January 11
From the roof
What a way to bring in the new year. Last week, I woke up and pulled the curtain in my room—a daily ritual to admire the beautiful sunrise painted across the sky. Instead, I was met with the sight of smoke billowing over the mountains and spreading into the surrounding areas. As much as I don’t rely on television for news, I decided to turn it on for once. Long story short: Los Angeles was burning, with fires concentrated in select areas, particularly the Palisades and Eaton. Even as I write this, the fires are still ongoing. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected, whether directly or indirectly. I think of you as I go about my daily life.
On another note, taking English at the college I’m attending has helped me refine my writing skills and unlocked new ways to express the thoughts constantly swirling in my head. Shoutout to Professor Elahi and her amazing syllabus! That said, there’s homework due on Monday, which I plan to tackle tomorrow.
Reflecting on the past few days, I’ve begun to think more deeply about the direction of my artistic work. I’ve decided to focus on a specific area of painting: gradients. It’s a subject that fascinates me, though it feels like there’s still much to explore and understand. Give me some time, and I’ll have some analyses ready to share with you.
Recently I watched some art documentaries by the brilliant director Michael Blackwood. He’s captured the creative processes of some of my most celebrated painters: Philip Guston, Chuck Close, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, to name a few. I love how these artists describe their work, while Blackwood captures them in their rawest form. Many of their processes are things I already incorporate into my own work, but watching them approach art in their unique ways has given me new insights on how I can improve.
When people ask what I paint, my answer is always, “Whatever you see is what it is.” Behind that, though, is a rigorous process. I often sample and distort images, mirror them, or pick up on figures and gestures that seem to "speak" to me in the studio. My works tend to “live” for long periods, absorbing the environment and revealing their purpose over time. It’s like they understand their role in the world before I capture and contain them in the forms they’re meant to take.
I used to dismiss certain art styles—like works with a single stroke or monotonous surfaces—because they lacked a premise, even after reading the artist’s statement. But my perspective has changed for some artists. What I’m trying to say is this: Many of us know how to paint, but far fewer know how to curate. Without curation, works often remain stranded in a limbo of visual appeal. To me, the combination of curation and physical work is like a beautifully crafted menu, where each dish complements the next in terms of taste and presentation. A bad analogy, perhaps. Let’s try again: It’s like… never mind, you get the point.
Right now, I’m focused on curating my work better. I often have so much to say about certain aspects of my process, but I rarely take notes. Documenting the process is more than just taking photos—it’s about writing down the steps, describing what you’re feeling before and after, and capturing the essence of the work in words. This year, I plan to make the written part of my process a priority, and I’m already excited about it.
Be safe, Los Angeles.
December 24th
Yesterday
These past couple of days have been pretty interesting; the “Moodboard” definitely helped. Right now, I’m listening to Polonius - Disrobing the Invisibility Cloak (Soulburn, Pink Tentacloids for Hair), and I start wondering, why did I wake up today not in the Christmas spirit? How is it that every American is not seeing what’s going on in the world? They can through fake news, media, etc. Where does that leave an individual such as myself to feel even the slightest spirit?
Anyways, being that it is Christmas Eve, people who don’t have much are wishing this was over. Today is a rainy day, good enough to recover from a sore neck from the most adventurous dream ever. So much so that I forgot what it was, but I was left with a sore neck. In Greek, we call it: ψύξη (psiksi), which essentially means “cool.” However, when any sort of air hits your neck and head area when your body is warm, you wake up with a sore neck.
Enough about the neck. These commissioned canvases are sort of an Iliad for me in the sense that I’m revisiting my older techniques and also investigating my reference points.
The influences mostly come from things I see and happen to capture on my phone or snapshot in the dome.
Above are the first remains of phase one from the canvas approach. I intentionally left remnants of paint not for the photo but to create an emphasis on how texture and color play an important role in creation. You see, the blue on its own can be an art piece. I know some of you will say, “It’s just paint on pallet paper.” Well, yes, of course it is, but did you ever consider that just like in nature, articles such as these don’t need much to be complete? Blue sky, green grass, clear water, black sky—I can go on and on, but you get the idea.
I'm working on a sweet playlist to share the musical experience too. Honestly, putting it here in written form is fun because saying it gives me anxiety, whereas typing it here allows the anxiety to steam out of my fingertips and puts the ideas in a compartmentalized modality that's fit for any human being.
These images are just from my phone, nothing fancy, but I do want to scan them eventually to add to my digital archive. So with that said, Merry Christmas!
If I don't journal anything before New Year's, have a happy New Year too. Peace!
December 16th
IRL
December december december so many ups and downs but over all having health is the most important.
Moved to the United States again and I have to say, I still can not belive I’m here, reajusting after 6 years. Anyways finding jobs out here is definatly present but the situation I’m looking to position myself is somewhere or something thats in the Arts Dept, meaning anything that has to do with creating from the heart. That may sound like alot but when it really matters it makes a deeper impact on yah.
Moving on, Jobs were offered and jobs were turned dowm, nevertheless the persistance should always be there. Looking for a job is a simple act, starting off with what motivates you? Is it the money? Is it the labor? Once you locate that you are then in the front seat, determining your course. My course is painting.
Until recently I havent been driving in my course leaving me months without so. December now, the closing out year and I’m getting back into this.
I’ve been walking around Los Angeles and it amazes me on how being born here I never lived here. Such a big city, see, I grew up in Greece, techincally. The diversification of living in both continents gives me so much insight on how I approach my disipline. Moving right along painting right? Yeah…. (takes a deep breath) the long story short of most of what I live is described in my art. The blog provided now that I have available to me will sorta give u an in-depth look into what is it that I do when im not slaving away for the man.
So without further adieu: ENJOY.
For starters every painter needs inspiration, these days its called Moodboards, more specifically images that reflect a sort of aesthetic to build a foundation of the “Big Idea" anyways below is a moodboard that was created in December to build me up into this
“Big Idea”
