Summer

It's flooding in Iowa, but luckily not in Grinnell. I've been working at an art summer camp this last week, and I'm completely exhausted. I've been teaching painting to kids K through 6. I have lots of great pictures of it, but until im finished next friday, I think I'll wait to post them.


Im going to Minneapolis the Weekend, and tonight I am going to Iowa City (or hopefully going... as long as its not under water) to see The Bishop Brothers perform their Sun City Girls Songs.

Update

I graduated from college a week or so ago. It was nice... Judith Butler spoke, my family was here, I think we had a nice time. Since then I've been trying to take it easy. I've been doing a lot of reading, exercising, sleeping, listening, and only a little bit of painting. I wanted to show you what I have, though..... I've been doing small paintings in acrylic and tempera on yupo.

Here they are right now!

Photos from a Piano Burning

My friend Daniel (Giant Panda Watch) invited me to attend a piano burning at his advisor's house. It was an extremely strange and surprisingly affecting experience. Thanks for the photos, Daniel.

Shelby Sifers

So, over at geraniums and potatoes, Ali got a message from the one and only Shelby Sifers, who's been planning a US tour lately with some of her pals. It seems that, long story short, Shelby will be performing a concert at our house this summer!!!

I couldn't ask for a cooler thing.

Maybe you should come! It's in Grinnell, on July 25th... more details to follow, I'm sure.

Updatez

So, I know I haven't written much of anything lately, or ever really. I'm sorry. I'm taking courses on museum studies, drawing, and philosophy. I've finished applying to graduate schools (Only two for this fall, probably more next year), and I've been collecting vintage photographs as always. I have done next to no painting, and very little drawing. I am taking kind of an unexpected break.

In two weeks, Ali and I are going to New York and DC for spring break. I'm incredibly excited. That is all, I think, for now.

Photo Source!

Recent Drawings (shitty ones!)

I have been doing some drawings recently. These are some photos of them, in progress. They are of animals killed in the war in Africa, either to feed the troops or because the animals were getting in the way. I think this is a really bizarre type of casualty. Also, the middle one is just of some turkeys and a guy. I got tired of dead things for a second.



I think that these drawings are basically pretty unsuccessful. I know there's a better way to do them.. with an "economy of stroke" as they say. Case in point, this painting by Elizabeth Neel (One of the best American painters right now, in my opinion) called Popped Up:

Maybe some day, I'll figure this out. Until then, I will scrape around on paper some more.

Army Green Valentine!

Ali and I at my recent art opening. I like how we coordinated with the paintings.

IMAGES OF WAR: New Work By John Bell

My show has finally opened, and it seems to have been something of a success. Here are some photos!

FInished Painting!

This painting is fiiiiinnnnnnnnniiiissssssssshhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeed.

It's a rare thing for me lately.

Painting in Progress

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Seriously. Screw this. I need a vacation and I'm supposed to be on one now.

The Solitary Grinnellian

My fall semester is over, and after a brief stint in illinois, im back in grinnell, painting and living like a hermit. My show is in early february, and I hope to get some work done before that here. But I'm taking a bit of a break as well. Im trying to read, exercise, and do things I nromally never have time to do. I decided that solitary breaks like this are the perfect time for russian novels! I read Crime and Punishment for the first time. Right now I'm working on Upton Sinclair's Oil!, spurred by the new movie There Will Be Blood. I'm listening to new music, cooking, and of course painting. One of my great finds over my break in Rockford was a homemade compilation of The New York Times Week in Pictorials from 1914 through 1917, containing nothing but pictures of the first world war.



The result has been my first project of the break, a painting that just started days ago:




Excuse the low quality photograph. It is of course just beginning, don't judge too harshly! Another reason to come back to Iowa was of course the caucuses last Thursday. I came back specifically to caucus for Obama. It certainly started the rest of my break off on a high note, hard to top.

New Music, movies, etc. for a lonely winter break:

Soft Pow'r by Little Wings
Zopilote Machine by The Mountain Goats
I'm So Glad Skip James (Make sure you have SOMEONE to talk to that day, though)

Death Hunt 1981 classic action movie, Lee Marvin and Carl Weathers as bad-ass mounties!

Ingmar Bergman movies, i suppose.