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Artist Exhibitions:
2009-10 Solo Exhibit,
Renaissance Art Center, Dixon,
TN (March 27-May 2)
Group Drawing Exhibit,
Dubuque Museum of Art,
Dubuque, Iowa (Dates TBA)
Group Exhibit, Faculty Show,
WKCTC, Paducah, KY
(January-February)
2008 Solo Exhibit, Pine Cone
Gallery, Paducah, KY (Nov. 6,
2008-January 26, 2009)
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS
2008 ...
Further Information
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Artist Reviews:
ACEWeekly, January 10th Issue,
review of drawing “Elisabeth
II”
in Lexington Art League’s
“Nude 2002” Juried Show,
Lexington, Ky
Randy Simmons' Elisabeth II
offers a second instance of
this marriage of technique and
expression. This large-scale
charcoal adheres to the school
of thought drifting throughout
contemporary realism which ...
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Collections:
The Drawing Center, New
York, New York, Slides
Registered
The Carnegie Art Center, New
Albany, Indiana, Slides
Registered
Murray State University
Permanent Collection, Murray,
Kentucky, (two pieces)
University of
Minnesota, Morris
University of
Pennsylvania, Lock Haven
James R. Straub, Louisville,
Kentucky
Aileen May, Cincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Richard K. Bath,
Cincinnati...
Further Information
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Commissions:
Coming Soon!
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Artist Statement for Randy Simmons
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ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My work can be divided into three themes: children & parenting, domestic violence, and past relationships with former wives and girlfriends. At times, the boundaries of these subjects can overlap.
Inspirations and Preferred Subjects: Both of my boys (11 & 13) have inspired me through their observations of the world they see and live in. The drawings of them document my concerns as a parent and raising children and their vision of children’s play in an adult setting. I sometimes include their drawings or handwriting within my imagery and many of my drawings are titled from words and phrases they invent.
Another source of inspiration is my wife, a domestic violence prosecutor. In 2004, I began a series of drawings that dealt with women being the victims of domestic violence, physically and emotionally, and portrayed them with a startling reality. Unfortunately, many of these victims don’t seek help or refuse help and continue to live in harsh environments.
Earlier work, pre 2004, addresses divorce, relationships gone awry and dating in general. Most of these drawings are pumped with sarcasm and are intended to viewed as humorous.
Artists who inspire me are Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Millais, Thomas Eakins and more recently, John Currin. My work is done in the style of Italian and Southern Baroque Art, creating drama through lighting and darkness and at times, through climax of the event depicted or the end result. Some of my drawings are direct salutes to specific Old Masters drawings. Some of the figures I draw will be distorted in proportions to emphasize space.
Materials, Methods and Process: Stonehenge paper or Arches hot pressed watercolor paper (purchased by the roll), Prang paper-wrapped charcoal pencils, compressed charcoal sticks, vine charcoal, white conte, kneaded eraser, plastic eraser, and tissue paper.
I began by toning my paper through scraping compressed charcoal onto a clean piece of large paper. Using tissue paper, I smudge the flakes of charcoal using short swirls until I get a medium smooth tone. The paper is transferred to an easel which has a large piece of drywall attached. Tacking the drawing with pushpins to the drywall, I began drawing standing up. The drawing is lightly sketched with an eraser and/or vine charcoal. Full values come early, completing sections of the drawing to the fullest degree before moving on to the next. I use the hard charcoals first, creating hard edge lines and grayer values and then move to the mediums and softs as I near the finish for the richer blacks.
The ideas/images themselves start in my sketchbook and are realized more thoroughly through my own digital photography. I will pose my subjects in dramatic lighting and photograph them in a variety of poses, reassemble the images in Photoshop, using layers, and adjusting values, and at times combining completely different images into one coherent image to work from. Typically, the drawings are 75% conceived before execution.
My History With Art: Completed a BFA in Painting 1988, a MA in Drawing 1991, both degrees from Murray State University, Murray, KY and a MFA in Drawing 1995, minor in printmaking, from the University of Cincinnati. I began drawing as a child, like most artists, and didn’t take it seriously until I took drawing my freshman year of college for a “fun” class. Within weeks I was hooked. In 1986 and 1988, I toured Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in an art program visiting as many art museums as possible.
My main medium is charcoal drawing, but I enjoy graphite pencils, conte, pastels and printmaking in general. Photography is another interest but as a means to create drawings.
Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Art at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, Kentucky, teaching drawing, painting, digital photography, intro to art and life drawing. My drawings are exhibited nationally and I do gallery talks concerning my work and portfolio development for artists. I am also a recent recipient of two Kentucky Arts Council Grants, 2005 and 2007.
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