ART

The future belongs to the Artist.

We are ALL artists creating, dancing and sculpting every moment of the day.  Whether we accept this fact or not makes no real difference.  Our thoughts, words and deeds constantly influence the network we are and are a part of.

Below are a series of painting that have made their way out of my being and onto canvass.  I typically use acrylic paint.  Other paintings have called for a variety of materials ranging from sand to my blood.  The prices, size and material are above each picture and I will specify when an item sells.  I am also including a brief synopsis with each painting to reflect the feel of the gallery.  The writing is not meant to describe.  It is meant to compliment.

If you are interested in commissioning me to do a piece then please email me:

shout@chrisscholl.com

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Days of Wine & Repression.

The Days of Wine & Repression were brief but effective.  If repression and suppression are the underlying causes of depression then the obvious solution must be expression.

Creativity, emotion and sexuality are a trinity.  Harm or Harmony?  Create or Destroy?

The Truth is that we are abundant and our potential is vast.

(Acrylic on 4X4 canvass with sand, resin and red wine.)  

$997 CDN plus shipping*

*Jumping fool not included.

Espiritus Sanctus

Some paintings take forever to complete.  It’s just the nature of the process I suppose.  Others, like this one happen in an instant.  After, I’ll step back to observe and think to myself, “How the fuck did that just happen?”  Life has a way of perpetually amazing me.

Espiritus Sanctus is Latin for “Holy Spirit”.  Holy comes from ‘holos’ which means wholeness and Spirit comes from “Spiritus” which is breath.  I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

What unites us?

(Acrylic on canvass 18″x 24″with sand, resin and molding paste.)  

$397 CDN.

 This item is sold.

Love, Art & Fear.

The two basic human emotions are Love and Fear.  What we choose to create with our life typically stems from ‘where’ we create from.  In the middle of our tension is the potential for art.

The Human Being is an experiential artist.

Polarity is for our benefit.

(Acrylic on canvass: 14″x 18″ and 12″x 14″)

$397 CDN

Apocalypse Interrupted.

The Apocalypse is typically viewed through a destructive and catastrophic lens.  Thanks Hollywood.  The French/Latin/Greek origins of the word simply mean ‘Revelation’.

Perhaps we’ve all been trained to think in terms of chaos but I wouldn’t be so surprised if an apocalypse on Earth turned out to be a moment of grace and awesomeness.  Why not?

Fuck you Hollywood!  I will learn to swim and meet you down in Arizona Bay.

(Acrylic on canvass 16″x 20″)

$497 CDN

Passion.

Passion is life.  Passion is purpose.  Passion is fire.  Passion is fuel.

What is your passion?

(Acrylic on canvass 15″x 30″)

$297 CDN plus shipping

Spontaneity.

Passion and spontaneity go hand in hand.  I know first hand that impulsivity can lead to bad choices.  I have however come to learn that impulsivity is uncontrolled emotion whereas spontaneity flows genuinely from the Heart.

It’s only real enemy is that part of our brain that just says no to adventure and fun.

(Acrylic on canvass 16″x 20″)

Offer what you feel in your heart if you know this painting is yours. 

This item has been sold. 

The Struggle.

I came to understand that following my passion and being spontaneous came with certain side effects depending on my level of resistance.  When I was functioning from ‘observe, resist, force’ mode, I would have a struggle on my hands.  My moments of yelling at the sky all came from my own inability to let go and move in the direction that the art of my life was calling for.

Here is “The Struggle”.  I intentionally hate this painting.  That being said, I’ve learned so much about who I really am because of the struggle.  Amazing things begin to happen when we get out of our own way.

(Acrylic and blood on canvass 16″x 20″)

$197 CDN plus shipping

The Ease.

 There seems to be a certain aspect to experience that is easy.

You know that feeling when you know something should be simple but it seems like you’re missing something?  Then, one day it just clicks, makes sense and you have no idea how you couldn’t have seen it before because it’s that obvious.

That is the ease.

Life itself is grace.

(Acrylic on canvass 16″x 20″)

$247 CDN

This item is sold.

Damour.

The sub-text for this is “compassion, communication, contrast, chaos and compatibility”.

Human love isn’t all butterflies and roses.  It’s mixed with our own personal conditions, emotional insecurities and attachments.  Some might argue that this type of love is actually fear and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with them.

In the universe of unconditional love we embrace the chaos and contrast with compassion knowing that it is necessary for growth.  It was in our communication that we found compatibility.  That’s how I piece it together anyways.  Love, real love in my view is about acceptance, letting go and giving without concern for reciprocity.

(Acrylic on  2 canvass 14″x 18″  $555 CDN)

This item is sold.

Ready for you.

I don’t believe that enlightenment is a single flashing moment where we understand and become one with all things.  I did have that moment… and then, shortly after my phone rang, I checked my stupid Facebook updates and ate something that passes for food in our bloated society.  Honestly, I will invest the rest of my entire life aligning my spirit to what I experienced that day.  I make an effort every day to think on this moment.

