Concrete Block: an autobiography

I taught myself to paint while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa. Since my first painting was a portrait of a student (I was a science teacher,)  I was imprinted on portraiture. Throughout my art career, it's always been my first love. For a decade, I traveled the world and did character studies of indigenous people: 

Morning in Samoa   by Nolan Haan     24 x 36 inches   oil on canvas

When I returned to the United States, I became a wildlife artist and specialized in portraits of birds:

Nolan Haan     Peacock   oil on panel     40 x 60 inches

When I finally dedicated myself to contemporary art and began doing paintings of concrete block walls, it was inevitable that I would eventually paint portraits of cement blocks.

What?

When asked at cocktail parties what I do, my answer is "I paint portraits of concrete blocks." As you can imagine, this is usually met with a glassy stare and a hasty retreat. I draw strength knowing that Andy Warhol once had to say, "I do paintings of Campbell's  soup cans." And we all know how that turned out. On occasion, however, someone will ask the logical next question, "Why?"

It took me a long time to answer that question, to realize that these concrete blocks were actually portraits of myself. I never painted a traditional self-portrait, always reluctant to reveal so much about myself. Subconsciously, I was using concrete as a diary. One by one,  the cement blocks were documenting my emotions, my states of mind--my life. My concrete alter ego is less self-conscious, so honesty comes more easily. A life story told in the language of cement...

Close to Silence     acrylic on silk, mounted on hardboard    70 x 40 inches

This series showcases the sculptural integrity of individual blocks, often rendered larger-than-life. The process begins with two questions: "What do I wish to convey about myself?" followed by, "How can concrete block convey this emotion?"

Since they look so 3-D, most viewers go first to the technical aspect of the work. My hope is that the content will also be explored. I want viewers to see something of themselves reflected back.

Nolan Haan in his studio, holding Close to Silence

When asked for a picture of myself in my studio for a forthcoming book, TENWORDSANDONESHOT, this was my submission. (The painting is ready to be mounted on a piece of hardboard cut to the exact shape of the block.) It was a relief to have the concrete block speak on my behalf.

Thank you for taking the time to read by blog. Please bookmark this page so you can find me again. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to post here or email me at nolanhaan@att.net. Also, my website is awaiting your visit at www.AddictedToWalls.com. Take care, and have a productive week.

Nolan Haan: "Naked"

I won't ask for a show of hands, but I'm sure many of you have asked yourselves, "What does a concrete block look like completely nude?" My latest painting, "Naked," resolves that burning question. Enjoy.

Unadorned. Unapologetic. Fully exposed with all its faults, yet proudly displaying its sculptural beauty. No smooth skim coat. No fancy stucco finish.  Its beauty lies in its imperfections--a lesson, perhaps.

The painting is quite large, 72 x 36 inches, and is painted in acrylic on silk, then mounted on hardboard cut to the shape of the concrete block. It's a trompe l'oeil (fool-the-eye) painting, completely flat. The center holes are cut out, so you see the venue wall through them. The artwork is mounted two inches from the wall, casting beautiful shadows.

My cement block grew from humble beginnings:

As usual, the first step is to block in the shapes, using gesso of various shades. No detail at this stage, only basic shadows and solid planes of color. The hardboard upon which the painting will be affixed is cut later using a common jigsaw. For now, I must paint the image slightly larger, allowing for the wrapping around the edges of the hardboard. 

 

I am adding the final details and getting excited about the grand unveiling (my current and former tenants can attest to how exciting that is!) My studio is a 400 sq. foot room in my historic apartment building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Each month I hang my most recent painting in the public hallway, under perfect lighting of course! If you're ever in South Florida, please stop by.

UPDATE: "Naked" had its world unveiling at the Boca Raton Museum of Art's "All Florida" exhibition, curated by Valerie Leeds (Flint Institute of Art.) Please see the following post with pictures from the event.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my art blog. Please bookmark this page so you can read the new entry each Sunday. If you have any questions, please ask, and don't forget to check out my website: AddictedToWalls.com. Take care and have a good week.

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Secrets Revealed: How to paint like me

Often I have been asked how artists get their ideas and inspirations. Most artists would agree that a concept can come from almost anywhere: a comment overheard on the subway, a line of text in a blog, a picture or painting one sees by chance. The photo of the painting "Raft of the Medusa" by Gericault was given to me by an artist friend, Dee Connors. I was overwhelmed by the image, and knew instantly I wanted to do a painting based on it. My blog today will show you the various stages the painting went through.

Gericault    Raft of the Medusa

If you look closely at Gericault's painting, you can see the face I chose to paint in the lower middle/left. I enlarged it as much as I could in Photoshop, but the working photo was quite pixilated, so I probably didn't get too close to the original. This is fine, because I wanted to make it my own anyway.

The first step is to block in the figure and shape of the concrete blocks, using thin acrylic paint in a watercolor consistency. All the major decisions as to placement are made in this stage. It is important for the mortar lines not to interfere with an important features of the man's face. Using light umber and yellow ocher, I indicate the highlights and shadows. I am not concerned with details yet. The painting is 40 x 40 inches and is painted on silk charmeuse.

Confident that everything is where it's supposed to be, I begin to refine the details with thin layers of paint. I am now sculpting the lips, nose, chin, eyes, and of course the cement block. Both the skin texture and cement texture must be done concurrently. There is always a push and pull to keep the balance equal.

 I begin to introduce colors like burnt sienna, which will glow through the subsequent layers of paint. I delineated the eyes for proper shape and placement. To add interest in the concrete block texture, I introduce a bit of stucco in the lower portion of the painting. I have to commit to this from the first layer, or it'll give me problems later.

 By now I'm feeling good about the piece.  All the problems have been worked out (one trick is to look at the painting in a mirror. The reversed image shows any flaw in the design.) Each layer of paint adds richness, and as the shadows deepen (to both the figure and the concrete block), the textures become accentuated and the drama reveals itself. The drudgery is over and the fun begins.

Voila! The grand unveiling. And then the doubts begin. Did I go too far? (One of the hardest aspects of painting is knowing when to stop!) Did I lose too much of the concrete block? Did it get too dark? There is always a moment when the painting looks good, but you think that with one more push, it can be great. "Do I risk everything and take it one more step?" Every artist has to struggle with that question. Sometimes you lose a piece because it went too far. But it is very important to be willing to take that risk.

Well, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. If you have any questions, please ask. I'll try to post something new each Sunday, so please come back to visit. Hope you have a productive week.

To see more paintings of concrete block walls, please visit my website: www.AddictedToWalls.com