Blissful and Bewildered.

Life can be strange. Today, my husband Tom and I had our first wedding anniversary. Just a year ago we were celebrating our union with 150 friends and family members on the rooftop of Art Center's South Campus. Days later, Californians would vote yes on Proposition 8, leaving Tom and I in the bizarre position of being married but protesting for marriage equality.
Tom and I have been together for almost 14 years. We have always determined what our relationship means on our own terms. Suddenly, perfect strangers voted to express their disapproval. Now, on our anniversary, Maine is facing a similar vote. I have never expected strangers to appreciate the beauty of my relationship, but I never expected them to feel they had the right to legislate it into oblivion.
Bliss, wedded or not, is the best revenge.

...our wedding day as photographed by Nathan Smith

"Flicker" 2006, oil on canvas, 48"x40"

I'm not much of a joiner but.....

I can be a bit of an artistic loner, but the great painter Kent Williams asked me to participate in a group show he was curating at Merry Karnowsky Gallery in LA. The opening was crazy/crowded and looked great. Most of the artists work in a brooding figurative style, so I was a little bit of an oddball with my saturated color. It was a thrill to find that Peter Liashkov, an influential teacher of mine at Art Center was in the show. One of my favorite former students of from AC, Sara Escamilla showed some haunting and sensitive sculpture. It's fun playing in a different sandbox. Thanks Kent.

Pictured are;
"Bearded" 2009, oil on panel, 25"x23"
"2 Beards" 2009, oil on panel, 60'x48"

and the invitation featuring Kent Williams' work.

Merry Karnowsky Gallery
170 S. La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90036
www.mkgallery.com

Curating is fun!

Alix Sloan is a gallerista goddess. She has also been a peerless friend for eighteen years. So, when she asked me to curate a landscape show at her gallery, I said "yes please". Here are some photos of the installation, as well as shots of the opening. The cityscape is by Erik Benson. The nice looking folks posing together are three of the artists: Clare Grill, Ryan Mrozowski, and Jean-Pierre Roy.

"Relocation"
Sloan Fine Art
128 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.sloanfineart.com

October 14 - November 7

With works by Erik Bensen, Thomas C. Card, Clare Grill, David Jien, Ryan Mrozowski, Marion Peck and Jean-Pierre Roy.

"Chippy" 2008, oil on panel, 28'x28'

Hello world, this is Aaron....

What can I say? I have finally conquered the crippling perfectionism that prevented me from posting a blog. I have decided I can live with a sporadic, impulsive, and rambling blog. After all, it just might be more accurate than a slick one.

This is Aaron Smith. I am a painter living in Los Angeles. As part of my blogger's block recovery, I make no promises about any subsequent content. Here goes...