Richard Fudge - My Art Blog

Save the Date for My Opening Reception

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

Friday, February 24, 6pm-9pm
South Main Art Trolley Tour

Downtown Presbyterian

502 South Main St., Memphis, Tennessee

Love: Lost & Found
“I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues” – Duke Ellington

Love, both the good side and bad, is great source of inspiration. A musician turns to his guitar, an artist turns to his canvas. For this February show, I thought it would be an appropriate time to pull together all of my work that resulted of the ups and downs of love. In addition to expressing the different emotions and states of love, the four mini-series showcase a variety of my artistic styles and a range of mediums from collage, acrylic, mixed media, illustration, and watercolor.

It’s very personal collection of paintings created over the last eight years, but I feel that everyone can find a connection to at least one painting since they address a universal experience.

Richard Fudge:
Richard Fudge received his BFA from the University of Memphis in 2003. He pursues his passion for painting by creating works in his studio and live on-stage during The Stirring. As the senior artist and gallery manager at The Stirring, Fudge promotes the enrichment of the worship experience through visual art.

Print Sale and Give Away

2012-01-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

So I just learned about this C3 conference ( Christ : Church : Culture ) in Nashville in March. This year they are also having a juried art show. I've submitted some of my work and I'm hoping I'll get chosen. You can help send me to the conference by buying a print. The conference isn't that expensive but I had a $700 car repair bill last month. It would be great if I could raise some of the money I need for the conference through some art sales. So any little extra bit will help.

5"x7" photo print, signed - $8.00
8"x10" photo print, signed - $16.00
First 25 orders get free shipping. To order, email me at richard.fudge@gmail.com

To kick things off, I'm offering a free 5"x7" - print of your choice. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post, say which is your favorite of the designs pictured above, and leave your email address. The winner will be randomly selected on Monday Jan. 16 at 8am.

UPDATE: The randomly selected number was 7, and the 7th comment is Pattie VZ. Congrats

Now showing at The Stirring Art Gallery

2011-10-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

The Church by Jennifer White

Artist Statement:
Jennifer White’s work reflects a deep interest in the church, particularly in the way church families work. Drawn to studying the seven churches in Revelation as a base for her work, Jennifer explores obstacles the church faces, and the different conditions, positive and negative, church families can find themselves in. For more information about the series, please visit www.squidoo.com/churchandart.

"Neither Hot, Nor Cold" - Church in Laodicea by Jennifer White

Artist Bio:
Jennifer White is a professional artist living in Olive Branch, Mississippi. She graduated from Union University in Jackson, TN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art. Her goal as an artist is to create art that touches another others and changes them for the better. White finds blueprints to be visually inspiring and often uses lines and grids in her paintings. More than a simple element in her painting, White uses the lines as a symbolic reference to God’s plan and role as “Divine Architect”.

Expressions of The Stirring

"The Stirring" by Richard Fudge

Art is an integral part of the Stirring. It’s presence in the service draws people in to one of the many ways others can use their talents to worship God. For The Stirring’s 10th anniversary, 10 artists were asked to each complete a painting expressing The Stirring in their own unique style. What do you think of when you think of The Stirring? How would you visually express the experience or character of The Stirring?

Participating Artists:
Annalisabeth Craig; Alberto Cabrera; Chris Reed; Gail Wilkins; Glory Hamilton;
Jill Harvey & Hope Special Needs Students; Jeff Rower; Jessie Miles;
Kathy MacDonald; and Richard Fudge.

Both Opening Sunday Oct 9th for The Stirring's 10th Anniversary

We're celebrating 10 years of The Stirring this Sunday! It will be a night of art, Stirring worship and special music highlighting the years of memories that have brought us through this decade. Eli Morris will touch our souls with a message remembering the foundation on which The Stirring was built while looking with great anticipation to what our future holds.

We'll host an Afterburner in the Foyer following the service complete with snacks and live entertainment. This is a great time to browse the Gallery upstairs featuring local artist, Jennifer White, along with other beautiful new art. Bring a friend and let God use His music, message, art, community and atmosphere to create a stirring inside of them.

We will open the doors around 5:20 PM and as always coffee, tea and StirringKids* is available during the service. If you are unable to attend that evening, be sure to follow the live Twitter feed (@TheStirringHope) and "Like" our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thestirring). Please consider joining us as we celebrate you, the community that is The Stirring.

*Please pick up your StirringKid prior to celebrating with us at the Afterburner.

Stirring at Hope Market Square

2011-09-28T11:05:00.001-05:00

Please come check out The Stirring's booth at Hope Market Square tomorrow! We'll be selling original art by many of our Stirring artists and brand new Stirring merchandise. Visit us in the Gym near the stage. See you there.

2011 Art of Caring

2011-08-31T21:51:00.001-05:00

After sketching out a t-shirt design for ShareHope's Walk of Remembrance and Hope (above), I decided to go ahead and take the sketch all the way to completion for this year's Art of Caring donation. The painting is based my piece Not Alone, a 9ft x 8ft painting is apart of the art collection at the Baptist Trinity Hospice House & Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief.

"Better Near to You" by Richard Fudge.
Donated to the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation's
annual Art of Caring reception and silent art auction.

Recommended listening: "Near to You" by A Fine Frenzy

This is my 5th year to participate. It was a real honor to participate and donate my work to such a great cause. It's also fun to see a bidding war erupt over your work. It's a wonderful compliment. It was almost as enjoyable as hearing compliment after compliment paid to my girlfriend and the lovely dress she was wearing. The two combined to make a really memorable evening.

Alberto Cabrera: August guest artist at The Stirring

2011-08-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

Alberto Cabrera has been volunteering to paint at the Stirring for many years. Maybe longer than I have. He's also painted at other churches. He's definitely one of our favorites and we hope that you'll plan to attend this month to see the piece he's creating.

Alberto painting live at The Stirring.

Photo credit: unknown from The Stirring's facebook page.

Charlie Forrester - Guest Artist at The Stirring

2011-07-25T12:23:00.000-05:00

Our current guest artist at The Stirring, Charlie Forrester, will have his first art gallery exhibition. He has been asked by Downtown Pres to display some of his work in their gallery this Friday night at Trolley Night, from 6-9 pm, 502 S. Main. His work will continue to be on display at Downtown Pres through August. I'd really encourage you to go down and check out his work and enjoy the rest of Trolley Night.

Also, Charlie is a full-time artist who is also available for painting murals and/or doing illustrations. I've put a couple of examples below. You can contact him @ cforartist@yahoo.com

Lending my art to a T-shirt design

2011-07-08T11:59:00.002-05:00

I was commissioned to create some art for ShareHope, a program of NEA Baptist Charitable Foundation, formed out of the desire to help families whose lives have been touched by the tragic death of a baby through pregnancy loss, stillbirth or in the first few months of life. They have an annual Walk of Remembrance & Hope and wanted to use my art for their t-shirt.

Below is the sketch which will be converted into a full color tee-shirt design. I'm suppose to be getting one once they're printed. I'm also working on creating a 16"x20" painting to donate to the Art of Caring this year based on this drawing.

Becoming a roadside attraction (for an evening)

2011-07-06T17:31:00.000-05:00

"How close to the interstate is your house?" is not a question one expects to receive via text. Especially a friend who lives in Nashville. Yet this was how my home became an impromptu roadside attraction last evening for the Collin's family. I shouldn't be so surprised. It's not that unusual for me to host private art viewings at my home for potential art buyers. But usually it's scheduled a few days in advance to give me time to clean up. On this occasion, I barely had enough time to get home from work and make the bed before these guests arrived.

But out-of-town visitors are rare. This is only the second time I've had the honor. It was good to see Robyn again and give a little tour to her kids. Everyone even got to leave with a signed Chester greeting card. Hey, you can't be a real roadside attraction without some souvenirs.

Katy Tucker: Guest Artist at the Stirring for May

2011-05-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

Our guest artist at The Stirring during May is Katy Tucker. Katy has been creating some really great artwork live on stage this month. If you've never been to The Stirring, I strongly encourage you to come check it out. The Stirring meets every Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Hope Church at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd. in Cordova, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thestirring.net.

Amber Rubarth - Final Poster art

2011-05-04T11:48:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share with you the final poster art and email banner for Amber Rubarth's tour in Europe. It's very exciting to see it complete and in use on her facebook page and emails. There was talk of a t-shirt based on the illustration but I haven't seen it yet. I've even received some nice comments and emails from her fans.

And for comparison, below is my original art.

File this music video under art inspiration

2011-04-11T12:00:00.003-05:00

Kina Grannis - Valentine from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

Now, I'm not really a fan of the song itself (good melody but the lyrics are a little too cutesy). What I really find inspiring is the flip-book style animation of the guy looking for a valentine. That's why i keep watching the video. I wish there were more proposals than just the three shown. I want to talk about them but I dont want to spoil it for you. So just watch it.

Anyway, i thought it was pretty clever and original video. Makes me think of Chester and his Anti-Valentine cards.

Going on tour with Amber Rubarth

2011-04-06T18:30:00.006-05:00

So a few people have asked me "So how do you know Amber Rubarth?" since I started posting some pictures on facebook of an illustration that I've been working on for her European tour. So here's the long story. Amber Rubarth is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I first heard her play at Otherlands in Dec 2009. It was a very sad time for me. My wife had left me two month prior and I had finally begun to accept that she wasn't coming back. Because many of Amber Rubarth's songs paint a picture of heartbreak, hope, and healing, it really spoke and connected with me. It seemed as if the songs had been written just for me... to help give me the words I needed for the grief and pain, to help me find hope, and to help me find love again. Her songs became the sound track for my life for much of 2010.

Take "Novacaine" for example. I can relate so much to this song. I dont think you could write a more perfect song about how we deal with heartbreak. I even had an experience like the one mentioned in the song: "I ran into the doc last weekend at the grocery superstore. He asked me how's it feeling and I said it's barely sore." I did many paintings and drawings playing with the meaning and imagery of that song.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/track/novacaine"&amp;amp;gt;Novacaine by ambeR Rubarth&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

“Dormant” © Richard Fudge 2010 Inspired by Amber Rubarth’s “When Will the Spring Come Again”

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/track/when-will-the-spring-come"&amp;amp;gt;When Will The Spring Come by ambeR Rubarth&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

I ended up doing many drawings and paintings inspired by the lyrics of her songs. It is not unusual for me to gravitate to certain songs or to attach songs to the inspiration or meaning of a painting. I often list "recommended listening" with photos of new work on this blog. But I don't believe that a single artist has directly influenced more work than Amber Rubarth.

When she came back to Memphis in Oct 2010, I was excited to see her play again. So before her set, I gave her a print of one of my doodles (Dormant shown above) and I requested that she play the song that had inspired the drawing. It's a good thing I had requested it because it wasn't on her set list. In fact, it had been so long since she'd played "When Will the Spring Come Again" that while on stage she asked "Richard, is this the right strumming?"

It was amazing how much things had changed in my life since the last time I had heard her play at Otherlands. I had lost my love, stopped believing in love, and learned to love again. The first time I saw her play I was alone and heartbroken, this time I was holding hands with a beautiful girl who loved me and whom I loved.

Fast forward to March 2011, Amber Rubarth emailed me to see if I was interested in doing an illustration for her to use on her upcoming tour. Um... YEAH!! I was extremely excited to work with an artist who's music I so admire and had influenced my art. It's been one of my top 5 art goals to be commissioned to illustrate a favorite band's cover art or poster.

