News

New Drawings.

2012-01-04T14:04:00.000-06:00

Two new drawings, working out some compositions and ideas for bigger drawings and paintings...

constructions, graphite, graphite powder and conte on paper, 2012

beginnings, graphite, graphite powder and conte on paper, 2012

Towards Abstraction, Evanston Art Center class.

2011-12-15T23:51:00.001-06:00

I just finished teaching a painting class titled "Towards Abstraction"
at the Evanston Art Center. The class was a combination of technique
demos, individual instruction and directing people to move their work
away from direct interpretation...towards abstraction or at least a more
layered surface. I'm teaching the class again starting Jan. 10th. You can
find the listing here- Evanston Art Center.

Here are a few examples of my fabulous student's work:

explosions in the sky (working title)

2011-12-09T10:01:00.001-06:00

I realized I hadn't posted an in progress photo in a while so this is what is
going on in the studio. I have been working and re-working this piece over
time, finally starting to come together now...

5" x 5", oil on linen over panel, 2011

nebula exhibtion

2011-11-30T13:38:00.001-06:00

nebula exhibition

A selected group of paintings from my dark energy, dark matter
series will be on view in Evanston until Feb. 18th. The reception
is this Sunday, December 4th (3pm-6pm) at the exhibition space
located at 800 Elgin Road, Evanston, IL, 60201. This show was
organized by the director of the Evanston Art Center; Norah Diedrich.

2011-11-14T20:51:00.001-06:00

Visiting Artist at the University of Akron

Tomorrow I'm traveling to the Cleveland area to give a
gallery talk and do student critiques at the University of
Akron. Should be a fun, whirlwind trip. I'm also fortunate
to see the exhibit which I am participating in there- Within
the Landscape/the Landscape Within, curated by University
of Akron art professor, Charles Beneke.

2011-11-02T22:52:00.002-05:00

Within the Landscape/the Landscape Within

Emily Davis Gallery

University of Akron

Mary Schiller Myers School of Art

150 East Exchange Street

Akron, Ohio 44325-7801

phone: 330-972-6030

October 31st - December 3rd, 2011
Exhibition opening is Thursday, November 10, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Installation Images:

http://gallery.me.com/ccbeneke#100207

Digital, Interactive Catalog:

http://web.me.com/ccbeneke/WtLCat/index.html

2011-09-26T09:41:00.001-05:00

Hand Space/Mind Space @ IU-NW

This group exhibitions opens October 3rd and runs until November
5th. I have a 5 foot by 15 foot triptych in the show and the other
participants are close friends from our Chicago neighborhood,
Rogers Park. Should be a fantastic display of work.

Gallery info link.

2011-09-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

Drawing Exhibition in Sienna, Italy

My friend Steve Carrelli and I have two drawings in

an Exhibition in Sienna, Italy. The show is titled Drawn

Together and features postcard sized drawings from all

over. If you're in Sienna, stop by and check it out for us.

2011-09-15T08:39:00.001-05:00

Towards Abstraction

I will be teaching a painting class at the Evanston Art Center this fall
titled "Towards Abstraction". There are still some spots available if
anyone is interested (Thursday evenings, starting 9-22 ).

It will be fun and educational!

www.evanstonartcenter.org

2011-08-22T16:20:00.001-05:00

dark energy, dark matter
Solo Exhibition in Indianapolis

Recently, I've had the pleasure of working with Casey Roberts
of Mt. Comfort (a space for champions) in Indianapolis. They
are exhibiting my work from Sept. 2nd - Sept. 26th. The address
is 1043 Virginia Ave., Ste. 217, Indianapolis, IN, 46203.

The opening reception will be Friday, Sept. 2nd from 6-11pm and
I will be in attendance. Should be a good time so stop on bye.

2011-08-16T11:58:00.001-05:00

Website has been updated and redesigned. Please explore the new portfolios!

Sean Steinhoff handled the redesign, transition and overhaul with loads of skill.
Check out his site too: www.SeanSteinhoff.com

More updates for fall exhibitions coming soon!

Best, Adam Benjamin Fung

www.adamfung.com

2011-06-17T14:54:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to announce that I will be teaching a Figure Drawing and Painting
class this summer at the Evanston Art Center.

Schedule:
Friday 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Ten week class beginning June 17

This multi-level course centers on drawing and painting while working from the nude model. Students will concentrate on mastering the technical skills of traditional and non-traditional figure drawing and painting.

2011-02-02T14:56:00.005-06:00

THREE FEBRUARY Exhibitions!

Solo @ Judson University, Elgin, IL

Dark Matter, Dark Energy

Feb. 4th-March 18th, 2011

...eighteen very new paintings (all completed in 2011).

-------

Group Exhibition@ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, IL

Repertoire
group exhibition featuring gallery selected abstraction works

February 18th - April 30th, 2011

Opening: February 18th, 5:00 - 8:00pm

featuring works by:
Marie Krane Bergman/Cream Co., Samantha Bittman,
Fred Camper, Brendan Clenaghen, Dzine, Anoka Faruqee,
Jan Pieter Fokkens, Adam Fung, Josh Garber, Cheonae Kim,
Jin Soo Kim, Margie Livingston, David Lozano, Jim Lutes,
Sara Mast, Amy Mayfield, Elizabeth Newman, Ernesto Neto, Richard Notkin, Roxy Paine, Madeleine Reyna, Rocio Rodriguez, Buzz Spector, Al Souza, Heidi Van Wieren, and Glenn Wexler

Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
325 West Huron - Chicago, IL 60654 | tel. 312.944.1990 | fax. 312.944.8967 | zollalieberman@sbcglobal.net

------

Group Exhibition @ Blink Contemporary, Michigan City, IN

Earth, Air , Wind and Fire

Opening: Feb. 18th, 5-8pm

Joel De Grand, Adam Fung, Jon Hook, Valerie Taglieri

BLINK Contemporary Art
1709 Franklin St.
Michigan City, IN 46360
(773) 206-0426

2010-11-28T20:31:00.003-06:00

Fall 2010 News update.

