Mural, mural on the wall...
Tim McFarlane Studio News: October 2024
Hey, good news, we made it to October! Yes, that’s something to celebrate. I’m in a mind space where the smallest things are wins, so us having made it to the first of another month is cause for celebration. October is one of my favorite months because the weather is changing, trees are showing off the warm tones of their leaves and typically, it’s time for sweaters, long sleeves and layers, warm blankets, hot oatmeal, tea and cinnamon.
I’m on board with this bit of wistful nostalgia. I say that because these days, it seems that it doesn’t get really cold in Philly any more until November.
Well, anyway, October is still one of my faves and always busy, so here’s some of what I’m up to right now…
Mural fundraiser
In 2021, I made my first public mural in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia, at the intersection of 10th and Callowhill Streets in the city’s Chinatown area. That mural, titled Bound Together, is an homage to the past and present of this area that has been home to a large Asian, primarily Chinese, population that dates back to the mid-19th century.
This is the largest work I’ve ever made and stands as one of my proudest achievements, so far. Here’s a great article about the mural from the Streets Dept. blog.
Now, I have the opportunity to make another mural in this community and need some help with fundraising to make it a reality. I’m working with my gallery and Mural Arts to bring this new mural to life next spring.
To kick off this effort, we’ve set up a Go Fund Me page with all of the information. I even recorded a short video for it:
Here’s the link mentioned above: Join Us In Creating a Vibrant Community Mural!
There are four levels of sponsorship available:
1. VIP - $1000.00
Spend time with with me at my studio and
select one painting under 20”
2. Best Friend Forever- $500.00
Select one work on paper under 25”
3. Community Supporter - 250.00
Select one work on paper under 15”
4. GIVER! ANY AMOUNT!
Give in any amount to be a part of this with no need for a gift of art!
Solo show at MCCC
Yes, I mentioned this in last month’s newsletter, but it’s worth repeating. My new solo exhibition, Black Drawings & Other Things You Didn’t Know About debuts at The Gallery at Mercer County Community College on 10/14 and continues through 12/18.
The Gallery at MCCC
1200 Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, NJ 08550
Gallery hours are: Mon., Wed.: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tue., Thur.: 12 to 7 p.m.
There is an opening reception on Wednesday, 10/16 from 5:30-7:30pm. At 12pm, on that same day, I’ll be giving the Distinguished Lecture upstairs from the gallery space.
This show will have a variety of works made over the past four years, some of which haven’t been exhibited previously. Additionally, I’m making a couple of wall-based collage/drawing installations on site. I’m excited for those because they aren’t planned and will be made up on the spot, consisting of drawings on paper, clear acetate, frosted mylar, silver mylar along with other ephemera.
ARTBLOG ARTMKT!
Earlier this year, I joined the board of Philly’s ArtBlog and this Friday, 10.04.24 ta 7pm is the kick-off of our ARTBLOG ARTMKT! Check out the info below and we hope you’ll be able to make it!
The Artblog is excited to announce it’s ArtMkt at Moore College of Art and Design
Great art at reasonable prices. The Artblog Art MKT is for everyone.
Opening Reception: Friday 10/4, 5-7 pm
Love art? Want to buy something for yourself, your family, friends, special people? Come on over to the Artblog Art MKT, an affordable art market for everyone in a beautiful accessible space! Do you like prints? Ceramics? Paintings? Sculpture? Books? Comics? The Art MKT will have it all. This exhibit and sale is organized by Artblog and co-curated by Jacob Chris Hammes, Terri Saulin, and Tim McFarlane. Together, we invited over 20 excellent artists and two renowned booksellers to participate.
Presenting artists and organizations include: Accra Zuberi, Alexis Nutini, Anthony (Seper) Torcasio, Beth Heinly, Chris Hammes, Justin Tyner, Kathy Halton, Lydia Ricci, Mackenzie McAlpin, Marta Sanchez, Martha Rich, Mary Gamble Barrett, Mary Henderson, Melinda Steffy, Michelle Harris, Mikel Elam, Misha Wyllie, Nancy Agati, Oli Knowles, Sean Lugo, Sophia White, Todd Stong, Partners and Son, Ulises, and the Artblog.
This exhibition is presented in cooperation with Price Lists & Placements, read more about it here.
In the studio
Above:
Deeper Than You’ll Ever Know, (2024), acrylic, acrylic marker, paint skins, acrylic medium, graphite on panel, 48” x 42”
As subscribers, you’re getting a first look at a new painting that I’ve been slowly working on over the past couple of months. It’s one of the only two new paintings that will be in Black Drawings & Other Things You Didn’t Know About at MCCC, mentioned above.
This started from the idea of making a dynamic image out of collaged existing drawings on drafting paper. I layered ripped drawings that I’d made already and kept applying them to the surface until a satisfactory image presented itself.
That happened, but I wasn’t quite sure if the drawn elements over the yellow was enough. I also didn’t know what to do with it at that point, so I left it on the wall, but didn’t do anything with it for weeks.
It wasn’t enough. Wasn’t quite cooked all the way through.
Something kept nagging at me about color and how I could use it here when I didn’t want to use color in my usual way. That’s where the paint skins came into play. At first, they were scattered and without real purpose, to me. Eventually, I made patterns with them, simple curving lines that mimic aspects of the drawing underneath. You have to sit with this one for a bit to see what’s happening between the surface and earlier layers. Some intriguing things happening.
I think there’s something more to explore here.
About a couple of weeks ago, someone left a comment on a post of mine on LinkedIn (Yes, there’s a place for artists on LI)
Anyway, the entire comment was this:
"That feeling of uncertainty is what connects us all. Live in the question. The answer follows the pause..."
Living in the question is what drives most of what I do as an artist. I live for my art asking questions. If there was that much certainty in art, there would be no point in making it.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in November!