News Update!

Hi,
It's been a while since I have posted regular updates, but I bring good news. Starting tomorrow, January 1st I will be resuming daily drawings on the blog. I took a whole slew of pictures of brand new people to draw, and I'm very excited. In other news, I have a solo show on January 23rd. I will be posting the invite in the days to come. The opening is from 8-10pm on January 23rd and Leonard-Tournes Gallery, 78 crosby st, suite 306. I'll be back with more detailed information. Hope you are all well.
Happy New Year!
-Austin

Jovelyn Animation Rough

A Brief Summary of My Work

Here is my work in a nutshell.


I am just one person, but many people see me. Each person sees me differently. I am an infinite amount of people. Therefore, so are you. I can never know the you that someone else sees. I can never paint a comprehensive you.

When I paint myself I am sorting out how I feel about the versions of me existing in the world. I wonder what people see, and so I guess. I guess out loud through paint. Or I instruct and I try to reshape who I am. I try and tell the world something they might have never known about me.

When I paint someone else, I paint what I know about them. I paint you plus myself, because that is my truth about identity. If I paint you hollow, but with volume, it is not because I think you are empty. It is instead that I think you are full of things I may never know about you. I paint incompleteness because I live incompleteness. I can never know for sure what happens when I’m not around. The purest limitation is time. I can only be responsible for the time that I spend with you. It is impossible to know everything about any one person. So for me, it is unimportant and untruthful to paint a whole person. Though truth itself has many versions, many people see one action and from it come many interpretations. I just want to be honest. I want to be honest about you, and myself. I just want to be honest with myself. I just want to be honest with you.

Austin Power

Jenny

Detail

Kim

Jason & Misty

Figure Study

Figure Drawing

Jovie A

"Jovie A", 12"x9", Watercolor on Paper, 2008.


-Austin

Jovie B

"Jovie B", 12"x9", Watercolor on Paper, 2008.


This piece works very well next to Jovie A. So you'll have to come back tomorrow to see the dialogue between the two.


See you soon,


-Austin

Jovie C

"Jovie C", 12"x9", Watercolor on Paper, 2008.


-Austin

Jovie D

"Jovie D", 12"x9", Watercolor on Paper, 2008.


-Austin

Jovie E

"Jovie E", 12"x9", Oil on Paper, 2008


-Austin

Jovie 4 Min Sketch

Welcome,

Paid a quick visit to Jovie's and drew this on computer paper while waiting for everyone to finish getting ready. She's a natural model, always willing to sit still and perpetually expressive.

Until Next Time,

Austin Power

Life Drawing Class

Good Morning,

This one came from a figure drawing session I sat in on. I think it came out rather well. Watercolor, 12"x9" on bleed proof paper for pens. I can't get enough of the way watercolor reacts to the bleed proof paper. Their incompatibility makes for beautiful possibilities through layering.

Happy Hunting,

Austin Power

Lindsay

"Lindsay", Austin Power, Oil & Colored Pencil on Paper, 12"x9", 2008


Good Evening,

I was surprised to make this one work. It was going no where for a long while, and then the image finally emerged. Each color from my very limited palette is visible. This one combines some defined brush work with thumb strokes and some aggressive drawing.

Enjoy,

Austin Power

Jovie Study

Hi,

Jovie here again, this time looking to make the face more luminous.

Until tomorrow,

Austin Power

Peter 2

"Peter 2", Austin Power, Oil on Paper, 2008


Hey Yall,

A second more gestural look at Peter.

Goodnight,

Austin Power

Helen

Hello,

This is a more traditional look at Helen. It's underdeveloped, but served to test some of the possibilities of zinc white on the paper.

And so comes tomorrow,

Austin Power

Esther

Hi,

A quick study of esther combining brush strokes with thumb strokes.

See you soon,

Austin Power

Jovelyn 2

That's a Jovelyn to be proud of.

Sweet Dreams,

Austin Power

Jovelyn

"Jovelyn", Austin Power, Oil & Colored Pencil on Paper, 2008


Hi,

The third installment of Jovie, I moved to a hard bristled round brush for this one. Mixing the paint on the page I was searching out the form quickly. I went in and added some volume by indicating the shine of her hair with a white colored pencil. I feel a bit more confident about this rendition of Jovelyn.

