Saturday.

I snuck in an au plein air painting session for the color theory and wet media part of my drawing class. Between convincing my students they were au plein painters and warding off narcolepsy, I worked somewhat on a tree, but got tired and petered out. The local coffee shop closed it's doors and there is no caffeine available on campus. The coke machine takes only quarters. It truly is a cruel, cruel world. As soon as I got home I took a power nap of 10 minutes followed by an espresso. Then off to hit the panel discussion. That's a rock in the foreground of the above painting. It looks like a ghost, but I promise, it's a rock.

I enjoyed the panel discussion, but I'm a geek for any discussion about painting. I can't say I heard anything I hadn't already concluded myself. If instead of a gallery, the discussion had taken place in a gospel church I imagine there might have been lots of "amens" in the audience. The panel took place at Honor Fraser Gallery with Phoebe Unwin's work serving as a catalyst of sorts. I totally dig Phoebe's work and related to how she spoke about painting.

Some topics broached: How do we write about painting without being simply descriptive? Why doesn't anyone want to write about painting anymore? What drives painting other than the market? What happens next in painting since everything has been done, and why the hell is everyone still painting anyway?

I would say conviction in painting is believing in what you do without much concern for whether it fits into the larger discourse, yet still being informed enough to know that it does, but not really caring so much because you're going to continue to paint no matter what. There was some discussion over whether this attitude qualified as nonchalant, and if so, how can one be both nonchalant and certain at the same time? There was also some debate over whether painters are just obsessive compulsive.

Afterward, I stopped by Scion Space to say hello to Chris Scarborough, a Nashville artist whose work was in a group show there.

The thing I don't get about Scion Space is that's is so over the top with hype and spectacle. Obviously I understand hype and spectacle; I was forced to see Banksy's exhibit a few years ago while purchasing a print for somebody. (I'm dreading the hits I'll get for mentioning "Banksy.")

But back to Scion- on the outside, I'm estimating at least 6 or more valet parking attendants, plus 2 people at the door carding people. Once inside, there was a table by the door manned by a couple of more people and specifically set up for Press and Media Inquiries. I lost count of how many video cameras and tripods were documenting the event. Everywhere you looked, someone had a camera of some sorts. I felt a little silly actually looking at the art and stayed just long enough to congratulate Chris on the show.