Ping Pong Idea

Ping Pong Idea
11" x 7.5"
Watercolor, Rose Ink and Graphite on Rives BFK

229 N. Hogan = New Studio Space

A group of very talented Jacksonville artists acquired a space on the third floor of 229 N. Hogan Street, right above Hemming Jewelers. This 6,200 sq ft studio/gallery space is ideal for upcoming Art Walk shows and any other events we can imagine. Right now we have a open call for artists wanting to display their work on the November 4th Art Walk, so email me at scottallen777@gmail.com for more info.

(thanks Photo Schmoto!)

Seeking Toned Amelioration

Friday Night Lights (STA Profile)
graphite and white colored pencil in toned sketchbook
last friday, 2009

Experimenting with Black Intentions
watercolor and ink on watercolor paper
last march, 2009

First Human Skull in Google
graphite with white pastel in toned sketchbook
last saturday, 2009

June Marvene aka: Grandmother Commission

The Subject.
After receiving a choice of about 5 pictures, this one was the most interesting and revealing. Others were way too dated and/or flash on her glasses commanded a focal point, plus, this picture represents a current time that is familiar to her family.

As you can see, the painting was looking a little grim,
so I had to add some color, bring energy...

Speaking of energy, it's the neighborhood socialite, Tiger !
Thanks for stopping by friend:)

June Marvene
oil on canvas
2009

******* UPDATE *******

8/11/09 The client wrote me an email sharing her mom's reaction when she received the commission as a present, the response made my soul illuminate:)

[My mom's] reaction was unbelievable. Of course, she cried, but after that was all over, she was amazed at the detail you put into the piece. She commented on her ears (which were very unique) and a spot on her chin that you captured so realistically. She loved the fact that there is life and energy in the painting, which will be the perfect tribute to my grandmother. She basically sat and held it, staring at it for a long while, taking it all in. She's completely pleased.

The colors are also perfect for the interior of my mom's house. It's like you knew my grandmother and my mom's house!

Wonderful, wonderful job

Progress Report

***All Work depicted in Photos is unfinished and currently a work in Progress***

(left side of triptych)

Center = pic is too hot for the internet!

(portion of right side of triptych)

Photos courtesy of Scott Allen and the iphone.

See you later;)

Cure the Blind

Cure the Blind

As an artist, I'm constantly looking for inspiration from the internet, books, shows, word of mouth, etc, that highlight the works of our world's artists (past and present). Some of the information that I come across is definitely worth sharing, and that is what curetheblind.com is all about.
Ben and I have been working on this idea for awhile now and we finally launched today!
So check it out and let us know what you think, and if you find anything cool that you would like to share, submit it here

Cheers!

Grandfather Bluejay

Grandfather

Graphite in Sketchbook

Bluejay
Gouache on watercolor paper

April 1st Retrospect

Art Walk, Downtown Hayden Burns Library Basement, my contribution was among many local greats such as Mark Estlund, Clay Doran, Crystal Floyd, Dog and Pony and Dennis Ho....

...not to mention the incredible 74 Sound System..blew the breakers multiple times...

...and Happy Birthday to my niece Kayla!

Exploring Unknown Terrain

Floating Leaves 1958
Watercolor

Andrew Wyeth still amazes me. I came across these two beauties in Unknown Terrain: The landscapes of Andrew Wyeth, and was on the verge of writing to Betsy Wyeth to offer my soul for "Floating Leaves", but further research found out that the piece was donated to a museum. Anyway, I wanted to share these jewels and the way Wyeth deals with criticism :

"People only make you swerve. I won’t show anybody anything I’m working on. If they hate it, it’s a bad thing, and if they like it, it’s a bad thing. An artist has to be ingrown to be any good."

Untitled (Distant Thunder Study) 1961
Watercolor

Ace on the River

Another Louis Kulma Study
12.20" x 7.25"
Gouache on watercolor paper

Neo-Gouache Pops

Louis Kulma Study
9" x 7.65"
Gouache on watercolor paper

Swamp Benchmarks

The weather has been wonderful, almost nonexistent, so trekked to an appealing spot behind my neighborhood to give some new watercolors a test run. Alligators were present, but the best action was a rambunctious black dog.

