clock Archives | Christopher Stott

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Do-Over

This past week I spent some time with some do-overs.

These two paintings are from a few years ago and although they don’t look too unusual for my work, they did before I repainted the backgrounds.

The Pleasures of Life / 24 x 24 / oil on canvas

Before these pictures were taken, the backgrounds were what I call explosion blue. They were a vibrant, unnatural, unfamiliar, chemical blue.

They were complete and even hung in a gallery for some time, but I was happy to get them back to correct them. I was pleased with the balance and geometry of the compositions, but the blue was so peculiar to my eyes that I had a hard time looking at the paintings.

I removed the varnish and added some layers of a much more subtle and neutral tone — a white/grey with only the most subtle, barely perceptible hint of blue. Immediately it felt as though my own personality returned to the paintings.

I did the vibrant blue backgrounds on the suggestion from a friend who was giving some opinion on changes they thought would add some “pop” to my work. In a moment of weakness and confusion, I took their advice. It was as though my own signature was removed from my work.

The opportunity for the do-over has been very therapeutic.

Imagine if life were like a painting. Imagine if you could literally get a moment or an event back, remove the varnish and make your corrections.

The Interpretation of Dreams / 24 x 24 / oil on canvas

Anything Can Happen

“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.”
― Lao Tzu

The Interpretation of Dreams

“Books have a unique way of stopping time in a particular moment and saying: Let’s not forget this.”
― Dave Eggers

Working on the details

Here are a couple of close-up shots of me working on the details. The final stages of a painting are always the most satisfying. The camera I’m painting was found at Everything Old – one of my favourite places on planet earth.

These are the final two paintings of a dozen new ones for my May 21 – June 25 exhibition at the George Billis Gallery LA.

Timeless

The Practical Household Physician Oil Painting by Christopher Stott — 16 x 16 / oil on canvas

Each clock is a little character with its different color, its own style. In groupings they interact with each other. Read more

9:00, 2:00, 5:00 & American Arts Quarterly

I’m pleased and honored to share a review of my solo exhibition this past June by American Arts Quarterly. Click here if you are so inclined to give it a read.

9:10, Vintage Clock & Antique Book

053_stott — 20 x 20 / oil on canvas / 2008

I’ve been doing several small studies with these clocks over the past few months. This past week was spent working up, larger on this and another piece. A few years ago I contemplated a career in graphic design. I spent time admiring typefaces and layout. Hence, the obsession with the clocks. It’s the numbers that really do it for me. That and the golden edge of the book.