joe vanderbos

Goodbye blogger.... I'm moving in the new year.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:51:00 +0000

....but only to joevanderbos.com. I'll be collecting all of my efforts under one banner:

www.joevanderbos.com

Please adjust your bookmarks, and expect a smoother interface with facebook. It's time to move to wordpress as a platform. I needed the ability to make static pages. I'm hosting it at my own site. To celebrate.... here's a broken down gas station!

Thanks for the warm turnout!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:31:00 +0000

I'm humbled that so many of my friends came out to the reception on Sunday. It was a lovely time, and hosted so well by the folks at People's Church. The paintings were well lit and received a lot of compliments from visitors. Thanks to you all!

Opening Reception Sunday 12:15 -1:15 p.m.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:56:00 +0000

The Show "Urban Landscapes" opens at People's Church on 10th Street in Kalamazoo on Sunday. The reception will be from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. and you're invited to come!

I'm showing 7 new paintings and 4 "classics", including "West Lake Drive-In", a 24 x 36 inch piece featured on the postcard announcement. See you there!

The Art Wall at People's Church
1758 10th Street North
Kalamazoo, MI‎

McKenzies on Westnedge

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:12:00 +0000

Another one bites the dust. This structure really can't last long. Only a cell-phone store can save it now.

Googie and abandoned.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Did this ever open this year?
West Lake Drive-In. Portage, MI
24 x 36 in.

Bruno's Pizza on Michigan Ave.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:53:00 +0000

It's completed too. I'm over painting vehicles for awhile. OVER.

Home Bar, Portage Street

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:28:00 +0000

The first of several completed paintings in advance of the show at People's Church, opening December 6.

Painting furiously

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:25:00 +0000

...in order to complete new work before my schedule gets filled way up in 2 weeks. Painting fast is good, I tell myself. You get down to business real quick. Lots of new pictures to show shortly.

A small painting underway

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:29:00 +0000

I thought it was going to be harder to paint small, but it's looking easier so far. Less to do = less work. Duh! But really, I thought I might lose too much impact at a smaller size. It hasn't happened yet, and the speed at which it's getting done is motivating me.

This is on Portage Street near Walnut. Alert.... you may be in the path of progress, or at least a parking lot.

Available for purchase

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Chinese Sunrise 20″ × 20″ $500.
Checker Motors 24″ × 48″ $1,000.
Corkscrew 30″ × 48″ $1,200.
Michigan News 36″ × 24″ $900.
RR Xing I (Steam) 20″ × 20″ $500. [reserved]
RR Xing 2 (Yellow) 20″ × 20″ $500.
Yellow Twins 24″ × 36″ $900.
McKenzie's Bakery 20″ × 20″ $500.

In progress, to be completed by December 1:
State Theatre 24″ × 36″ $1,000. [reserved]
Yin Hai 24″ × 30″ $750.
Home Bar 20″ × 20″ $400.
Bruno's 24″ × 24″ $700. [reserved]
West Lake Drive-In 24″ × 36″ $1,200.

Previously Sold, smaller size prints available on request:
Crosstown Showroom 30″ x 48″
Waffle House 20″ × 20″
Hi-Lo 40″ × 32″
Vagabond 24″ × 30″
Kalamazoo Electric Motor 24″ × 48″

Midway to West Lake Drive-In

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Moving along on this one.

Strand: Kendallville

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:56:00 +0000

A photo of the Strand Theatre, Kendallville, Indiana. What a gorgeous place. And it's in business! Too early to stay to see the lights come on, but it may be worth a return trip to see it lit up.

West Lake Drive-In in progress

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:42:00 +0000

It appears this is another mothballed business. I'm about 50% of the way through this one.

My streak continues

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Western Michigan University plans to tear down buildings on the site of the future arena. Some of those include:

Coming out of summer hibernation ...

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Prepping to start painting in earnest again, finishing 3 or 4 and starting another two.

progress on three

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:53:00 +0000

Yin Hai is cruising along, State Theatre is stalling, McKenzies is moving right along. The bigger they are (state) the harder they fall, or crawl toward the finish line.

Overexposure

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:15:00 +0000

A long way to go until I get there, but is it possible to show work too often? Does it become less special? To yourself? To others? I suppose if someone sees it the first time and falls in love with it, even if you're tired of hanging it for the 7th time, it's still worth it.

Upcoming exposures:

Invitational show at Three Rivers,
Holland Arts Council Annual Show (still to be juried),
December Show at a local Kalamazoo venue,
Next summer another possible show.

3 in progress

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:09:00 +0000

Acceptable

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:05:00 +0000

Well, it's better than a sharp poke with a long stick. Chinese Sunrise was accepted into the Muskegon Museum 2009 Regional Juried Art Show. Finally, a juror with taste and perception!

New show oppportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:43:00 +0000

I'm working on 2 possible shows in the next year and a half. More later when details are settled. New venues, new work.

finding new material

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:04:00 +0000

Art Hop Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:24:00 +0000

I have to say a really big thank you to the Arts Council staff, especially Anne Drummond who served the punch and wine until it was gone. It was a really busy night, with the fantastic weather bringing people out all over downtown. That's me on the right in the first pic.

It's Up.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Now I'm nervous. Go Figure. It looks great, and Amy of the Arts Council staff did a great job of hanging it. The pieces fell into place pretty quickly, and without much backing and forthing. The lights make everything look very bright, and for those of you looking for errors and smudges, you'll be happy to know they're easier to spot than ever before.

Looking like a photo.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:06:00 +0000

I've heard from several people that they mistook the painting on the postcard for a photo. There's a longstanding taboo about painting from photos. Some artists fear it diminishes their work. I come down on the side of giving people the benefit of comparison. I don't paint to make a photographic depiction of a scene. That's what a photo is for. I paint it to make some kind of emotional or visual observation about the subject.

Just for kicks, here they are together:

Let the stampede begin.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe VDB) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:55:00 +0000

After some backing and forthing, I submitted an inventory to the Arts Council for March's show. Here it is:

Checker Motors 24″ × 48″ $1,000.
Yellow Twins 24″ × 36″ $900.
Crosstown Showroom 30″ x 48″ $1,200. [SOLD]
Corkscrew 30″ × 48w″ $1,200.
Michigan News 36″ × 24″ $900.
RR Xing I (Steam) 20″ × 20″ $500.
RR Xing 2 (Yellow) 20″ × 20″ $500.
Waffle House 20″ × 20″ $500. [SOLD]
Chinese Sunrise 20″ × 20″ $500.
Hi-Lo 40″ × 32″ $1,200. [SOLD]
Vagabond 24″ × 30″ $800.
Kalamazoo Electric Motor 24″ × 48″ $1,000. [SOLD]

Dang, yes, that's right, some are sold. ~~A discriminating collector has~~ Two collectors have weighed in. And we're off!!!