Square Dancers

Tree Dancers created for the AWOL gallery square foot show. Shown in various states of repose, and each with their story. The pieces are all approx. 11" square and meant to fit into a simple black wood frame that measures exactly 1 foot on each side in order to fit within the theme of the galleries annual show. I've participated in 3 or 4 now. Here's hoping this is a breakaway season. I'm excited to get my Tree Dancers out to be seen by the large crowds that visit this show. You only get to submit 3, and they choose how many of those go up. That said, I'll be making a few more at this size because I like the layout and it is comfortable to work with. Here are my first 4, the 5th is still on the drawing table

A Little Visit



Lotus Dancer


A Bit of News

The Wistful Prince

 

I adore the last one, 'The Wistful Prince'... I need a print of this, when will it be on your website?

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-wistful-prince-mark-johnson.html

Oh, and it's up on my own website (markfineart.ca) but I don't have a printer set up, which is what I find attractive about the fineartamerica people. Except of course their pricing structure for cards - that is a bit sucky for folks who's work is card friendly.

 

Hey noodle - I just went to see the show for the first time. Of the 3 pieces I submitted, they hung all 3, and 2 have sold. Leaving Wistful Prince without a sold marker. The show goes on for another week or so, and the Wistful Prince may find a new home yet. I thought it was really nice to see that people did buy 2 of the pieces.

 

Hi, Kramus

Much respect for these, and also, my having followed your link, for your ability to work with and to develop styles, as well as working within them. A modern renaissance quality of straddling possibilities and riding them where you choose. I was pleasently unsettled by the well-executed diversity of your works and look forward to my next appointment with two cups of tea and your link, because I need to roll my sleeves up and 'sink' into them a bit more. For example, 'Mystery' [?] with the woman, child, white dove/owl is a symbolic feast which deserves/demands more than the fly-by I gave it so far.

Best wishes

 

Yay! I love your Tree Dancers, kramus. Glad to hear about the show & the sales

 

I'm so glad! I haven't checked recently, but I was watching for The Wistful Prince to arrive so I could ponder a print of him. I adore that frog.

Edit: dangit, xenforo! Sometimes it totally chooses to NOT show some of the posts at random on my phone. Yay, it's up! I'm gong to mention The Prince to someone who asked me what I wanted for my birfday

 

kramus, in The Wistful Prince, were there supposed to be 3 faces?
I see the frog's face, the tree lady's face, and a face that looks like a mask right under the lady's face.
Anybody else see that? Or am I imagining that?

Btw, I love looking at trees and trying to see faces and other shapes in the branches, and this art of yours kramus is right up my alley.
Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

It is amazing to see how far you have come over the last 5 years, both in confidence in your shows and to the thoughtfulness behind your work.

I am still holding to the idea of working with you for a tattoo design someday. The more I see from you, the more I stay excited about this possibility!

 

I lost track of this thread. Missed all the replies. My bad.

Zen, I appreciate your thoughtful approach, and your kind words both. I appreciate the fact that you followed the link at all, actually The Mystery was one of those quick "vision" flashes that took a bit of work to actually nail down. And the owl? The only lavender owl I've ever seen.

Thanks for the thumbsup CinnamonGirl I ended up with the two selling, which means The Wistful Prince makes it into the Distillery show that starts this Friday.

If you got a print noodle, I would love to hear what you think of it. I have never seen a print from these people, and actually have never made a high-end print of any of my Tree Dancers. It would be interesting to know how the photoshop stuff (turning a photo into an online digital image for printing) turns out. Of course . . . no, I'll hold that thought.

Hey Fremen - I have always been one for finding things/including images within images. This is a case of you seeing a 3rd face that is unintentional. But very cool. The image I've attached - my original "Thinking Place" - has a half-dozen faces in the bottom bit, if you like a challenge


I appreciate your appreciation always, amonkie Talk about long-term, hard-core support! I think I'm working with more awareness, direction and skill these days. It would be sad to stop that progression.

 

I haven't posted for a while and this particular drawing turned out rather well IMHO. So here it is, dropped into a Tree Dancer thread that has lain dormant for the last half year. I'm away from my scanner guy & my computer w the fancy software for another week and a half. So getting this photo looking more like what is actually drawn on the paper is not going to happen, but what the heck.

Tentatively called "New Spring" - 14" x 17" various pencils in a Strathmore medium weight drawing pad.

 

Tentatively called "A Sweet Moment" - 14" x 17" various pencils in a Strathmore medium weight drawing pad. More of that hotel-bound work a fellow can get up to when in a place as - dare I say drab? - as Kuwait City.

​

 

A new year. A new crop of dancers for the Square Foot annual show. The first one I've called "The Dancer" - yes, a brilliant and original name. I'll post the others as they are finished.

Dynamic tension between earth and sky creates beauty as personified in the Tree Dancer.

 

The Crane Visits

 

Final drawing of the 3 I wanted to do. I drop them off tonight after dinner.

"Spring Rising"

 

Oooh...I like all of these, kramus , but that last one is particularly spectacular. Awesome.