Painting Workshop – Thailand
In case you weren’t aware – I will be teaching a painting workshop on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand from July 8 – 14. We’ll be working with various acrylic glazing techniques, light and shadow, and drawing out an internal visual language. We will also have daily yoga and meditation – led by Violet Divine (my wife!) and Rafael Aisner.
More info can be found here:
MAPS Conference/Art Show in Oakland This Weekend
I’ll be in Oakland this weekend at the MAPS 25th Anniversary Event at the Oakland Marriott. MAPS is a pioneer in the field of psychedelic research. Most notably they are spearheading research into PTSD and MDMA, psilocybin and LSD and their treatment of anxiety and depression, and much much more. This weekend there are presentations, workshops, an art exhibit (of which I’m a part along side such luminaries as Martina Hoffmann, the late Robert Venosa, Alex Grey, and many many more), an all night party and much more. I’ll be displaying half a dozen original paintings and also live painting both Friday and Saturday nights.
For more info and tickets: http://www.maps.org/conference/25/
Form, Formlessness, and Life
This afternoon, after a short time, I closed my eyes while sitting in the hanging chair suspended from the eave of my house. My sleepy sleep deep mind rocked back and forth like a babe in a basinet and I could feel each rise and each dip so supremely deep that I might have been rocked to sleep, if even for a moment. Eventually tho I rose again and put the book back – Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa – in which was spoken of and I read of the act of recognizing and indentifying oneself through countless reference points – now I am doing this, now I am thinking this – and then the act of forgetting, losing oneself in that. And then, if we encase ourselves in a sea of I’s – how terribly lonely it gets! Because we have separated ourselves from everything at that point. Good food for thought and meditation. I find myself meditating on these things while making dinner, petting the kitty, working on whatever my work may be, while walking down the street, into a store, driving my car. I find myself considering – form is formlessness but formlessness is also form.
I read somewhere someone once – we’ll say a monk or a lama – saying that, while form as formlessness/emptiness is relatively easy to understand – the reverse, that formlessness becomes form, is sometimes much more difficult to fully realize. We can intellectualize these things – we often intellectualize- we know this or that – but until we have the direct experience of it, it’s sort of a useless tool. It’s like having a hammer and knowing completely and thoroughly how it works but til we use it – til we actually lift it and heft it’s weight and feel it’s balance and swing it do we see how one might use it. Until then, it does us no good what so ever. the same goes for various concepts of form, compassion, wisdom, awareness. It feels that the more i understand the nature of emptiness, the calmer I am, the more loving, the more compassionate, and the less prone to whims of this or that. I’ve gotten better at it for sure over the years. but still… I get into arguments. I hold back. I do this or that. To be the warrior is to be exposed, to be raw, and to know that nothing – nothing what so ever – can hurt you because there is nothing, ever, that can be hurt that is you. Or me. Or anything. And so we are simply 100% honest – with others and, most importantly, with ourselves.
Join me for a Painting Workshop in LA – Dec. 2011
I’m excited to have the opportunity to be teaching a workshop with my friend and fellow artist Amanda Sage from Dec. 14 – 18 at Temple of Visions Gallery, Los Angeles. We will be exploring light and shadow, painting techniques, and various methods of drawing forth each artists unique visual language. The workshop is $525 for five days of instruction, presentations, and one-on-one learning. The classes will be taught using acrylics.
For more information and to sign up:
http://tenthousandvisions.com/workshop
I hope you can make it! It’s sure to be a wonderful experience for all!
The “Other” Paintings
Unfinished - Acrylic/Canvas | 18" x 12"
With these big paintings I paint – with all of their delicate line work, their careful plotting, and intuitive yet thought-out color choices – I try to strike the fine balance between careful planning and spontaneity. Yet, when I look at the works of Monet or Boccioni, I see in the seeming spontaneous brushstrokes – the dabs and daubs of paint – an emotional/creative process that I also love and strive for. These other paintings work with that as much as anything else.
I look forward to sharing some of these pieces – works that I’ve never shown in public places before – and allowing for others to get a deeper glimpse into my creative process. It’s not all careful lines. Sometimes it’s jut dabbing and daubing and random patterns. Out of that murky and frantic fire of creativity, one never knows what might arise.
Exhibition at Temple of Visions Gallery, Los Angeles
For more information, visit the Temple of Visions Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=304597666221807
From the Facebook Invite
TEMPLE OF VISIONS GALLERY
719 S. Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014Please join us on November 5, 2011 for this exciting opening exhibition, featuring the art of visionary Michael Divine. The entire gallery space will be devoted to a vast array of works, from masterpieces to many lesser-known and previously un-exhibited pieces.
The main gallery will feature work such as The Glass Onion, Illumination, and Limits, framed by master of the craft Matt Elson. The back gallery spaces will be loaded with never before seen pieces, including studies, sketches, and experimental artworks. The pieces in this show have been produced over the course of the past 15 years.
This wide spectrum of work illuminates the artistic process and grants viewers a look inside the mind of this prolific artist. Works illustrating the varying processes involved in making an art piece, from the deep inner urge to create to the careful plotting ideas and concepts, are presented. We are thrilled to share this opportunity for a deep personal look into this exemplary artist.
