Student award winning one page comic.

My wonderchild art student, Meghan B. made this comic for Scholastic Art's One Page Comic Contest. Judged by professional from The Center for Cartoon Studies ( http://www.cartoonstudies.org/ ). She is in the top 15 out of over 1500 entries and will win a prize package from CCS and Scholastic. I believe it's a story from my favorite student storytellers Olivia T. (New story almost every single day for two years.) Proud art poppa here.

Sketchbooks and the Art of Rulebreaking…

I require sketchbooks in all of my classes. The reasoning is quite simple. One cannot become a masterful artist, critic, or thinker by only applying what they have learned during a 52 minute class period. The sketchbook allows for personal reflection and application of knowledge that requires personal time.


I want my students to be original in their creations. I want them to innovate in their imagery and ideas. I deliver drawing and painting skills to my students with the aim of mastery of the principles and elements of art. I want them to know the rules before they break them and/or use them for illustration and ideation in other venues. Innovation requires an amalgamation of the new and old. Original ideas come from the fusion of things we know with newfound knowledge. I want my kids to draw, write, and think on the pages of their sketchbooks. Journal-like, diary-like, ramblings and fusions of ticket stubs, song lyrics, drawings, pictures, and inspiring daily observations. I want them to record observations with words as well as drawings. I want them to communicate their world on the pages of that book.



I model what I want my students to do. I work in my sketchbook daily.

The sketchbook allows me to get a thought/idea out of my head and onto the page.

It allows me to pull together a tight thumbnail(small) sketch that fills a composition easily and quickly, and then try multiple views of the same thought/idea.

It allows me to render, alter, and build imagery that is mine.

It allows me to write ideas about art, conversation, situations, and inspirations, that I can come back to for reference.

Painting on a squint.

Painting on a Squint.



Student --"Why do you make that funny face when you draw Mr. G?"

Mr. G -- "What funny face?"

Student -- "You know the one where your face is all squinchy?"

After years of painting and drawing, it has become instant habit to squint at my art making surface from the first mark made. My purpose is to simplify what I see. To move from very general to extremely specific. I teach some introductory drawing and painting lessons using this same squint technique. It is described with examples below.

At the end of the lesson this year, one of my star artists said "Can't we just do this everyday?" It's an engaging, exciting, in your face project that makes an art period fly by. I transition into a loose painting with original imagery after this introductory "squinchy" lesson.

Supplies
Tempera or acrylic paint. Oil would work as well, but this project is messy... I avoid it.
Toned paper or a toned canvas. Opt for middle tonal values.
Brushes. Small flats and rounds.

Find an amazing image...
I start with a black and white photo, usually an iconic image and limit the students to black and white paint. I also limit the amount of brushes. I encourage them to work loose and wet.

The second image I find is color. The image I use below is one from the artist Loretta Lux.

Limit the Palette. Black, white, and primarys.

Paint in at least three steps.

1. Paint an extremely blurred image, turn it 90 degrees if it helps. Allow painters 5-8 minutes to dig in and paint the general color and value scheme. Work quick and loose, don't worry about specifics, nothing in the pic is specific.

2. Focus the image a bit more and allow the students 5 more minutes to focus the strokes.

3. Finally, return the photo to it's original state of focus and vibrancy.

Here are some of my student's works accomplished in approx 25 minutes.

My Morning Routine

This is how I start my summer mornings.

Untitled from Dan Gerdeman on Vimeo.

PROOF

My art club students have rebelled....They want to create a show called Proof for the CMA summer show. They told me they have proof that they have great art. Thoughtful art. Multidimensional art. They shot down my ideas for large wood cut prints. More to come soon.

school zero.mov

This is a video that Art Club made for the Columbus Museum of Art's Zero Dollar Art challenge.

Enjoy!!!!

Art club will work on the work for CMA

After much indecision, I hope to have my Art Club begin the new year with Wood Cuts, culminating in a big body of work focusing on a few large prints with multiples to sell at the main opening. Also, maybe one or two large ones with a steam roller press. Aiming high.

The big project.

My high school seniors will be the first high school group showing in the Columbus Museum of Art's new innovation, creativity and education space. I decided I would use this blog space to document my creative/preparation process for leading my students toward this big show. The great news is that this Senior Class is extraordinary. An excellent year to do this project.

I have already landed on a tentative idea for the project and key artists. I want my students to create orignal, huge(4'x4') wood cut prints. Our key artists will be the Cannonball Press Collective from New York City. I hope I will be able to get some original prints to use as examples for my students.

I want my students to focus on storytelling or a narrative about their life or life experience. The theme or big idea will be some of my focus on this blog.... How will I decide which path to lead them down? The media, process, and techniques are easy. The thoughtful work and content of what they express authentically is the toughest road.

Cannonball Press

Columbus Museum of Art

WoodCut Prints

4 foot by 8 foot Woodcut prints by Michael Houston and Martin Mazorra of Cannonball Press.

Birdhouse and Bathouse.

A bathouse that I did for my friend Corey. The painting is called Batboy loves Batman. Acrylic and gold leaf on wood.












A bird house I did for my good friend Jon. Acrylic and latex on wood.

T shirt image

An image for a t-shirt i want to make for an upcoming studio showcase.

Birth of El Destructo.

Imagery from a childhood can and should inspire us as artists. I like to think of life as if it is a shirt. Get over the petty cry baby stuff and dig into your threads and stitches. The image on the left is from the cover of my childhood catholic CCD book cover. The image on the right is a drawing Joey Monsoon made for a tattoo for my shoulder. No bible thumping or searching for the "big Save." Just good and proper shirt sewing.

Raku sculpture on display at Otterbein's big gallery in roush hall.

I believe matisse said "the first thing one must do to become an artist is cut out his tongue." With that said i wish to convey how hard it is to get the essence of the visual into the written word. I have slaved over an artist statement that is all inclusive, that encompasses me. But it always ends up being too much, too wordy, unacceptable and all over the place. Much like my daily life. Lack of focus, except when it comes to art making. You'd think that at forty I would have this manure all figured out. I don't.
Attached is the latest Hunk O Hubris:
What moments define your life? My work is driven by defining moments in life. Big and small defining moments. Whether a life altering accident, dilemma, absurd experience, or taking part in a conversation in which something prophetic, funny, wise, or incredibly mean is uttered. These moments will not leave my psyche or speak directly to my inner voice, remain imprinted in my thoughts, in need of escape. My defining moments connect to your defining moments. In a society where we are so caught up in our microcosmic worlds, I hope my work encourages individuals to consider their place in the bigger picture. Small things that we say and do can and will affect others. You, me, us, them. We are all so much more alike than we are different.


I have developed my painting style over 15 years of experimentation and practice. Largely, I use acrylic paint and common household latex paint. Each painting starts with a black or dark canvas/panel. I attempt to make no mistakes in the initial dry brush application of lighter hues over the darkness. I utilize elements of realism and cartooning with text in hopes of creating work that is recognizable or nostalgic. Much of the text comes from snippets of songs, conversations, or popular culture references. The figures I paint arise from texture, mistakes, and sketches. No two are alike, but most have common characteristics. Sly toothy grins and sad eyes.
I commonly use flying figures in my work. The flight imagery stems from a hang glider flying accident I had in my hometown, North Baltimore, Ohio. That one accident is perhaps the greatest defining moment in my life. At nineteen years old, I discovered that I wasn’t invincible and realized that perhaps I couldn’t fly. That moment, twenty years ago, haunts me today.

new workf

This is new work for the cnote show.