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
4
5
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.
6
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"
9
"TorsoStudy"
10
Summer2016
FA630:
ColorandDesign
JinnyTomozy
"PsychologyofColorandShape"
11"AnalogousPortrait"
12
Fall2016
FA600:FigureStudio
CathyLocke
"FemmeFatale"
13
"SittingMaleNude"
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Spring2017
FA606:
StillLifePainting
SuzanneD'Arcy
"TableCloth"
15
"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
23
"FallArrangementinRed"
MeyerGalleryTwoManShow
25
Iwillbeproducingaseriesofpaintingsdepictingthelandscapeandarchitecture
foundinruraleasternIdaho.Iwillbedepictingtheminarealiststyle,inoil,onpanel.This
workwillbefocusedonthetrees,mountains,andriversaswellthebarns,silos,and
shedsthatdotthecountryside.Withtheadvancementsintechnology,andastimes
change,theselandscapesandbuildingsareonthebrinkofdisappearing.Myworkwill
notonlyseektospreadanappreciationforthishiddenruggedbeauty,butitwillserveas
ameansofpreservingit.
ThesisAbstract
26
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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36
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
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