Sunflower Farm

Sunflower Farm, oil on Masonite, 24x12" (diptych), $300

Well I am working on another abstract. Though it is still in the works, I kinda enjoy letting you all see the intermittent stages of each piece. I hope to start posting videos soon and I think that will be even better. Like I mentioned earlier, these abstracts are out of my comfort zone so after a while I have to do something traditional, like this landscape taken from my last trip to Kentucky to visit my wife's family (with my wife of course). Her in-laws are growing sunflowers now for ethanol. Though I missed the peak of the flower blooms, I did manage to find a few. This was a fun "breather" for me amid the chaotic abstracts that are flying off the easel. - Jared

Deceived Detailed Breakdown

(For the story behind the painting, see below. Thanks for visiting my blog! - JK)

My Critique on Auburn University Montgomery

Deceived, oil on canvas, approx. 24x24", NFS

In May I will be hosting my senior show at AUM showcasing my work during my undergraduate studies. As all graduating Fine Art students, I want this gallery exhibition to be poignant and to encompass the essence of my greatest lessons learned during my four years at AUM. I have therefore given it much thought.

Deceived is a visual analysis of my experience within the AUM Fine Arts Department. I was given a full tuition scholarship my freshman year which remained with me throughout my sophomore year. However, when the Dean of the Liberal Arts position changed and scholarship renewals came around, my scholarship was reduced to half tuition even though I remained one of the top art students in the department (according to professors with 20+ years of AUM tenure) and held a 3.70 GPA. Of course I was baffled and inquired of the Liberal Arts Dean as to why the suspension of half my tuition scholarship. Reluctant to give me the time of day, he said that there were more promising students.

Later, when talking with a close professor and mentor who was part of the scholarship committee that had adversely affected my award, it was revealed to me that the sculpture professor, whom I had never met, felt that I should not receive the full tuition scholarship due to foundational courses which I had not yet taken. I had never been advised to take these courses during my first two years. This sculpture professor subsequently divulged to me the following year that she thought I had arrogantly neglected basic art courses in order to take advanced painting classes and confessed to me that she had no plans on treating me fairly in her class. This latter statement proved to be harshly true.

But that's it. I appealed to deaf ears and decided that AUM had turned a cold shoulder on one of their most promising fine arts students. This painting will be front and center at my Senior Art Show! JK