The Getty Center, Los Angeles

Upon arrival to the Getty's parking stucture, you board a tram that travels up a steep hillside to reach the the Getty Center atop the summit of a ridge. According to Getty literature, this tram ride is designed to give visitors the feeling of “being elevated out of their day-to-day experience.” When you exit the tram, you really feel like you have been transported beyond the mundane.

The grounds and gardens compete in beauty with the collections. To be fair, I only had time really to view a small number of works in the museums, because there was much to see outdoors as well. All white marble and natural stone, rising above the surrounding hillsides, the complex gives you the sensation of floating. The buildings have a modern aesthetic, but they also feel very old at the same time, almost ancient, as if the structures could also be centuries-old ruins.

It was a typically sunny day in Los Angeles, and very hot. The bright blue skies contrasted with the pale stone of the complex. On clear days the views are astounding, and stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, with downtown in the other direction.
We are in the middle of fire season, and right now the hills in the Angeles National Forest, from Acton to Altadena, are on fire. The mushroom cloud of smoke rises above Los Angeles.
We took a one-hour guided tour inside the museum, and we looked carefully at four different works, within the theme of classical art. The pieces we viewed included Joseph Nollekens' "Three Goddesses", and our tour guide's knowledge of classical history and the background of the works was both engaging and enlightening. She brought the narrative and the sculptures framed by it to life.

The Getty remains free for visitors, but there is a $15 fee per carload. The grounds house four main pavilions that contain the museum's collections, several gardens and sculpture gardens, as well as the Getty Research Institute and the Conservation Institute/Foundation. There is so much to see and do while there; multiple visits are required. I am looking forward to going back.

Completed Painting: "Maria's House"

About My Process

My painting process changes from time to time, and sometimes within the same body of work. This painting was a commission, so the process began by having a conversation with the client and viewing the photograph that the client wanted translated into a painting. After we had come to an understanding about what was wanted, I produced a preparatory drawing, which can be seen in the lower left corner of this photograph. This drawing was a very simple pencil drawing, really more of just a line drawing, so I could become familiar with the shapes in the painting.

The next step was to prepare the canvas with several coats of gesso. Once the gesso was cured, I began to transfer the drawing onto the canvas using vine charcoal, which can be easily wiped away with a rag when a mistake is made. Once the drawing was transferred onto the canvas, I sprayed the canvas with a matte varnish to protect the drawing.

I then mixed translucent pink oil paint with Galkyd, which is a fast-drying medium that strengthens the paint film. I then painted the entire canvas pink. It was important that the paint was thin enough that I could see my drawing through the pink paint, as this paint layer acted as added protection for my drawing, while getting rid of the white of the canvas. This is helpful because this underpainting can be left showing through in some parts, bringing color harmony to the piece.

Working from the reference photograph, which can be seen tacked on my easel above the painting, I mixed my oil colors, mixing them with a medium of Galkyd and a little linseed oil, ensuring that the top layer of paint would not dry as quickly as the bottom layer, which is important to avoid cracking. I then began to paint. I normally cover the whole canvas with paint right away, and work on the canvas from there, because it is important to establish color relationships early on. With this painting, I approached it slightly differently, working on one area at a time, within the geometric framework of the drawing, realizing that I may need to change colors when the entire canvas was filled in.

When working from photographs, I think it is important to use them rather loosely – more of a jumping off point rather than trying to create a direct copy. Not only is the painting more interesting in my opinion, but it is much more fun to paint.

The painting has been completed, and I am waiting for the paint to dry so I can take a photograph of the work. I will post the photograph of the completed painting as soon as I can.

Mulholland Drive

I felt the need to escape my apartment last night because I had been inside painting all day, so I decided to go for a drive on Mulholland Drive, made famous by the Hollywood elite, and in popular culture by the David Lynch movie of the same name. Mulholland Drive basically follows the ridgeline of the Hollywood Hills, and offers great views of both the Valley on one side, and the Los Angeles basin on the other. It is also surprisingly accessible - I discovered that there is a charming dog park off Mulholland, and many vista points where you can pull over and take in the views. Watching the sun set over the Valley was absolutely stunning.

