2019 in Review: Best Highlights in the Studio and Beyond!
Number One Top Highlight for 2019 in Review: Founding Execute Project!
I would like to start my 2019 in Review by mentioning how important it was to me to decide to fund the project space/gallery space. The initial idea came to me when I lived in Moscow, ID. I recall that I even run an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, but I believe I did not have enough believers in what I wanted to do. In 2019, I decided to make things happen with the resources available. The Execute Project had three exhibitions last year and one art fair in Santa Fe. Find out more about the project gallery by visiting the website.
#2 Highlight for 2019: Solo Exhibition at Brownsville Museum of Fine Art
The solo exhibition at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art in Brownsville, TX, was a significant event in my career. It is essential for 2019 in Review because I just moved to Texas, and having a solo exhibition in the museum was an excellent opportunity to introduce my work to a new audience.
The exhibition at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art brought over 30 pieces curated together into one solo exhibition titled the Paramount of Eternity. The Greek myth of Sisyphus inspires the Paramount of Eternity solo exhibition. Sisyphus was a Greek king whose suffering involved pushing an enormous rock up a steep peak, only to discover it falling back down when he neared the top.
I take this exhibition as a big step to better things in the future.
#3 Setting Up a New Studio and Setting Up Project Space
Setting my studio is an ongoing process. I spend in the studio the majority of my time, and having a space that helps the workflow is important. In 2019, I adjusted lighting, painted walls, and floor.
It is vital to have a functional design in the studio that will allow me to flow with the work and enjoy the benefits of it. The project of making my art studio the way I think is practical was crucial in 2019, and that is why it is in my 2019 review.
#4 Visiting SpaceX Launch Pad and Facility in Boca Cica
I am interested in stars and space in general, and it was a must for me to visit SpaceX in Boca Chica to see the launchpad and facilities. Boca Cicha is located on the border with Mexico.
A reservoir surrounds facilities that makes it even more surreal and unreal. Watching the development of the rockets online is one thing, but being able to see it in person is impressive.
It makes me think about painting that can be experienced only in person. You can view high-quality images and closeups, but it will not be comparable with encountering it in-person.
#5 Solo Exhibition at Hopkins Center for the Arts in Minneapolis
For my solo exhibition at Hopkins Center for the Arts at Hopkins, I decided to create paintings that focused on interiors. During the opening reception, I gave the interview that is available on YouTube to watch. In the interview, I talked about myself and the exhibition itself.
I can always talk about individual work, but I like to look at paintings as a puzzle. So once you take one piece away, then that puzzle is not completed. So that’s how I think about exhibitions that I have.
They are a form of intellectual composition that has the beginning, middle, and end of it. So once you take one part of that puzzle composition I call it, then you feel that something is incomplete.
So maybe it’s the same with the paintings you see here; once you perhaps distinguish them and see them separately, they may stand out as a painting itself, but maybe they are not a completed puzzle. So that’s how I kind of see it. I don’t know if it makes sense or not.
#6 First Art Fair with Execute Project in Santa Fe
In 2019, the Execute Project went for the first art fair in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Going to art fairs is crucial for galleries, as it is a perfect occasion to present artists to a different audience. Santa Fe is a unique place for contemporary and folk art. It was a new experience that I want to repeat in 2020.
#7 Meeting New Friends in Dallas
Dallas, Texas, brought new people on my way. I am especially grateful for having a judge John Marshall for my mentor. He considerably supports what I do, and he became a mentor for me in many aspects of my life.
#8 Studio Production and 2019 Paintings
It is a blessing to be able to be in the studio every day and focus on paintings. Art is business, and artists are entrepreneurs. Some people think of artists as those who paint and fun time, but the reality is different.
A lot of commitment and work needs to be accomplished to keep the lights on in the studio. Selling bigger pieces is a key to run the studio, but in the past to years, I noticed that smaller projects help as well.
This year I executed the Meta Tag Project limited to 20 orders. These little small projects help cash flow and also build a new audience around it.
#9 Documenting Process of Making Paintings.
I have to mention in 2019 in Review how important it became to record and document the process of making art. Therefore, I started a YouTube channel, where I post videos about my studio, art, and methods of making art. That includes IGTV on my Instagram and posting videos on YouTube. I also started a podcast about art and art business. The podcast is directly linked to Execute Magazine.
#10 Online Store With Artworks and Paintings For Sale
In 2019, I decided to make my paintings available to an online store that is linked directly to my website. I made a few approaches in the past to make an online store with my artworks, but for many reasons, I felt that maybe it was not the right thing to do. Not anymore.
The e-commerce chance so fast and rapidly, that if I don’t try now, in two-three years, it might be much more challenging to build and establish my e-commerce store. I sell limited edition prints, original paintings, subscriptions, and limited projects.
2019 in Review Conclusion
It was a year of settling down in Dallas and changes in how I see myself as an artist. Getting my foot in Dallas seems to be a slow process, but I look at it as a long-time game.
