end of week 4 (2)

end of Week 4 (1)

some from the truck trip with Mack.

End of Week 4

Hit an energy wall this week. Needed a rest I didn't get. Resting
now, however.

It has been really hot through the plains of Kansas.

.. ok so we left off in Goodland.
End of the day in Goodland I walked out to the worlds largest easel.
With a big Van Gogh on it. Don't know exactly why people make these
objects out in the Midwest.

Woke up in Goodland ready for some adventure. Hitched a ride toward
a town called Kanorado—you guessed it, on the border of Kansas and
Colorado. Sounded like the right thing to do. The guy Dennis who
picked me up asked me, "You going to the dig?" Hmm.. stranger
assuming I'm heading to a dig? "what dig?" "The archeological dig
in Kanorado. Only reason someone like you'd be going to Kanorado."
So of course I said, "yes I am."
It was a dig out in the middle of the Kansas plains,
digging for clovis and hopefully pre-clovis artifacts—around 10-14000
bc. I had a fun time hanging and chatting about archaeology. Had to
do it, if only for my dad.
Then I hopped a ride to the next town of Burlington with
some of the archeologists, a woman named Katie being one of them.
They dropped me at a gas station near the freeway (my favorite!) with
a lightning storm looming. Pondering how to get out of there, I just
decided to do a little oil- the sky was pretty purple, nasty and
amazing with lightning cracking constantly. Only locals seemed
interested in what I was doing. As I was pondering what to do, Katie
rolled up to check on me—just then the wind whipped up… so I quit
painting and got a bite (she bought, I drew). Then back to hitch
hike some more (joy!).
I stood there watching a glorious sunset, realizing I
would not get a ride.
I was just packing it in for the night, when Shannon,
my savior, drove up and gave me a lift! It was glorious. We hauled
west, spinning tales of Austin and roadtrips. We all crashed the
night in Limon.
That night I felt like hell. Hit some sort of energy
pit. Bleary eyed. Just done as dinner. But I did watch some Conan
the Barbarian on TV and saw the wheel of pain. Whatever I'm going
through ain't that tough. A bit of dehydration—I had been in the sun
all day with hitching and archeology. In the morning I still felt
sick, but started coming to life as we set off to Denver.
Seeing the mountains of the front range was sweet!!
Rolling into the mountains I started coming back to life. We stopped
in Idaho springs for a pizza, and I did a sketch for Shannon, and
then I was back to hitching.
After a while a Pathfinder rolled up and Greg gave me a
lift all the way to Glenwood… a quick bus up valley and I was walking
up the road to my aunt and uncle's.

Rest!! Glorious rest. Watching the river go by. So necessary.

I need to recharge.. after this rest, 10 days to go. Will need my
strength to go strong the next few days.

My friend Susan reminded me this is a competition—"Never under
estimate the enemy. Sell, sell, sell and cross those state lines like
the wind. Win, win, win, and kill to win. Love the big sale."

I've survived well, now I have to play to win.

Love
kenny

more pics week 4

Pics week 4

first part of week 4- big sale

Beginning Week 4

I like Kansas City.

I've been wanting to actually wrap my head around a real painting.
We've been rushing around so much, doing quick sketches then moving
on, it seemed time to go for a more significant painting.

We contacted Leopold Gallery, a local KC gallery, whose owner Paul
turned us on to a local collector named Lee (and his wife Claudia).
Paul took us over to Lee's house (near the art museum and the art
institute) and we got a good tour of his dense collection of art. So
much! Packed into his house, floor to ceiling, almost all figurative
painting and sculpture. It was really incredible…

My idea was to see if he was interested in any of the work I'd done
so far, or perhaps agree to a commission or something. Initially he
was hesitant, as he should be.. he doesn't know me, nor my work.
Anyways, we eventually wandered around to the idea that I could do a
painting, and he could have the option to buy it, but I'd be very
happy to take it back to LA and sell it in the show at the end. This
way no pressure on either end.

Though there was pressure for me— if I bought some art supplies, and
I was about broke. If he decided not to buy it, if the painting
didn't come together, I would be in major jeopardy.

So we discussed what he would possibly want; a figure for sure. We
started thinking about hiring a model, then Lee suggested Lucie, our
associate producer.. Duckie her nickname. It was a brilliant idea,
because it made the whole experience intimate and personal. I did an
ink sketch, we thought about a size, called a great canvas maker in
town (Signature Canvas) and they knocked out a custom Linen for me.
Bob over at Signature heard the whole story and donated the linen to
the cause. Very cool. (I was happy to find they are the only major
canvas manufacturer in the US that use all local materials-- from
wood to canvas. Except for my special oil-primed Belgian linen.)

So with linen in hand, we set up in the upstairs den/guest room. I
chose this room because I could control the north light and find that
cave like condition I love to paint. Lucie has a great neck and I
wanted that to shine, and we chose a purple dress… just because that
is I what she had.

Duckie, it turns out, was a great model. She had been a dancer and
played in Orchestras; both required physical control for long
periods of time. So, her first time as an art model she was
amazing. 7 hours straight we worked.

It is not ideal to finish a portrait under time and money jeopardy,
especially when you have a HD camera over your shoulder, and a
producer asking me questions on camera. Lee and Claudia would come
up sometimes to hang out while the painting was being done. What's
funny is, as much as that would throw most artists off, I thought
about how cool it must be for them to see a painting being done in
their house, of someone they know, of a painting they might live
with. As collectors it would be a rare opportunity, I'd think.

So around sunset I finished the painting, and it was not easy. Doing
a one-pass oil is really hard, as some strokes will want to remove
paint. In my style of paintings it makes it much more technically
difficult.

I was a happy with the painting however. We all went down stairs to
eat and have some wine, with the Lee not having seen the last 2
hours or so of work. After food I brought the painting down, on
camera, to see if he would buy it. He was perfectly theatrical about
it.. an art showdown. He said this whole speech about how KC is not
LA nor New York and that I was an unknown artist to him… it was
great. So I threw out a real, if a bit low, number—2500 firm. He
took it. First big sale!!

So I collapsed exhausted, but knowing I wouldn't have to worry about
money as much form here on out. Though I will set a bunch of money
aside for framing and show costs, as well as a vegas hotel. It is
not smooth sailing, just I get to breath a bit easier now.
-------------

I'm currently in Goodland Kansas near the border of Colorado. I got
a couple rides here from the outskirts of KC—a nice family moving to
Utah from Tennessee (leading to a night in Salina, KS), and yesterday
a fantastic trip with a big rig trucker named Mack. He lived out of
his truck basically, and took me, the camera man Ian and the sound
man Paul along for about 200 miles. It was a real treat and I
learned much about the life of a trucker.

i've been a bit burned out after KC. I'm afraid when I'm done with
this show I'll become a hermit and live in some cave and folks will
remember when I "was such a social fellow."

Today I feel better. Ready to win this race.

That is all from the road. Will be Colorado soon.

Much love
Kenny

week 3 pics (pt 3)

again, in no particular order