I was, am and will be ready for you.  If you do not show up then I will become a better human being because of you.  Thank you.

I love you like crazy.

(Acrylic on canvass 18″x 24″)

$397 CDN

This item is on reserve.

Obvious Silver Linings.

Sometimes we search for the eye glasses that are right on top of our head.  I don’t wear glasses but that’s the metaphor I’ve come up with to describe those moments where the oblivious becomes obvious.

It is entirely possibly to prime our brain towards happy expectancy.  Imagine this; something ’shitty’ happens and our immediate response is “what is the silver lining?”  What is the big picture?  What is this apparent shitty thing guiding me toward?  Where is the gold nugget in the pile of crap before me?

If we aren’t responding this way then we most likely have our brain on auto-pilot saying things like “why is this happening to me again?” or “pffft, just my fucking luck”.

I’m not judging.  I am merely suggesting that we can transform any situation by changing our mind and priming our brain to constantly see the obvious silver lining.

(Acrylic and silver leaf on canvass 14″x 18″)

$197 CDN plus shipping

The 9^th Time.

I painted this canvass nine times over the course of 3 months.  I just couldn’t get it right.  I felt like that character on Sesame Street banging his head on the piano crying, “oh, I’ll never get it… never”.

The main lesson here I suppose is that persistence pays off.  I would include patience as well but, I was not patient with this one.  I wanted to smash it to pieces.  It is about a million miles away from what I originally intended but that’s ok.  I love it now.

The other lesson is that if you want something to happen, you keep on it with diligence until it manifests.  It may not turn out exactly how you envisioned.  That doesn’t matter.  With enough love, passion and persistence awesome things can come about.

The only real failure is in giving up.

(Acrylic and sand on canvass 16″x 20″ and 2 - 8″x 10″)

$397 CDN plus shipping

30 Seconds closer to the edge of Mars.

Just think…

If you head toward something with patience and persistence then every 30 seconds you will be 30 seconds closer to your destination.

I know.  I know.  Your mind is blown with that insight.

Let’s say you have 1000 steps to take in order to get home.  If you walk a step a day then you will get there in 1000 days.  If you walk 10 steps a day then you will arrive in 100 days.  It all depends on your motivation I suppose.

The point is that you are 30 seconds closer to your desire for every 30 seconds you move toward that desire.  It is a reminder that if you stop something before its time or quit before you “get there” then you are 30 seconds closer to nothing.

None of this means that I desire to live on Mars.  If that were the case I would have called it “30 seconds closer to the edge of Venus”.

(Acrylic on canvass 14″x 18″ with resin sand and Cedar leaf)

$147 CDN plus shipping

The Great Art Experiment.

When we, as human beings subscribe to our own comfort zones we begin to see the ceiling above our head as “all there is”.  What I mean by this is that our identity can be constructed by our limits and then we are in prison.  We free our self from that prison when we move in new ways.  I’m not suggesting that you go out today and face all of your fears at once.

Start small.

The more you do things outside of your comfort zone the more that process becomes your comfort zone.  Who you are is entire based on who you think you are.

I toyed with various titles for the painting below and decided to call it “The Great Art Experiment”.  I called it this because that is my journey and what I believe the human being is; an experiential artist.

We are extensions of Creation.

Being an “artist” or creative extension has nothing to do with painting.  Your art is your life and you cannot make it great when you are afraid of growing.

(Acrylic on 4 canvasses 12″x 12″ with string gel)

$337 CDN plus shipping

Neurasia

Welcome to Neurasia. 

A moment in time where our Neurology meets our destiny.

(Asia; speculated to be from Akkad Asu meaning ‘to go out’ ‘to rise or ascend’ in reference to the sun; thus ‘the land of sunshine’.)

(Acrylic on Canvass 18″x 24″ with blended sands from the prairies)

$597 CDN

This item has been sold. 

Where the Spirits fly

Walking in the desert alone we find our Heart.  As the tempestuous sandstorms arise we see through their offers of chaos and delusion.  We have found our home and if we should get lost again, we know the shortest way back.

(Acrylic on Canvass 18″x 24″ with blended sands from the prairies)

$597 CDN

This item is sold

Suntithenai

This is the root of the word ‘Synthesis’, originally meaning ‘place together’.  We typically think of a scientific procedure regarding synthesis or something synthesized as being man-made.

When we look at everything under the Sun, on Earth and infinitely spread throughout what we called the Uni-verse we find ‘Suntithenai’.

We find our place together in all things placed together.

(Acrylic on canvass 18″x 24″ with blended sands from the prairies)

$497 CDN

Life on the Surface of the Sun

Life on the surface of the Sun can be daunting.  It’s chaotic and restless.  Realizing that, I didn’t want to live like that anymore so I began to swim and got no where.  I would thrash about and the lake of fire would consume me.  I asked my self where all of this seeming chaos was coming from and a calm instantly came over me as I began to sink.  I heard a voice say “you were creating this”.