I will be teaching Drawing 1 at North Park University here in Chicago, IL
starting in January. It will be fun to get back into the studio and energize
some people.

Also I have a couple of exhibition updates, a solo show at Judson University
just outside Chicago and I'll be in a group show in Michigan City, Indiana.
I'll post more info regarding these exhibitions soon. Both will open in the first
couple weeks of February.

Winter is coming here in Chicago, time to get cozy up in the studio!

2010-06-02T02:14:00.005-05:00

In Vienna.

I am in Vienna from May 31 to June 10th, working on a collaborative

projekt with the German born, Austrian based artist Sonja Bendel. Our mail art projekt has been mostly drawing based but this exhibition is going to be a little different.

We have a show in a experimental space or "off-space" as they are

know as in Europe. I will be posting photos of the installation when

it is complete so check back in a week or so.

In the meantime you can check out our blog www.wearetanken.blogspot.com.

2010-04-26T23:11:00.007-05:00

Art Chicago 2010 and Adam Benjamin Fung website updates.

The painting below is going to be in Art Chicago 2010, at the Zolla/Lieberman Gallery booth so make sure you swing by if you are at the fair.

Also, I'll be updating the website with new imagery and portfolios soon, check back soon!

The great ship, Distress. 2010, oil on panel, 24" x 24"

2009-11-05T09:51:00.008-06:00

"Howl, Spirit Wolf, Howl."

2009, 5" x 5.75", Oil on illustration board.

your hot breath meets
frigid midnight air
as you declare
a creed of cunning.

you will cause shivers
in spines, unseen or seen
lurking in shadows
or was that a ghost?

they hear you now
and you are real,
howl, spirit wolf,
howl.

-abf

2009-10-29T08:53:00.010-05:00

this infinity project is taking a long time.

here are a couple of the latest pieces in progress...

2009-08-06T08:26:00.002-05:00

Contemporary American and Italian Artists on Paper.

I'm going to have this piece in a group show that will travel to Milan and Rome in 2010.

The truth of the matter (I & II). 2009. 14" x 18". Watercolor, acrylic, luminous paint on Paper.

2009-08-06T07:37:00.005-05:00

infinite?

maybe. these are new works for a series I am tentatively labeling "infinity". it's broad in scope, as you might imagine, ranging from rainbows to stars, skulls to volcanoes, color wheel vanishing points to grids. in scale, the paintings will range from 42" x 66" to 2" x 4". I working towards finishing this new series by the end of fall. Should be about 25 paintings in all.

2009-05-05T15:47:00.007-05:00

The dust is settling.

How I Felt After You.

Almost finished with this new large scale painting...45" x 65", oil on linen.
Few more glazes to unify the surface and it should be complete.

2009-05-01T13:08:00.001-05:00

Art Chicago.

Art Chicago is this weekend, Friday - Sunday.

I have two new paintings in the Zolla/Lieberman
booth (12th floor).

www.artchicago.com

2009-05-01T13:06:00.005-05:00

Tanken.

Check out my collaborative project on this new
blog: www.wearetanken.blogspot.com

Its a growing project with my
new friend from Vienna, Austria,
Sonja Bendel.

2009-03-09T10:40:00.006-05:00

NEW NEWs

Links
I've updated the links section
to reflect my newly formed artist
affiliations- from my Feb. stay
at the Vermont Studio Center.

Facebook
I've also been doing my photo style
updates on Facebook.com so head over
there if you are looking for work in
progress and new painting images.

Website updates
Rob has added a new portfolio (my Wake series)
and a few other minor tweaks here and
there - all around the site.

Etsy
I'm starting an etsy site - for smaller
paintings and drawings, tshirts and more.
There is a link on the "sales" page...

-Happy almost spring to everyone !

2009-02-08T09:57:00.006-06:00

VERMONT STUDIO CENTER (FEB. 1 - FEB 27)

**

You know you are at an artist residency
when you hear this kind of dinner discussion.

" I cut words out of books ... "

"abstract paintings using landscape means"

" cutting circles out of fabric"

" ..I draw lines"

"a life size paper doll cutout"

" bird collages from national geographic cut outs"

and so on.

**photo credit: Kristen from NYC

2009-01-16T10:51:00.007-06:00

ready to explode.

here is some new, in progress work from the last 3 weeks...

2008-12-08T15:53:00.007-06:00

Newest Paintings, December 2008.

Trying some subtle new techniques and
some not so subtle additions to the
ice scape. Feedback is encouraged!

( click to enlarge )

Tumbling into the void. Oil on Linen, 18" x 24", 2008

Deluge. Oil on Linen, 18" x 24", 2008

2008-11-13T12:35:00.005-06:00

Upcoming Exhibition

I will have 5 paintings in the upcoming exhibition, titled,
"Under the Influence", at the Lubeznik Center for the
Arts.