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View Michael’s work here: http://www.tenthousandvisions.com/
——————————————————MUSIC
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BRIAN SEED (Moontribe)
GABRIELLE (Terrakroma)
MICHAEL BE——————————————————
+ WINE + FOOD + DRINK +
——————————————————$5 @ the door (Support the arts and music!)
New Painting: The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect
20″ x 54″
Acrylic/Canvas
This will eventually show up in the galleries somewhere eventually. Enjoy. Interested in purchasing this painting? Please send an email to sales@tenthousandvisions.com.
New “Live Paintings” Gallery
There was a time, a number of years ago, that the thought of getting up on a stage or, in any case, standing at an easel and painting while any number of people watched was a positively frightening and somewhat bizarre idea for me. Painting, for me, can be an intimate and very personal process; I couldn’t imagine having any number of eyes in me while in the midst of that creative flow.
Then of course there are a few other considerations as well. Much of my work is extremely detailed and I couldn’t imagine that it’d be much fun to watch me paint with my insanely tiny brushes. And then what if I messed up? Then what? And, of course, there’s the fact that I really enjoy parties and dancing and such and, after all, I spend a lot of my time at home listening to music and painting – why would I want to go somewhere that I could hang out with friends and dance and have a good time but instead turn my back on everything and do what I’m doing for hours on end at home and by myself anyways?
Thankfully, I’ve been able to answer these questions. For one, in regards to the careful and rather slow detail orientation of much of my wok, I’ve concentrated on spontaneity and movement while live painting – broad movements and brushstrokes, seeking an efficient immediacy instead of concentrating on refined details. In this way, the live pieces I’ve created have an entirely different sort of life and movement that my other work doesn’t have at all. As for the concern of “messing up”… well, so what. No one knows what “messing up” is and, in the end, it’s all just part of the process. If I go into it with a focused mind and heart then there is no “messing up”. And, finally, my desire to hang out and enjoy myself vs. painting at an event: I pick and choose my live painting experiences wisely, I hope. I don’t paint at very many events even now because quite often I really would rather be enjoying the company of friends, dancing, having a drink, enjoying wherever I am. However, there are times when I am really excited to paint – the crowd, the music, the entire thing is a great joyous occasion and I get to ride that flow.
Then of course one one of my most favorite things of all is the personal interactions with people who get to see a piece take shape, fill out, and hit it’s mark all within the span of a few hours, or a day, or two. It’s a fun process, this live painting dance, and I’ve really enjoyed meeting a lot of inspiring people through these occasions. It’s given me a chance to understand what I do through the eyes of others or be inspired by random exchanges that certainly don’t happen at home in my own studio.
Please enjoy this gallery of a selection of live paintings done over the past year or two:
Burning Man 2011
Burning Man: always a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a lot of love. I had a wonderful time with some wonderful friends. Lovely sunrises and much beauty abounding… I had a lightbox of The Glass Onion in a small temple out on the playa. The lightbox and altar will soon have a new home at Temple of Visions, downtown LA. I also was stoked to be a part of the Fractal Nation Village with my art displayed amongst a talented roster of individuals including Robert Venosa, Luke Brown, Amanda Sage, Carey Thompson and others. Fun and inspiring times! Now, however, I look forward to getting back to painting…
Main Stage Banners at High Sierra
This past summer, on the 4th of July weekend, I was again at High Sierra Music Festival up in Quincy, CA. It’s a beautiful area of California that reminds me a lot of Northern Vermont – rolling hills, farmlands, vast skies. It’s just that the trees are twice as tall and the environs just a bit more permissible. In any case, I returned there again this year and brought with me some big banners for the main stage. The banners were each one half of the painting Birth of a Star (Link) and were printed on speaker mesh so that they wouldn’t impede on the sound and so the wind could adequately blow through them. I was really stoked to be able to add to this really awesome festival. It’s been going on for 21 years and has such a friendly open vibe and is a ton of fun.
Some of the musical highlights included:
- The Warren Haynes Band: I saw him play years ago with Gov’t Mule. I was never much into the heavy southern rock thing of Gov’t Mule but this band: it’s smoking. With it’s nod towards funk and soul and Warren’s ripping guitar work, it was pretty quite stellar. Really: it cut right through me and was a phenomenal show.
- Los Amigos Invisibles: Last I saw these guys was somewhere in Massachusetts about 10 years ago. I first became aware of them via their Arepa 3000 album which was produced by David Byrne (an estimable and respectable figure). They’re non-stop funky wildness and were a perfect late afternoon fun time.
- Scott Law and Materialized: I think I’ve heard of these guys. In any case: psychedelic electric funky jazz rock funk stuff. Good times!
- Chris Robinson Band: I saw the Black Crowes for the first time the year before at High Sierra and they put on an incredibly soulful and heartfelt show. Chris’ band follows in that with a bit more improvisation and a lot of love. It was raw, solid, and honest.
There was a whole lot of other music in there too, some of which was truly awesome. I love music and I love to dance and find that, in those rhythms and patterns, the high and lows, I can lose myself in it and find so much inspiration that is later expressed through my artwork. In any case, I’m grateful for a chance to play up in the mountains with such stellar company.
I also want to extend my thanks and gratitude to Lisa Brown, ambiance crew coordinator, and Adam Roberts of Summit Art Licensing for helping to make this all happen. Really: truly grateful for your patience and willingness to move forwards and make it happen.
