Only somebody as crazy as me puts themselves on a hot street in the middle of summer in the sunshine state and creates a live painting. A lot of work went into staging this event that had me front and center as the month's Featured Artist at Artwalk, headquarters on the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza. Before I started the live piece, I set up an exhibit featuring my latest space art works, originals and prints. Ken McMurray, Artwalk Director gave me a wonderful showcase, promotion and press. The crowds were awesome and for me it was a treat to feed off the live performance energy exchange. Retro Rockers The Righteous Kind were playing on the plaza and encouraged my artistic dance and kept me moving.
Artwalk Gainesville happens every month, last Friday, 7 - 10, and features all the galleries in the downtown historic district. The live painting I did is titled Sunset Launch and was created as a tribute and toast to the recent last launch and the end of the shuttle era. Many folks shared a lament of the end of the shuttle program and funding cuts at NASA. On a positive and optimistic note, I was able to share the good news about upcoming flights by commercial space programs Space X and Virgin Galactic, of which many knew little about.
It is intimidating for the artist in a live performance even in the most ideal of situations. There is always the fear that one may create a monstrosity right before every one's watching eyes. You must be totally confident in your muse and the result before you dive into the blank canvas. It is always best to be prepared but leave enough room for a change in direction or even a scrape off and restart. Between the extreme heat and the constant distraction from the crowd, I was able to paint something. The next day in the studio I went back to the painting and poured all the stored shared energy from the night before into it and the piece, I think, came good.
About Me
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- Tim Malles Art Studio
- Gainesville, Florida, United States
- Astronomy themes, landscapes and public art are some of the targets of my work. These are the best of times as we stand on the threshold of unprecedented discovery in space. As a space artist, I am grateful for and inspired by the amazing images of faraway places that the great telescopes of our generation have given us. As a plein air painter, I am inspired to quickly capture light, color and movement with the focus on our rapidly changing environment. As an artist within the live public art venue I am inspired by the opportunity for creativity, spontaneity and exchange.
