I'm Tempted To Call This Series 'Elaborate Cages'

Michael McGuire - Girder And Panel 22 - India Ink on Arches - 40 x 26 inches

Michael McGuire - Girder And Panel 23, 24 - India Ink on Arches - 40 x 26 inches

Michael McGuire - Untitled - Acrylic Paint on Panel - 12 x 12 inches

Detail

'Elaborate Cages' seems an apt title for this latest group of work given the political box we find ourselves in at this time. How did we get here? We went from the relative stability of the Obama years to utter chaos. The term cages could also refer to emotional or personal cages we have built for ourselves. Which ever definition you lean towards, these cages may be beautiful, they may give a sense of freedom and direction, but we are trapped and we have constructed them ourselves.

Mood Swings

My current mood of despair is occasionally lifted by my art-making and the joy of creation. Actually art seems to be the only refuge this month. At least I have an outlet for what I'm feeling, as ineffective as it may be. I made a new monochromatic flag. Somewhat funereal, but it seems apt. I made an error on the topmost stripe, but I may leave it as is.

Michael McGuire - Monochromatic American Flag - Recycled Cardboard, India Ink on Arches Watercolor Paper - 26"x40"

And a client returned this color study piece based on a Rothko painting. He had purchased and framed two drawings form this series and found that two were a bit much for his space. I was happy to get it back. The framing he choose is good - white frame with good depth to it. The frame sets off and contains the color well.

Michael McGuire - Rothko Study 3 - Watercolor, Acrylic Paint, Arches Watercolor Paper

Detail

What A Difference Six Months Makes?

I had to got out onto my small balcony this morning to pick up a cushion that the wind had tossed around yesterday. As I looked down to my condo building swimming pool I saw this.

Wintery and graphic, we had a dusting of snow early this morning that accented the tarp covering the pool and presumably touching the remaining water. I have frequently shot the pool form this vantage point with no particular goal in mind other than the documenting changing seasons made visible via my condo pool deck.

Here is the summer version to remind us all that the days are getting longer and warmer weather is on its way.

This week I also remade/updated a drawing I made last summer. I have an opportunity to send a few drawings to a show in Guatemala City and I wanted to include a drawing from my 'Overlapping Grids' series. My instinct was to rework one of the more complicated of the grid drawings by shifting the arrangement. Formally each of the grids in these drawing are made with one half heavy line weight and one half lighter line weight. At the time I did not fully understand the result of the two grids overlapping. Why the asymmetry? 

Michael McGuire - Overlapping Grids 4 - Acrylic Paint on Arches Paper - 40"x26"

So in the newest drawing I shifted where the heavier line weigh occurs. It changed the drawing, but I'm still unsure why. Note how the NW and SE corners have changed. Perhaps this imagery deserves a full series to explore each of the possible variations.

Michael McGuire - Overlapping Grids 11 - Acrylic Paint on Arches Paper - 40"x26"