Saturday, November 16, 2013

New Works From The Studio




  Johnny has been putting in some long hours at the studio these past couple of months. I'm always happy/excited to see a new series of large paintings coming into the gallery. 
  
  
 I've decided that it might be nice to have paintings here, on the gallery blog, as well as our regular website. I can have the images a bit larger here, so that's a plus. Also, it gives us an opportunity to say a few words about the paintings, if we want. 
  





Gallery Apodaca



  One of the "new" paintings in the gallery is actually an older painting. "Umbria" has come back to us, and we are thrilled to be showing it again. This painting was done in 2011, after our first trip to Panicale. It was one of several larger pieces that were all done in a similar palette:
  


UMBRIA
2011
48X48  O/C






  The paintings, below, are all new, still in the studio. We hope to have them in the gallery for Thanksgiving weekend. This will depend on weather and dry time. We love to see the new works on the walls, so fingers crossed, they will be here soon.
  






AEGEAN
2013
48X36  O/C   




  
  Johnny has been working on some larger canvases, which is challenging for him. This is a good thing.
  When he is challenged, well, that's when the magic can happen...




AGELLO
2013
60X60  O/C







ROMA SPARITA
2013
48X60  O/C







THE RED BALCONY
2013
48X36  O/C








   These next two came along shortly after the paintings above. I am really liking what has been happening in Johnny's studio lately, I must say. 
  I think this first piece is my new favorite. I love the drama of it.
  "Piegaro" is a town near Panicale. It has a very mysterious feel...





PIEGARO
2013
60X72  O/C




  Johnny was imagining the amazing yellow fields near San Savino, in Umbria, when he finished the painting, below. We drive by this area all the time while we are in Panicale, our home away from home in Umbria...
  The intense color of the "rape" fields is beyond belief. Johnny often thinks of the Umbrian, as well as the local landscape when he is creating these larger abstracts, and I can understand why. It's like he is breaking it down to the essence of the place.






SAVINO
2013
50X45  O/C





  For more information on these, and other work by Johnny Apodaca, please contact Gallery Apodaca.

 




Sunday, November 3, 2013

And Back In the Studio...



  Janelle writing here today...

  I just love poking around in Johnny's studio space....when he lets me in! 
  Seriously, he does have me come over most evenings to see what he has been working on. We'll pour a glass of wine, and just do a walk through. Sometimes there will only be the start of something new, other evenings he'll have something finished that he wants to talk about. I always enjoy any time I spend in the studio, honestly. I did a post here last fall, when Johnny had just done a major dressing up of the place.

  This morning, I asked if I could take more pictures, since the light was nice and I had some time before coming into the gallery to work. I was happy to see that there was some "action" going on today....





I love these paint sample thingys Johnny puts up.




One of the ever changing shelf collections....
the tri-fold is from a Helen Frankenthaler exhibit.


  Johnny loves his paint brushes, even the "chip" brushes he uses most of the time. I just love the look of them when they are all in a pile. Texture and color...I like!







Views of brushes piled up in old paint boxes...


After they have done the job, he still hangs on to them,
for use in various and sometimes odd installations...


  The jars of paint are always nice to see, especially when they so obviously being put to work.



Like gelato, but not.



Extreme colors at their best.


  I guess my favorite thing is the working palette. I just like all the messiness of it, of course. The mixing, the drips, all the oozy stuff going on. Then, in a few days, he'll clean the whole thing up and start all over. 
  It's magical.....for me, anyway.



Yeah, and you should see his work clothes.



Tools.


  The work surface mesmerizes me, I swear. It's so hard to imagine what the final result will be, and it's always a surprise. I look forward to seeing what Johnny creates with the tools, brushes and paint I saw here in the studio this morning.....I'll let you know, ok?









Yummy.