Recent events

Last night I was honored with a reception for my paintings at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art in  Spring, Texas located north of Houston. My work was featured as part of an on going series of exhibitions devoted to the art faculties of  the Lonestar College District. Here I am with Rand Key

Professor Art Is Honored

Last night  the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art in Spring, Texas, located north of Houston hosted a reception to celebrate their relationship with arts at the Lonestar College System. These "Dreamscapes" were created as memories of places once visited.

My work was featured as part of an on-going series of exhibitions devoted to the art faculties of the Lonestar College System.  Here I am with Vice Chancellor Rand Key and President Dr. Susan Karr of Lonestar College-Tomball. Also attending this special reception from the college were Vice President of Instruction Dr. Lee Ann Nutt and Dean of Humanities Jill Riethmayer. Thanks to all for your support of this exhibition.

There was quite a turn out. Many of my students past and present were in attendance. 

Some of my long term students: Susan Canter, Diane Tebbe (from my first classes), Mandy Hamilton, and Susan Norman.  They are part of the self named group  "Earl's Girls'." These women are among the many who have participated in my classes and gone on to win awards in area art exhibits. I am very proud of their accomplishments.

Rand Key speaks about the relationship of Lonestar College and Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts and the importance of the arts to the community. 

He then introduced Dr. Karr who talked about the college and my history there.

I had the opportunity to talk about my paintings and about teaching at Lonestar College-Tomball. Often "Art" is a subject about which folks know little, so my talk became a "classroom opportunity".  The audience was attentive and asked questions.

After my talk there are more questions and greetings.

A special shout out to Robert Boyd of The Great God Pan is Dead web blog for attending.

Recent events

Last night I was honored with a reception for my paintings at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Art in the Northern subuebs of Houston.

New Beginnings

I have a  gallery representation: Thom Andriola's New Arts Gallery. I have not had representation here in many years. This is brings me back into the Houston art world. I am promised a show this Spring.  I am very happy. The past 5 years have been ones of change and renewal. My studio gives me the place to capitalize on my new beginning. When I arrive on Thursday evening I immediately feel the pressures from the week fade and I begin where left off. My energy is very high. Here are some new pictures:

The Leap 36x48 01-2012

The Indian leaps with no fear because the Mermaid protects him from Death.

Here are a series revealing the stages of a painting called Passage.

First Stage

Second Stage

Third Stage

Passage 36x48 01-2012

Terlingua Cloud  18x24 01-2012

Here is another large picture. All these pictures are inspired by our Terlingua trip

This is called the Basin 48x60

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3 02-03-2012

I probably will finish it next Friday.

Here is one I just started.

Untitled 48x60 02-04-2012

Untitled 02-05-2012

A New year

The Professor gives up the pretense of the  third person.
I am Earl Staley and I was born in the suburbs of Chicago...Oak Park like West U. in Houston.
I discovered that there were such people as artists at Illinois Weslyan  University, Bloomington, Illinois and then  I went to University of Arkansas for a MFA.  There I learned to paint what was important to me and then I got a job at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. and then at Rice University, Houston and then at University of St. Thomas, Houston and then I went to Rome and then New York and then I was hired at  Lonestar College-Tomball, Texas. I love my job.
Writing takes work , I would rather paint.
Here is a painting that is more or less finished. It needs to be turned to the wall for month or more. I call the process fermenting.

The Leap 36x48

I started it 12-28-2011

Stage one 12-28-2011

Stage 2  12-28-2011

Stage 4 12-29-2011

I  am doing lots of watercolors  in preparation for a show and inviting people to my studio to show them what I have been painting. Here are more images from recent months.

Awakening 54x60

Drunkeness of Lott  55x60 12-29-2011

This is a picture called Vortex 36x48

It is about resolving conflicts. I will show you a few stages.

First Stage

5th stage

Vortex  12-27-2011

Painter's Apron #5 36x36 12-2011

Serenade 20x20 collage 12-2011

The Unicorn's Captive 20x20 12-2011

MM found a group of printed tapestries made Italy in the 70's that have  French 18th c. themes and then she obtained a group of printed tapestries with the medieval  Unicorn theme damaged by Hurricane Ike. These I have rethought/re-purposed using erotic pictures that I painted in the past.

The Unicorn was seen as a symbol of the male Libido needing to be tamed by the Lady...here reversed or 18th French Rococo themes of courtly romance with their underlying male dominant compliance.   

Lots of Watercolors

12-22-2011

12-27-2011

MM and I went to Terlingua, Texas

We stay here.

up at Mimi's place Casa Milagro, Terlingua, Texas and we sit, write and paint

and talk and look East to see the sunset over the Chisos.

I paint.

MM takes a rest.

MM writes.

 

I build a fire when the sun disappears.

We went to the Basin, Big Bend N.P.  and fooled around.

MM bought some stone pots in Terlingua.

Sunset....looking East toward the Chisos from Terlingua.

                                                                                           

The Professor gets older by a year

Another birthday for the Professor.

In 1981 before the Professor went to Rome he painted this picture. It is called The Awakening.

It has been rolled up for many years. When he painted it he thought he was the new Picasso. His ego was rather large. He knows better now. The picture has been rolled up for years. He has recycled it.

Here it is laid out ready to be reassembled.

Assembled and still a work in progress. Next to it is a 1977 Winged Mermaid still in progress.

Back in the year 1981 he did a painting based loosely on story of the Drunkenness of Lott from Genesis.  

Being a non believer  he enjoyed the inclusion of incest in the Old Testament. Why is it included?

There are many Renaissance paintings of this story.

Here is one by Albrecht Altdofer from the 16th c. Sexy. 

Altdofer is better known for The Battle of Issus.

It's in all the text books.

Here is The Professor's Drunkeness of Lott circa 1981.

Not very good, so it has been recycled.

Dotting the strips

Laid out ready to be assembled and finished.

Here is the original Winged Mermaid from 1977.

and it's reincarnation.

Final stage