Here is a link for more details.

The show runs November 14th (opening reception, 7-9pm -Central time!)
to January 3rd. So head on up to the Michigan City
lake front, see some art, do some outlet shopping,
climb the dunes and observe that ominous cooling tower!

2008-10-24T09:07:00.005-05:00

Chicago / Studio.

I'm back from the summer/ early autumn hiatus. I've moved
to Chicago and traveled Spain (go. to. the. Prado!). Now
I've got an in-house studio set up and it's time to get
back to work.

Here's a few pics...

2008-08-01T09:24:00.002-05:00

Summer Silence...

It's been a few months and I've been bad at blogging
as a west coast friend pointed out.

Well, I graduated from the University of Notre Dame
in May. Thought I was heading out of town but then
a couple of opportunities arose.

I was asked to take an Assistant Curator position
at the South Bend Museum of Art and then Notre Dame asked
me to teach a summer drawing class. So I've been teaching
in the mornings and then hoppin' on the bike down to the
Museum in the afternoons. After six weeks of this I'm
done with teaching and should be able to get back to painting
(and blogging!).

Some other quick notes: Solo show at Zolla/Lieberman in Chicago
went well. Had a week off in Texas for a family reunion and I'm
working on a commission for some Antarctica bound South Benders.

It's been a busy, fun summer so far, stay tuned.

2008-04-23T13:09:00.004-05:00

WAKE: installation images

(images from my recent exhibition at the
Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame, Indiana)

2008-04-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

ART CHICAGO

Next week is Art Chicago, April 25-28 to be
exact. Art Chicago is one of the many, many,
many, many Art Fairs around the country and the
globe. It's a big collection of international
galleries that come together under one roof
for a long weekend and do what galleries do-
show art and sell art.

It's also a great way to see a ton of different
artwork in one place and this year I'll have
a few pieces up in the Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
booth. I will be attending the opening preview
night and will try to wrangle up some images to
be added to this post later...

Want more info? Check it out: ART CHICAGO link

2008-04-09T11:37:00.006-05:00

When it rains, it pours! Awards, Collections and other good news!

Don't want to get too self-promoting
here but I thought I would do a round-up
on a few exciting items:

1. 2008 Efroymson Fund Emerging Graduate Artist Award
Sunday I won the 'best in show' award for
the MFA thesis show here at Notre Dame's
Snite Museum of Art.
Efroymson Fund

2. Microsoft Art Collection
The Microsoft Art Collection has chosen two
pieces from my Anti-Discovery series, Silence
and Expanse to add to there ever-expanding art collection,
which is hung through out the corporation's offices and buildings.
Microsoft Art Collection

3. SBRMA Permanent Collection
The South Bend Regional Museum of Art has chosen
The, a 5 foot by 15 foot triptych, to add to their
permanent collection.The was included in my recent
exhibition, Surface, at the museum.
www.sbrma.org

4. Vermont Studio Center Residency Program
I received news yesterday that I will have
the opportunity to do an Artist Residency
at the Vermont Studio Center. The VSC is
a well-known residency program, one of the
largest in the country. I will be going in
Feb. 2009 (Northern Vermont in the winter?
Bring it on!). www.vermontstudiocenter.org

2008-04-01T10:11:00.003-05:00

Antarctica Video

Here is the video that University of Notre Dame put
together about my research trip to Antarctica last
December.

Enjoy.

2008-03-19T15:43:00.006-05:00

Done Deal

The paintings are done...

Monday, I hauled all 9 of my panels down 2 flights of stairs
to document them for my thesis show - which I turn in
tomorrow. Anyways, I'm pretty happy with the results,
overcast day and a decent digital camera = good images.

I'm hoping to have a new portfolio page up soon, in the
meantime, here's a sampling..

Wake (5 x 5 feet)

Shattered ( 5 x 15 feet)

2008-03-13T13:55:00.003-05:00

Final Panel of Thesis Show

The last few layers have been slowly building up and
I am starting to see my show materialize out of the mist,
literally- this final panel, I've been tweaking for the last
week, just trying to get the gradient at the top where the
iceberg fades into the mist- to work perfectly and today,
I think I got it...so one more gloss coat and the 9 panel
show will be ready for delivery (due, one week from today)!

It's hard to tell I've been doing anything but maybe you can
spot the subtle changes in these in progress photos...

Next? Get all the info for labels and artist statement
together plus the final edits of my written thesis.

I'm also going to try and get some high quality, no glare, digital
images and get the new portfolio page up soon as well. So stay
tuned...

2008-03-03T09:14:00.006-06:00

Thesis Project Nears Completion.

I'm so close to being done with my 9 panels. I'm just finishing
up the solo Iceberg piece and then I'm done. Still have to write
the thesis paper and put on a final gloss coat but other then that...
well- at any rate, 2 weeks from Thursday is delivery to the Museum
date! Here is a haphazard panorama I put together...it's not very pretty
but it'll give you some sense of what this thing looks like:

(click to enlarge)

For the record, the total installation, which is kinda' like one big piece, will be 5 feet high by 45 feet long.

2008-02-21T08:27:00.003-06:00

CAA

This week I'm in Dallas for the College Arts Association
conference. It's a mish-mash of forums, sessions, lectures,
events and the dreaded job fair. I don't have any interviews
scheduled so I'm just hanging out, seeing how it all works.

