Chirp400 abqRNrs

This year I completed my 400th bird painting! Its found a home with Dathan (pictured) at the Weems Hazen Law Firm. I originally crafted the sketch for this as an option for that tech company who bought my Coyote RainArray piece in a previous blogpost. Since I spent all the time carefully planning the image and I was close to the 400 milestone I decided to honor Albuquerque, the birthplace of the series and city of curious mini dinosaurs. A relationship of roadrunners in diverse terrain, mountainous perch overlooking Albuquerque. Hazy rain sunset over the Sandias, Rio Grande holding the space.

Thanks for reading. Thanks to Dathan and the fam and Bridget for the continued support. Its been a dream. This series will continue inch by inch. Thanks for supporting it.

Disappearing Birds of North America

Dusky Flycatcher for https://www.disappearingbirds.org/
Acrylic on canvas 52x40”

From the site: Two thirds of all of the birds in North America are in danger of being lost forever due to the impacts of climate change.

I was invited to make this painting to raise funds for conservation. The organization will be making a book that will be for sale including the 389 aritist renderings of threatened birds.

I have the original for sale and prints are available as well.

Thank you-Trav

Work for Slate Contemporary

I had the honor of working for Slate Contemporary last year on behalf of their client, one who shall not be named but is in the top five Tech companies in the world... (I wish I could say!)

Here’s what I wrote regarding the impetus behind Coyote RainArray acrylic on canvas 8x12’ 2021

My wildlife work is about connecting with, observing, and "just being" nature. In this composition are references to the magic of high desert New Mexico: cacti, a coyote, an open expanse, illuminated mountains, yucca, sagebrush and massive rainclouds. The treatment of the subjects with their modular articulations is my way of humanizing the observation, to re-engineer the forms, to create a design structure and convey feeling. I chose the raincloud motif because rain is of such importance here. People pray for rain here, myself included and there isn't a better smell than when it finally happens. That’s elemental and powerful to me. The depicted rain represents a human aspiration and beauty here in New Mexico. Our expanding access to social media has also given each individual a “line” up into the cloud of collective information and connection with the world at-large. Each line is a symbolic connection to humanity that, in fact, permeates the very air of the whole world in every moment.

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll

HI! I wanted to pop in and say how grateful I am for this crazy year. It’s been a wild ride and I’m actually gladly playing Christmas music and shopping for presents. With the election over and the vaccine coming I feel like celebrating. I’m doing some gratifiying new work with my USER INTERFACES https://www.travisbruceblack.com/userinterfaces. I noticed when the kids were born, and my gallery in Santa Fe closed, that I was avoiding jumping back into a new gallery because the kids were gifting me with some new perspective. So I’ve spent a couple years experimenting and I find it’s a nice home for my creative time.

I am still also continuing my Chirp series and have added a new layer to the process that is absolutely juicing me. My wife is a hermit-artist and I gain all the benefits of seeing her work and talking with her about her process of collage. It’s inspired me to work with watercolor paper collage and try some approaches to expand the geometry of each of my pieces. https://www.travisbruceblack.com/chirp

Lastly, thanks for being a part of my work. Nothing happens in a vacuum and whether you have bought my work or not I’m affected by your support. I am offering a sale on all my Fine Art Prints and Cards for this season. At Checkout use EVERYTHING20 for 20%off your order.

Thanks again,

Trav and the fam

new figure new Chirper

I’m a 8mo. old dad and am enjoying myself with the challenges and triumphs of seeing little people grow up so quickly. There are a lot of things going on including some career shifts. Were doing fine with money surprisingly, I still don’t have a main gallery since Canyon Fine Art closed and am taking my time. Mainly, I feel some things happening after the “10 years of Chirps” show. My work is taking me in some directions where a lot is changing or I’m metabolizing some old lessons. Whatever it is I want to be careful about what new influences come in. So I’m cruising on a few commissions and print sales for now and I thank you all for the continued support.

The new big chirp380 (title pending) made a big impact. At this turn, I don’t feel the need to visually justify the different techniques and approaches to creating an image. In other words, I’m letting myself play and multiple ways of creating a recognizable branch, leaf or claw. Most art is creates a consistent and harmonious surface or idea and I think I’m letting go of that notion even more than before. I keep coming back to art as a present moment practice where I bring myself to the image and react to whats happening on the piece and within myself. Not to present a vision that already exists in my mind or a neat and tidy harmonious end product. It’s really freeing and fun.

Which brings me to my new figure piece HungryGhost (parachute)

This piece, I’ve been noodling on for since before the kids were born. The idea that sparked it was the idea of in certain games your perspective is 3rd person. As if we can actually see ourselves. In some ways we do, occasionally I remember a dream and I see myself next to my late Grandfather at his card table, and of course with self-consciousness we, in our minds see ourselves, albeit skewed to our personal sense of shortcomings.

I just read something about Gamers having more access to lucid dreaming because they take on a character in games and control them in this 3rd person way. Well I do game, and have the occasional experience in dreamland. With this piece, I automatically identify with the character in front more than the Titanic giant/demon/Kaiju in the foreground. I wonder if that is true for you?

Well again, Im just trying to “show up” and see what happens and this is the end result. From that point I’m problem solving visually and trying to react and play with what comes up as I stand in front of the work over many hours of change. I’m letting go of the pristineness of watercolor paper and on this piece I was moved to do some cutting and collage to cover or make changes. Watercolor has a large Traditionalist following which can be good and bad, I try to incorporate that Tradition and act with an open mind to the possibilities. Well, I just wanted to share a few thoughts about the pieces. thanks!

If you own one or more of my originals

If you own one of my originals, please send me a pic of yourself with your piece! Also If you live in town and own a Chirp Original and would like to lend me the work for a week or so let me know. The show of 10 years of Chirps will be at Sanitary Tortilla Factory from January 11-19 with an opening reception from 4-6 Saturday the 12th.

Also thank you for the years of support, this Chirp Series has a mind of its own and I’m proud to be the Keeper of it. Maybe someone will take it up once I’m done…Call me

We had twins

We had these 2 August and Zoryda (pronounced Zoe RYE Dah) September 6. It has been all and more of what people say about having children. We’ll now they are actually recognizing us and laughing and I don’t know how it could get better. Actually, maybe a few more hours of sleep would be nice. A couple nervous breakdowns later and LIFE is giving me some gold, so I hate to look that gift-horse in the mouth.

My main gallery closed this year and I’ve been out of work for a few months. I’m doing okay but am having a sale, just in time for the holidays to take care of your gifts and help stimulate the flow of money in my direction. Any 2 or more prints are 22% off with Free ground shipping in the US from now til the end of the year. Use coupon code TWINS.

New Card!

The new cards my assistant Anita made from the most recent hummingbird from my Chirp series, "LoOkR" arrived from A Good Sign today! Stop by the studio and pick one up or look for it soon along with my other cards at Betty's Bath and Day Spa, and at Durans Pharmacy

Chirp 370 "Ripple"

Finished this beauty recently. Working on "Ripple" allowed me to explore the vulnerability in creating moments from elements out of my control.