Natural Beauty

Immediately ostentatious and fabulous, Los Angeles is a place of contrasts. From the gloss of West Hollywood to the urban grit of Silverlake, from the faded glamour of Hollywood to the vast suburban sprawl of the Valley, Los Angeles has much to offer. Los Angeles is not one city: really, it’s more like a collection of eighty small cities or neighborhoods, each with its own distinct feel. Early on, I met a friend while at a club, and at one point he said, "If you are bored in LA, then you really are a boring person because you can do whatever you want here." I think he is right. Do you want to get caught up in the celebrity lifestyle? You can do that here. Would you like to study spirituality? You can do that here. Every world religion and culture is represented. What about free yoga? That is offered three times a day in nearby Runyon Canyon.

Los Angelenos are more health-conscious than most. I don’t know where to get ice cream in LA, but within a few blocks of my house there are three yogurt shops, several juice bars, many private and public gyms, an organic burger shop, as well as several tanning salons. Everyone works out, and in a way it makes sense – there is no getting ready for summer here, because it is always summer. The weather really is as good as they say it is – in the month that I have lived in LA, it has been sunny with clear blue skies every single day.

Los Angeles is classified as subtropical desert, but when in the city, you don't feel like you are in a desert. In fact, many parts of LA feel more like an airbrushed Eden. Beverly Hills has tree-lined streets and large expanses of grassy lawn. West Hollywood has clean streets and planted palms, and in the Valley, you are sure to find on nearly every corner a nice midcentury house with a lawn. It is only when you get outside of the city, or go for a hike in one of the many canyons, that you realize: this is a city that should not have any water. Water is a major issue here, and we are actually in the middle of a drought – but you would never know it. Los Angeles is a place of illusions, where appearances are more important than realities.

When I first visited LA, a short weekend trip to look for an apartment, I was struck by this apparent disconnect with the natural environment. Even palm trees, an iconic symbol of LA, are not actually native to the city. They have been planted, and the native environment has been changed so much that little of it remains in the city. I found myself questioning what is natural. If an environment has been changed for so long, does the new environment become “natural”? And also – what is beauty?

There is much beauty here. A short hike in Hollywood’s Runyon Canyon reveals planted palms, native vegetation and sweeping views of Los Angeles. The ocean is truly beautiful, with rocky cliffs and palm trees and expansive silky beaches. The puffy pink clouds of the sunsets against palm trees are breathtaking.

All of these elements are informing and inspiring my new body of work, titled “Natural Beauty.”

Louise Bourgeois in Boston

Louise Bourgeois is one of America's most celebrated living artists. She is currently 95 years of age and is still extremely prolific, a feat which is incredible in itself. I recently had the opportunity to view her works on display at the Bourgeois in Boston exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art, and two pieces in particular made a lasting impression on me.

The most arresting piece of the exhibit is the aptly titled Spider dating from 1996. This enormous bronze sculpture fills an entire room at the ICA. Upon entering the room, my first impression was repulsion: a giant spider looming more than ten feet above my head, with spindly misshaped bronze legs. As I walked into the room and though the sculpture, I arrived directly underneath the strange body and different emotions began to stir. The legs of the spider began to resonate with a hand and I felt comforted, as if I were in a cocoon or a womb. Bourgeois has made a series of these spider sculptures, and some are titled Maman, the French word for mother, and this seems appropriate.

One other piece stayed with me, long after I had left the museum. The sculpture looks like a bowl, or an egg that had been split in half. One half of the egg shape remains intact, while the other half erupts into a series of rounded, finger-like protrusions. The sculpture has an intriguing
sensual and tactile quality, and had it not been protected, I have no doubt I would have touched it. The title is Germinal, which seems appropriate, given the growth-like quality of the protrusions. The small sculpture references sex, itself a process of growth. The piece is dated 1967-92.

The other pieces in the exhibit were also powerful, but these two stood out the most. Bourgeois in Boston is on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art until March 2, 2008. For more information about the exhibit, please visit www.icaboston.org.

Costa Rica paintings / Poems by Gwen Bindas

While I was in Costa Rica, friend and fellow artist Gwen Bindas began to write poems in response to the paintings and narratives I posted on this blog. This was quite an honor, and her poems are beautiful. Please visit www.bradleyhankey.com and see the folder of paintings titled "Costa Rica 2007" to read Gwen's poems, which immediately follow my narratives about the painting experience. By the time the project was completed, Gwen wrote a poem in for every work I painted in Costa Rica, and her poems are works of art in their own right.

*Update* please note that the folder "Costa Rica 2007" has been moved to the "Archives" section of my website.