So far, it's been fun. Lots of artsy types gathering together,
discussing art, eating good food, catching up..and generally
looking pretty darn good doing it.

For more info check out www.collegeart.org

2008-02-19T11:55:00.004-06:00

CHICAGO ART DEBUT

I'm in my first Chicago show, at my new gallery Zolla/Lieberman.

Last Friday I attended the opening. Here are a couple of pictures
of my small contribution to the show (courtesy of B.Vertin):

The gallery is located in the River North gallery
district, just north of the Loop in Downtown Chicago.

Re:visions, Zolla/Lieberman Gallery through 32 years
is up until March 29th.

2008-02-05T14:22:00.000-06:00

FINAL FOUR (thesis panels)

A few weeks ago I started my final four panels for my
thesis exhibition (Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame,
April 6th to May 18th). Here is the state they were
in last week, the warm, contrasting underpaintings:

And, then a couple layers of building up the cool tones:

Then, nailing down the palette to the subdued tones I want...

I was planning on having 11 panels in the show.

But after mapping out the space I'll have - it looks like 9 panels
is going to fit better.

6 weeks to delivery of the work to the museum for the show!
It's gonna be a wild ride til' then.

2008-01-23T12:15:00.000-06:00

New Gallery Representation

I have some exciting news. I will now be showing in
Chicago with Zolla / Lieberman Gallery. Here is a little
more about the gallery:

In 1976 Zolla/Lieberman Gallery moved to a converted loft space in a then desolate industrial neighborhood and founded the area that is now known as the River North Gallery District. It was in that inaugural year that Zolla/Lieberman Gallery gave a solo show to an unknown artist named Deborah Butterfield.

Today, at their current location at 325 W. Huron St., William Lieberman continues to maintain the aesthetic quality of contemporary artwork that the history of the gallery had established since its opening. By embracing a wide range of genres and artists, Z/L is able to offer a variety of work. Zolla/Lieberman Gallery is dedicated to providing personal attention to both the beginning and established collector, as well as other art professionals. Z/L maintains professional associations with the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) and the Chicago Art Dealers Association (CADA), as well as being a participant of Art Chicago since its conception.

I had a studio visit last Sunday with William Lieberman and he
decided to start showing my work. I will be exhibiting in a group
show, Re:Vision, in February at Z/L, in Art Chicago(at the
Merchandise Mart in Chicago)in late April and I will have a
small solo show in June at Z/L.

You can find more info about the gallery here:
www.zollaliebermangallery.com

I would also like to thank Scott Hatt at the Spurious Fugitive Gallery in
South Bend, IN for his excellent support of my exhibition career over the
last 2 years.

2007-12-24T14:01:00.000-06:00

(some) ANTARCTIC PICTURES

2007-12-20T12:25:00.000-06:00

Antarctic Watercolor Series, Limited Edition

These are the four successful watercolors
I completed on my recent trip to Antarctica.

The four watercolors were completed on site,
from our ship's observation deck.

Usually I had about 20 - 30 minutes to sketch
out the composition and then work in the main
colors and details before the ship would move
on. I would take some pics and then add in
smaller details later (like tiny cracks, etc).

(click to enlarge, each watercolor is 7 inches by 10 inches)

Half-Moon Island, December 2007, no. 1, Antarctic Watercolor Series

Glacier near Peterman Island, December 2007, no. 2, Antarctic Watercolor Series

The Antarctic Sound, December 2007, no. 3, Antarctic Watercolor Series

Iceberg near Elephant Island, December 2007, no. 4, Antarctic Watercolor Series

2007-12-17T05:28:00.000-06:00

Back in Ushuaia, Headed North..

The cruise is over and we´re back on land. Feels
super and normal! No more rollin´ and stumbling
for me!

It was an amazing trip. I will add photos once I
get back to the states and some more detailed commentary.

I´ll be in Santiago tonight and tomorrow - should be able
to hook back up with Tomas Rivas from ND again. Then it´s
a night flight to NYC and back to South Bend.

It´s exciting to go on a trip and then come back for more
holidays, rolling straight into Xmas and New Years! Yay!

2007-12-11T21:08:00.000-06:00

Cruising the Antarctic

I have been flipping between the luxury of
my cruise ship and the harsh climate of the
Antarctic.

A sauna, gym, huge buffet, special dinners
(Reigndeer anyone? It's very tender!), internet,
TV, up to date weather reports, hot beverages, etc.
sure help soothe any hardships we may encounter.

I did stay on deck for a windy, frozen sunset
tonight, and got lots of video of our ship crushing
some sea ice...

So, yeah, I am safe and sound, got my sea legs
now and tryin' to soak in every splendid second
I can. I already have tons of pictures and should
have a nice set of watercolor paintings when I
return.

I will update again in the near future, maybe before
we dock again, maybe even with some pictures!

2007-12-09T03:01:00.000-06:00

Santiago

This is an amazing city. I had a personal tour
with my friend Tomas Rivas, who is from Chile
and lives in Santiago but was once a Notre Dame
MFA student. Yesterday was a perfect day, nice
dry heat and super clear- something that isn´t
too common during the week b-c of pollution.

Santiago sits in a natural basin, so I think
the air just hangs here and there are not a lot
of winds.

