collection: commandax

[commandax]

Here are some selections from my collection. It's a little different from some of the others, because I haven't been collecting any of the "rising stars." I just buy what I love. Also, I'm a natural contrarian, so if an artist is terribly popular, my inclination is to avoid them. (Call me pigheaded... or maybe just stingy?)

All of these are originals.

(This first post will be edited as my collection changes.)

Andrew Hem "Beginning of an Era"


Andrew Hem "Oner"


Andrew Hem (Hommage to Chuck Close)


Andrew Hem "This Woman's Work"


Andrew Hem "Enemy Territory"


Andrew Hem "Best Find a Way"


Andrew Hem "Get Right Back Up"


Andrew Hem "In the Rouens"


Andrew Hem "Shinoe"


Andrew Hem "The Full Moon"


Chris Berens "First Snow (Guide Me Home)"


Chris Berens "Just (Surrender, Submerge and Keep Breathing)"


Chris Berens Mapping Infinity Special Edition drawing


Thomas Doyle "Acceptable Losses"


Tessar Lo "Blue Reasons"


Tessar Lo "Ambition 2"


Tessar Lo "We're Going Out, Are You Coming?"


Tessar Lo "Up" and "Down"


Tessar Lo "Manifest" and "Winter"


Edwin Ushiro "He Still Breathes Through Everything I See"


Edwin Ushiro – Study for "He Still Breathes Through Everything I See"


Rob Sato "Giant Down"


Rob Sato "Metal After Math"


David Jien "Cloer"


Kelly Vivanco "Predawn"


Kelly Vivanco "Crossing View"


Kelly Vivanco "Tune"


Kelly Vivanco "Curious Bouquet"


Kelly Vivanco "Resting"


Kelly Vivanco "Sky"


Kelly Vivanco "New Growth"


Kelly Vivanco "Constellation"


Kelly Vivanco "Her Favorite Red"


Kelly Vivanco "No Bother"


Kelly Vivanco "Water Shoots"


Kelly Vivanco "Undercurrent"


Dennis Hayes IV "Radial Spectrum of Influences"


João Ruas "Dawn III"


João Ruas "Haunted #16"


Scott Belcastro "As Blue as my Soul Will Go"


Kikyz 1313 "Ethereal Graze"


Allison Sommers "Temple Monkeys"


Allison Sommers "In Ictu Oculi"


Allison Sommers "Finders, Keepers"


Tran Nguyen "Our Flutter-some Ordeal"


Kevin Titzer "Diver Fish"


Mike Brown "Octopusspuss"


Nimit Malavia "Touch the Poison of Illusion"


Nimit Malavia "A Look Inside"


Sarah Joncas "Fragile Hearts"


Nicole Wong "The City"
(Nicole Wong is a children's book illustrator. I acquired this — her first oil painting — for $60 on eBay, and it kicked my addiction into high gear.)



I could go on and on, but I guess you get the idea.
For profiles and interviews with most of these artists, check out my blog, Erratic Phenomena.

[ck]

i guess you're the guy who buys all of kelly vivanco's paintings. nice collection! i especially like the last mermaid piece.

[rhinomilk]

nice... i've never heard of Kelly Vivanco. "Constellation" and "New Growth" are my favorites. like your blog too

[sleepboy]

Very nice.... Love to see eveyrone's collections here. Buying what you love is a good way to go about it (at least the ones you mean to keep). Love your blog as well, very nice writeups. Added it to my google reader.

[commandax]

Thanks for the nice compliments. I don't buy all of Kelly's paintings... alas, there have been a few I desperately wanted that someone else got.

Check out her stuff, she's really talented and also a terrific person.
www.kellyvivanco.com/

[mute]

Nice Joncas, I always liked that one. I think this board already has the top Hultberg, Sol, and Olivas collectors, I guess now it also has the top Vivanco. New to her work but I already see a few I really like, "No Bother" and "Constellation". My favorites might have to be your McKinley's, both are superb, I saw those when you posted them on Kidrobot.

[thinkspace]

Don't sleep on Vivanco... we've got her in our four person show this May - "Uncommon Gardens"... she's curating a show this winter at Distinction down in San Diego area, has a solo with them next year as well, then has a solo in our project room next year and only a matter of time before more come on board. She consistently sells all the pieces she produces. Just a great use of color, her emotion is just so telling and she's one of the nicest folks we deal with to boot. She'll be up for the "Uncommon..." opening in May, be sure to say hey, she's awesome.

