The Creek Report

2011-07-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

I'm still here, things are about to change.

This could have been my father.

2007-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

This painting was discovered in the Kudzo antique store in Decatur Ga. My father was about this age when it was painted in 1944. Its a wonderful portrait and this is what I learned about the artist.

The artist Elmer Novotny, born in 1909, was a long-time resident of Ohio, teacher at Kent State University and painter of portraits, figures, still-lifes and landscapes. He was a student of Jean and Paul Ulen of the Slade School who studied at the University College London during the 1920’s. They transformed the art department at West Tech into a mini-Slade in Cleveland.

Their students at West Technical High School in Northeast Ohio swept virtually all the top prizes in the National Scholastic Art Awards for drawing and won some 280 scholarships to art schools.

Elmer Novotny also studied at the Cleveland Art School and was an accomplished Cleveland portraitist who developed the Kent State University School of Art and served as its first director. Elmer L Novotny was a member of Kent State's faculty for 39 years, 27 of which were spent as the director of the art department. He exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Institute, Butler Institute, Akron Art Institute, and “Directions in American Painting” (1942, Carnegie Institute). In 1973 he was a Kent State University President's Medal Recipient.

He produced over 1,500 paintings, including portraits of every Kent State University president. "The hours that I spent sitting for Elmer was my unofficial inauguration," Kent State President Carol Cartwright said. "Elmer's commitment was to his students," School of Art Director William Quinn said. "Students came first. Everything he could do for students he did; there was no nonsense about it. The School of Art is truly his legacy." He passed away May 4 1997 at the age of 87.

Fat Boy

2007-02-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

Its been three months and I finally got a full time offer at a job I really don't want, but need. Sitting in a cube all day has set loose the fat boy inside me. I haven't painted anything and I'm gaining weight like a sumo wrestler in training.

Our Christmas card

2007-01-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

Every year I do cartoons of families for their Christmas cards. This year I did the first color card. With the new job I'm not painting any. Its sad.

Rebirth

2006-12-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

The wife has been sick and I had to take a day job, so my postings have dropped off. here is a large 30 x 40 oil on canvas. Enjoy.

Lurking

2006-11-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt you were being watched? Well you are, and they are not nice. Oil on paper 5x5 inches. Only $50.00 just email coxart@comcast.net.

Creek Reflection

2006-11-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

I love creeks. This was drawn and painting from life. A three tier rock is in the foreground and you can see the reflection in the water. The large rock on the far bank jutted out at an angle and created a deep shadow. Sometimes it takes a minute to see which end is up. 8 x 10 oil on board. It only $50.00, Email coxart@comcast.net if interested.

Harpers Ferry WV

2006-10-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

This was the view out our window on our honeymoon. I got up early as the sun peeked through the mountains and caught the train crossing the bridge in the twilight. Its 8 x 10 Oil on panel and my wife won't let me sell it. But I'll paint another just for you. E-mail me at coxart@comcast.net.

"Joes note"

2006-10-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

______________________________ My friend Joe did some welding work so I made this painting of him in trade. Bald with full sleeve tattoos, he is into the japan animation thing. Fireball Z or whatever. Joe recently completed a mobile studio and records a lot of heavy metal. The note he is writing says something about a "robbery" and not to touch the alarm. Its 8 x 10 oil and ink on canvas board.

yellow couch

2006-10-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Couches have great meaning to me. Many a happy nap I have found there. Families often crawl on them like gerbils. Dogs love them. I have nothing bad to say about couches. This little gem is 8 x 10 oil on art board. Its yours for $50.00, just email coxart@comcast.net.

Hunter Art Museum Chattanooga

2006-10-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the "walking bridge" looking east towards the Art Bluff and Hunter Museum of american art located in downtown Chattanooga. Nice view, solid collection of american art. Thats not a boat, its a craft that drives on land and the water. They load you up and take you on a "duck tour". The views are unique and I recommend it. 16 x 20, acrylic, painted last week. Its yours for $100.00 just email coxart@comcast.net.

"Sink Whole"

2006-10-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is another older piece to chew on while I come up with something new. I think it was 1995 and I had called in sick two days in a row just to paint this. My small apartment in Decatur Ga. had an creepy institutional bathroom and I set the easel up in there and didn't come out much. I needed to paint it for for my sanity.

My process at that time was based on free association. In this process objects were often added, changed and painted back out. For example there were pipes and faucets orginally. Stuble grows from the ghostly sink. The images from art history reflected myself and my sons. I like the watermelon best. I added it last and painted it from life in about an hour.

Yesterday the Chattanooga Markets Chili cookoff went well and raised over nine grand for Muscular Dystrophy. We had such a great time we spent more than we made! Chaulk it up to supporting two good causes, MDA and the ARTs.

Bread and Water

2006-10-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Don't try doing this at home. It took me many days in my garage to draw and paint this from life. I used thin glazes to capture the natural light coming throught the window and passing through the glass. No photos were used in any way. This is all done from direct observation. Call it Old School Realism.

2006-10-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

click here to bid on Bread and Water

"Ripe Grapes"

2006-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

This acrylic sketch of ripe grapes was done yesterday. Its 8"x10" on canvas board. I prefer oils but I'm rusty. The acrylics dry fast allowing me to get up to speed.

It feels good to paint. I will be at the Chattanooga Market 10-22-2006 from 12-5pm. Its Chili cook off weekend so this weeks paintings will have that as a theme. I hope to see you there! Its yours for $50.00, just email coxart@comcast.net.

Older Work

2006-10-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

While I work on several paintings for this weekend I thought I'd share some older work with you. This is a contemporary study of a Bottichelli. Its oil on wood, about 24" x 24" that has an inset panel with a natural top. When people would inquire about it I would tell them I painted it for my future wife, (although I had not met her yet). When we finally did meet and marry, I gave it to her as my wedding present. It was worth the wait.

2006-10-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Worlds fastest shopping cart? We got up to 38 MPH in this death trap. Man that was FUN!

Don't be intimidated

2006-10-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really a nice guy.

How it all started

2006-10-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

Recently I fulfilled a fantasy that many of us have.
I just got up from my desk and walked out the door,
never to sit in a cubical again. Friends and family all had visions of
how I told off my boss. Take this job and whatever.

For 13 years I sat in my corporate cubical and pushed on. Occasionally
I would hang a painting in my cube. The calendar on my desk was covered
with doodles of invisible people rushing about in suits and ties
carrying briefcases. Going no place.

People would see my artwork and say " why do you work here?" and I
would reply " dropped out of art school, got married, had kids, got
divorced, and here I am". My life was hanging with artists and
musicians at night and sitting in the cube all day. I had duel
identities. Eventually I could not serve two masters. So I cracked.

I just got up and walked out. Didn't bother to say goodbye to my
coworkers. What could I say? It was simply over, time to go. I was
brought to my knees and had to leave. My artistic identity had become
my only identity. I am an artist. There is no denying it.
Time to get busy.

Oppressed Birds

2006-10-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

While traveling on business at 30,000 feet I would make postcards to send to people. But they were rarley mailed. Sometimes they would get taped to a wall. Eventually they would vanish into one of my piles.