Turner in Madison County

As an artist, I am inspired by the wonderful landscape work of J. M. W Turner, the British Romantic landscape painter and printmaker. He revolutionized landscape painting and developed luminosity through colour to an almost equal degree that Vermeer did.

I own the following book, “Turner at the Tate”, which profiles 93 of the paintings that this prodigious artist produced. I have long studied these works in my own artistic quest.

Lately I have decided to honour the work of Tate by reproducing each painting in this book on a piece of found driftwood. I find that the ragged edges of the wood match Turner’s lively imagery in a spectacular manner. At some point in the near future (depending on funds and timing) I plan to paint all 93 paintings from "Turner at the Tate" on found driftwood. In order to complete this project, though, I will seek funding (probably through Kickstarter or something) in order to bring it to fruition. Reasons as follow:

Each one takes me over 3 hours - longer, if I am choosing to apply an indirect painting method. Therefore, in order to begin the project, I need the capacity to dedicate a good chunk of time to the enterprise. In addition, I need additional materials: more oil paints (running low on Prussian Blue), more paint thinner (running low), and gesso. In addition, I will need a steady supply of driftwood and found-wood panels - all cut, sanded, and gessoed - all in advance, so that I can just start painting right away. I already have a source of wood, who will charge approximately $3 per piece. If I have a budget, I will want to hire someone (and stimulate the economy, ha ha) to have an assistant who will gesso the wood for me.

I will do something with this series something I've never really done before: take time to present the work in an appropriate manner. I will need to invest in appropriate varnishes to preserve the wood. In order to effectuate that, I will either need to take a course or hire a consultant, since I understand that presentation is my weak spot. I will also explore (and possibly invest in) different framing techniques.

Additional ambitions attached to this project might be a dedicated, one-a-day blog, audio/video when appropriate, and hiring some sort of marketing consultant (online or otherwise) to see where I could take this further. Ideas include contacting the Tate museum (the institution that houses Turner's work), and otherwise finding a 'real art venue' that will allow me to have a show.

But all of this is happening in some undefined future. For now I have finished the first three of this series, seen currently at Common Ground, a great vintage/repurposed art locale in Asheville.