Word VII

Harkrader has created another restful composition within Word VII. A window looking into or out of the sky floats in the lower left as two fibers gently horizon their way across the horizontal land. An excavation of rock lies just below. In the center canvas resides a small vertical opening that exposes text, like some ancient word exposed by an archaeological excavation. A vein of granite or marble resides in the top left and another small window to the world just right. (30"x30" / mixed media) Available!

RedSky Gallery Contract

Harkrader signed a contract with RedSky Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday March 19th. Red Sky Gallery will now represent Harkrader in the 'Queen City' region. The gallery has a presence in three prominent Charlotte locations; EpiCentre in Uptown- 10 East Trade St., Dilworth at 1244 East Boulevard East Boulevard, and Blakeney on Rea Road. http://www.redskygallery.com/html/home.asp

New York City Urban Inspirations.

New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Rome, Paris, Budpest, Prague, and many other urban centers have provided Harkrader with inspirational metropolitan influences. More than 40 paintings from the 'Urban' series have thus far evolved from these influences. "Cities are, among other things, sexy" says Harkrader. There is an energy in the city that one can not obtain from any other source. The energy from mass humanity, surging public transportation, romantic piano bars, lovely hotel rooms, the sensual shapes of architecture expanse, (especially the vertical) the aroma of international cuisine, art, scultpture, and the unwritten history of eros within museum walls. Wow, that sounded like the plot or script from a dozen 'Sex In The City' episodes. The image of the World Financial Center buildings above was captured by the artist in 1991 from atop the World Trade Center, 10 years before the dreadful 9-11. Harkrader shot this architectural angle, never to be captured again, from atop those magnificent twin towers. The World Trade Center's visual awe was not just their height, but the double columns that rose from the earth like a scene from some ancient holy site from another planet. What an absolute loss of art and life! Long live New York City.

Red is Hot! Black is Urban!

This hot red urban action floral is one of Harkrader's latest. Filled with collage of black and white alpha-numeric text, currency from Eastern Europe, clock face language, wallpaper and raised text with faux gold leaf, it is urban. The language is romantic. Love, valentine, touch, voice and other sensory language and pics; combined with the colors of red, black, gray, ochre, green, etc. fill the canvas with urban love language.

Soft Action Erotica

Action art allows the viewer to follow the path of movement that the artist's body and medium delivered traveled across the canvas. Not all areas of this action canvas are such. The epitome of action painting (abstract expressionism) was delivered by Pollack in the '40's and '50's. Harkrader's Silent Echo VI (above) has a half dozen action deliveries on the canvas face, while other parts of the 40" x 30" canvas (available) is embedded with collage, photographs, alpha and numeric text. The color blue which is normally cool visually, takes on a warm sensation surrounded by the ochre, sienna and other earth. This canvas is choke full of interesting language, including soft erotica. Never boring & a conversation piece.

"Zippered Landscape"

"Zippered Landscape"

48" x 36" x 4"

Oil on canvas with zippered openings dissected into the canvas face.

Another painting exists behind the main surface.

Artist In Action

Harkrader In Action on a new floral. The studio is packed with over 50 paintings. It is getting hard to manuver, but as the old expression says; 'the mail must get through'. The collage pile is on the red carpet. Rugs, carpets and mats protect the floor. Paint can be thrown or flipped through the air, hence the plastic curtains. A completed floral in the foreground, an in-progress behind the stool and a new diptych is launched on the easel.

The Air feels Crisp & Clean!

Tazmania is known for the cleanest air on earth. Harkrad3r inhaled that prized atomosphere after taking the Spirit of Tasmania from Melbourne, Australia to ferry across the tumultuous Bass Strait to Hobart in 2002. http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/index.html .

This past month, after multiple snows and cold , the air in the Roanoke Valley was especially clear. Mountainside and above Crystal Springs Village, the winter of 2009-2010 will be remembered for pristine air, children sledding, and the natural beauty that white powder reveals to us from both sides of the windows of our shelter.

The painting above celebrates, among other things, crisp and clean. 'Stonescape' is from Harkrader's 'Urban' series. The white textures of glass, plastic and pumice lie on the canvas face like white snow. The green earth stone-like colors give the impression of granite or marble. A pure pliant snow atop the unyeilding regidity of stone. The compositional shapes convey ubran footprints of architectural elements and some betow a 3D quality. This pure and earthy urban composition (48x60-2004) is in the collection of an architect's private collection-an appropriate place for the work to live.

New Snow Coming & 'Vase' is Available

Another new snow is coming to Roanoke. The third white blanket will sit atop the existing 6 inches remaining from last weekends carpet of white on the South Roanoke mountainside. Streets will close, children will sleigh and board, and parents will shovel. A magical time to be mountainside above Crystal Springs Village.

Studio work today after an art related trip to Charlotte on Monday through Wednesday. Harkrader procurred a new canvas (48"x36") for another floral abstract. A sketch was rendered on the canvas in preparation for the first layer of color wash.

Harkrader and the Dark Skinned Angel laid the 'Vase' painting above onto the existing 6 inch snow base outside the studio. The painting was so hot, it melted the snow and singed the sidewalk below... : ) The 48x36 mixed medium/media canvas is embedded with greek text from an antique book, collage and glass. Laying across the top of the canvas is the red vase. The red texture on the top edge of the vase rises up to 3/8" thick. An incrediable 3D effect is portrayed due to the embedded depth below the mediums and the topmost textures above. This canvas is available and it will melt ice.

