The Pop Surrealism of Mark Rogers | eugeneweekly.com

The Pop Surrealism of Mark Rogers | eugeneweekly.com

Rad Show!!

Hey!! I just wanted to thank everyone for coming over to Jameson's the other night!! And Mega-Thanks to those who bought my paintings. I had a great time!!

Here are a couple of fun things:

I was interviewed by Jordan Brandt, who runs the IL CULTO blog. We talked a little bit about my process and the theme of the "New Ending Show".
http://ilculto.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/mark-rogers-the-new-ending-interview/

Also, I will have an artist profile featured in the Febuary 7th Eugene Weekly! Here is the little blurb about that: http://eugeneweekly.com/blog/pop-surrealist-painter-mark-rogers-opens-show-jamesons-feb-1#.UQxloNQJQ40.facebook

Finally I wanted to give a shout out to fellow Eugene Artist, Beth I Robinson, who made it into Juxtapoz Magazine!!! Wahoo!! Beth is an amazing artist and I encourage everyone to check out her website!

Thanks again to everyone who made it to ""The New Ending"!! It was super fun!!

THE NEW ENDING

It's just about show time!!! 

I'm super stoked to announce my upcoming solo show at Jameson's, here in Eugene!! "THE NEW ENDING" Conceptually this show is about change, growing, and moving forward, that experiences that effected me last year. In total, there will be 9 new paintings, all of which I completed in 2012. I believe over the course of the year I completed 12 paintings, but I have either sold or gifted away the remaining ones. This says a lot for me because 2012 was a pretty rough year, but in many ways, also pretty darn cool. On a mega-positive note, I feel as if I have grown a lot as an artist last year in the sense that I have finally dialed in my art making process. Switching from painting canvas to panel has really helped me to blast out under-drawings and all that technical stuff. The conceptual end of painting comes a lot easier that it ever has in the past. I suppose it is just practice and putting in the time. Fuck yeah, there are a lot of things that I could really work on, but these days I am feeling confident that I will just get better naturally with hard work.    

And...2013 is going to be rad. My goal is to slay 18 paintings, participate in a few more group shows up in Portland and maybe start a punk band! 

Jameson's is the bar where I pour drinks on weekends, and showing art there is always fun because it offers me a chance to show my awesome coworkers and regulars what I am up to. I think this is my fourth Jameson's show and it wont be the last

Well, I am really excited and I think this my best work yet! So if any one wants to have beers and check out the opening, it will be on first Friday art walk in February! Cheers!! 

New Art!!

Hey Everyone!! I finally have a camera again, so here is some art!! I feel like I am playing catch up here because earlier this year my camera was stolen and I haven't been able to keep up with the blogging. Anyway, enough with the excuses, less talk...more art!!

"Waiting For You" 12 X 16 Oil on Panel 2012

"Off the Wagon" 11 X 14 Oil on Panel 2012

"Balancing Act" 16 X 20 Oil on Canvas 2012

"Fucking Savages" 24 X 30 Oil on Canvas 2012

Summer!!

Holy Crap I haven't blogged in a while!!!! At the beginning of the summer some Jerk Faces broke into my apartment and stole my camera, among other things, and I haven't been able to document what I have been up to. So instead of actually showing photos of my new paintings I am going to be posting a quick recap of my summer so far via my I phone. Hopefully I will get a new camera in the next few weeks and post some more official pics of my new paintings.

High Life

Nice Hat, huh?

Sabrina and I, glasses switch, hangover breakfast.

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!!

Super Fun!!!

Working on a painting.

Paintings in the car for my group show with Sabrina Jackson at Cowfish!!

Yikes!!!

Here is a preview of some new stuff!!!!

"Balancing Act"

Drawing for "Balancing Act", drawn at the bar under the loving influence of cheep whiskey

Work in Progress

A sneak peek of "The Exile"

Well, like I said, I should have some good pics of my new paintings in the next few weeks. Thanks for taking the time to look!

Some Doodles

Sketch for "The Exile"

Hey Friends, I have been drawing and painting a ton lately, and I thought it would be fun to share a few random doodles and sketches.


This first one is the sketch for my current painting, called "The Exile". So far I am pretty darn pleased with how the painting is coming.

The other two are just silly stuff from my sketch book. :)

My rad cat, Panther

Their Giant Problem

"Their Giant Problem" 30 X 40 Oil on Canvas 2012

Their Giant Problem was a really fun painting to work on. It took over a month, and I probably drank many gallons of coffee while working on this. The concept is a little bizarre: This painting deals with bi-polar issues. In the last few months I have had several friends dealing with this, and spent so much time thinking about bi-polar disorders, that I really felt that I needed to do a painting about the subject. I had no intention of expressing an opinion on the matter, but just wanted to show what it might feel like to deal and worry about a friend or a loved who is experiencing these cycles of mania and depression. The two girls represent both of these moods. I pictured one of them as depressed and the other as manic. Also, and at the same time they could also be having a conversation about someone who is severely manic....perhaps wondering what to do. The giant wildman absolutely represents mania, and at the same time, he is also the elephant in the room, or....their giant problem. 

Yes, the old man's body is covered in fur!!! In creating this character, I took a cue from medieval heraldry. Often this Bigfoot-like creature was depicted in medieval stories, in art, and on family crests. I thought he fit the subject perfectly. 

The images above are depictions of my new favorite medieval beast: the Wildman!!!

"Haunted House #1" 11 X 14 Oil on Panel 2012

Haunted House #1 came about as the need for a brief departure during the painting of Their Giant Problem. This painting is my smallest to date, and only took a few days. Out of sheer laziness, I used the same color pallet as the painting above, because I didn't feel like mixing new paint. I often have reoccurring dreams about haunted houses, and figured this would be one of many haunted house paintings. I also believe my old house in Springfield to be haunted. After an unsettling visit to the old place, I felt that I really needed to make this painting.

According to something cheesy that I read online, dreaming of haunted houses represents unfinished emotional business,  relating to family, or repressed memories and feelings. Wow, that's a bit much to ponder. I think I'll go to the bar repress some more memories if you know what I mean.