So below is the finished project. Well, the painting is finished. I just put the text in there as an example of how it might look with some copy. I'm just doing the illustration work on the poster. Someone else is doing the rest of the poster. I'll post an update when I get a sample of the finished poster, but for now you can enjoy the below painting and the song that inspired it. Hopefully, I'll get to work with Amber again and you can see more of the work here.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/track/washing-day"&amp;amp;gt;Washing Day by ambeR Rubarth&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Book Update: Still at work

2011-03-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

I'm either nearing the halfway point or I'm just past it. Although there have been a lack of updates, I have been keeping to my schedule. Sometimes you just have to give yourself a deadline, show up, and hope your creativity shows up too. So I've got 3 main pages to complete. Seven pages are finished. But then I have the smaller inset illustrations. Below are a look at some of the finished pages. In other news, Chester may soon go on tour with one of my favorite singer/songwriters. More on that later.

Book Update #3: Getting Chester Dressed

2011-03-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping to my work schedule on these. I've nearly completed coloring all of the Chester figures. There are a couple who lack pants and shoes (really wishing i could make some "no shirt, no shoes, no service" joke out of this but i can't think of one). Soon it will be time to color in his props and then ink everything. Progress is beginning to slow down as the work becomes more and more detail oriented.

Although i dont really have the space for one, all this work has really made me wish for a drafting table like the one i use to have. Normally I just solve this issue by commandeering dinning room table. Ironically, i sold that recently to a friend because, "well, it's not like I'm using it anymore. I dont host big dinners like you guys." Oops guess i did have some uses for that table. So now I'm down to small tables like the one above and i'm working from my coffee table. Oh well, it's no biggie. I'm making due and making good progress anyhow.

Cool video by Donald Miller about his book

2011-03-07T11:58:00.000-06:00

Are you living a great story with your life? from Donald Miller on Vimeo.

Are you living a great story with your life? That's just one of the tough and insightful questions that this book asks. I really enjoyed this book. You should definitely check it out.

Book update #2: super productive

2011-03-02T18:00:00.002-06:00

Work continues at a brisk pace. I've got a system for this. I'll share it with you since you're going to see it play out anyways. It goes something like this: 1) background wash, 2) pencil in Chester, 3) prep for color, 4) color and shading, 5) ink. I know it looks like an assembly line, but i find that you have to keep them on the same pace. You dont want to finish the last one and see that gradually your technique changed and the first one looks totally different from the last.

So I've got five pages prepped for color. Five more are penciled. Seven more pages to get started.

Also, last night I planted a rose bush, cooked dinner, and swept leaves off my roof. Yeah, that productive. I really dislike sweeping the leaves off the roof. I'm always concerned that I'll lose my balance and fall. Last evening was no different. There was constant concern that at any point i'd tumble off the roof with the leaves or step through the roof. But after it was all done, i was very tempted to climb back up with drink and sit on the peak of the roof. It was an unusual perspective on the familiar scene of my backyard. It felt peaceful. Accomplished. Maybe I'll do it some other time.

Chester, It's Time to Book It

2011-03-01T17:45:00.003-06:00

Would you be interested in a children's book illustrated by me featuring Chester? If you are, then you're in luck. I'm (finally) getting productive on this project. I've been putting this off for months and months... it's embarrassing. So March will be all about getting some work done. No more excuses. I've got 16 pages to illustrate (which is mind-blowing to me) and I'm giving myself a month to complete it. Not a lot of time, but I had loads of time before now and got practically nowhere. So here's day one's progress: 12 washes, 5 penciled in pages.

It's a start. I plan to make regular time on Monday and Wednesday evenings (I have a day job). Also, I'm going to give it a couple hours every Saturday or Sunday. Three times a week should be good. After this first week I should know if that's enough time or if i need to schedule more. Be looking here for updates on my progress.

Fudge's End of the Year Art Review - 2010 Was BIG

2010-12-30T10:21:00.001-06:00

If I were to try to sum up 2010 in one word, it would be BIG. There were a lot of big firsts for me this year and many of them really made me feel like a BIG deal (or at least 'semi-famous').

To start the year off, six of my paintings were on display at the BIGGEST gallery space on South Main. The 409 Gallery is located in the old Jay Etkin's space. There was a great crowd there on that trolley art night and i felt really honored to be included.

I really didn't do a whole lot of shows this year. In many ways, I took a step back but I did have my work shown at the 409 Gallery, Downtown Presbyterian, Starbucks at Trinity, and the Germantown Community Theatre. The nice thing was that they all called me which was pretty cool. It's nice to be asked to come hang your work instead of going around like a door to door salesmans to find a place that will display your artwork.

Biggest painting:

From May to August, I was working on two 4ft x 6ft canvases for a whopping 48 square feet. Not only was it the biggest painting I've ever done, it was also my first corporate commission. It feels like a big deal and a great honor to be included in the area's first hospice house, the Baptist Trinity Hospice House & Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief.

Also falling into the biggest painting category is my biggest live painting. For The Stirring's Christmas service, I completed a 3.5ft by 5ft canvas. That night was the first time The Stirring was held in Hope's big sanctuary (seats over 5,000) and it was our biggest attendance at over 2,200. (okay, now I'm regretting theming this as BIG and having to use big and biggest all the time. Hopefully this wont be that a big post).

A great BIG roadtrip:

In 11 days, I drove over 2,000 miles through eight states. It was wonderful experience. I can't wait to do something like it again or at least return for an extended stay at one of my favorite stops. Hopefully, 2011 will be the year of the Great American Artsy Rail Trip - aka GAART 2011 - with a train ride to Chicago. Or at the very least a return to Asheville for a 4-5 day trip ( could i still call it GAART... Great Asheville Artsy Return Trip?) I only stayed one night there and had such a great time. Asheville was like the beautiful girl you spend the evening flirting with, you get her number with a promise of a date, and then lose the number never to see her again... Oh what might have been!

You make me feel like a big deal.

I don't want to sound like I've gotten a big head, but I had some moments this past year that were very touching and exciting. And i just wanted to say thanks. Falling into the "Aw, shucks." category I feel like i had art groupies. Or at least Chester did.

You'll recall that journal project I had going. I've made a lot of connections with artists all over the country. One of those was Robyn. She loves Chester and lived in Texas at the time. I never expected to meet her in person. But one day i get a phone call, "Hey Fudge, my friend Paula and I are driving through Memphis and would like to meet you." It was very surprising and a lot of fun. She picked up the drawing she had ordered from me, got a tour of my art studio, and generally made me feel like i was a big deal. If a painter can have groupies, Robyn is the President of the Fudge fan club.

And if Robyn is fan club president than Susan Isaacs is head of marketing. She has three Chester paintings in her collection and she is Chester's most famous fan. Susan got the word out about my art like no one has before by tweeting about it and even included it in a video she made. Heck, she seemed just as excited about my work being published in Anne Jackson's book as I was.

And to be honest, there were many people this year who were supportive and encouraging of me and my work. I can't begin to mention you all. So a BIGGGGGG THANK YOU to everyone who purchased a painting or drawing, let me crash on your couch while on my roadtrip, expressed how much they liked a painting, shared how a painting touched them, asked me to show my artwork at your space, attended my art openings, etc. I love you guys. You helped me have most exciting year for my art so far.

Have yourself a Merry Stirring Chirstmas

2010-12-21T16:50:00.000-06:00

First of all, these are not my photos. I borrowed them from a few friends on Facebook.
I hope they dont mind.

For the first time, the Stirring was held in the main HUGE sanctuary in Hope. I think it can seat like over 5,000. To give you some scale, The Stirring has been averaging about 450 in attendance and our normal meeting space maxes out at around 1,000. Look how massive the stage is! We had to have 2 artists and both of us had to paint on XXL canvases. Chris Reed worked on a 6ft x 5 1/2 ft one and I worked on a 3 1/2 ft x 5 ft canvas. Chris did a fair amount of prep before hand, but I just started from a blank canvas.

Last year, we held two services in the South Hall and had to turn people away from the first service. Since we didnt want that to happen again, we moved to the big sanctuary. It felt like moving from the kids' table to the grown-ups' table. And it was a good thing too because we had over 2,200 in total attendance.

Okay, so they put me on a riser nearly center stage. Take a look at the depth of the platform. It was maybe 4 ft deep and the easel took up 2 ft. I was every concerned that I'd take a step too far back and... I dont even want to think about it. Thankfully neither i nor the easel fell off. In addition to this being the largest service that I've ever painted during, it was also the largest canvas I've ever attempted to paint from blank to finished (mostly). If you were wondering what i was thinking during the service it was probably one of these concerns: "Don't fall. Don't bend over too much and flash the audience. I hope I brought enough this color paint. I hope i can finish this." etc. repeat.

Here's a shot of both Chris and I painting. I'll have to post a photo of each of our "finished" paintings. I dont think either of us actually finished our pieces but they looked finished enough.

All and all, it was huge. Huge amount of work, volunteers, staff, art, music, venue, attendance, etc. I can't believe we pulled it off.

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas #5: Memphis Music

2010-11-23T09:12:00.004-06:00

First of all, I will state that I am by no means a local music expert or historian. I just love the local music scene and probably attend 3-4 shows a month. So this is just a list of bands that I listen to regularly either on my iTunes and/or attended a live show recently. Im sure that there are some other local blogs that do a much better job of covering and eloquently writing about local Memphis music. But here's my current top 10. But honesty there's just too much good music in this town for one blog post. Anyway, check some of this out and buy someone on your list a CD or take them to a show. I love going to shows so I tried to include tour dates for the bands that have shows coming up.

Also, I recommend that you go to Otherland's Coffee Bar to catch some shows. With only a $5 cover, it's an incredible deal and it's where I go to hear many of my favorite bands and find new favorites. They're very selective and I think on average you could show up any night, not know who's playing, and still have a good time. Also, even though it's know as a coffee bar, you can order beer and you can for a small fee bring your own bottle of wine or booze. I tend to enjoy the show with my friend Mr. Beam.

Grace Askew
If Grace is playing in town, I'm there. Seriously, I can be a bit of a groupie. But I dont have a crush, I just love her music. The old soul sound of her voice, the imagery and storytelling in her writing, the faces she makes when she sings, and the little intros about the songs... it all comes together for incredible Memphis Blues. When I'm painting, you can bet that I have Grace Askew on the playlist. Looks like her next show is Thu, Dec 9th at The Brooks 5-7pm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL10ApNJ-kg

Jamie Randolph & the Darkhorse

Two words for you: "Blue Dress." Play that song, dim the lights, and pull your girl close to you (or guy as your case might be). At the end of the song, you should have a new appreciation for this band. I'd characterize most of their music as that rock/alt country style. Their live shows are killer and you can even catch a free one from time to time at Swanky's. They usually do a packed out Christmas show every year with lots of local musicians that pop in for a song or two. So find them on Facebook and be on the lookout for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rGRnkBWK00

Valerie June

Another indie/folk singer/songwriter girl that I love. She's on tour a lot so she's getting harder and harder to catch in Memphis. In 2009, I had the chance to book her at one of my art openings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whSl2tHokfo

Holly Cole and the Memphis Dawls (or the Dawls, the Heathens, the whatever-we're-calling-the-rest-of-the-band-today) As my old favorites are getting harder to find playing in town, I'm having to find new favorites. I'm becoming a regular at Holly Cole's shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etb0ZS-Cm1k

Star & Micey

I just want to say that I was there in the audience for this Ardent Sessions recording. In fact, watch the clip. The shot of someone tapping their foot to the music, yeah those are my TOM's shoes. Still one of the coolest shows I've ever attended because it you're inside Ardent Studios and being a part of a live recording. You should definitely try to go to one of the sessions if you get the chance. Anyway, they are another local band that I've seen so many times that I've jokingly been accused of stalking them.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ArdentStudio#p/u/19/nYIb5A272aA

Lucero
Lucero was one of the first local bands that I feel in love with and started following. Although they play 150-200 live shows a year according to their website, they don't play in Memphis often. Like maybe twice a year. So you better catch them whenever you can. Looks like they are playing at Minglewood Hall on Dec 23rd.

