Jerald Melberg Gallery

Today, I spent 3 hours at the Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC. I had a wonderful time with some of the most generous people there. They took the time to take out 10 original paintings on linen, canvas, and paper. I learned so much all the while jaw dropped by the fantastic art. I am so impressed by what I have seen and can not keep from internalizing it and am sure that it will change the art I make.

Now I am needing to plan a trip to New York, because they said that if I am going to be in NY, then they would ask for a meeting for me with Brian Rutenberg. Crossing my fingers and hoping.

Anyway, just wanted to share the good news.

Thanks for joining me!
Stephen

A couple of my inspirations

I have found two artists with whom I am currently infatuated because of their use of color specifically and the contrast within each piece of muted vs. saturated. Mark Gould’s paintings have passages within them that are applied in a non representational way, but when made part of the whole, make sense more as an abstraction of something without fully knowing what it is. I appreciate the contrast between the recognizable and the unrecognizable. 

The second artist’s work I am infatuated with is Brian Rutenberg’s. He also deals with representing the natural world, but adopts Francis Bacon’s belief that “The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery” (Brimming Tides, Mark Sloan, pg. 4). THe way he deepens the mystery is by abstracting even more than Gould. His passages that appear non-representational take up a much larger percentage of the whole and leave only traces, a bone structure if you will, of the subject matter of the natural world.

They have inspired me to not only use more color, but be smarter about it. Using contrasts to strengthen the piece and avoid muddying the paint in the process. Using Muted areas that by contrast make the brighter saturated colors really shine. And also, I have learned from them that realism isn’t necessarily the best way to communicate the beauty of nature or of anything for that matter so long as you do what you do well. And, if you do what you do well, then no one can/should stop you from succeeding at it.

Sincerely,
Stephen

Gallery Opening Tonight in Columbia, South Carolina

Dear Friends,
There will be a gallery opening this evening and tomorrow evening at Gallery 80808 in Columbia, South Carolina. Tonight, my friend and colleague Jon Prichard will be performing a rendition of his thesis show that he will be performing at Winthrop University in early December.

Tomorrow Night (Friday October 15th) The 2D show will have an opening at the same Gallery. I am fortunate to have two pieces in the show and would be honored if anyone would see it. I will do my best to get an image of the pieces as they hang and post it for the majority who cant travel across the South East for an art show opening.

Thank you so much,
Stephen Lursen


Gallery 80808
808 Lady St, Columbia, SC 29201 Map
803 252-6134

Hello Again Friends,

I have updated my Flickr.com Gallery and would love for you to check it out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenlursen

Also, I just sold another painting to Starbucks Coffee Company. I hung the 8′ x 4′ piece in the Dilworth Store last Wednesday afternoon.

The store is at:
1401 East Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28203
7043389911

Looking forward to further updates,
Stephen