UnspokenNarrativesAnMFAThesisProposal

by:BrianAstle

1

AcademyofArtUniversity

GraduateSchoolofFineArtPainting

MidPointProposal

UnspokenNarratives

3

Autobiography5

Resume6-7

ClassPortfolio8-21

PersonalPortfolio22-23

ThesisAbstract25

ThesisProposal26-29

Influences30-35

ProfessionalGoals36-37

TImeline48-39

TableofContents

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Autobiography

IamanartistbasedoutofRexburgIdaho.I

wasborninSacramento,Californiain1988

andmovedtoRexburgIdahoin2012.There,I

earnedaB.F.A.inIllustrationfromBrigham

YoungUniversity-Idahoin2014.Upon

graduatingIhadaoneyearmentorshipwith

AlbinVeselka,attheendofwhichIbegan

showinginmyfirstgallery;AstoriaFineArtin

JacksonWyoming.SincethattimeIhave

goneontoshowmyworkinseveralmore

galleries,aswellasshowandwinawards

fromsuchnotableorganizationsincludingThe

SocietyofIllustrators,andTheOilPaintersof

America.Istilllive,andwork,inRexburg

IdahowhereIteachdrawingandpaintingat

BrighamYoungUniversity-Idahounderthe

mentorshipofLeonParson.IcametoAAUin

ordertoearnanMFAinpainting,inorderto

teachfulltime.

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RecentExhibitions:

June2017-TwoArtistShowatAstoriaFineArtinJacksonHoleWyoming

FortheshowIproducedatotalof15Pieces,whichincludedStilllifeandthefigureassubject

matter.

December2017-TwoArtistShowatMeyerGalleryinParkCityUtah

FortheshowIproducedatotalof17pieces,whichincludedstilllifeandthelandscapeas

subjectmatter.

EmploymentHistory:

January2014-Present-ProfessionalFineArtistandIllustrator

InadditiontoworkingforsuchcompaniesasEbay,andAuburnUniversity,asanillustrator,I

havebeenshowingmypaintingsinanumberofGalleriesincluding:AstoriaFineartinJackson

HoleWyoming,MeyerGalleryinParkCityUtah,andMontanaGalleryinBillingsMontana.

January2015-Present-DrawingandPaintingInstructoratBrighamYoungUniversity-Idaho

InmytimeworkingforBrighamYoungUniversityIdahoIhaveservedasbothanonline,andon

campusinstructor.Teachingclassesanywherefrom12-100studentsatatime,Ihavebecome

adeptatteachingbothintroductorydrawingaswellasoilpainting.

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January2015-Present-DrawingandPaintingInstructoratBrighamYoungUniversity-Idaho

InmytimeworkingforBrighamYoungUniversityIdahoIhaveservedasbothanonline,and

oncampusinstructor.Teachingclassesanywherefrom12-100studentsatatime,Ihave

becomeadeptatteachingbothintroductorydrawingaswellasoilpainting.

AwardsandRecognitions:

2011-2014-BrighamYoungUniversity

MeritawardsinbothpaintingandIllustrationintheannualstudentartshowheldatBYU-I

campusduringthewintersemester.

2014&2015-SocietyofIllustrators

Competingwithnearly3000othersstudents,myworkwasselectedasoneof70artiststo

showintheSociety'sannualScholasticShow

2016-OilPaintersofAmerica

Mypaintingwasselectedasthefirstplacewinner,intheAssociatememberdivision,ofthe

OPA'sspringonlineshowcase.Itwasselectedfromagroupofnearly300otherpaintings.

2017-OilPaintersofAmerica

MypaintingwasselectedasanHonorableMentionintheOPA'sSummerOnlineShowcase.

Heretooitwasselectedfromagroupofnearly300otherpaintings.