Watchpaper
Although their shows are few and far in between, it's not because they're out touring. They live and work here in Memphis at jobs that wouldnt permit taking off for tours. I think the music is an excuse to buy cool toys. So add them on Facebook and you should be able to catch them. Also, you can download 20 tracks from their bampcamp site for free and enjoy their sound anytime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqb7Jwi6Bq8 Funny, i think this video too was shot at a show I attended.

Jump Back Jake
I haven't seen these guys play yet but I want to. I hear it's a great show. You can get some free tracks from their bampcamp site. My iTunes tells me that I've played their "King of Romance" single 33 times.

Blair Combest
I've seen Mr Combest play but only a few songs when he hosts a Girls Night Out (aka Blair and the Women night) at Otherlands. It's a sweet gig. Even though I can't sing, I can't help but be jealous. He gets to plays host to some of the best local singer/songwriter girls and does a duet with each of them. The next one is Nov 26 at 8pm.

Ryan Peel
I've only seen Ryan Peel play once, but he's frequently playing around town and often for free. He's very good so you better catch him soon before he gets big and stops playing in Memphis. Because he will. It's just a matter of time. He's a little to pop for me, but the girls get big goo-goo eyes for him. So take the girlfriend to this one even if it's not really your style. Ryan will be your wingman for the evening.

And for your Christmas CD collection you should buy BB King's A Christmas Celebration of Hope if only for the track "Back Door Santa."

Check out some creative and quirky local music videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/HotelMemphis

Other links:
www.memphisflyer.com
www.livefrommemphis.com
http://ilovememphisblog.com/category/hear/
http://www.memphismeansmusic.com/

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas #4: Deeann Rieves

2010-11-21T07:55:00.000-06:00

It can be difficult finding good quality, artsy gifts. So I thought that I would share with you some of my favorite artists. Hopeful it will help you quickly find a special and unique gift.

Deeann Rieves:
Deeann is one of my favorite artists. She graduated from the Memphis College of Art and now lives in Atlanta. I just love the way she works with figures, texture, and type. We've featured her art at The Stirring numerous times. I've even hosted one of her collage workshops in my backyard.

COMMISSIONS- approximate prices according to size*:

12" X 12"- $50

11" X 14"- $50 SPECIAL $10 OFF ***

10" X 18"- $70

14" X 18"- $80

11" X 24"- $90

16" X 20"- $100 SPECIAL $25 OFF***

18" X 24"- $125 SPECIAL $25 OFF***

*I pulled these prices from Deeann's website at the time I wrote this post, but they may have changed. Email her at deeannrieves@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Check out more of her work at:
http://www.deeannrieves.com/commissions.html
http://blog.deeannrieves.com/

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas #3: For Artists

2010-11-18T08:27:00.004-06:00

What do you get for the artsy person on your Christmas list? Here are my recommendations:

Buy them the best canvas ever made!
When I started to do large paintings, the price of the canvas really held me back. Stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's didn't carry many sizes and even with a 40% off coupon it was just too expensive. The Art Center had plenty of sizes but catching them on sale was difficult. Even then I felt it was too much. I dont have the time or the tools to start making my own canvas. Then I found out about David Comstock. He makes the best canvases that I've ever used. I even now call him to order smaller sized canvas. I'm that hooked. He does custom wood panels too.

Great Custom Canvas
by local Memphis artist, David Comstock
2" deep gallery wrapped, thick, un-primed canvas
36" x 36" = $30
36" x 48" = $35
48" x 48" = $45
48" x 60" = $55
All sizes available. Call him at 901-605-7096.

Buy them a gift card to Memphis's best art store:

In Memphis, the best place to buy supplies is the Art Center on Union. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and the prices are very good. One day I went to the Art Center to buy some illustration supplies. I wanted to make the switch from pen and ink to brush and ink. I had been to an art opening where i'd been inspired by Derrick Dent's work. So who happened to be working behind the counter that day? Yeah, Derrick himself. When he asked me if he could help me find something, I jokingly replied "Yes, I'd like the Derrick Dent starter kit." He led me around the store and helped me pick out supplies.

Buy them a gift certificate to the best online art store:

Another gift card suggestion? Really, Richard? Yes, artists are typically broke and you do not want to try to pick out art supplies for them. It's like trying to buy clothes for that one member of your family who always takes everything back to the store for an exchange. Cheap Joes is so amazing that on my great big roadtrip this summer I HAD to stop at one of their few stores, buy something there, and get my photo taken in front of it. Their online catalog is huge. So I was surprised to find that their actual store was no larger than the Art Center in Memphis. I was hoping for something big like a cavernous place of wonder and art supplies about the size of a Sam's Club or Ikea. It's probably best that it wasn't or i would not have had enough money left to continue my roadtrip. Anyway, buy the artist on your list a gift certificate. You'll be a hero.

http://www.cheapjoes.com/

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas #2: Arian Armstrong

2010-11-15T08:59:00.002-06:00

It can be difficult finding good quality, artsy gifts. So I thought that I would share with you some of my favorite artists. Hopeful it will help you quickly find a special and unique gift.

Arian Armstrong

I can't say enough nice things about the Armstrongs. I hosted Arian and Daniel last year when Arian was featured in The Stirring's art gallery, and they hosted me this past summer when I was on my artsy roadtrip. Arian has some wonderfully creative and adorable prints for sale at her Etsy store. I own 3 myself and have them proudly on display on my mantel.

Here are a couple of my favorite prints of hers:

Open Heart 8"x10" print

Heart print set

From now until 2:00pm EST on November 23rd, Arian is holding an online Facebook art auction! You can bid on original paintings and single run prints from her Owl City/Sky Sailing music videos!

online auction: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35692&id=100250070026524

Find more prints @:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/arian?ref=seller_info

Creative Christmas Gift Ideas: Local pottery

2010-11-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

It can be difficult finding good quality, artsy gifts. So I thought that I would share with you some of my favorite artists and other creative gift ideas. Hopeful it will help you quickly find a special and unique gift. Please feel free to send some of your suggestions my way too.

First up: Bridgman Pottery
I have a small collection of Bridgman pottery that I highly treasure and enjoy. Every morning, I have my coffee in my favorite bridgman mug. I have a small soup bowl that I use all the time that is more precious to me than any of the ones in my china cabinet. Best of all, all her pottery is functional and food-safe, as well as safe to use in the oven, microwave, and dishwasher. Melissa is having a pre-holiday sale at her home in midtown and I strongly suggest that you go.

Bridgman Pottery Pre-Holiday Pottery Sale
Friday, November 12 at 5:30p to 9 pm
Saturday, November 13 at 10a to 4pm
719 Dickinson St., Memphis, TN

This is my favorite mug. It has a button fern detail.

If there was a house fire, l'm grabbing this mug.

Find it @:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bridgmanpottery
The Trolley Stop Market - 704 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103

Are you thinking about ordering some Fudge for Christmas?

2010-11-06T11:56:00.003-05:00

I know. It's only the first week of November. You've just calmed down from your Halloween sugar high. Christmas still seems like a long ways off. Heck, there's Thanksgiving to worry about. But if you're thinking about ordering an original Fudge painting for yourself or a loved one, you should probably get that order in now. I'm not trying to drive up sales here. I'm just being honest. Painting isn't my full time job so the 7 weeks between now and Christmas really isnt much time for me to finish a bunch of new paintings. So if you want that commissioned painting for Christmas and not the New Year. You should email this ~~professional procrastinator~~ artist real soon.

Thanks!
Richard

Fudge Freebie

2010-11-03T13:00:00.002-05:00

Chester Cards Sets - now available

4"x5.5" folded cards, blank inside, envelopes included

set of 5 = $8. set of ten cards = $15. set of 20 = $30. shipping is extra.

That's right. I'm offering a free 5 pack of Chester Cards - picture of your choice. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your favorite of the 8 designs pictured above. The winner will be randomly selected on Monday.

Here are the title's from left to right:

Top row
1. Blown Away
2. Instructions Not Included
3. Crossroads
4. Waiting for a Reply
Bottom row
5. Letting It Out
6. Ready to Go
7. Release
8. Proper Postage

Union University to have their first Arts, Culture & Theology Conference

2010-11-03T11:19:00.001-05:00

Just saw this posted on Continuum's website and thought i would repost it here. Looks really interesting:

Union University’s First Arts, Culture & Theology Conference
April 8th & 9th, 2011,
The tentative cost is $80 for the two day event.

Friday April 8th

1:00 – Welcome/ Introduction to the Conference: Artists and Union University Art Professors Haelim Allen & Melinda Eckley
1:15 – Introductory Addresses: Dr. David Dockery, Union University President and author or editor of more than thirty books; & Dr. Steve Halla, Artist, Writer and Union University Assistant Professor of Art
2:00 – Worship through the arts: Michael Card, Contemporary Christian Musician
2:30 – First Plenary Speaker: Nigel Goodwin, Executive Director of Genesis Arts Trust- London, UK
3:15 – Worship through the arts: Ballet Rejoice Dance Troupe
4:00 – Dinner Break (on your own)

6:00 – Second Plenary Speaker: Dr. Dan Siedell, Art Historian, Curator, Writer, Speaker, and Assistant Professor of Art History – University of Nebraska
7:20 – Worship through the arts: Union University Music Department presentation
8:00 – Art Event & Gallery Opening: Wayne Adams, Artist

Saturday April 9th

8:50 – Opening Comments: Dr. Carla Sanderson, Union Provost
9:00 – Morning Devotion: Michael Card
9:30 – 15 Minute Vignettes:

Dr. David Taylor, Arts Pastor, Hope Chapel Artistic Advisor, and Resident Fellow Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Austin, TX
Dr. Paul Shockley, Associate Professor of Bible and Theology at the College of Biblical Studies-Houston
Michael Winter, Gallery Director, The 930 Art Center Gallery, Louisville, KY
Dr. Taylor Worley, Union University Assistant Professor of Christian Thought & Tradition

10:40 – Worship through Art: Union University Theater Department
11:00 – Panel Discussion (all speakers) with Q & A
11:30 – Third Plenary Speaker: Mary McCleary, Artist & Regent’s Professor of Art Emeritus – Stephen F. Austin State University
12:30 – Lunch (we provide)
1:30 – Worship Service
2:00 – Closing Comments: Dr Gene Fant, Union University VP for Academic Services and Author of “God as Author: Toward a Christian Approach to Narrative”

Fudge on display at Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief (finally!)

