Here is my wife, Diana Ayton-Shenker at the book launch event for "A New Global Agenda" at the New School in NYC on March 1st, 2018.
The William T. Ayton Art Blog
William T. Ayton is a British artist in upstate New York. His work deals with the human condition, human potential and myth. This is his blog featuring new artwork & ideas.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
The Books Have Arrived
Just delivered by the UPS guy...Diana's new book, "A New Global Agenda" arrived this morning. It's always exciting to hold the actual item in your hands...makes it more real, and has the new book smell (printer's ink, mostly).
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A New Global Agenda edited by Diana Ayton-Shenker |
Labels:
a new global agenda,
book cover,
books,
cover art,
diana ayton-shenker
Saturday, February 24, 2018
A New Global Agenda book launch poster
Below is the poster for my wife's book launch event at The New School in NYC on March 1st, 2018. The poster, designed by The New School, contains 2 of my drawings which appear as section dividers in the book (there are 3 in total). I also did the cover painting for the book (see blog sidebar to the right of this post).
Links:
The New School
The New School book launch event
A New Global Agenda (publisher's page)
A New Global Agenda (on Amazon)
Links:
The New School
The New School book launch event
A New Global Agenda (publisher's page)
A New Global Agenda (on Amazon)
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A New Global Agenda book launch poster |
Saturday, February 03, 2018
The Entrance to the Otherworld
This is from a new series of middle-sized (for me) acrylic paintings on plywood. It's a symbolist-leaning piece (reminds me a bit of Böcklin, with its inky sky and shrouded figure). The portal/tomb structure is actually influenced by a recent trip to the Mayan Riviera of Mexico (the three windows at the top come from "El Castillo" in Tulum). The pomegranates (or apples or whatever they are) are for Persephone. It's twilight, and the open door beckons.
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The Entrance to the Otherworld, 2018, acrylic on plywood, 20" x 16". |
Labels:
acryic painting,
art,
bocklin,
dusk,
entrance,
otherworld,
portal,
shrouded figure,
somber,
twilight,
underworld
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
The Maid of the Mountains / Frozen in Time
After having spent the last month or two (or three) reading the Walter Isaacson "Leonardo da Vinci" biography (which I can recommend, more on that anon), I find that whenever I spend a significant period of time in the company of another artist's work, I start to absorb a certain amount of the sensibility of said artist. Which brings us to the work presented here, which is obviously a little more than a nod in the direction of the Mona Lisa (I was thinking of titling the piece "Anom Asil", for example), but I think I caught a little of the essence of the original, whilst bringing something different to the table...you can decide...
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The Maid of the Mountains / Frozen in time, 2018, acrylic on plywood, 16" x 12". |
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
The Coils of the Gorgon
I'm working on a small scale due to the fact that it's cold & snowy & expensive to heat my studio right now. I have a stack of sepia card I'm working through, putting the best results on various web sites (my own, Flickr, etc.). Here's an updated version of Medusa, influenced in part by the Leonardo book I'm reading (more on that anon).
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The Coils of the Gorgon, 2018, ink & acrylic on sepia card, 11" x 8.5". |
Labels:
acrylic,
art,
coiled hair,
gorgon,
greek mythology,
ink drawing,
medusa
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Caught in the Storm / Facing the Future
My first drawing (heightened with white acrylic paint) of 2018. A week ago I was in Mexico (Mayan Riviera/Playa Del Carmen/Tulum/Chichen Itza) & now I'm back in the frozen wastes of Rhinebeck New York. The weather doesn't necessarily want me to make art, but I felt I had to start today & this was the first piece that surfaced...
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Caught in the Storm / Facing the Future, 2018, ink & acrylic on sepia card, 8.5" x 11" |
Labels:
art,
coiled hair,
head,
ink drawing,
storm
Friday, December 29, 2017
The Frozen Hive
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Two Heads, Talking
The Man Who Imagined Himself Into Existence
Monday, November 13, 2017
The Emperor
I feel like I was channeling Paul Klee a little on this small (10" x 10") painting. Interestingly, the piece came together with the finishing touch of the plant-like motif under the eye on the profile head.
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The Emperor, 2017, acrylic on board, 10" x 10". |
Labels:
acrylic painting,
art,
city,
emperor,
profile,
silhouette
Wednesday, November 08, 2017
The Escapist
New painting, channeling Magritte at least a little, here. The shell-like ear was the finishing touch to this one.
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The Escapist, 2017, acrylic on plywood, 16" x 12". |
Labels:
acrylic painting,
art,
broken head,
egg,
escapist
Thursday, November 02, 2017
Hermetic Venus
This is a new acrylic painting from a new series of color works, a coming-together of many themes I've worked on over the years. This one had a long gestation period of maybe a week...it went through many different iterations until reaching what (I hope) is the final stage, below.
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Hermetic Venus, 2017, acrylic on plywood, 16" x 12" |
Labels:
acrylic painting,
art,
hermetic,
mythology,
venus
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Babel with Tiny Lights
The Shootist WIP
This is a work-in-progress painting of a modified head...many of my works feature somewhat surrealistic heads. Also has an anti-war / anti gun violence aspect to it. I think it may be mostly done (?), but time will tell on that. When I have the final version, I'll put it up on this page.
Update: I've added the final version below the unfinished one.
Update: I've added the final version below the unfinished one.
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The Shootist (unfinished version), 2017, acrylic on board, 14" x 11" |
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The Shootist, 2017, acrylic on board, 14" x 11" |
Labels:
acrylic painting,
art,
head,
surrealistic
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