Art Crime

Art Crimes are committed all over the world in the form of Graffiti. Early examples of graffiti include cave drawings, a form of visual and graphic depiction of culture. Today, graffiti is worldwide and has evolved from the primitive and sophisticate drawings of ancient Greek & Roman culture into modern urban statements about turf, politix, religion, culture and art. Graffiti art is Public Art created by the anonymous, the underground or multiple public individuals.

The graffiti in this image resides on the Cinque Terre, south of Vernazza, on the Via Dell A'more (Lover's Walk). A successful example of multiple public participation (not all are) that convey a positive alpha-numeric contribution of graphics to the culture of romance on this particular lover's walk. Harkrader was staying in Vernazza at Lillie's residence fronting the Italian Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea. The five villages of the Cinque Terre are all accessible by foot, ferry or train. The absence of the automobile gods and the culture of rail contribute to the regions highly desirable livability. Public transportation and trails are one of the attributes that make Europe so desirable. Come on America-bring on the Rail Culture. Then there is the art.

Let it Snow!

Today it snowed...& snowed! Peace! Peaceful!

The image above is one of the three canvases sold as noted in the previous post. This black & white with red circle on a blue background canvas is also from the 'Onyx' series (Rothko on steriods). A canvas of heavy textures including coal, pumice, sand, collage, copper and paint. an electrical box located in the lower right section of the canvas opening is 3D. The box is filled with alpha-numeric characters threaded on copper wire and the box is capped with clear 1/8 acrylic plastic. Harkrader worked on an original small watercolor (historical home) that was a part of a bartering arrangement for a unique situation.

Onyx paintings sold today

Harkrader's art agent from Lancaster Pennsylvania bought three paintings today from the 'Onyx' series. These three canvases all have incredible 3D elements embedded in, on, behind and through the canvas face. One such section (detail) is seen above from the canvas titled 'Sardonyx'. The total canvas size is 40"x30". The canvas has two primary Rothko type shapes of black and white on a light blue-grey background. A calculator is embedded into thick layers of emulsion laced with coal and pumice in it's black surface. This canvas was created in 2005 while Harkrader was working at Studios on the Square and ironically the calculator is 'still working'. A total for 2000x3 was calculated to check it's accuracy. Around the perimeter of the canvas face lie an embedded figure of a nude female torso, raised alph-numberic text, other collage elements, one white shape is laced with fine copper wire and the entire canvas is deeply textural with the coal and pumice mediums. The 'Onyx' series are masculine according to some viewers. If so, this may be one of the most masculine. Adjectives may include strong, bold, black, rough, deep, textured, excavated, etc. A circle of light gray pumice-texture form a connection between the white and black Rothko shapes. Overall the work is like Rothko on steriods. Would you like one for your collection? There are others!

Floral Abstract Earth is Available

Floral Abstract Earth is complete and was photographed for the archives today. This painting is from the 'Corolla' series that follows the paintings recently sold & blogged in December and January posts. The size is 36"x48" and the medium is mixed. Three black fibers run vertically down the left and right side of the front plane. The palette colors are softer than earlier versions; earthly & less action which slows the canvas down in a restful manner. Areas around the yellow floral are extremely deep with medium giving this and the entire canvas an exceptionally 3D quality when viewed close up. The canvas has been in progress for about 6 weeks. Support my work by purchasing this canvas. For details, visit my website to leave me a message.

http://www.harkraderx.com/

Harkrader Installation for AECOM

It is frigid today, but not as cold as the night Harkrader landed in Prudhoe Bay Alaska (-69 F) enclosed in the cabin of a Twin Otter aircraft. This morning it was 21 degree F and we landed at the studio on Church Avenue via the family Camry. Harkrader brushed a final varnish on a completed painting, followed by additional layers of paint and medium on my newest floral abstract. He doesn't think it will be finished before he goes to Charlotte. The above photo images are of the AECOM corporate lobby with the Harkrader installation completed. (Photos by Ellen)

Harkrader Studio Visit

Breakfast by yours truely at our warm abode, followed by coffee at Mill Mountain Starkey (our third place).

A visit to the studio in the afternoon working on his next new floral abstract (36x48). The canvas in the window is in the collection of Blue Ridge Community College. The studio lab coat that Harkrader used for 4 years at Studios on the Square is available to purchase.

Floral Abstracts from the Corolla Series

Two large commissioned painting were installed on the 16th floor of AECOM corporate lobby. Large floral abstracts titled 'Floral Architecture' & 'Symphonic Floral'.

From the Harkrader ‘Corolla Series’:

Canvas title for 36x66 = Symphonic Floral (a musical composition, many times in four movements and my flowers represent the movement)

Canvas title for 60x66 = Floral Architecture (relates to the environment in which flowers live and/or to the structure of the flower itself - ‘Biomimicry’)

Domestication (Once Again) Trumps Nature

Nine domestic cats circle the carcas of the dead song bird after the kill. Blood on their paws and teeth are testimony to the assault on nature. Symbolic of real time neighborhood wildlife under assualt from the ever growing domestic feline population.

This small sculpture is available and affordable. Rusted metal serves as a platform for 'the action' all mounted on a plastic pedestal. Nine action figures (feline) circle the bird sculpted from clay, attached feathers and hand painted by the artist. Additional images and price available upon request

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