2010-10-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

It's so good to finally see my painting "Not Alone" hanging up at the Baptist Trinity Hospice House & Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief. At a whopping 8ft tall and 9ft wide, it's the largest painting that I've ever done and the first corporate commissioned piece.

The sketch i did back in May for this project. (Above) It took me over 3 months to complete the 2 panels. And then I had to wait on the construction to be completed so that it could be installed. It's very cool to finally see it set together (Below). I don't have a wall tall enough in my house to hang them stacked together.

You can see it for yourself by attending the open house this Saturday. Details below.

Open house:

Baptist Trinity Hospice House & Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief
Saturday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
1520 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville, TN 38017
located on the campus of Baptist Memorial Hospital -Colllierville

Baptist is celebrating the upcoming opening of our residential hospice house with a community event this Saturday. You'll be able to tour the new house, which will be the first of its kind in the area: http://bit.ly/clUdu6

Chester makes a cameo appearance in Susan's video

2010-10-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

Thank You From Susan Isaacs from Save Blue Like Jazz on Vimeo.

That's right! Incredible, funny actress/author Susan Isaacs has 3 of my paintings and you can see them all in the background of this video she made. How cool is that!

In case you're wondering more about Save Blue Like Jazz (the movie) and would like to donate to it (there is still time!), here's a link.

Live painting at The Stirring's 9th Anniversary Service

2010-09-27T17:10:00.001-05:00

So this past Sunday this little thing we call The Stirring celebrated 9 years. Here are some photos of me painting live during the service.

Rudy Howard and Ephie Johnson joined The Stirring Band to bring us some Memphis soul music. When those two are singing, I would really like to be doing some big painting where i can get into the groove and start slinging paint some paint. But alas, I think that would be too much of a mess. As it was, I still somehow managed to get paint on my hat (thankfully it washed out).

Adding Chester to the painting.

Like Eli said, The Stirring has been on quite the journey, but it's been a privilege to walk it with all those who love and support The Stirring.

Not exactly sure what the title will be for this one. It's based on this doodle that I called "Ready to Go" and at the time the image was about wanting to get back to the mountains, a place i love and feel at peace. But recently, the image came back to mind and I saw it differently. Now, I see Chester picking up the pieces of his broken heart and moving on. He's determined to get out of this dark valley and back to mountain tops.

"Ready to Move On." 2010 © Richard Fudge

30"x40" canvas. acrylic medium.

The Stirring’s 9th Anniversary, Sunday, September 26, 5:30 PM, in the South Hall

2010-09-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

Enjoy some hometown music as Rudy Howard and Ephie Johnson join The Stirring Band. Experience the journey of prayerful art from around the country during a message from Eli Morris. Eat with friends following the service while checking out The Gallery and special music.

See below for more information about the journey of the current art series displayed in The Stirring Art Gallery.

“To Send a Prayer: a Collaborative Journal Project”
at The Stirring Art Gallery

Exhibit description:

Last year, Richard Fudge was planning “To Send a Prayer,” an exhibit that explored the visual metaphor of a prayer being akin to a letter. During the planning, Fudge shared the concept and some of his sketches with a fellow artist in Texas. Inspired by the concept of mailing letters to heaven, Fudge began a collaborative journal project. Artists across the country were invited to participate by signing up to receive a journal and add their own visual expressions of prayer through painting, drawing, and photography. The journals began traveling across the country with artists participating from coast to coast.

Over the past year, the four journals have traveled over 25,000 miles, visited 23 cities and over 40 artists have contributed to the project. For the exhibit, 20 selected pages were enlarged and printed for display.

Featured Artists:

Richard Fudge – Memphis, TN

Deeann C. Rieves – Atlanta, GA

Alberto Cabrera – Memphis, TN

Jennifer Harvey – Germantown, TN

Suzan R. Wallace – Cape Carteret, NC

Mike Carter – Fort Mill, SC

Mary DeCroce – Southington, CT

Chad Michael Irwin – Memphis, TN

Arian Armstrong – Newport, KY

Gail Wilkins – Memphis, TN

Amelia Whaley – Mt. Pleasant, SC

Anneli Anderson – Portland, OR

Charlie Forrester – Memphis, TN

Kathy MacDonald – Memphis, TN

Graeme Parsons – Bartlett, TN

Opening Reception:

Sunday, September 26

5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Viewers are invited to attend The Stirring worship experience which begins at 5:30 pm. During this special service, Richard Fudge will create original artwork live on stage. Following the service at 6:30 pm, guests can view the exhibit, enjoy refreshments, and enjoy live music.

“To Send a Prayer: a Collaborative Journal Project” will be on display from September 26th to November 7th. The gallery is open 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The Stirring Art Gallery also can be viewed during Hope Church’s regular office hours.

Where:

The Stirring Art Gallery in Hope Church

(located upstairs inside Entrance 1)

8500 Walnut Grove Rd., Cordova, Tennessee 38018

www.hopepres.com • www.thestirring.net • 901-755-7721

Background on The Stirring Art Gallery:

Various works by local artists are currently on display at The Stirring Art Gallery, located inside Hope Church. Many of the paintings were created live on stage during The Stirring service. Each month, a different local artist volunteers to paint during the service. The completed painting(s) and several other selected works by the artist are then displayed in the gallery and available for purchase by contacting the artist.

The Stirring meets every Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Hope Church at 8500 Walnut Grove Rd. in Cordova, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.thestirring.net.

Come see me paint at The Stirring

2010-09-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

Every Sunday night in September from 5:30-6:30p, you can watch me paint something live on-stage at the Stirring. Last Sunday, I started this painting. It's two 24"x18" canvases clamped together that I'll separate once it's complete. I've also got quite a few paintings on display up stairs in the Stirring art gallery.

This past weekend was so nice that I finally got started on three To Send a Prayer paintings. It took forever for the canvas and supplies that i ordered to arrive. I hope to make more headway this weekend and complete them in time for a special art show at the end of the month (more on that later). Yep. At the Fudge art studio, we're shifting into high gear.

Opening for Chad Irwin: Patchwork Junk Drawer

2010-09-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Chad is a friend of mine and I thought I'd spread the word about his upcoming art show. Here are the details from the press release:

Patchwork Junk Drawer @ Gallery 210, 1015 S Cooper St.

The other day I was at a friend’s house. He was looking for a corkscrew and couldn’t find it. Fumbling through one drawer he asked another friend to take a look in the junk drawer—pointing to one just down from where he was rummaging. “Junk drawer? That’s an intimate thing!” said the one to the other. Filled with things too precious to discard but neither valued, neither useful nor useless—in some sense like the treasures tucked away by a child in a shoe box and shoved under the bed or buried by a tree in the back yard. They are like souvenirs taken from sojourns as though they were the deepening of childhood memories: sluggishly past traumas, whizzing by the mundane, dawdling in the company of the cherished and monumental, or just pebbles in shoes. Intimate perhaps because we often feel as though we are those junk drawers: cobbled together with miscellany that doesn’t quite seem to fit together, point to anything larger or say anything—anything; just a discarded mess of unattended to questions. Baubles.

Chad Irwin’s "Patchwork Junk Drawer" deals in these baubles. His is the amalgam of dust and detritus all too often discard into drawers like these or tossed to the side of the road or passed by without any thought. There he pauses and contemplates, sifts through the confusion and re-envisions it into art. A bottle cap, denim patch, button and bone become "Coelacanth". The discarded becomes the “discarded, found and re-integrated” just like the prehistoric fish once thought extinct but now rediscovered and highly sought after by museums and collectors.

His medium is just junk: frayed pieces of yarn, buttons, broken shells, rusted nails and cast off on canvases and in frames which look equally regal. It’s a hard sell to a culture so enamored by the pristine, and who already threw this stuff away once before. But where most see irrelevance, Irwin finds a challenge. May be its out of his own brokenness (or may be its in response to the shattered he’s encountered) mingling with an out-and-out dissatisfaction with the status quo that necessitates his humble attempt at mending. That’s why he collects, catalogs and assembles as if he were an archeologist, or anthropologist, but instead of deciphering and piecing back together what was, he attempts to study the discard in order to re-shape it into what could be. His is not about answers rather possibilities. And that is most what a junk drawer represents: the perpetual hope for purpose, usefulness and meaning, but always teetering with apprehension—flirting with irrelevance. That is the challenge in each of his pieces for us. First a confrontation with the garbage, then a reconciliation, or at least, the prospect of one. He obliges his viewer to reconsider value both their own and in general.

"Patchwork Junk Drawer" will be on display at Gallery 210 from September 17th until October 16th 2010. It will feature more than 20 works by local artist and Pennsylvania transplant, Chad M. Irwin. There will be an opening reception Friday, September 17, 6:00-8:00 PM. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. General gallery hours are from 9:00 a.m. – Noon, Monday thru Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sundays.

New Series: Fight to Stay Awake

2010-08-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

You fight to stay awake, your dreams will likely drive you mad. But only cause you're living like one shot was all you had. - 12"x12" mixed media

And that makes a nice little set of three. I've given titles to all of the pieces but I've yet to think of a title for the series. I've started a large 3ft by 4ft canvas in this style. It's definitely more challenging than these small ones. I've used up all of the sowing pattern tissue i had. So if you have some sowing patterns that are just collecting dust... hint, hint... you could donate them to an art project. At any rate, I foresee a humorous trip to the craft store in my near future. I expect at some point to receive a "What the heck are you doing buying those sowing patterns?" look.

Recommended listening: "You'll Get Through It" by Ellery; "Head Full Of Doubt, Road Full Of Promise" by the Avett Brothers

Daily Doodle #34

2010-08-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

I make Love stay out on the porch. It's not allowed inside anymore.
Not after the mess it made.

I've taken a break from the the daily doodles to create some new work, but yesterday this idea of making love stay out on the porch like a bad dog came to me. It made me laugh. I just had to try to capture the notion before it faded. It'll probably make it into one of the new paintings.

Recommended listening: "Citidel" by Anna Nalick; "Paronia in B Major" by The Avett Brothers

Photo of Anne Jackson, Susan Issacs, and I hanging out

2010-08-11T07:11:00.001-05:00

Okay so I'm just there in spirit. How stinking cool is this picture! Susan put it best in her tweet: "Richard Fudge on the wall, Anne Jackson in the room, Richard Fudge in Anne Jackson's book. Wack!" And that's all happening IN Susan Issacs' house. That just gives me the biggest smile. I may have squealed like teenage girl when i first saw this photo, but it was first thing this morning. I blame the lack of coffee on the high pitch.

New series

2010-08-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

I no longer have nightmares, but the lack of dreams is equally disturbing. Where is my joy?

It’s a practiced smile that’s on my face. In an effort to numb the pain, I numbed my joy.
Unexpected side effects. Get better soon.

I've yet to come up with some witty or profound name for this series. So that new collage series will have to do for now. Last evening I started another 12"x12" panel and read a chapter of The Ragamuffin Gospel. I hope to have a good set of these finished in time for the Stirring's anniversary service in Sept.

Recommended listening: "Novacaine" by Amber Rubarth; "If Not for Love" by Kris Delmhorst

OMG! I'm published....

2010-08-04T16:28:00.001-05:00

About a year ago, I was working on my To Send a Prayer series when I emailed author Ann Jackson one of my doodles for a book she was working on: Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace. I didn't have any expectations. I liked her blog and her question "What is one thing you feel you can’t say in church?" really connected with me. I never really heard if she was going to use it for certain or even when the book might get published.