[commandax]

I just added my latest acquisition, Scott Belcastro's "As Blue as my Soul Will Go," to the top post. Scott just finished it a few days ago, and I was really lucky to get it. I am completely overcome with its eerie magnificence. The colors are so gorgeous and unusual, and I understand they're even better in real life. (I haven't seen it in the flesh yet.) The environment feels like waking from a dream set in a strange place and not quite knowing where you are – strangely familiar yet otherworldly. The black stag pausing to scent the frosty air beneath the blaze of the aurora borealis must be a dark forest god passing in the night. Truly awe-inspiring.

projectgalleryla.blogspot.com/2008/04/scott-belcastro-joins-in-fun.html

[sybilm]

great pieces...Its so nice to see a mix of artists in diff collections..love ur vivancos

[svenman]

great looking collection.
the belcastro piece is stunning. great expression of light and texture in the piece.
the pieces by nicole wong are great too. reminds me of someone that i can't quite put my finger on at the moment...

[commandax]

Thanks svenman and sybilm! I just picked up "As Blue as my Soul Will Go" at project: last night and the colors are indeed much more intense than the earlier photos showed. I took a couple of photos of it in natural light, which you can see below.

This is a big leap forward for Scott. He told me he's been frustrated creatively for several months, and this piece was a breakthrough for him. Apparently we'll be seeing more work in this vein coming soon. I can't wait!

You can follow what he's up to here, if you're interested:
scottbelcastro.blogspot.com/

Scott Belcastro "As Blue as my Soul Will Go"

[LeBasse Projects]

nice meeting you saturday! glad you had a chance to meet scott too...

[lordlupus]

Nice collection, mate. Especially the Scott Belcastro piece. Hope to see more pieces from him, especially from his "houses" series.

[benvan]

Looking through Kelly Vivanco's website, you picked out all my favorite pieces (New Growth, Dusk Watchers, Sky, Constellation). I really like when she gets darker with her subject.

I am really intrigued by Dylan Sisson as well, I saw some of his pieces at Varnish in San Francisco, and they really have some tension to them that makes you a bit uncomfortable, but it still draws you. I hope he continues to paint more, it doesn't seem like he has done a lot yet.

The Belcastro peice looks nice on screen, but it really looks like the type of painting you need to see in person to really appreciate it.

Great collection, keep getting what you love.

[highbrow]

Great stuff, really great to see such a strong mix of things in the entire collection post section.

[masao626]

As has been said, i adore the Belcastro piece - i'd love to see a shot of it up on your wall for context!

and the vivanco pieces are delightful! i LOVE new growth!! thank you so much for sharing!

[commandax]

As has been said, i adore the Belcastro piece - i'd love to see a shot of it up on your wall for context!

and the vivanco pieces are delightful! i LOVE new growth!! thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks, masao! It's great to get feedback on my collection, I'm kind of operating in a vacuum here.

I am out of town this week but will post a picture of the Belcastro up on the wall when I get back home.

[commandax]

Looking through Kelly Vivanco's website, you picked out all my favorite pieces (New Growth, Dusk Watchers, Sky, Constellation). I really like when she gets darker with her subject.

I am really intrigued by Dylan Sisson as well, I saw some of his pieces at Varnish in San Francisco, and they really have some tension to them that makes you a bit uncomfortable, but it still draws you. I hope he continues to paint more, it doesn't seem like he has done a lot yet.

The Belcastro peice looks nice on screen, but it really looks like the type of painting you need to see in person to really appreciate it.

Great collection, keep getting what you love.

Thanks, benvan! No one seems to know about Dylan, but I think his aesthetic is really unique and interesting. You're right, he doesn't have a huge volume of work, but he seems to have an artistic soul. I think he will keep with it at a quiet pace. I would like to see him take his creatures out of the studio and into the world a little more in future.

Kelly's darker pieces are very intriguing. She has a real talent for describing emotion and evoking speculations about narrative, not to mention her very impressive technical skills.

[benvan]

BTW, at the current Varnish show in SF, Sisson has a piece that is much larger than his usual size, it is really striking large. with the bright colors it could really hold a room. It's about 3'X4'. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

[commandax]

BTW, at the current Varnish show in SF, Sisson has a piece that is much larger than his usual size, it is really striking large. with the bright colors it could really hold a room. It's about 3'X4'. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

I would love to! But Varnish doesn't seem to have any of the art from that show posted on their site.

Since Dylan hasn't posted it on his webpage or deviantART page, I had assumed that the piece at Varnish was one of his older pieces. Thanks for letting me know about it.

[benvan]

They just put the show's work online, the Sisson is here:

www.varnishfineart.com/artist/detail.php?c=2338

It's similar if not the same to a smaller one of his, and although 2'X3' doesn't seem big, the painting glows

[svenman]

thanks for the link.
the jordin isip piece is cool.

[mute]

Since you're such a big Vivanco fan I'm wondering if you might be picking up a piece from her Thinkspace show on 5/9/08. Here is some of the preview pics

Looks like some real nice pieces.

[commandax]

Yes, I have my eye on at least one. ;D

[irsk]

your newest painting is a print now

www.apapertiger.com/scbeasblasmy.html