Nitrocels 2019 / 2022
The Nitrocels series explores natural history, revitalization, pandemic strategies, and the lushness of novel materials. Painted with nitrocellulose, the material that makes nail polish look so cool.
1Crow [red]
2020 / 2022, 35 3/4” x 24” x 3/4”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame
2Crow [blue]
2020 / 2022, 40” x 24” x 1”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame
Starling [blue]
2019 / 2022, 21 1/2” x 29” x 1”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame
Topcoat on the Art Train [yellow]
2019 / 2022, 32” x 22” x 1”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame
Simone [black]
2019 / 2022, 21 1/4”” x 32 1/2”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in 1” plywood frame
Juno [red]
2020 / 2022, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame, 47” x 19”
1 — describing my thought process as I work on the piece.
2 — speed video of the piece developing.
3 — blocking in the painting, applying initial layers. You can see the gooey resistance of the material. The process is very direct with one gesture built upon the next. Every stroke matters and suggests direction.
4 — The final incarnation of the 1st phase of the Juno portrait.
Harper [yellow]
2020, 36 1/2” x 10”, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame
Cleo [blue]
2020 / 2022, nitrocellulose on vintage plank set in plywood frame, 37 1/4” x 7 3/4”
Blue Murmur
2019, 7’ 4 3/4” x 7 3/4”, nitrocellulose on vintage logging plank
‘I love that flocking autumn blackbirds through the crack in the South Dakota barn wall hunting pheasants with dad and brothers circa 1990s...’ — Clark Stevens, architect
Bluebird Swarm
2019, 6’ 2 1/2” x 10 3/4” x 3”, nitrocellulose on vintage logging plank
Blackbird Flocking
2019, roughly 5’ 6” x 14” x 3”, nitrocellulose on vintage logging plank
Untitled
2019, roughly. 8’ 6” x 12 1/2” x 3”, nitrocellulose on vintage logging plank
Swarm
2019, 7’2” x 12”, nitrocellulose on vintage logging plank
Art During Quarantine
The quarantine provided a new leg to explore in the nitrocellulose series. I first began painting the virus itself, then added portraits of the kids since they were ready models suddenly always home.
There are also some process marker videos, perhaps you could call them tutorials, of some of the pieces.
Harper
2020, nitrocellulose on vintage planks, 11 5/8” x 36 1/2”
The final incarnation of the 1st phase of the Harper portrait. Art is a journey. This one you can follow below.
1 — A response to quarantine, a foray into online teaching, documenting a process. Thanks to my model Harper, and cinematographer, Juno. My first nitrocel portrait.
2 — Development continues…
3 — This piece is stubborn, and dictates an unanticipated direction.
4 — Challenging pieces can yield interesting, rich results because of the tension during the process.
Covid 1
2020, nitrocellulose on vintage driftwood, 10 1/4” x 22 1/4”
Covid 2
2020, nitrocellulose on vintage driftwood, 44 1/2” x 13 1/4”
Covid 3
2020, nitrocellulose on wood, 36 1/2” x 22”
Crow + Drone
2019, 27” x 9 3/4” x 2”, nitrocellulose on wood
Starling | Orange
2019, 8” x 38” x 3”, nitrocellulose on vintage driftwood
Starling Blossoms
2019, 45” x 5” x 1 1/2”, nitrocellulose on wood
Calico
2019, nitrocellulose on vintage driftwood, 8” x 22 1/2”