A spread from her book. My drawing is on the right.

So today I'm checking the blogs and twitter accounts that i follow when I see that Susan Issacs (another author who loves my work) has tweeted about the book release. So much has happened in my life in the last 12 months that I'd totally forgotten about Ann's book. I'm thinking to myself, "I wonder if my doodle made the book? Wouldn't that be cool." I do a little searching around Ann's website and had pretty much decided that I probably hadn't made the cut or I'd have to order a book to find out for sure when I stubble across the above image. I couldn't sit still for 15 minutes. I'm emailing friends in ALL CAPS, i post a link on facebook, and just about run up and down the halls at the office screaming "I'M IN THE BOOK." Soon I'll be able to walk into a bookstore, pick a book off the shelve, open it to this page, and state "Isn't that cool. I'm published." In all honesty, this probably isn't that big a deal, but to me... today... it's HUGE.

2010. Best. Year. For. My. Art. So. Far.

New work in the works

2010-08-03T10:03:00.002-05:00

Although I've taken a break from the daily doodle entries, that doesn't mean I've stopped making any art. In fact, I started 2 new pieces this weekend based on recent journal doodles. Above is a 12"x12" painting that I started this weekend. It's not yet finished, but it's far enough along to share with you. I've got a second one that's about half way complete. I'm hoping to have them both complete in time for my art opening/open house event this Saturday. I'm not sure of the titles yet or if this is the start of a new series, but I'm enjoying doing something different from my other work.

I'm not sure where I got the quote from, but it really hit home. These unintended consequences. In an effort to stop having nightmares, you stop having any dreams. Or in an effort numb the pain heartbreak, you numb your heart so entirely that you stop feeling joy or love.

Recommended listening: "Novacaine" by Amber Rubarth

Save the Date: Art of Caring

2010-07-27T16:11:00.001-05:00

Saturday, August 28th

5:30p - 7:30p

The Art of Caring
@ the Clark Opera Memphis Center
6745 Wolf River Boulevard

Art of Caring is a reception and silent art auction that benefits the Baptist Trinity Hospice House and the Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief. This year the event is taking place in an exciting new venue. I hope that you'll make your calendar and consider joining me. This year I'm donating another large piece from my To Send a Prayer series.

"Release" by Richard Fudge

2010 - mixed media, acrylic

24"x48" on wood panel

To purchase tickets or for more information about Art of Caring, please call 901-227-7123
or email jay.atkinson@bmhcc.org

Daily Doodle #33

2010-07-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

So Much Pain – When you have something immensely painful happen in your life, you have to hope that there's some grand purpose for it. You have to believe that one day it will all make sense and ultimately be to your benefit. That you'll see the beauty others miss or have greater appreciation for that which you took for granted before. Course, if your journey through this land of pain for is long, you begin to wonder at the amount of damage. What scars will you have to live with?

Recommended listening: "So Much Pain" by Star & Micey; "Tin Man" by The Avett Brothers

Daily Doodles on hold

2010-07-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

I've missed a couple of daily doodle posts this week. No, it's not that I've been slacking off. I've been hard at work on this giant commission painting. This sucker has been in the works for 3 months and it's finally near completion. I will be so thankful to have my living room back.

The sketch.

The first panel. It's nearly complete. Just needs a couple of touch-ups.

The second panel. Also very close to completion. Just need to draw in the balloon strings.

I plan to complete them this weekend and then be on the lookout for an art opening at my house. I've got some new work up and you can join me in toasting the completion of this monstrous project.

Daily Doodle #32

2010-07-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

Circulation – I'm still playing around with the question of Joy. Where does it come from or enter into my life? Where does it go? How do I express it? How do I share it? How do I lose it? How is it stolen?

Recommended listening: "Kick Drum Heart" by The Avett Brothers; "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" by Will Hoge

Daily Doodle #31

2010-07-20T11:22:00.001-05:00

Forgotten – This weekend, I had one of those rare conversations where time passes unnoticed, you open up more than usual, and the waitress just knows to leave you two alone. In the midst of the personal and philosophical questions, I was asked this seemingly simple question, "So where do you find your joy?" Up to this point, it had been a lively and thoughtful discussion. But at this question, our table just went silent. This should be an easy question to answer, right? For the life of me, I didn't know. And that was a shocking realization... well, i guess i lost my source or sense of joy. I've been more focused on simply surviving this. Like a man running out of a burning house, my joy was something i forgot to grab and lost in the fire. Whatever my source of joy was before, it's lost now and can't be retrieved. So it's with more awareness that I'm keeping an eye out for joy. It's time to shift out of survival mode.

Recommended listening: "Love, Where is Your Fire" by Brooke Fraser; "Long Gone Away" by Drew Holcomb

Daily Doodle #30

2010-07-19T11:23:00.000-05:00

Kiss the Girl – I started this page on Friday but didn't finish it till Saturday. So I'm just now getting around to posting it. I'm still playing around with collage and you'll probably be seen a lot more of that. So one of my favorite songs by the Avett Brothers is All My Mistakes -- "But I can't go back. And I don't want to. 'Cause all my mistakes, they brought me to you." Mistakes can be okay. In making art, you have to get over the fear of making a mistake. You can't get better or grow as an artist if you're frozen in place by the fear of making a mistake. Sometimes you just have to take a risk. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Sometimes you just have to shut up and kiss the girl.

Recommended listening: "All My Mistakes" by The Avett Brothers; "Let It Be Me" by Ray LaMontagne

Daily Doodle #29

2010-07-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

Custody – She got the dog, but I got Memphis. 850 miles separates Memphis from Minneapolis and I am thankful for every single one of them. The fact that I don't have to worry about running into my Ex such a huge benefit. I'm not one of those people that puts down Memphis and constantly whines about living here. I love Memphis. Last weekend, I went on a six art opening tour starting in East Memphis and ending in Midtown at the P&H. "This is the place where my troubles die. Gimme my space, gimme my space. Under...Memphis skies." Under Memphis Skies by Grace Askew.

Recommended listening: "Touching the Ground" by Brandi Carlile; "Under Memphis Skies" by Grace Askew

Daily Doodle #28

2010-07-15T11:10:00.001-05:00

Blown: to fail or break down, as from being operated under extreme or improper conditions.

There's a lot of hopes, dreams, and plans that I had when I got married. I was blown away when became apparent that that it was headed for divorce. My future plans and goals that I had been pursuing. Blown. My sense of trust. Blown. Sometimes it feels like a tornado cut a path through my life. I feel like I've cleaned up most of the mess that it made, but figuring out how to rebuild is a challenge.

Recommended listening:
"I use to think that things were meant to be
So farewell to the old me
farewell to the old me
My life is working better now
It's always changing anyhow"
– Farewell to the Old Me by Dar Williams

Artist's note: I was trying for a visual reference to blowing out a candle and not something violent. Blown out, not blown up.

Daily Doodle #27

2010-07-13T16:03:00.001-05:00

Not that easy – I thought I'd try something different today. So this doodle is mixed media and collage. I came across this pattern for an apron. It had 3 styles to choose from and for some reason it really cracked me up. Each style had a very different drawing of a model. One model was very contemporary, one was classic, and the third was very conservative. Why not just one model to show the different lengths? The aprons didn't look all that different. It made me think that this wasn't a pattern for an apron but for a type woman. Like that these pattern pieces came together to make a certain style woman. I think we can get that way about dating. We can have these certain pieces of criteria that we look for and we hope that it all comes together to create the person we want. But there's a lot more to it than that. You can't boil it down to a simple list. It's not that easy.

And when things don't work out... again it's not that easy. You can't just cut out those memories and start over. The alterations are going to take time.

Recommended listening:
"But I’m gonna be happy
without you around
I’ll figure it out
And I’m gonna be happy
just give me some time
I'm gonna be fine"
– Happy by Ellery

Daily Doodle #26 (kinda)

2010-07-12T13:21:00.000-05:00

Down 'n Derby – Now to be fair, this is not a doodle. This is a woodcut print by Dirty Printmakers of America. They were at the Brooks for the premiere of Flipside Memphis season 2. Later that day, I went to a Memphis Roller Derby double header. So to me this print is representative of my weekend. It may not be my work, but I did "help" make the print and it is in my sketchbook. Anyway, this is my project and I say it counts.

Daily Doodle #25

2010-07-09T16:34:00.000-05:00

All's Fair in Love and War – We're not in high school anymore. There are no rules. If there are, they rarely matter. Mostly, it's anything goes. Or at least, that's been my experience.

Daily Doodle #24

2010-07-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

Foul Weather – I can't say that I've been in a good mood lately. I've got some worries on my mind that are brewing. I don't have a date lined up for the weekend and that irritates me. The company of a beautiful woman can really brighten up an otherwise dismal week. So if I look a little dark and brooding this weekend, I'm just a little off because I'd like to catch a break. Just for a spell no more car troubles, stuff breaking at the house, or drama at the office... oh and a date. Is that too much to ask?

Recommended listening: "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne, "The Go Getter" by The Black Keys

Daily Doodle #23

2010-07-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

Endless – Why is it that the short work weeks can often feel longer than a regular work week? Wednesday felt like one of those endless days where the clock continues to tick but hours and minutes never seem to pass. When I got home last evening, this slowed sense of time lead to high levels of productivity. I made a quick trip to Home Depot. Took the dog for a walk and watched the sunset at the park in Harbor Town. Then I installed a new light fixture when i got home. AND added a few touches to a painting.

Daily Doodle #22

2010-07-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hungry – I've had a couple of songs stuck in my head lately. Maybe if I get a sketch down on paper, I can clear my head of them... but then... yeah, probably not.

Recommended listening:
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood, you sure are looking good. You're everything a big bad wolf could want. "Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

You've been over here in the dark so long. I ain't no doctor, but I know what's wrong...
You never been rocked enough. You never been rolled just right

"Never Been Rocked Enough" by Delbert McClinton

Daily Doodle #21

2010-07-05T19:00:00.006-05:00

Incomplete – Even thought I feel as though I've gotten through the heartbreak, there is this thought that my heart can never be restored to its original state. It's covered in scare tissue (i mean scar tissue, but somehow that spelling error seems poetic. so I'll leave it.). It's hardened. It's slow to feel. It doesn't work like it should. Like important pieces are missing.

Recommended Listening: "The Limit to Your Love" by Feist, "Paper Bag" by Fiona Apple

Daily Doodle #20

2010-07-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

Shattered – To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. This doodle is based on a sketch i did around the first of the year when I was dealing with my divorce. I didn't feel like my heart had simply been ripped in two or broken, but shattered like glass. Glass is difficult to clean up because it's hard to find all the pieces and slivers. You could easily cut yourself in the process. And gluing it back together is really out of the question.

Recommended listening: "Ashes and Wine" by A Fine Frenzy, "Bend Before It Breaks" by Brandi Carlile

Daily Doodle #19

2010-07-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Conical Ring – Charlotte Jewelry of Memphis has these really cool interchangeable rings. My doodle doesn't give them justice. Anyway, I've been thinking about buying one since February. I even at one point drove down to the store with cash in hand to purchase one, but the store was closed. It was in the process of relocating to South Main. Well, between that time and now, I've had some unexpected expenses such as AC problems at the house and a dead car battery. So I'll have to save back up.

