Tim McFarlane Studio-January 2025
"Innervisions" at CAU, brand new work and more!
Welcome to my first studio newsletter of 2025!
You’re here, I’m here and I’m glad we’re all together again. As has become a regular occurrence, I took a break from the studio starting before Christmas until the week after New Year’s. I’m back now and slowly moving along into the new year. But “slowly” does not mean nothing’s happening. In fact, the main reason for writing to you now is to let you know about an upcoming group show that I’m a part of in Atlanta, Georgia:
“Innervisions” is a new group exhibition taking place at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum focusing on contemporary Black artists who are using abstraction in their work. Co-curated by Clarke Brown and Jamele Wright, Sr., “Innervisions” will be on view from February 6-May 2, 2025, with an opening reception on Thursday, February 6, 2025, starting at 4:30pm.
Last/First
The Only Way This Happens, 2024, acrylic and acrylic marker on panel, 16” x 16” (40.64 x 40.64cm)
This was the final painting of 2024, completed in the week just before Christmas. Most of last year was dominated by what I’m calling the “Tri-Form” paintings populated by interconnected triangular forms that make up larger ones. I’m bouncing back and forth between those and the glyphs as primary elements and felt like making another glyph painting. I was after something that broke up the picture plane and created tension by only showing partial glyph combinations throughout, like seeing bits and pieces of information and not being able to make visual nor literal sense of it right away.
First of 2025 :: Officially, I began with the bases of these paintings in 2024, but didn’t know what I wanted to do with them until last week, so they are starting of my painting journey for 2025. I’m calling these Relations. They’re basically relations between color, ground and edges. One or two elements of vibrant colors and unusual color combinations resting on surfaces of acrylic mediums infused with iridescent pigments. Hard to photograph and as usual, much better seen in person. This could go further as a series at this size but I may scale them up a little next time to see how that affects things.
You’ll notice above that there are two photos of Relation 2 and that’s because it can be installed either vertically or horizontally. I didn’t plan for that to happen, but when it was done, I couldn’t choose which orientation I liked best, so I thought I’d leave that up to it’s future owner. I usually feel pretty strongly about a painting’s orientation, but this is one of those rare moments where I was caught off guard by this works insistence on resisting definition.
Artist book-making and swap with Douglas Witmer
One of the highlights of the tail end of 2024 was having this art book-making/swap session with Douglas Witmer. There’s a whole story behind this that’s chronicled in my art blog: Art & Life Stirred Vigorously
However, the bottom line about this session was about two artists getting together in person, away from social media and having a good time just making art across from each other. I learned a new skill in terms of some basic book-making skills and we made books for each other over random snacks we had. Good times.
Another perk was getting to make three books for myself. I haven’t done anything with them, yet, but I’m thinking of working on them this year and making them available for sale at some point…maybe. First, I have to actually get to working on them, see how they turn out and then choosing what I want to do with them. It’s exciting because I’ve had the idea of making zines for a long time and haven’t done it, yet. Maybe this will be the impetus to dive into it.
L.A. wildfire assistance
The wildfire crisis in and around L.A. is so devastating. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to have to live through having your entire world wiped out like that. My heart goes out to everyone who is being affected. I know that there are a lot of resources that have already been mentioned for residents there to take advantage of, but I thought I’d share a couple that I’ve come across that seem relevant for anyone and one directed towards the needs of artists:
Mutual Aid LA Network has a spreadsheet of available resources in different areas of L.A.
Hyperallergic has put together a list of resources directed towards artists impacted by the fires: A Running List of Resources to Help Artists Impacted by LA Fires
Exit
I found this online the other day and thought it was a pretty appropriate message as an artist. Obviously, it’s for anyone, but with artists, we’re always starting over every time we embark on making a new piece. You’re in front of a new creative challenge and you’re also bringing with you possibly years of experience making things. You may be working with new materials, a different scale, new ideas, whatever… The thing is that whatever you’re facing might be new, but you still have a reserve of information and experience behind you that gives you a head start, regardless of how daunting that new challenge may seem.
I’ll have to file this part away for the next time I’m feeling lost in the face of a new challenge.
See you next time and thanks for being here.
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