Tomas showed me around parts of Santiago, we saw
some art and museums and then had some great food
later in the evening. It´s always awesome to have
some local insights, so I was thankful for the time
Tomas took to show off his city.

I am about to catch a bus to the airport with the tour
company and then we fly to the very tip of South America,
an Argentinian city- Ushaia, where we will get on the
cruise ship and head to the long awaited Antarctica!

This might be a part one and then part two blog, when I get
back, that will be part two, don´t think there will be much
email on the ship!

2007-12-04T14:05:00.001-06:00

Upcoming Exhibitions

Diminutive Fables

A group show will open this Friday, Dec. 7th, 2007,
at the Spurious Fugitive. It's titled Diminutive Fables,
and will be chock full of tiny works of Art. The reception
is from 5pm-to-9pm.
I've included a few small oil and resin pieces,
including some on copper plates. Like this one,
titled Roll...

Surface

Surface will be an exhibition at the South Bend Regional Museum of Art,
located in the Dot Weikamp Room, there will be some Glass artists displaying
their work in the cases, my work will be on the walls. This show will include
some early "anti-discovery" pieces as well as my latest complete triptych and
a few other pieces completed last spring and summer. Surface will run Dec. 15th
to Feb. 8th, with a closing reception Friday, Feb. 8th, 5pm-to-8:30pm.

In the meantime I'm off to Antarctica (via Chile) at the end of the week. Check
back mid January for a new page dedicated to the trip and images from the trip.

2007-11-25T17:24:00.000-06:00

Five Panel Frenzy

I am nearing the completion of my first five panels
of my thesis project. It's a triptych with two other
panels...I'm leaving for Antarctica in a couple of
weeks so I'd like to have these completed by then.

Here are some snippets:

2007-10-31T09:01:00.001-05:00

Plodding Along. Thesis update III.

I've got about a month 'til I leave on my Antarctic
Cruise. I've got new watercolor stuff, sketchbooks,
etc. Just need to get a good camera, thinking a digital
SLR like the Nikon D80 (any sponsers out there? now is
the time to step up !).

Here are a bunch on images, charting my progress on my 5
panels. I've put in about 2 months time on these huge paintings
and they are rounding the corner - the end is in sight.

So, this is a sampling of the things that have been happening
in my studio. Starting to do "double shifts", 8am-5pm + 8pm-1am.
It's actually kinda fun, it feels like grad school! Now, about that
sleep thing...

Graphite on paper.
Oil on Panel.
One session, moving lots of paint around, using a little linseed oil to keep the paint wet...
Triptych, actually have lots more done then this image, next update will show this...
Some watercolor practice...

2007-10-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

Thesis panels in progress

I've made some significant progress on my first 5 panels
(out of 11 panels). This triptych (3 panels) will be the
anchor to my show, along with a single panel of a gigantic
iceberg that I will paint after my December trip to the
Antarctic.

I am currently working on two other panels - nonhorizon pieces,
that will be interspersed with the horizon pieces. That's the
plan anyways. My goal is to have these 5 panels done by the
beginning of November. That will allow me to work on 2 more
panels in the month of November, leaving 4 panels to be completed
in Jan. and Feb.- if all goes well it'll be a wonderful year for
me. Ha. Stay tuned.

2007-10-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

Going to Antarctica?

Yes it very well may be happening. Stay tuned for details.

Soon.

Edit:

It is on. I have been booked on a Cruise ship that will
travel to the Antarctic peninsula. If you are interested
in allll the details you can click on this link to my
itinerary: Ice Cruise Itinerary.

Works out great, right in the middle of my thesis and of
course, thanks to University of Notre Dame for funding my
research trip.

So I'm headed down in early December. About the 7-19th I
think. Gotta get a new camera and some quality water colors!

Didn't think this was going to work out but after some stops
and starts it all came together this AM. Initially I was
planning on taking this cruise via a restored Icebreaker/
Research vessel but then I found this Cruise this morning
that (cruisenorway.com) is on a cruise ship with hot tubs,
huge observatory (enclosed) decks and all that... I lucked
out as well on the booking b/c everything is double occupancy
I was fighting an uphill battle and relying on luck for
some one to be willing to share a double room- but I guess
minutes after I contacted this agency someone else called
and requested the same deal.

Man, I'm all jittery now, haven't been able to paint all
day!!

2007-09-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

Construction!

My friend and webdesigner Rob
has completed some general
updates. Check out the portfolio
page, contact page and
the home page (click on
"Fung" on the top right
if you are on another page).
You should find some new
images awaiting you- including
cycling banner images on the home
page!

2007-08-28T07:42:00.000-05:00

5 Panel Piece Study

I started some small watercolor
studies for my 5-panel piece. This
triptych will be combined with my
sky/no horizon/space panels...I'm
still working on those little ones
but these are looking ok.

2007-08-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

New American Paintings # 71

I mentioned a while back that I was going to be in an upcoming
edition of the New American Paintings. Well it's about to hit bookstores
everywhere (Barnes & Noble, Borders, most bookstores), this Friday,
August 24th, to be exact...

It will be in the magazine section..

and it should look like this...