Daily Doodle #18

2010-07-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

Crossroads – I feel like this a lot lately. The path that my life was on has ended. So here I stand at a crossroads. Where to now? The options seem limitless and overwhelming. It's also exciting in some ways. There are avenues that are now open that I previously felt were closed to me. But in a way, it's very frustrating to be here at this point again.

Recommended listening: "The Weight of Lies" by The Avett Brothers, "This Road" by Seabird, "Hope for the Hopeless" by A Fine Frenzy

Daily Doodle #17

2010-06-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

Dating. It's a risky business. It's a gamble. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.

Recommended listening: "Every Time I Roll the Dice" by Delbert McCinton.
"Momentary Setback" by Marc Broussard

Daily Doodle #16

2010-06-29T09:46:00.000-05:00

Neck Line – Fewer areas are sexier on a woman. The beautiful lines, the delicate & soft skin, the nape, the space just below the ear, graceful collar bones, the scent of her hair or perfume.... drives me insane. If she leans in close to be heard over loud music or pulls her hair back to reveal where she'd like a tattoo or to better show off some new earrings... you better want a kiss, girl, because it'll take every ounce of my willpower to hold back. And lately, I don't have a full tank of willpower.

Recommended listening: "You Make Me" by Grace Askew, "Everybody Here Wants You" by Jeff Buckley

Daily Doodle #15

2010-06-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

Gone Fishing – This doodle is from last weekend, but I didnt have time to post it. So I still have one to complete today.

On my playlist today: "Good Morning Little School Girl" by Johnny Lang

Daily Doodle #14

2010-06-25T18:47:00.000-05:00

It's a jungle out there.

Overheard on facebook: My yard is becoming a jungle. I fear wild animals jumping out and attacking me.

Daily Doodle #13

2010-06-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

I'd Rather be Painting - I finished this last night but didn't have time to post it. So I still have a doodle to complete today. This goal of a doodle a day is tougher than i initially thought.

Daily Doodle #12

2010-06-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

Break This Heart of Stone – Many of my paintings and drawings have a song that influenced or inspired the piece. I could have sworn that I had a song in mind when i started this. No, it's not the Rolling Stone's "Heart of Stone." I could have sworn it was a song that I was listening to recently. A Black Keys song perhaps, but I cant find the lyric now. But the idea of how to break a heart of stone has been on my mind. I think that it takes time like a seed cracking the sidewalk. Or can you paint over old, painful memories with new, happier ones? Will they still bleed through? How many coats will it take to paint over 7 years?

Recommended listening:

"Next Girl" - The Black Keys

"Mostly" - Grace Askew

Daily Doodle #11

2010-06-22T16:05:00.001-05:00

Martini – colored pencil.

Just a quick sketch of a vodka martini. They aren't really my drink of choice, but a friend made the remark today about really needing one. I don't know what your poison is, but cheers.

Opening Reception - Sitting up with the Dead – Gallery 210

2010-06-21T18:30:00.005-05:00

Opening Reception - Sitting up with the Dead

Gallery 210

1015 South Cooper

July 16th

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The latest show to hit Midtown Memphis’ still new but increasingly potent Gallery 210 is a collaboration between Chris Nadaskay and Melinda Eckley titled "Sitting up with the Dead"—according to them a distinctly southern tradition—a vigil over the recently departed. “Who’s passed?” one might ask. According to Nadaskay and Eckley it is modern culture’s place of archeological importance; it is the enforced expectations of heirlooms restricting the future, both individually and culturally.

The show will exhibit a museum like atmosphere in an attempt to encapsulate the feeling that each piece is a “remnant of some future past”—excavated and historically meaningful. But what is it present-humanity culturally esteems, and how will its treasures be perceived when exhumed? What contribution, if any, will they make? Will they liberate, enlighten or impede?

Nadaskay and Eckley are both artists of repute who have a local tradition. Both are professors at Union University; Eckley is also an alumni of Memphis College of Art. Nadaskay currently works in “mixed media/ceramic wall relief”; while Eckley creates sculptural installations.

The show opens with a reception and artist lecture and runs from July 16 – August 15, 2010. The opening night reception (July 16th 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.) is open and free to the public. General gallery hours are from 9:00 a.m. – Noon, Monday thru Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sundays. For more information please call (901) 377-3372.

Daily Doodle #10 (revised)

2010-06-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

Never Thirst

John 4:11-14

I started this doodle at The Stirring based on the scripture and sermon for that night.

Daily Doodle #9

2010-06-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

I'm Not The One

"You wanted it all, but I give you...give you none. I'm not the one."

– The Black Keys

Daily Doodle #8

2010-06-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

Cannonball!

Next weekend a friend of mine is having a pool party. I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to it. The Memphis heat is really getting to me. I could go for a cannonball dive into a pool of ice water right about now. I am not looking forward to July and August when Memphis truly gets HOT.

Daily Doodle #7

2010-06-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

Redhead

Another quick sketch loosely based on a friend's facebook photo. Still trying to get a hang of my new Prismacolor Nupastels.

Daily Doodle #6

2010-06-16T13:00:00.003-05:00

Cut Down - colored pencil

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. - Psalm 64:3

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. – James 3:7-12

Project Sketchbook hosted by Rozelle Artists Guild

2010-06-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

I participated in this last year. It was a lot of fun and there were many very creative entries. It's open to local and national artists. You should definitely check it out and contribute to the Rozelle Artists Guild's fundraiser. They only get your pledged amount if they raise the total $1,500. It's an all or nothing system on kickstarter.com

Daily Doodle #5

2010-06-15T17:00:00.002-05:00

Untitled

Quick sketch. Just playing around with my new Prismacolor Nupastels.

Daily Doodle #4

2010-06-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

Some things of beauty are not meant to last.

They must be enjoyed in the moment.

A sunset, a rose blossom, a shooting star.

Beautiful, brief. Savor it for soon it fades.

Brevity

Recommended listening:

"Wish We'd Gotten Drunk" by Amber Rubarth

"Pilot" by Amber Rubarth

"Dreams" by Brandi Carlile

"Shelter from the Storm" by Bob Dylan

"Essence" by Lucinda Williams

"Don't You Know You're Beautiful" by Seabird

"This New One" by Grace Askew

"A Song to Thank the Stars" by Amber Rubarth

"Near to You" by A Fine Frenzy

"Parting Words" by Valerie June

Daily Doodle #3

2010-06-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

Outpour
Recommended listening: Rescue by Seabird

"I'm pushing up daisies, I wish they were roses.
I feel like I'm drowning but nobody knows it."

Daily Doodle #2

2010-06-12T13:56:00.013-05:00

Overly Protective

I had this idea about how we can be overly protective in our lives and how that protection can turn against us. Like a bird that builds a nest in a thorn bush only to have the vines grow to shut her out.

A Doodle a Day

2010-06-11T17:41:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to kick up the creativity. So every day of this my 30th year, I'm going to do a doodle or other creative work and post it here (and on Facebook) every day.

"I soak up the air here like I have been dry my whole life." - quote from an Asheville artist

I grew up in the foothills of the Ozarks and spent a lot of time camping there. So I love visiting the mountains. Especially the Great Smoky Mountains. It feels like coming home. The air seems richer, crisper, and full of life. I like the smell of old forests, of waterfalls, and of mist. I cant breathe in deeply and it seems to soak into my very bones.

Notes from the Road: First stop Atlanta, GA

2010-06-09T18:13:00.001-05:00

If there is one theme that developed over the course of the road trip, it was rushed. At times it was exciting. But as the trip went on, the lets-do-as-much-as-we-can-in-one-day got tiresome. You can't sprint for an entire marathon. Atlanta, GA was one of the quick stops on the trip. I spent just one night there.

My first stop was Ikea. And as I mentioned, it felt as though i was running through the place in an attempt to see everything and stay on schedule. I really didnt need anything from the store but I bought a package of small glasses that looked perfect for whiskey.

My other planned stop was the High Museum of Art. It was beautiful inside and out. "We're walking. We're walking. We're walking.... and stop." This was the monolog in my head at the museum. There was so much to see and I had about 2 hours to do it. I saw a roaster exhibit on display which seemed fitting as I was on a road trip. Which reminds me, I was pleasantly surprised by the much higher MPG that my Volvo wagon got on the highway. I drove from Memphis to Atlanta with a quarter of a tank to spare. In fact, I made the nearly 500 miles and 8 hour drive from Cincinnati, OH to Memphis, TN on one tank of gas. The wagon got about 33 mpg.

Pretending to have a Simpler life

2010-05-26T12:53:00.000-05:00

On my road trip, I'm going to pretend that I'm living a fantasy that I've had for some time. In my fantasy, I have a much simpler life. No 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. No pets. Just an RV and the road. Each day an adventure.

How did I catch this travel bug? My immune system was down. We've all got a metal immune system for crazy ideas. Voices in our heads that automatically shoot down our 'crazy' creative desires because "Oh be serious. You can't do that and you'll starve/throw away your live's work/be seen as a failure/etc." But take a life changing event, such as a divorce, and suddenly you have fewer fears. I've already lost a lot. I've felt failure. I've survived a tougher situation than I ever expected to live through. Now I'm starting to hear a different voice and it says, "well, why the heck not? what do i have to lose?"

So let me share with you some of the infectious materials that have led to my roadtrip:

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller (urges you to live a more interesting story)
Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller (a journey from Texas to Oregon)
Travels with Charlie: in Search of America by John Steinbeck (his roadtrip was 10,000 miles)
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson (about 14,000 miles)

And then there are the countless blogs that modern day Steinbecks are keeping about their great American journeys. They even give you practical advice and encouragement so you can do it yourself.

http://tosimplify.blogspot.com
http://www.happyjanssens.com/
http://roadtripnation.com/

I guess i got tired of reading about everyone else's roadtrip adventures. Even my own sketchbooks have seen more of the country than I ever have and I was having to write about their journeys!

Painting of the Week Sale - Week 4

2010-05-23T01:56:00.012-05:00

At the end of May, I'm headed on a long roadtrip. Also, I'm working on a lot of new work, but I've got quite a bit of old work sitting around. So to free up some space in the house and have some money for roadtrip souvenirs, during May I will be posting a PAINTING OF THE WEEK with a lower price on that piece for that week only. Shipping is extra.

Week #4

Serene - 24"x30" - Richard Fudge 2007 - acrylic medium

Normally $400. This week it's $325.

You can email me at richard.fudge@gmail.com if you're interested. Thank you!

Sharing the creative spark

2010-05-19T07:37:00.001-05:00

My first big roadtrip is drawing closer. What seemed like a far off date is frightfully close. Is the car ready? Am I ready? Do I have everything I need? Will it all fit in the car? But there is an equal amount of excitement. I'll be visiting some very artsy areas of the country and hanging out with many passionate artists. I'm looking to catch some of their creative spark.

The goal is to meet in person some of the artists that I only know through email and online, do a little Q&A about their work, studio, and how their work and faith come together ( for example: for some it's subject matter, for others it's painting at church, or an outreach project that uses art.) I also hope that the artist(s) might show me (or at least give me directions) for some of their favorite artsy spots - a favorite gallery, coffee shop, thrift store, district. etc. I'm going to take as many notes and photos as i can so that I can share the creative sparks with you.