On the way to the spot, I met eyes with the black dog, then suddenly he jumped in a pond and swam away. Above is a picture where we swapped attention on my way home. Rabies could be the culprit of his behavior or ADHD, whatever the case, his energy was exhilarating.

Swamp Benchmarks
7.75" x 11.25"
watercolor, smeared grass and dirt

Study at 31

"Study at 31"
12" x 9"
oil on canvas

We all know the "if your going to do something, do it right" proverb and since I have a show planned for later this year I'm going to give it my all. Game systems were sold, no television, weekly trips to the library, art books and dvds get more attention than my girlfriend, the works. So in addition to the preparation, I've been doing experiments in different mediums and materials to explore what is going to be best for certain pieces. "Study at 31" is a self portrait that took a couple of hours and is from life. A few future pieces will involve figures, so this is just a warmup of things to come.

Books in Progress

Visiting the Emprnt site inspired a post about my bookcase that constantly evolves.

Art books, reference materials, sketchbooks, yearbooks, it's ready to lose an afternoon with you.

The pictures speak for themselves, but I neglected to include a picture of a shelf that houses video game magazines from the early nineties. I just can't donate a nostalgic 16-bit love affair.


Take care:)

The Covers of OZ

After a wonderful post from ISO50, I came across some favorite OZ covers. Of course, we have our own american treasure Charles Manson (above), but see some hippie visual goodness for yourself. Link

another detailed source

Louisiana Style Short-Rib

Cadmium Kayla
10" x 8"
oil on canvas

My mothers birthday was in November and all she wanted was a piece done of my niece Kayla.
3 months later and Surprise!

Fecal Face DJ Entry

Fecal Face Free Fridayz DJ Submission.

Happy Birthday Dad

(envelope)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(card)

Chipmunk Frenzies

Lately I have been very motivated (due to many positive reasons, i.e. obama, health) and I've been drawing and painting like never before. Above is a quick (under an hour) paint/color study of my girlfriend Erica.

Butters

Babes

Notice: If your in the area and want me to paint you, let me know. I'll make your stay as comforting as possible :)

Andrew Wyeth passed away

Christina's World

Braids

Farm Road

Lovers

The Carry

Wind from the Sea

Andrew Wyeth,
son of N.C. Wyeth and highly acclaimed painter,
has died Thursday in his sleep at 91,
he will be missed.

More..

and more..

Unicorn Basement

...put on a great show at Shantytown last night.

The Weekend I Spent With a Witch & Art Walk

The Weekend I Spent With a Witch
By Riley Gadd


One day I woke up and there was a note in an envelope and it said:

Josh, we are leaving you here while we go on a business trip. We hired a babysitter. Be good and we’ll see you Sunday. Love, Mom and Dad

After I read the note I got up and thought about what the babysitter would look like. I went into the kitchen to fix a bowl of cereal and I heard the door open. I looked at who was there and it was a lady that had pimples all over her face, her hair was wild looking and her face almost looked green. So, I thought that she was a witch! I stood in horror at the person in my house. Then she reached out her hand and said very kindly that her name was Katie. And that she was my babysitter.

So, I grabbed her hand, not sure if I made the right choice. I told her my name and she asked if I was hungry. I said no. She started talking about where she was from and that she used to work as a detective when she was younger. Then she took me on a walk. It occurred to me that there was a black cat following us wherever we went. And she was carrying a broom like some kind of clean freak.

After the walk we went home and she said that she was going to cook some of her famous soup. It took all day so I stayed in my room and played video games. Then after a whole three hours it was finally ready. I turned off my game and went to go eat. I was starving. I began slurping the stuff, not realizing what I was eating. I stopped to see what it was. It was a thick gooey soup! And I immediately thought, Is this poisonous? She served me and I tried to stop eating it, but it was so great.