An excerpt from the Juror who selected the artists, Elizabeth Dunbar, of Arthouse at the Jones Center in Austin TX and former Curator of the Kansas City Art museum:

...However, there is no denying that the
Midwest’s stretching landscape, expansive natural environment, and deep
agricultural roots have had an impact on many of its resident
artists—from centuries past to the present day; from George CalebBingham
and Thomas Hart Benton to several of the artists included here. The
landscape—whether directly inspired by the Midwest, based on other
locations, or conjured purely from the artists’ fertile imaginations—is
a predominant theme in much of the work in this publication. However,
most of the included landscapes are not bountiful fields or bucolic
vistas; rather, they are often stark or terrifying lands teeming with
an impending sense of doom or destruction. For example, paintings by
Amy Casey, GregoryEuclide, and Adam Benjamin Fung , while stylistically
diverse, all portray worlds—Midwestern and beyond—that have succumbed
to or are hovering on the brink of disaster. Together these artists and
others evoke a common concern with the ruinous effects of environmental
destruction, global warming, and natural disaster, timely topics with
worldwide repercussions, but which have had startling impact on the
Midwestern region recently, as several areas have been decimated by
drought, flooding, tornadoes, and other catastrophic
events.

2007-08-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

Painting Panel Production Progress

Well, the long hours of hammering, nailing,
glueing, hauling, wood putty-ing, sanding,
priming, sanding and priming, oh and sanding
have come to an end.

I've got 11 - five by five foot panels all ready to
go. I was fortunate enough to be granted a
storage area across the hall from my studio for
these bad boys (and a couple of other finished
works as well).

At any rate, I'm looking forward to starting my
Thesis paintings. Now, having these massive panels
ready to go is one thing already checked off the list...

2007-08-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

Small Commission Piece.

I was commissioned to do a small piece by a friend.
They really liked my "boat" series and my "iceberg"
series; so they asked if I could do both? I gave it
a try and this is the result. I've titled this piece
"Encounter". (click to enlarge)

2007-07-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Back from the multi-hemisphere-continent journey.

Getting back into the rythem of things here in the
studio. I've decided to go with the "if it isn't good at
least it is gigantic" track for my thesis. I've got
11, 5 foot x 5 foot panels in the works. Right now I've
got 3 ready to paint on - the rest are still being prepped
and primed. At any rate, I sure am going to fill my room
in the museum for my thesis show (April 2008).

Also in the works- a few small works on paper and one
larger one. . .

2007-05-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

Summer time travels.

I am off on a sweet lil' journey- New Zealand ( 1 week), Australia (3+ weeks) and Thailand (3+ weeks). Its been a whirlwind semester with lots of stuff on the horizon.

My end of the semester reviews went well and I think everyone can see the direction these works are taking. I'm excited by the scale and all the new techniques I'm picking up. I have 11, 5 x 5 foot panels built already for my thesis and now I just have to do some finish work + prime the surfaces for painting.

But for now, it's time to get outta town!

2007-05-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

SMALL PAINTING SCANS

I wanted to document these small pieces in a way you could get
an idea of the detail in them, so I started scanning them on a flatbed
scanner. I like the results:

2007-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

New American Paintings (www.newamericanpaintings.com)

I received this note the other day...

"Congratulations!

Our juror, Elizabeth Dunbar, Curator of the Kemper Museum of ContemporaryArt in Kansas City, has selected you from among more than 1,300 entrants whoparticipated in the 2007 Midwestern Competition."

The issue will be out in a bookstore near you

(literally) in August/Sept. and it's volume# 71.

So I sent them my info and this head shot:

2007-05-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

TRIPTYCH NEARS GRAND FINISH!

With a tinge of relief, I am nearing the

final strokes of this gigantic painting.

I've learned a lot about painting these

images big. Should help me avoid some

of the missteps I encountered on this piece.

2007-04-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

All together now...

Thought I'd try to get all 3 panels up, sorry about
the angles but I can't get a good shot in my studio
b/c of the lighting, etc. So I'm all off to the side...

Working on the ice and adding some more highlights
all over. Also darkening the back edge of the slope so
it blends in better...

(click to enlarge)

2007-04-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

SCALE

Wanted to give you some idea of the (large) scale of these
paintings. The sky/space piece, tentatively titled "Collapse"
is basically finished. I am still working all over the triptych
and it's got a couple weeks until it nears completion- but I'm
on track now and the end is in sight!

2007-04-03T16:23:00.000-05:00

Now that I've upped the contrast, added some subtle
glazes (browns, blues, greens, purples), I'll
add some highlights to finish it!

2007-03-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

The largest "snow, sky, reflection" piece ever!
I've had this piece sitting around my studio
for a couple months now, in the orange under
painting stage. This week I decided to take a
break from the gigantic Triptych and work on
it. This is the progression, from the orange under
painting, (minus one session where I laid in the
cooler colors over the orange) and then as I worked
through the painting yesterday:

Next, I'll increase the darker areas and the contrast
throughout. Then I'll put in some glazes to unify and
push back some areas and finally some highlights. In
other words the space within the image should be more
vast when all is said and done.

2007-03-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

Still trying to nail down the texture in the snow slope...oh and just wanted to squeeze in all three panels to show the full triptych.

2007-03-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Some subtle work is being done...

Really!

At this scale you might not be able
to detect the incremental changes
(you can click the images to make
them larger...) but I'm starting to
fuse everything together with Glazes
(transparent layers) and build up the
surfaces so the feel "real".

*Top one is the newest version.

2007-03-05T08:39:00.000-06:00

This is...