I feel as though I'm about to embark on a 12 day long artist's date. I had been working my way through The Artist's Way but I'll admit.... I fell off the wagon. I was a member of a group and we met every Thursday at a coffee shop. But life got crazy busy and I dropped out. I didn't finish the 12 week workbook. But I mention this because of the artist's dates. An artist's date is a weekly time where you just go out by yourself and do something that recharges you creatively. Or as the website defines it:

"The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly "artistic"-- think mischief more than mastery."

Some examples of artist's dates:
http://theartistswayblog.wordpress.com/artists-date-ideas/

Briefly, I'll be departing

2010-05-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

In 10 days, I'll be leaving for my road trip and I'll have you know that I'm prepared. I just ordered the most important items of the trip - 2 pairs of ExOfficio boxer briefs. Sounds trivial I know, but this is the best underwear around. I bought a pair a while back for a backpacking trip. They wick moisture, prevent chaffing, odor resistant, and are amazingly comfortable. I wish I could afford to own nothing but this brand of underwear.

Why do you care? Hey, I'm just trying to give you some road trip advice. These boxers are the best thing since sliced bread or better yet... Smartwool socks - which I'd also like a lifetime supple of. What are Smartwool socks?! OMG, why are you depriving yourself of so much comfort and such a simple pleasure? Also, I need to tell you a really funny story about my brother, his first time to try on a pair, and him sliding through the kitchen like Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

Fudge around town - Germantown Community Theatre

2010-05-17T17:30:00.004-05:00

To Send a Prayer series & other works by Richard Fudge are currently on display at the Germantown Community Theatre.

Newly completed piece "Diverge" on display.

Located at:
3037 Forest Hill Irene Road
(near Poplar Ave and Forest Hill Irene intersection)
Germantown, TN 38138-7821

Painting of the Week Sale - Week 3

2010-05-16T01:30:00.003-05:00

Week #3

Crosses and Squares - 30"x24" - Richard Fudge 2008 - acrylic medium

Normally $375. This week it's $280.

You can email me at richard.fudge@gmail.com if you're interested. Thank you!

Painting of the Week Sale - Week 2

2010-05-09T01:30:00.002-05:00

Week #2

Guarded Heart - 24"x30" - Richard Fudge 2007 - acrylic medium

Normally $375. This week it's $280.

You can email me at richard.fudge@gmail.com if you're interested. Thank you!

Weekly Deals in May

2010-05-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

Week #1

Peace in the Valley - 20"x16" - Richard Fudge 2007 - acrylic medium

Normally $200. This week it's $150.

You can email me at richard.fudge@gmail.com if you're interested. Thank you!

Art show and live painting at Downtown Presbyterian

2010-04-29T13:01:00.000-05:00

This Friday during the South Main Trolley Art Tour, I will be showing some works at Downtown Presbyterian Church and doing a live painting.

Friday 6p-9p
Downtown Presbyterian
525 South Main St.
(next to Ernestine and Hazel's)
parking is going to be trickier with the music festival, but you should be able to find a free spot in the South Main area.

On a related note, I was concerned about whether or not this Friday would be a good art night what with the music festival and all, but I picked up the current issue of the Memphis Flyer. There is a lot of good art openings happening tonight. I think it will be an excellent night, but i would advise you to try to detour around the Beale and Union area of downtown. That's going to be very congested.

Now if i could just make up my mind about what I'm going to paint tomorrow night.

See you there,
Fudge

Nearing completion - Cross #8 16"x20"

2010-04-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

Cross #8 (almost completed) - acrylic - 16" x 20" - $170 plus shipping if required

I've got another of my another of my popular cross paintings nearly finished. These tend to sell pretty quickly if you're interested. I sold one in Dec and another as recently at the end of March. I try to keep one in stock at all times. This puppy brings home the bacon so I can buy more paint and other supplies for new concepts and paintings.

This Year I'm going Pro

2010-04-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

That's right. I'm going Pro. Not in football or some other sport, but as an artist. Ok, I'm not quitting my day job, it's not that drastic or daring. But at least I've now got corporate sponsorship - sorta. I just signed on for the largest painting I've ever done. Two 4 ft by 6 ft canvases combined to create one massive painting. I'm going to need a bigger easel (hah, when i read this i think of "you're going to need a bigger boat"). I ordered the custom canvas yesterday, and will be placing an order with cheapjoes.com for other supplies soon.

Not Alone – proposed set for a grief counseling center for children. This is just a rough sketch.

Also in the "i cant believe im doing this" art news, I'm working on a children's book with 2 very talented writers based on my "To Send a Prayer" series. The thing is. I have to create like 15 new paintings at a size that is better suited for the book's layout. In 4-6 months, I should be able to sell you a book that I illustrated. Crazy!

I have one of my 12"x36" paintings that I sold through Facebook and need to ship to.... wait for it... Sierra Madre, CA. Does that make me a nationally known artist? ;) - Update, so I went to Fedex at the suggestion of Deeann Rieves who ships her work all the time. I couldnt find a good box so I just took the painting there and hoped they had one. they did have one for paintings but it was huge! We boxed it up using that box and then weighted it and figured the shipping. It was going to be 100 bucks. After I picked myself off the floor, i suggested we cut down the box and try again. It took at lot of work (on the Fedex girl's part not mine. I just supervised.) but we got cut the box down to about a third of the original size. At the new size, it was only going to cost 30 and that included the box i purchased. WIN

Now I just need to get commissioned to illustrate a favorite band's cover art (just give me a call Over The Rhine, Avett Brothers, Amber Rubarth, A Fine Frenzy, I'll be happy to cut you a deal. hey if we're going to pretend, let's shoot for the moon.) Or I could be represented by a fancy art gallery. It'd have to be something pretty BIG to top what's already happened. I've pretty much surpassed any expectations or goals I had set for myself this year.

Don't you know...

2010-04-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

I'm looking at the positive side today. I'm looking for the inspiring. I saw this on Arian Armstrong's blog. Wonderful lyrics and the imagery is powerful. Love the use of typography. It's on repeat.

The End of a Chapter

2010-04-21T07:18:00.125-05:00

Divorced. It's not what i want or planned. It ain't easy, but I'm letting go and moving on. The wounds are healing and the stains are fading. A chapter closes, a new chapter begins.

When I was out camping recently, I was reminded that you can't climb over a mountain in one jump. It's done one step at a time. It's takes time. And sometimes the best thing is to stop staring way up the trail and worrying about those rocks ahead, but to put your head down and focus on where you're stepping now.

I think one of the things i was surprised to experience during all this was learning of other's struggles. I guess when your mask of perfection is broken and you're sharing your deepest pains, other people - friends you thought you new so well - feel free to reveal their own deep struggles.

"Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a great battle.” – Philo of Alexandria

New art gallery to open in Cooper-Young area

2010-04-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

David Smith to open Cooper Young gallery in May - Memphis Business Journal:

David P. Smith is opening a new art gallery in the historic Cooper Young neighborhood on May 7. The new gallery will be in a two-story, 1,600-square-foot building at 703 New York.

lt's good to see art galleries opening. It gives me some hope that i might sell some more art myself. I guess this is technically more of a relocation. It's the same owners as the recently closed Perry Nicole Gallery which always seemed to be in an easy to forget location to me. But I like it when galleries cluster together in areas of town. It makes attending openings more fun when you can just keep walking down the road and seeing more art. South Main is/was like that (the number of galleries is always in flux). Broad Ave. has gotten that way. That stretch of Central between East Parkway and Cooper St. has a couple galleries there. And there are a few more on Cooper. Maybe not enough close together for an art walk but who knows. Maybe we'll see a few other galleries pop up there.

Embedded - permanent words of faith

2010-04-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about this the other day. I think a very interesting show to have in the gallery would be a collection of black and white photos of tattoos. They would have to be PG shots of course. All the shots would be detailed shots of tattoos of spiritual meaning. Tattoos that are words from a scripture or a just a verse notation like "psalm 23". But if needed I'd allow some unique icons like crosses and trinity tatts.

I just think it would be interesting to see what verses or words from scripture people have chosen permanently imprint on their body (and life). In addition to the photos, I would want do short interviews with the people. Just ask a couple basic questions. Like why did you get that particular tattoo? when? what does it mean to you now? something like that to include as a personal story to go by each photo. Tattoos always have an interesting story especially ones that are expressions of your beliefs or faith.

For example, my tattoo says, "for thou art with me. psalm 23" and it is across the left side of my chest. I got it back in Sept of 2009 because I knew that my life was about to enter a seriously dark and lonely time. A time when i would certainly need a daily reminder that even through all of this i am not alone. I have my faith, my friends, and my family. It also fulfilled the need to feel something other than heartbreak and do something self destructive. Like I said it was a dark time. Anyway, Psalm 23 has always been a favorite verse of mine and holds many different meanings and memories.

This sorta what I'm thinking about for look of the series, but I'd need to work with a photographer. I'd do the interviewing about the story behind the tattoo. Tattoos always have an interesting story especially ones that are expressions of your beliefs or faith. What words have you chosen to embed in yourself?

Road side attractions>>>> EXIT NOW!

2010-04-16T07:18:00.001-05:00

You can't go on a good road trip without stopping at a few road side attractions. They add color to your story with their unusualness. Can I recall all of the arts and craft shops that I walked through in Gattlinburg, TN while vacationing in the Smokies? No. But I do clearly remember the ridiculous woodcarving shop. We're talking about the kind of stuff that is typically mostly large logs caved with a chainsaw and painted to look like black bears or eagles etc. Or walking sticks with small carvings of old bearded men. These places get to be as frequent as gas stations. But once I stopped at a very unusual woodcarving shop in Townsend, TN. What was so different that I had to stop? How about a wood carving about the length of a car of a blonde biker chick - big boobs, a thong, the "ho" works - riding a hog. No. not a motorcycle, a real hog that had wheels attached to the front and back feet. There was also black bears but instead of the typical poses like standing or climbing a tree, one was sitting on a toilet next to a bear using a urinal. WTF! Inside I found other oddities like busty mermaids, a winged pig, and more busty women. My theory is that the artist is a lonely mountain man with a subscription to Maxium Magazine and he is grossly overestimating the market for poorly carved busty women statuettes.

See, i cant make this stuff up. and if you look in the background you can see the bear using a urinal.

Now, I already have some stops planned like art museums, friends, and site seeing. But here are a few that I'm really looking forward to:

Ikea

Atlantic Station

441 16th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30363

(404) 745-4532

ikea-usa.com/atlanta

Heck yeah! My first Ikea experience. It's going to be epic. I have all sorts of things marked in my catalog at home for the house and the studio. The key will be to not fill up the car so early in the road trip.

Cheap Joes Art Store

Open 10 - 7 Mon.-Sat.
Phone: 704 - 333 - CJAS (2527)
4420 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205

I love their online catalog and order supplies from there all the time. I hope to find all kinds of deals while I'm there and stock up.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

located in Frankfort, Kentucky just off I-64 at:
113 Great Buffalo Trace
Franklin County,
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Trace Tour Hours
Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. departing every hour
Saturday: 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. departing every hour

Buffalo Trace is a favorite bourbon whiskey of mine. And this distillery make all three of my favorite brands - Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare - a 10yr old single barrel bourbon whiskey, and Sazerac Rye Whiskey. Yum. They better have tastings as part of the tour and the gift shop better have awesome deals on the whiskey. I want to get a special glass for drinking whiskey too.