At first, I was sad because the chaos had become my friend and I was letting go.  Next, I was angry at my self for wasting so much precious time thrashing about and mad at God for allowing the possibility.

At last I began to let go and forgive.  Here, I was re-united with the Center.  I sometimes reflect on my previous life on the surface but it is only for nostalgic purposes.  I’m glad to be home.

(Acrylic on canvass 18″x 24″ blended with sands from the Prairies)

$597 CDN

This item is sold.

Enigmartyr

She tries to suffer in silence.  Her emotion gives her away.  You know enough about her to keep you interested but the carrot on the stick alludes you.

The depth of her emotion is rich.  Curious, you dive into these waters time and time again, only to find yourself sitting on her throne as she swims toward the light.  Breathless and still, the mystery is revealed to you at the 11th hour.

(Acrylic on canvass 15.5″ x 23.5″ mixed with sand desert)

                                                     $297 CDN plus shipping

Layers of Hell

I thought I was having a nightmare while sleeping in Heaven.

And then I woke up laughing.

Maybe I am just a brain in a vat being prodded by some mad scientist.  Nah, that’s just me.  Wait, who is talking?  Where am I?  How did the door I just walked through lead me to the same room I just left?

And then I woke up laughing.

Maybe I am just a brain in a vat being probed by some mad scientist.  Nah, that’s just me.  Wait, who is talking?  Where am I?  How did the door I just walked through lead me to the same room I just left?

And then I woke up laughing.

(Acrylic mixed with sand and string gel on canvass 15.5″x 23.5″)

                                                      $397 CDN plus shipping

Bloodletting

(Acrylic, sand and blood on canvass 23″x 31″)

$797 CDN plus shipping

Transgression & Freedom

The bridge between transgression and freedom is wrought with confession, love and forgiveness.  It is that simple but not always easy to cross.  We are experimential beings that will learn from whatever side we choose to be on and no other human can judge us.  Sure they’ll try but who cares because judgement is not an act they’d commit if they were free.

(Acrylic, sand and string gel on canvass 32″x 39″)

$797 CDN plus shipping

Cascade

Emotions are like waves.  Watch them ebb and flow with the tide.  At times, I forget that I am the calm center and whirl about in my fears and insecurities.  I have the potential for harm when I forget who I am.  This harm is not intentional.  It is a consequence of allowing fear to overtake my mind.  Even though harm is at times a part of harmony, I choose harmony over harm every time.

(Acrylic and sand on canvass 31″ x 23″ x 2 pieces)

$897 CDN plus shipping

Tima

I imagine the timeline of each persons life as a work of art.  When I ask you to dance, we share a moment.  A song.  We only have so much time here on Earth and it is in our best interest and the best interests of our community to make the most of that time.  I do believe that we are collectively in the process of entering a brand new way of functioning together within this experience called “reality”.  It may take some time though as I imagine that those who have been profiting from the former paradigm will fight the unfolding light.  It is sad that these beings would choose this fear but their life too is part of the art of it.

(Acrylic and sand on canvass 18″ x 24″)

$597 CDN plus shipping

The Vacuum

Suddenly, it is all different as the blink of an eye changes us forever.  For better or worse is up to us.  The Vacuum can represent our inertia or inability to change.  A lot of times it facilitates that very change as the constant.

In this case, I am happy to let go into you with the faith that our colors will blend beautifully.  I resist nothing of you.

(Acrylic, string gel, sand & rocks on canvass 16″ x 20″)

$297 CDN plus shipping

The Renewal

Our spirit, while on Earth is in need of constant renewal.  Otherwise, we become stagnant.  It is so important for us to be honest with ourselves about what the motivation behind our action is.  This doesn’t mean that we get lost in the abyss of self-examination or analysis.  It just simply means looking to see if our actions express freedom and love or security and fear.  Most times, the answer will be simple and the actions will be challenging to our comfort zones.

(Acrylic & sand on canvass 11″ x 14″)

$147

This item is sold.

Mockery

The arrogance of the counterfeit spirit becomes his own inevitable snare.  He whispers in our ears.  Lies.  He then laughs and twists with glee as we fight each other or tell ourselves that we are not worthy of love or feel like we are not enough.  But now we see you and know your name.  You can smile or smirk as you win these fleeting battles but we have the Victory and to the victor goes the spoils.

(Acrylic, sand and trapped demon on canvass 31″ x 39″)

$897 CDN plus shipping

The Gift

We all have gifts.  I believe that these are meant to be shared and given.  In this we are extensions of creation meant to continue and expand the process of giving.  Through the exploration of variables we discover or better yet, we are reminded of who we truly are.

(Acrylic on canvass 16″ x 20″)

$297 CDN plus shipping