and I attended the Cherry Blossom Festival Launch Party.  We met with the organizers and vendors and witnessed the unveiling of their newly renovated website! It was cold outside, but spring was in the air. The CBF is the nation's greatest springtime celebration.

On March 26, 2010 from 10AM - 3:30PM the National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, will host Family Day and the Workhouse Arts Center will be represented by Julie and I.   Come by and enjoy hands on activities, exciting indoor and outdoor performances that explore Japanese arts and design. 

I've been tasked with developing an interactive art demonstration for the event.

 I put on my thinking cap and got to work.  After many minutes of thinking I had an idea. What is the best part of the festival?  For me, it is all ABOUT the sites.  There is just so much to see.  I liken it to a Thanksgiving Day feast were you stuff your eyes, with the sublime and return from whence you came unable to look at one more exhibit.  Now I ponder, what better way to savor and digest this empirical extravaganza than with a sketch book? 

We are going to make sketch books. Oh yeah!

 In honor of the trees, sketchbooks will be made from recycled Workhouse Arts Center Course Catalogs.  The pages will already be prepped with a coat of gesso and spattered with the primary colors.  Visitors will assemble their very own sketch book and be schooled on how to "see" as an "artist." I've created two optional coloring pages for those who need a little help getting their eye-venture started.

Include them or not it is entirely up to you.

I'll be demonstrating drawing techniques and challenge guests to:

SHOW US YOUR BLOSSOMS

Everyone and anyone can upload their images to the Workhouse Arts Center Facebook page to be included in a virtual art show.  Plus we will be awarding prizes and raffling off original art created by me especially for this event.  More details to come.

National's Golden Boy

Stephen Who?  MG Stout on Washington Post

So I hafta admit he's pretty good at getting the ball over the plate.  He's seems like a nice guy too, but come ON! I am a Philadelphia Phillies Phan.  It is very difficult to get tickets in Philly but that hasn't posed much of a problem for us as we live in the DC Metro area.  We simply watch the Phils them when they come to DC.  HERE IS MY BEEF:  Now that what's his face has signed with the Nat's...tickets are going to be impossible to get as all the fair weather fans crawl out of the woodwork!  Hurrumf...  What to do...

Saturday Night in Columbia Heights

Stop By BLOOM BARS  

Painters, Poets, Musicians & Art Lovers Unite

(3222 11th Street NW, Washington DC 20010) 

A two story building that is oozing with creative juice.  

I was one of four painters to be invited to participate in a live art show last night.  We were each given two quotes to interpret into paintings.  It was really exciting to watch art being born while masterful musicians crooned and tickled their instruments.  A truly INSPIRED evening.  At the end of a long week Bloom Bars is truly a place where people can unwind and let their creative selves blossom.

  

FYI- Video was shot and I will post the footage as soon as it is received.

Happy Sunday

Gearing Up For The Start of Something New

Here I am, barefoot and PAINTING.

Yesterday was a busy day.  I needed to prepare the paper (The Washington Post) upon which I intend to create a new exciting series- REAL Life Drawing: My Eye on Washington DC.  My pal Amie actually shot some RAW footage of this process, but I haven't been able to upload it to this blog as yet. 

(Psst... word on the street is that I am technically challenged, but you didn't hear that from me)

 Fear not my friends I will figure out how to post that (adjective of your choice) video soon enough.  Until then... enjoy a sneak peek of a few stills:

Oooooh  

Ahhhhh

The Legend of The Rent

This just in:

I was full of poo-poo yesterday.  I failed to mention that in between writing proposals and art statements I was also sending out resumes for full time work.  People aren't buying and bills are stacking up.  That is the reality.  My work is about honesty.  It is about expression, recording history and personal narratives.  So...
I am taking my work outside of the studio.  Yep, one day a week I am going into DC to start my series called, Real Life Drawing.  I am going to bring my paint, some paintings and set up shop.  Today is a new day.  I am beginning my series in Reagan Airport.  I am flying out to IL and upon my return (Saturday) I am going to record what I see.  Standby.  ( BONUS:  this project...the gallery doesn't get to take it's usual 40 to 50% cut so I will be able to offer great prices for the pieces) SWEET.