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Summer2014

FA626:Chiaroscuro

AngelaCunningham

"TeaTimeArrangement"

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"TorsoStudy"

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Summer2016

FA630:

ColorandDesign

JinnyTomozy

"PsychologyofColorandShape"

11"AnalogousPortrait"

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Fall2016

FA600:FigureStudio

CathyLocke

"FemmeFatale"

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"SittingMaleNude"

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Spring2017

FA606:

StillLifePainting

SuzanneD'Arcy

"TableCloth"

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"TriangularCompositionwithegg"

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Spring2017

FA602:

HeadDrawing

WarrenChang

"ThatLook"

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"MaleHeadStudy"

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Fall2017

FA604:

FigurativePainting

KristanLe

"SittingMaleNude"

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"FemaleNudeonRedCloth"

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Fall2017

FA605:

LandscapePainting

JohnPoon

"Menan"

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"EarlytoRise"

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PersonalPortfolio

Selectionsfrom

2017

"OntheWater"

MeyerGalleryTwoManShow

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"FallArrangementinRed"

MeyerGalleryTwoManShow

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Iwillbeproducingaseriesofpaintingsdepictingthelandscapeandarchitecture

foundinruraleasternIdaho.Iwillbedepictingtheminarealiststyle,inoil,onpanel.This

workwillbefocusedonthetrees,mountains,andriversaswellthebarns,silos,and

shedsthatdotthecountryside.Withtheadvancementsintechnology,andastimes

change,theselandscapesandbuildingsareonthebrinkofdisappearing.Myworkwill

notonlyseektospreadanappreciationforthishiddenruggedbeauty,butitwillserveas

ameansofpreservingit.

ThesisAbstract

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ThesisProposal

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FormythesisIwillbepaintingaseriesoflandscapesdepictingthecountryside,aswellas

theuniquearchitecturefoundinruraleasternIdaho.Iwillbedepictingtheminarealiststyle,in

oilpaint,onpanel.Inadditiontothetrees,mountains,andrivers,thisworkwillbefocusedonthe

barns,silos,andshedsthatdotthecountrysideofwhereIlive.HavingmovedtoIdahofor

schoolingin2012,Ibelievedtheareahadnothingtoofferintermsofaestheticbeauty.However

overtheyearsmyeyeshavecometounderstandthesubtlebeautyofeasternIdaho.In

particulartheoldfarmhouses,andbarnsthatlookliketheyarefromadifferenttime.

UnfortunatelyIhavefoundthatasfarmingmodernizes,andthecountrysidedevelops,these

buildingsandlandscapeswillshortlybeathingofthepast.Withwearandtearcomesrising

costsinordertoconservethesestructures,costswhichfarexceedthatofamodernbuildingthat

willrequirefarlessupkeep.Whatiskillingtheemonumentsofhistory,arealsothethingsthat

makethemworthpreserving.Thesebuildingsdevelopacertainaestheticbecauseoftheharsh

seasonstheyexperience.Muchlikeanantiqueteapot,orlikeanantiquepieceoffurniture,they

becomeobjectsofbeautythroughlayersofwearandtear.Iwantotherstoexperiencethis

beautyIseeonadailybasis.Thisprojectisnotonlyameanstoimpartthisbeautytoothers,but

ratherameanstopreserveit.Ibelievecombiningthesestructureswiththelandscapeinwhich

theyarefound,anddepictingthembothinwelldesignedlightandcolor,Iwillbeabletoachieve

paintingsthatwillhavealastingimpact.

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ThesisProposal(Continued)

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MyreasoningforthisparticularprojectisthatIhavebeenprofessionallypaintingthefigure,and

stilllife,foranumberofyears,andIfeelthatthisisagreatopportunitytoexpandmyportfolioto

includethelandscape;SomethingthatIhavecometolovesinceattendingAcademyofArt

University.HavingbeeninspiredbymyinstructorJohnPoon,andbythepaintingsofsuchgreat

artistsasT.A.Lawson,ClydeAspevig,andJoshClare,tonameafew,Iwanttoproduce

beautifullandscapepaintingsthathaveasimilaremotivequalitytotheirs.Thechallengeisnot

onlyinpaintingthesestructures,butinfindingthem.Manyoftheseoldbuildingsarefamily

ownedandoperated,andaccesstothemislimitedtosidestreetsandbackroads.Afterfinding

thesestructuresanumberofstepsarerequiredforeachpainting,including:onsitesketchesand

colorstudies,photoreferencegathering,valuethumbnails,colorcomps,andfinallythepainting

processitself.InordertodeveloptheseideasproperlyIfeelthesizeofthesupportcanrange,

butthetargetsizeshouldbearound18”x24”,orapproximately420-450squareinches.Iwantto

produce3piecespersemestermovingforward,inordertogivethemthetimeandthought

requiredtomakethemmuseumworthyworksofart.Inmydirectedstudy,andinadditiontothe

work,Iplantodomastercopiesofworksthatinspireme,beforepaintingmyownwork.Notonly

thisbutIfeelIneedtodoagreatdealofpleinairsketchesinordertofurtherdevelopmyskillsin

beingabletodepictthelandscape.Thiswillnotonlyraisethelevelofmypaintingseachtime,

butitwillalsofurthermyunderstandingoflandscapepaintingasawhole.