1. Newest version of the Triptych (still have lots of work to do on the slope on the left, as well as pushing the water, ice, and sky around...)
2. (cool) Reflection: snow, sky, ice. 16 x 16. Oil on Canvas.
3. (warm) Reflection: snow, sky, ice. 16 x 16. Oil on Canvas.

Making a big push in these next 2 weeks to get this triptych near completion so stay tuned!

2007-02-16T16:18:00.000-06:00

Tiny paintings!
I've been working
on these wee ones
for a few days now.

I like to have these little
ones going so I can switch
between them and the huge
panels...

Just need some finishing
touchs and then i'll put
on a solid varnish...

2007-02-15T19:48:00.000-06:00

The sky is....coming together.

Next I'll layer in the water and
put some more base layers of
snow (def. toned down from
that swimming pool blue that
is there now).

The second image is a small sky study, right now it's pretty warm (greys) but I'll probably glaze some blues back over ...

2007-02-09T13:32:00.001-06:00

Changes, changes, and changes...

I've had several adjustments to
the 1st panel. The newest (and
hopefully the one I'll go through
with...) is at the top.

This series of images shows how
work through the composition
through out the painting. Nothin'
is set in stone...

Also (top) that is a small study, nearly finished (5 inches x 5
inches vs.
5 ft. x 5 ft.)
that, as you can see, has already become an outdated composition.

2007-01-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

Building a painting.

(see studies in previous post)

(tentatively titled ' the ' )

1. the 3 new 5x5 ft. panels, coated with
primer (gesso), acylic paint and several
layers of orange oil paint.

2. value study in oranges of panel 1.

3. value study in oranges of panel 2.

4. value study in oranges of panel 3.
*also next layers of blues and greens
blocked in.

2007-01-03T15:00:00.000-06:00

NEW PaintingS.

Here are a few images from the end of last semester.

1. Study for Triptych.
2. Large study for panel 1 of Triptych.
3. Beached Icebergs. Oil on Canvas. 16 x 16. 2007.
4. Ghost. Oil on Panel. 42 x 96 inches (diptych).

2006-10-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

SNEAK PEAK!

Anti-Discovery series

Here are some fragments of my new images. Most of these will appear, in their full fledged form, in my November show.

2006-10-11T22:11:00.001-05:00

Above: Under Painting (not bruises!)
Large Sketch, & Cloud Snow Study

News:

I am going to be in this regional museum show, "28th Elkhart Juried Regional, Midwest Museum of American Art". Here is a link to their site: http://midwestmuseum.us/

The website redesign/overhaul is well underway. Rob is adding the last page soon and then we'll check it over and put it up on www.pantleg.com ! All my new images will be available in hi-res and the site will be way more user friendly.

My solo show is about 3 weeks away so I'm starting the push to get everything together!

Stay tuned...

2006-09-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

Some {small} Sketches...for a new diptych I am starting this week.

2006-09-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

Here are the three paintings (in progress) I'm working on finishing for my solo show this November (here in South Bend).

2006-08-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

What is equipped with: track lighting, A/C, sketching couch, rolling pallette table, internet (wireless and highspeed), rooftop patio, a large artbook collection, access to woodshops and hi-tech printing labs and 400+ square feet?

It's my new studio at Notre Dame! Yeah, ok, so I talked it up a little bit, but the real sweet part of the deal is I get this space for two years. You can call it 'the penthouse'.

2006-08-01T22:47:00.000-05:00

Here is the quick update...

It's been an amazing summer. I finished off my first year of Grad school (MFA, painting), went to Japan, canoe'd the Boundary waters of Northern MN, explored: Chicago-Indianapolis-Cleveland, went to upstate NY, Niagra Falls and painted alot.
Things are winding down and the temps are rising.
I am getting ready to teach my first university class, Drawing 1. Should be fun. Stay tuned.

- Big Buddha in Kamakura, Japan.

2005-12-28T14:37:00.000-06:00

MFA Journal.
December, 2005

End of a Semester.
My first semester at University of Notre Dame has now been completed. I would categorize my progress and investigations a success. It is definitely a relief to be done though. I am fortunate to not have any required assignments or duties during finals week so I can take off a week early. So with a five-week break from the Midwest (which includes a break from everyday snow, 10-20 degree days, little sleep and not so healthy eating) ahead of me I look back over the last few weeks. Since Thanksgiving I have been focused on my semester end review and first year show.

We had to hang the “New Faces” show the week after Thanksgiving so now the show has been up a couple of weeks and I feel like I have enough distance from my new images to understand them. I included my first two paintings I completed at ND, which where on birch veneer, and related to my past series of Holes. The pieces I was focused on as far as critical review were a painting (32 x 60), a diptych of drawings (22 x 30 each) and a small hand-toned (graphite) etching for a total of five pieces. To condense my explanation of the pieces I’ve included some images and my artist statement which I had on hand for the show:

" My latest images focus on creating an emotional fabric that incorporates the language of Romanticism. The exotic, dangerous and desolate expanses of these seascapes indicate sites of mythic occurrences. Yet the formal qualities render such grandeur impossible as subtle value shifts and quiet compositions yield a melancholic reading. The work reveals traces of exploration but the absence or remnants of human form suggest that nature’s power has won out. We are witness to a site of anti-discovery. The icy islands drift across empty spaces and become symbolic due to their commanding presence on the horizon. Some are crested with flags that suggest nation building exploration, giving a political, perhaps even humorous reading. But the iceberg’s temporal nature and mobile presence rejects mapping and claims of ownership. While we can assume there are bigger pieces to this puzzle the lack of clues returns our attention to the Iceberg itself. Our presence confronts these emotions as we inhabit the uninhabited scenes with our gaze. Ultimately, our departure from the work further enhances the emotional clime by leaving it in its placid state. "

So we had a really fun opening for the show and then the second year MFAs were responsible for putting on a little party afterwards. I received excellent feedback and compliments on my new work and even sold the two drawings (to a Industrial Design professor).