Goodbye,

Austin Power

Jovie Study

Hello,

This is the second picture you're seeing of Jovie but it won't be the last. I recently did a session of photo studies with Jovie under different lighting conditions. She is one of my favorite people to draw. This isn't particularly flattering, but I was quickly searching for the lightest points and the mid-tones in her face. I feel like this one falls flat, and that there isn't enough of the background showing through to produce the depth desired. Still, failures inform successes.

Sleep tight,

Austin Power

Pauline

"Pauline", Austin Power, Oil on Paper, 12"x9", 2008

Hi All,

Pauline is a friend and colleague of mine from Parsons: Paris. She's an incredible wax sculptor and I hope she'll have a website I can share with you soon. This is a quicker sketch using my thumb and a white colored pencil instead of a brush.

See you tomorrow,

Austin Power

Peter

"Peter", Austin Power, Oil on Paper, 12"x9", 2008


Hi Everyone,

This is the first drawing of many I am doing on black paper for pastels. It's a study of my friend Peter. My most recent painting has been dealing with the figure as volume shown through light on a dark ground. The works on paper you'll be seeing over the next couple of days highlight some of the ways I've been working with highlight and hollowness to create or destroy volume. Today, with Peter, we are creating volume with a sense of emptiness.

I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,

Austin Power

Daily Works on Paper

Hello All,

Today marks the beginning of daily works on paper. Check back each day for a new current work on paper. Through this practice I hope to bring you all a more comprehensive look at my ever changing work. For this introductory post I have decided to give you two older watercolors I recently rediscovered while visiting my parents home. These watercolors were done over the december '06 Christmas Break. I thought they did a great job of predicting the works on paper which came in late 2007.


"Kristine"


and the later study from life "Jovelyn"

Check back tomorrow for a new work on paper.

Warmest Regards,

Austin Power

Painting Preview

This is a sketch of my upcoming painting. I will keep you updated as the days go by.
I am almost done with the changes to the website. All of the menus have been updated. As far as I know all of the links are operational. On the right of this blog I have added two categories: "Spend Time With Blogs" and "Spend Time With Artists". On each of these lists you will find the web space of some of my favorite artists and bloggers.
I am almost ready to get this blog running full time. I would like to start featuring a drawing of the day on the blog. If you would like to help me start building this feature, feel free to e-mail me a photo of yourself (preferably your head) and I will try and make a work from that photo. I have a few exciting things planned, and I can't wait to start this adventure. I hope you'll come along with me.

-Austin

Updated!

The website jigsaw puzzle is almost completed. July, here we are. Up next are some images of my new project. Keep your fingers crossed.

Speak soon,
Austin

Update

The new website is about to be uploaded. Expect to see something a bit nicer on the eyes by friday. I've just started two new paintings. I might update you with some in progress pics if you're lucky. I purchased a new camera and am actively rearchiving my work. So there are much more accurate and pleasing photos to look forward to. Overall, a whole lot of work, but it will be worth the wait. I hope you're all doing well,
-Austin

Officially Graduated

I am now an official graduate. Congratulations to all my peers who graduated with me. I am relocating in six short days, after which I will hopefully finally have this website looking decent and this blog updated with something a little more lively than text. Hang in there, somethings coming.
More news soon,
-Austin

Hi,

My name is Austin Power and in a few short weeks I will have graduated from Parsons School of Design. I am having a senior thesis group exhibition with my classmates on May 7th at Gallery MC in New York City. More information can be found on the show and my peers at SeniorCitizensShow.com. It should be a wonderful show, so if you're in the area stop by. I also have an upcoming exhibition in Birmingham, Alabama. That show, entitled "Parsons NY: Pop. 9" will be happening sometime in august. Keep your eyes open for a more concrete date. I hope to be finishing the website design shortly, and afterwards I'll update the blog with little things like works in progress or drawings that didn't make it to the final website.
See you soon,
Austin