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SomeoftheinfluencesformyworkincludeJoshClare,andT.A.Lawson.

JoshClarehasbeenafriend,andamentortomeforafewyearsnow.His

workconstantlyservesasasourceofinspiration.Itrytoemulatehiminthe

wayheworksinsimplifyingthelandscape,anddesigningittohavesimple,

andoftendramatic,valuepatterns.Hisworkisoftensimpleinconcept,but

impactfulindelivery.

T.A.Lawson'sworkhasalwaysleftmeinawe.Whatinspiresmemost

abouthisworkishiscolorsense,andhisabilitytodevelopabeautifulsurface.

Heworkshispaintingsforalongtime,scumblingandstressingoverbuilding

upasenseofsubduedvarietyineveryaspectofthepainting.Hispaletteof

colorsareoftenmuted,butverynaturalistic.

Thesetwoartist's,amongmanyothers,willserveaspointsofreference

andlearningasIdevelopmythesis.Itisthroughemulatingaspectsoftheir

paintinginmyworkthatIhopetobuilduponwhattheyhavedone,and

continuethetraditionofrealistlandscapepainting.

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JoshClare

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T.A.Lawson

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ProfessionalGoals

-FulltimeteachingpositionatBrighamYoungUniversityIdaho,orothernotableUniversity

-Soldoutonemanshow

-BerepresentedbyGallery1261

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FromthebeginningofmyartcareerIthoughtthatbecominganartistmeantgettinginto

agallery,andgettingpaidforyourwork.Thatisthecaseformost.Howeveraftershowingin

galleries,andmakingalivingfromitforthepast5years,Ihavecometolearnthatthereal

art,forme,liesineducation.Ihavebeenteachingattheuniversitylevel,atBrighamYoung

UniversityIdaho,since2014.Nothingbringsmemorejoythathelpingothersachievetheir

artisticgoals.Hencemygoal,andmymission,istobecomethebesteducatorthatIcanbe.I

thinkthatnotonlywouldthisprojecthelpmeinthegalleryscene,butbecomingmoreversed

andcapableinallareaswillallowmetohelpmorestudents.Inadditiontobeingabletohelp

students,Ibelieveawellroundedportfoliowillhelpmetosecurethepositionwhenapplying.

OutsideofAcademia,andjustforthejoyofit,Iwouldlovetohaveaonemanshowthat

incorporatedthefigure,stilllife,andlandscape.AlsoIwouldlovetoselloutsaidshow!Lastly

Ilovetoworkandassociatemyselfwithtalentedpeople,hencewhyIwouldlovetobeapart

ofGallery1261inDenverColorado.

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Timeline

Summer2016

-FA626Chiaroscuro:AngelaCunningham

-FA630ColorandDesign:JinnyTomozy

Fall2016

-FA600FigureStudio:CathyLocke

-GLA602ArtandIdeologyofthe20thCentury:PaulDelevati

Spring2017

-FA602HeadDrawing:WarrenChang

-FA606StillLifePainting:SuzanneD'Arcy

-GLA611CulturalNarratives:KellyHolt

Fall2017

-FA604FigurativePainting:KristanLe

-FA605LandscapePainting:JohnPoon

-FA655MFAThesisPreparation:ZacharyZdrale

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Spring2018

-ILL610ClothedFigureDrawing:SandraSpeidel

-FA616PortraitPainting:WarrenChang

-FA644QuickStudies:MicheleGoodwin

Summer2018

-GLA677ProfessionalPracticesfortheTeachingArtist

-FADirectedStudy

Fall2018

-FA811ProcessandThesisDevelopment

-FADirectedStudy

-FADirectedStudy

Spring2019

-GLA674ProfessionalPracticesforFineArtists

-FADirectedStudy

-FADIrectedStudy

ProjectedGraduation:Spring2019