Then this week we had a final crit with all the professors in the department. We have the opportunity, 5 minutes, to introduce the work and then the professors critique the work. All the grad students are on hand but don’t get to talk during the crit. My crit went very well, although I felt a bit scattered- trying to fully explain all my research and background behind the pieces. Because we are required to do these crits at the end of each semester I think by the end of my 3rd year I’ll be much better at speaking about my work. The thought of speaking intelligently about a series of work that I’ve only been working on a little over a month was a bit intimidating at first.

We just found out that Tom Friedman will be the big visiting artist next year. I really enjoy his work so it will be great to meet him and have him critique my work before I start solidifying my thesis topic.
All in all, I felt like I struggled through some uncertainties this semester and strengthened my studio practice. I’m enjoying the freedom I have to explore my interests and the supportive environment has helped that a lot. Hope everyone had a terrific holiday and I’ll be writing more as it comes.

2005-11-28T15:40:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it is November already. Its been a crazy month already. A few weeks ago we had a mid term "walk-through". Walk-Through's here at Notre Dame is when you have your studio open at a certain time (there is a schedule) and anyone who wants can enter and critique your work. It was a good experience for me to see how people responded to my latest work. It also allowed me to interact with the rest of the department's faculty (outside the Painting and Printmaking Professors).

The experience wasn't too fun for me though. I am used to people actually looking at the work and responding to it before expecting me to launch into some explanation. With the majority of the people who visited me, I felt like the conversation was very one sided. With me doing most of the talking. After some introspection I realized I really needed to have an artist statement ready to push people into the work and force them to respond. Launching into explanations of my work, which I thought had many layers upon layers, was exhausting! I took the next day off and then launched into a serious review of what I had been working on. I eventually, after a series of sketches and some writing, decided to take a break from the wood paintings I had been working on. I had two complete paintings on wood, both about 4 ft. square, so i felt like i had accomplished enough with them that I could come back to the wood paintings once I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to do with them.

I've included an image of one of the wood paintings, currently Untitled.

After doing some research that began with Christopher Columbus (there is a hallway full of large Columbus paintings in the Main building here) which led to some Manifest Destiny Paintings which led to some early American and Romantic paintings which led to Edwin Frederic Church's iceberg paintings and that in turn led to German Romanticism and Caspar David Frederich's paintings. I am also reading an Edgar Allen Poe book titled 'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' and looking at some of Sebastiao Salgado's Antarctica photos (http://www.guardian.co.uk /arts/salgado/0,15021,1294976,00.html). What does all mean? It means that Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) is a great research tool, especially the kind of meandering research that I like to do- you can link to some many different topics that sooner or later you're sidetracked into a completely different idea all together.

Well, what it really boils down to is my emotional state and interest in what I am calling "the anti-discovery". Being in a new place, South Bend, being alone alot, missing my old friends and my wife (still waiting on her green card in Canada) and having lots of time to think has been good but rather lonely.

I have been making these drawings that are basically seascape horizons with solitary Icebergs. Sometimes I include little surprises like a shark fin or flag planted elegantly atop the ice berg. I've been thinking about my boyish tendency to day dream and be attracted to whimsical adventure (such as stories of the sea or even the adventure of discovery such as Columbus or America's west).

I've been thinking about our country and how it was formed and how much power lay in the decisions that were made so long ago. The tendency of our country to consume and take- but with the slant of moral good and discovery. The way I see it we're out of resources and things to take over. The global community is much more aware of things that happen (even if we still manage to twist things in our favor eventually things catch up to you). So I see these stark expansive landscapes as a Sad-Little-Discovery of all that. A discovery that all is left is a crumbling ice berg (but in some instances the explorers have felt compelled to even claim that, ex. a planted flag). Inherent to this discovery is a change of perspective, pace, and roles. I also have been portraying the iceberg as a metaphor for my own condition, adrift and lonely.

Sorry that's pretty jumbled but I'm just getting into this series and that's how it is. I am working on a painting as well.

In other news, Hilary Harkness came to visit and lecture. It was an interesting encounter with one of New York's art stars. (http://www.maryboonegallery.com/)It was cool because she came to the MFA studios the next day and gave individual crits the next day. Hilary painted a pretty bleak picture of the NYC gallery scene but it was cool that Notre Dame brought in a pretty big name to lecture. From what she says and what I've heard, it just seems like you have to put yourself in the position to get into one of those big galleries (skill wise, pounding the pavement and location) but in the end it doesn't always work out that the most talented people get picked up and shown.

Well, we have a month left in the semester, including Thanksgiving break. The 1st year MFAs have to put on a group show at ND's gallery in South Bend. The show, New Faces, opens December 1st and we are expected to defend our work for the end of semester reviews (all the faculty, grads and anyone else in one room with the work and the spot light on the artist...). So I should get back to the painting. Hope all is well with everyone. Here are the images...