IT FIGURES: Damon Lehrer and Rick Berry opened this weekend and was a great success. A lovely cool September evening in Boston – hundreds of people walking about SoWa Art District touring the open galleries during this festive monthly event. The Willam Scott Gallery was packed for 3 hours. Didn’t have a camera but some pictures by friends (Robert Wiener, Scott Bakal) near closing when crowd had thinned enough to see some more art. Thanks to everyone who came by Friday – you made it such an enjoyable evening.

If you’re in the Boston area, we hope you’ll have a chance to stop by. Open through Sept 3oth.

William Scott Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave hours: Wed – Sat 12-5 and Sun 12-4. (617)542-4040 Parking accessed by Albany St./ Silver line along Washington St. or longer walk from Broadway Station, Red Line or Back Bay Commuter Rail

Rick is finishing up packaging paintings for delivery today  - open truck, pouring rain, busy making custom vault-like packaging…

IT FIGURES: Damon Lehrer and Rick Berry opens tomorrow, Sept. 9, 6-9pm   William Scott Gallery, Boston.

Check gallery hours if you’ll be in Boston anytime between now and Halloween because immediately following IT FIGURES, Damon and Rick have work in (as well as curated) October’s group exhibition to open at William Scott Gallery on Oct 7th.

Rick’s previewing some work from his newest series at IT FIGURES, along with other great paintings. Amanda Palmer fans will be interested to see Rick’s 7ft portrait of her as gender bending MC in last summer’s A.R.T. production of Cabaret – On loan from collector. Hope you can stop by!

“No Metal Men” oil on prepared cotton ragboard, 20x32in

“Gregor” oil on prepared cotton ragboard, 20x32in.

Dorothy by Damon Lehrer, 38" x 40".

From ArtScope Magazine Sept 1, 2011

Attention New England: figurative artwork is not a “has been.” In fact, figurative art is on the rise and if you as an artist can convey figures, there isn’t much you aren’t able to do. We say this because as humans, we are wired to think and see figuratively. It is from this frontier of figures that we can move on to apply the imagination and other elements that evolve figurative artwork into other things. Bottom line: you can’t abandon figurative art. Two artists that will agree with us on this topic are Boston based figurative painters Damon Lehrer and Rick Berry. In an interview together, Rick Berry says, “We will never not want to see figures. We will never lose the ability to spot things in figurative light.” He likens this to cloud-gazing children and the figures they are able to point out. Almost all art starts with the human figure because our minds are designed to see things in the human form. From this concrete state, abstractions and imaginations can be applied to the things we manifest in human form to develop them beyond the figure. In their show, It Figures, Berry and Lehrer remind us of the possibilities of figurative painting. Lehrer‘s precise and perverted baroque style contrasts with Berry‘s refined brutalism and generation of bodies under strain in the most compelling way.

Rick Berry, a painter who rarely works with external references, started his career at the age of seventeen in underground comics. He worked his way into popular culture with art for Marvel and DC comics and has even been commissioned by authors like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman for his illustrations. Damon Lehrer received his MFA from Boston University and has his work in numerous prestigious collections. Lehrer has also founded the collective known as the Boston Figurative Art Center with the mission to promote figure painting in its many incarnations as a primary focus for contemporary art in Boston and beyond. It Figures will be showing at the William Scott Gallery in Boston from Friday, September 9th through Friday, September 30th. An opening reception will be held on September 9th from 6-9pm.

Immediately following It Figures, William Scott Gallery will host a group exhibition for the month of October in which Berry and Lehrer invite selected nationally and internationally known figure painters, many with Boston connections, into the image-driven conversation. Artists include Phil Hale, Anne Harris, Ken Beck, Bill Carman, Ed Stitt, Paul Goodnight, Jim Burke, George Pratt, Scott Bakal and others.

Rick Berry cover and “Miss June” in recently released Dellas Graphics calendar, art directed by Illustration Department Head at NHIA , Jim Burke. ”Frogfolio” has a long history of award winning interpretations of, well, frogs. Distinguished artists/illustrators, invited by Burke, contribute each year for this large format (18″ x 24″) eclectic visual treat.

Great interview with figurative painter, Phil Hale in AFEK+ED. — “a place where students, professionals, freelancers, and artists can get their daily dose of inspiration from the full spectrum of creativity”

“Phil Hale, for those who don’t yet know, is an American figurative painter who now lives and works in London UK. Phil has done some major works for Stephen King, RayGun, Playboy, Spectrum and many other renowned publications worldwide. His award winning portraits are in London’s National Portrait Gallery. In 2008 he was commissioned to paint the official portrait of former prime minister of England, Tony Blair for the House of Commons… Here at AFEKTED we wanted to learn about what inspires Phil Hale”

click here for Rick Berry painting included in Wired magazine’s spring review of new art book…“Artists reimagine the wild, dystopian world of Transmetropolitan in a new book that honors the legacy of Ellis & Robertson’s classic comic book series. The art book expertly distills the comic’s seething cyberpunk world view — for charity.”

Here’s a bit more. Scanning sketches is not a favorite activity so many have not surfaced here. I may yet cruise through the ever-growing sketchbook pile and pop up some more of these but for now it’s easel time.

I had meant to throw these up awhile back. Painting has begun to overtake me and pushed this sort of thing out of my time budget — so, before I stop doing these altogether, I thought I’d get these to you.

Rick visited old friends, met new folks and fit in some collaborative painting as well. What could be better

“Better Things” panel and movie preview was a success. Rick enjoyed the conversation and was glad to learn more about his art hero and friend. Interesting how you think you know someone well, yet each panel member has a different experience with Jeff so that during the panel a more rich image of our late friend emerges. Thanks to film creater/director  Maria Carbardo, for this opportunity.

“Better Things” traces the life of one of the industry’s most influential illustrators/painters, through interviews with those inspired by Jeffrey Catherine Jones.