I prefer mine straight over ice. Not a shot or mixed drink. Just something to sip. I dont recall exactly how i ended up drinking whiskey. The choice may have been influenced by watching Deadwood episodes. I think I just decided that the times called for something STRONG and HARD, and whiskey seemed like a pretty hard-ass drink. Also, it went well with cigars and gave you a nice warm sensation, but i found that out later. Anyway, now I just enjoy the taste and have tried quite a few brands. I'm sorta a whiskey connoisseur now.

More Road Trip Suggestions

2010-04-15T11:02:00.000-05:00

Kathy is my road trip hero. She does some big 2 week trip to a gorgeous national park just about every year it seems. In July of 2008, she did 5500 miles in 10 days including a 21 hrs non-stop drive from Memphis to South Dakota. Her trip included the Badlands and Black Hills, Crazy Horse Memorial, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons.

Favorite Road Trip Traditions/Games:

Kathy:
I’m not huge into traditions or games.
I’ll do the “spot the most different states/countries license plates” or “twenty questions, guess who/what I’m thinking of” sort of games.

Highpoint/Lowpoint of the day/overall trip are great conversation starters. That’s an awesome way to stop, breath and relive the good moments and vent about the bad moments with your companions at the end of each day. This is reallllly helpful to keep things friendly on long trips. Usually works better with girls than guys though...

I guess these are my traditions:
1. Make a point to get to know some of the people I meet along the way. Not all of them, cause I’m not that outgoing or energetic! Often helps me to appreciate how we are all so different, but still so similar. It allows me to recognize and say hi to the same people again and again along the road, which makes for the most random and friendly moments.

One of my favorites was while waiting in front of the McDonald Lodge in Montana for our Jammer Bus Tour Guide to return. It was just a retired gentleman from North Dakota and me sitting on a bench enjoying the perfect weather. He’d heard the tour guide mention I was from Memphis. Turns out he was a huge Tigers Basketball fan. We had the best discussion on Memphis coaches, team history and where the team was going. I was amazed by his excitement and knowledge, and I think he was amazed that a girl from Memphis was talking basketball to him in Montana. :-) Since I was travelling alone, he and his wife invited me to sit with them during lunch to continue our conversation...which did move beyond basketball, eventually...love those moments.

2. Make a point to get up and out early at least once. Find some quiet alone time and watch the sunrise. City trips – a cup of coffee with a view of the city/neighborhood.
Beach/mountain/country trips – a walk/drive to quiet location with an inspiring view to have breakfast with only the local wildlife around.

3. I always make a point try to find something unique or quirky to randomly stop at along the road...Always do my best to avoid eating/shopping at major chains. Can’t completely avoid them, but I try...Love cheesy or decrepit camp stores...

Your Road Trip Tips and Suggestions are Needed

2010-04-14T16:25:00.001-05:00

I'm soliciting advice from folks who have done their own Great American Road Trip. So have you done a GART (i'm stealing this fun term from Elizabeth)? What advice would you give to a novice road tripper? What is one of your favorite road trip rituals?

Elizabeth Cawein - longest trip - Memphis, TN to New Jersey and back - grand total over four days. it was about 35 hours. 4 hours friday, 12 hours saturday, 14 hours sunday, 4 hours monday: just be prepared to completely wing it. that's my biggest piece of advice. make a plan. because you should always make a plan. but then be prepared to completely throw it out the window and do something totally different. and no matter what you do, think of it as a story to tell later. that is the reason you stop in places called nutter fort, west virginia. because for the rest of your life you will talk about the time you stopped in nutter fort.

Fav Road Trip rituals: Stopping at a Dairy Queen for sure. also, i would say getting up at the crack of dawn is a big one for me. i love to make good time, and it doesn't feel like a road trip unless you're on the road just before dawn. (or well before dawn.) if i'm doing the road trip with someone else, i like to play car games, too. most of which are made up on the spot. like when holly and i played, "which developing nation also sounds like a baby name from Memphis?"

Robert Fudge - longest trip - 22 hrs Memphis, TN to Flagstaf, AZ:

have good podcasts. plan to be flexible, avoid doing things you could do at home (ex: eating at wendy's) also: check the pressure in your spare tire. alsp avoid interstate....you can never see stuff from the interstate, but two lane highway goes straight through town.....think I-40 verses Summer Ave, or Stage Road (both technically highways) you just get a better feel for places, even if it takes longer....also easier to pull over on a whim.

Fav Road Trip rituals: music tends to be key....as does coffee. I like to plan out mile stone playlists....what will I be listening to when....i cross the mississippi...leave pavement etc. lots of sing along sessions....keeps driver alert. i seem to have a wierd tradition of driving places in the middle of the night, not sure that i recommend it. but it teaches you to go ahead and nap when its needed. i have taken quite a few naps when alone at rest stops or what have you.

Darren - longest trip - 16hrs Memphis to Brighton, MI:

you need to take some of the 5 hour energy drinks because driving on your own sucks, i always make sure i have breakdowns covered on my car insurance, have a oil change about a week before you go that gives you one week in case some thing goes wrong, make sure you fill you windshield washer fluid, check the spare, and just have fun.

Robyn: 2100 miles - dallas, little rock, atlanta, nashville, birmingham, the colony, tx:

load the ipod with your favorite music. stay in the homes of people you go to see if its possible. if they have kids, bring them presents. this is all in my book i havent finished writing. ugh. video your experience so you can share it online. i wish i had done that schedule it so that you can have time to wiggle around, but also make sure you see the people you want to see.

Fav Road Trip rituals: i always look for sonic so i can have sonic ice. i like to eat in local restaurants, not chains, when i'm traveling.

Myself - longest trip - 14 hrs Memphis, TN to Anna Maria Island, FL:

Fav Road Trip rituals: Stopping at the rest stops. Listening to David Sedaris audio books. Finding odd repetitive roadside attractions to call out, especially kitsch stuff like "hey, you need a walking stick." or "look boiled peanuts! wanna stop?" and making fun of billboard designs.

Blanchard Springs - trial run for the BIG roadtrip

2010-04-12T18:00:00.002-05:00

So here's the Blanchard Springs camping trip recap. The campsites are $10 cash per night and at a first come basis. Unlike some park it and camp sites, these did not have water facets. In fact, there was a boil notice at the time, and come to think of it there was one the last time i went there. So next time I'd either bring a whole bunch of bottled water or some water purification tablets. Boiling uses up a lot of fuel and time.

View Larger Map

This was the first time for me to take the volvo on a trip. I figure that a trip or two is required before my 2010 Art Roadtrip. I need to get comfortable and accustomed to my new ride. Also a few short trips should reveal anything that needs fixing. For example, the sunroof seems a tad loose which you dont notice around town or on good roads, but on bumpy Arkansas highways it's a very noticeable rattle. Oh, and it's not the best at river crossing (more on that later).

It was also good to try out the new tent. Wow, for a 2 person backpacking tent, it sure had a lot of room. Much more than i expected. I'm glad that I set it up for the first time in the daylight. It is always tricky the first time you set up a new tent. The ones I used as a boy scout are so familiar to me that I can (and i seriously have) set them up blindfolded. The REI tent was pretty simple once you got the hang of it. I think it will be much quicker next time. It was a great purchase. No doubt.

Above is a shot of the spring water coming out of the Blanchard Spring Caverns. The caverns are amazing. I taken the tour it a few times, but I didn't go this time. Everything was so nice and pretty outside that it didn't seem worth it.

The Ozarks, Arkansas rivers, and bluffs... ah, it feels like going home to grandma's. This is my childhood. This is where i went camping as a kid and as a boy scout. Speaking of all things Arkansas, let me introduce you to the low water crossing.

I don't care for these low water crossings, they worry me since I drive a car not a truck or SUV. But Arkansas has a number of them when you go into the backcountry. So the Volvo and I have never done one of these before, but the water was only about 7 inches deep and the current seemed very slow. Should be fine right? The ranger didnt warn us about this. Anyway.... The photo above is from the drive out of camp. So maybe I had a better technique this time because the first time the tires threw the water up higher. And this happened.

Seriously? I feel this bit o plastic (a wind damn or somthing?) wasn't firmly attached anyway. I'll get it put back on later, but this was upsetting at the time. Geeze. It felt like a real life version of the Oregon Trail video game. Your oxen have drowned. River fording FAIL... Sigh.

But all in all it was a great trip and I really enjoyed it. I'll be more prepared next time.

Art in the Yard

2010-04-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to host one of Deeann's workshops for some time. Since the weather was so incredibly nice, we chose to set up in the backyard. We learned about collage, layering, and mixed media techniques including beeswax and assemblage.

It looks like we're having an art picnic. It was a great time.

Above is my nearly finished piece from the workshop.

Vroom! I'm ready to hit the road.

2010-04-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

So I've got a new(er) car and not a moment too soon. My 1993 Honda Civic hatchback with over 175,000 miles died. Not completely, but there was something seriously wrong and it barely made the short drive to Bruce Wholesale Motor Co from my house. I got next to nothing for it but I'm just glad to have it off my hands. It was bleeding me dry.

My newer car is a 2003 Volvo wagon V70 with 101,000 miles. Say hello to the Fudge-mobile art hauler - extended canvas edition. Holy cow. It's like going from a size small to XL. Not to mention clunker to classy.

I'm taking her camping this weekend to Blanchard Springs in the Ozark National Forest. And no, I haven't given her a name yet. It's too early in the relationship. Though I feel it should start with a "V".

Before it gets too hot and buggy, I'll need to take her to the Summer Drive in for a double feature. When you have a hatchback, it's like tailgating when you go. It's going to be so much fun.

And of course, HUGE canvas hauling is planned. I'm not exactly sure what i can fit but possibly a 4ft x 6ft one. I'm smiling just thinking about it. But before I do that I need to finish some preliminary sketches for a children's book that 2 friends are helping write and produce with me. (No. Seriously, I cant believe it either. More info to come.)

Just about ready for Art Roadtrip 2010

2010-03-30T18:00:00.002-05:00

You may recall that I'm planning a roadtrip this summer. There were a few big ticket items that I felt I needed to make the trip better. A digital camera is a must for documenting the experience and gathering inspiration. I mean what roadtrip is complete without a slideshow when you get back? A backpacking tent and sleeping bag would be great to have as a cheap alternative to staying in a hotel. Also, the state and national parks in the area that I've driving through are incredibly beautiful.

Well, through saving up and a couple art sales, I've purchased my new tent and digital camera. The tent was the most expensive purchase and the hardest to select. How big do I need it to be? I plan to use it later on camping and backpacking trips. So how lightweight does it need to be? What features do I need? Etc. Thankfully, I have my brother Robert to guide me through the selection process. Not only did he use to work at Outdoors Inc. (a local backpacking store), he also spends probably more nights under a tent each year than under a roof. This past fall and spring, he's been working 8 days on and 6 days off as a trail crew foreman with the national forestry service and has worked the past few summers at Philmont scout ranch as a trail crew forman. All this to say, he knows what gear to get and what to avoid.

So here is the tent I ordered:

REI Half Dome 2 Plus

I can't wait! I'm going to take this tent for a test run camp out in a couple of weeks. I haven't gone on a camping trip in... wow I think it's been 2 years. That's ridiculous! It's a 2 person tent but it's one of the roomier backpacking ones I could find. With 2 vestibules, there's ample space to store gear. I'll likely be using it more on my own than with a second person anyway.

Now if I could just find a good car.