When I was finally done I asked her, “What was that stuff?” She said it was her world famous pea soup. And I was embarrassed that I had been so suspicious this whole time about her being a witch and trying to poison me. Over the next couple of days I usually sat in my room while she cleaned, but it was so quiet. I could hear her mumble weird words. But we became good friends and before you know it, it was Sunday, and my parents were finally home.

I was so glad to see them. I ran all the way to greet them. But it was getting dark so I walked Katie to the door and said goodbye.

Just then, she sat on her broomstick, waved to me, and flew off into the night sky.

Monday, Jan 12 5:00p to 6:00p

at Main Library, Jacksonville, FL

Short stories written by 6th grade students at duPont Middle School are brought to life in paintings, illustrations, graphic designs, and more in a collaborative literary arts exhibit.

vVv The Plan vVv


********************UPDATE*******************

Ordinary/Extraordinary Times Union Article


- January 7th _Downtown_ Jacksonville, FL -
Great turnout, the show was amazing, included are some photos and a portion of the "I'm Board 3" show located in the basement of the Hayden Burns Library.


"I'm Board"

December Art Walk, Basement, Be There!

Blu art show featuring Ben Tucker and some me.

My good buddy Ben Tucker from DA is having his first semi-solo show and was kind enough to save a wall for some of my work. I'm amazed of his great craftmanship and high quality and you will be too. So show up, have a drink, and we'll chat..

sKetchpooKe

Drapery Study

Leonardo exercise

Moonsigns

I had some fun with the moon and iphone earlier.....

Bananarama


WHyTE



SA signature idea

Art Walk featuring MOCA

The Art Walk on Wednesday housed many delights.
First, I went to the basement in the old library.
Crystal and Clay did a wonderful job taking advantage of this very dark and desolate space.
Below is the band Wudun, they played in the back room which provided great acoustics. At one point, 3 bands were playing simultaneously in the basement, but since the space was huge with multiple rooms, it worked and each one had their own audience.
The MOCA has some work by Marc Sijan


(A++++!!!!~thanks Crystal)
"Sijan's method is distinct and exacting. First, he works from live models, to produce a negative mold in plaster, and sculpts the interior with special tools and a magnifying glass to assure accurate detail. Then, he casts the figure in a polyester resin. To achieve realistic flesh tones, Sijan applies 25 coats of paint --- and adds varnish. Sijan uses oil paint in the final stages of the work."

OK

Flux, Obama, and Voyeurism

Hello everyone, sorry this post is a little late, but I had to document an exquisite show. The NEXT exhibit was successful in so many ways. Discussing new ideas, meeting new people, and selling a painting made this a night I'll never forget.

Untitled Paint Study sold, and afterward I had to take a little break. When you work on a piece, really get into it, and see it everyday, an attachment forms. Fortunately, the painting is going to a great home.
Below is Erica posing next to Flowers of Death



Earlier in the day we went to the Obama rally and walked away with this video.

Boredom at 4am

Thanks for reading and to all that came out and supported the show!

Take care

Introducing: Flowers of Death

Flowers of Death
ink on watercolor paper

These flowers have been around since April 1st (birth of Kayla) and are finally finished! The concept behind these arrangements is universal, so I included it in my Bio for the NEXT art show this Saturday.

Scott Allen (1977 -), born in Jacksonville, was brought back to art after a near-death experience.
“No one knows how long they have to live, and after some fatal close calls, everyday is now spent illustrating the aesthetics of nature with an esoteric approach,“ says the artist. For example, in Flowers of Death, each piece has an abundance of youthful flowers, but hidden iconography reveals just the opposite,
a concept we all share.

Flowers of Death II
ink and ink wash on watercolor paper

Black and White Portraits

Alas, a painting I'm currently working on of my Dad and baby Kayla. Lately, painting with simple color schemes on wood has been very rewarding, especially when you rub off some paint to expose the wood for mid-tones! When this painting is finished, I'll update this post.