THE LAST STAND

Recently finished this one.  Hope you enjoy!

"The Last Stand"
18x24 inches
oil on canvas

Image: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

WORKING WITH THE GRADS

One of the best parts of my job as an art school instructor is getting to work with graduate students.  The majority of courses I teach are undergraduate courses from drawing and painting, to animation, illustration, concept art, fashion and foundations.  But about a third of my job is working with graduate level students enrolled in our animation graduate program at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco.  This unique group of more advanced students provides a closer working relationship allowing for more sophisticated and detailed dialogue built around the creation of their masters thesis films.  I have really grown to appreciate this kind of instruction, discussion and creative inter-play I get with these students.  Sometimes we are in a drawing lab carefully drawing and painting a live model and other times we are sitting in front of computer pouring over Maya and carefully discussing a bit of animation, storytelling, modeling or lighting and texture.  The conversations are fantastic and illuminating and many times it is I who learns equally from the student experience.  Over the years I have made some great working friendships with these brilliant artists and have stood in their "light" feeling fortunate that I was able to maybe contribute in some small way to the beauty of their thesis projects.  I am truly grateful and humbled as a teacher and as an artist by the dedication and talents of these individuals.

ABOVE:  (back row left to right) Cortney Bell, Chris Platz, Trey Gallaher(Me), Kevin Miller, Neil Miller, (front row) Albert Carmona

BELOW:  (left to right)Courtney Bell, Puttachad Sattayasai (Chloe), Trey Gallaher (Me), Ratchanon Nobnop (Charlie).

THE BEGINNING

This new painting titled "The Beginning" is completed in oil on 36x24 inch 12oz. cotton stretched canvas. 

Like many of my paintings, I start with an idea, feeling or drawing and it often times evolves into something else as I go.  Discoveries are made and it's not always clear from the beginning what the finished concept will look like.  Sometimes the initial drawing is only the beginning of a much bigger idea.



Sharp changes and additions are welcomed at any time if it makes a more complete expression or beautiful design.  Everything is fluid and in a state of fluctuation.  Sometimes the completed design or idea comes quickly and other times slowly.  I have been known to let a painting rest for a while until I know where I want to go with it.
 
 










This work is a very personal one for me and ties together many periods of my life, how I felt at the time and the people that were in it. I was clear about the initial feeling I wanted the painting to have but it grew in scope and scale as it evolved.

Fear can be a powerful motivator or paralyzer.  Life is full of endings and new beginnings, changes and choices that can be made.
Perception may be the key.
  
Artwork: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher
All Rights Reserved.

"The Beginning"
36x24 inches, oil on canvas

ZOMBIE NEW YEAR

Happy New Year everybody!  Here is wishing you a bountiful, healthy and happy 2014!  May you never run into a "Zombie Geisha"!  :P  Special thanks to Elissa Fountain for the fun costumed inspiration!


Character Concept Art:  ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

"Zombie Geisha"
12x16 in.
gouache on watercolor paper