Did I mention I like his egg paintings

February 27, 2017 11:41 AM

Scott Conary is an oil painter in Portland, Oregon. He paints eggs. Gorgeous, glowing eggs. Also other things, sure. Meat sometimes. But also eggs.
posted by cortex (29 comments total)

He makes paintings of eggs. This is an important distinction especially when you get to painting meat because I really wanted to see how that worked. Dehydrator + lots of rabbit gesso I guess? Paintings of things all sort of work the same way. Conary's food pieces are all kinda small too which I'm not sure how I feel about. Like, convenient size, sensible for the likely placement but, like, 6-feet tall is a thing.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:49 AM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

One could say eggs are his preferred oeufre.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:49 AM on February 27, 2017 [24 favorites]

They're good eggs cortex.

Fifteen years ago when I started art school, I took intro painting with a lovely older southern prof who was still using his same typewritten, mimeographed syllabus from the early sixties. First we painted a white egg on a white cloth. Then two eggs. Then it was brown eggs before, eventually, we were allowed to use a full palette — to paint red apples on green cloths and vice versa.

I don't think painting is taught that way as much anymore, and there are reasons for that, but when I see third and fourth year students really struggling with the basics now, I can't help but wonder if they'd be doing better if they hadn't skipped breakfast.
posted by wreckingball at 11:55 AM on February 27, 2017 [15 favorites]

I was really expecting something like this.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:00 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

Thanks a lot, Cortex. I'm not really into painting - or eggs - but his work is absolutely fascinating.
posted by nicolin at 12:07 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

There's something charming about these, what with the sloppy impasto and crooked horizons. I'm used to seeing egg paintings as something done in an atelier to get artists used to the idea that white objects are not actually white. The execution of those paintings is usually highly realistic and somewhat emotionless. These are peppy and messy. They'd look great on the wall of a local breakfast joint.
posted by xyzzy at 12:09 PM on February 27, 2017

Damn. He made radicchio shine. Like a pomegranate.
posted by maryr at 12:09 PM on February 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

He makes paintings of eggs.

Magritte had Scott Conary around for breakfast one time, and served him two eggs in a bowler hat.

Scott: Why give me two eggs for breakfast?
René: C'est ne pas un oeuf.
posted by zamboni at 12:14 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

He makes paintings of eggs.

neither of us can prove he doesn't use some weird tempera-based ground on his supports so technically he could in theory be painting eggs even when he's making a painting of eggs QED
posted by cortex at 12:15 PM on February 27, 2017 [4 favorites]

John Brosio's hens are pissed off about what's been going on with the eggs, smash up town.
posted by notyou at 12:25 PM on February 27, 2017 [4 favorites]

Hello, new Twitter avatar.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:35 PM on February 27, 2017 [7 favorites]

They're good eggs cortex.

Surely, the gag would be "They're good eggs, coretax."
posted by tobascodagama at 12:40 PM on February 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

the premise for this post is a little thin no, like an egg shell?
posted by chasles at 12:54 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

the premise for this post is a little thin no, like an egg shell?

omelette you finish, but this is the best egg painting post of all time.
posted by zamboni at 1:01 PM on February 27, 2017 [12 favorites]

I love the way the bold brushstrokes scramble your perception of such a common object.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 1:05 PM on February 27, 2017 [4 favorites]

I love the way the bold brushstrokes scramble your perception of such a common object.

you might say it's eggstraordinary??
posted by chasles at 1:15 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

I look forward to seeing these on the walls of corporatized "farm to table" concept restaurants that will only last for six months.
posted by cmoj at 1:29 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

Enough yolks, you guys.
posted by maryr at 1:38 PM on February 27, 2017 [3 favorites]

I wonder if he has an albumin which he keeps a copy of all his paintings.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:45 PM on February 27, 2017 [7 favorites]

Ooh, that last one of the egg in the glass is so beautiful!
posted by merriment at 2:00 PM on February 27, 2017

Reminds me of Walter Murch. Lovely.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 2:47 PM on February 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

You'll rue the day you see my painting, Trebek.
posted by 4ster at 2:53 PM on February 27, 2017

What, no bacon or ham? It b-eggers belief.

Oö! I got a couple, because MeFi puns are egg-cellent. I crack up at every one. Maybe a few of them are ova-worked.
posted by BlueHorse at 3:14 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

If he was using egg tempera, it would be awesome.

I really like his style. Messy. Impressionistic but with a very different color palette.
posted by Deoridhe at 3:45 PM on February 27, 2017

I have a friend I went to grad school with who has gotten into painting eggs lately, though hers are mostly of the cooked variety. Here's her instagram, which is filled with other random photos but is still heavily egg-painting-related.
posted by vegartanipla at 6:16 PM on February 27, 2017

Omg you should get him on the podcast
posted by oceanjesse at 6:28 PM on February 27, 2017

wreckingball's comment reminded me of when I applied for a spot in a drawing class in college. It was taught by a successful artist from South Africa, who has the most wonderful accent. We got into the room where the admission test was held, and there were large pieces of paper (3' x 4'?) taped to the walls. Each applicant was given a piece of charcoal and an eraser. Then he walked around the room holding a brown paper bag, and one at a time, pulled out a small, stringy potato and handed it to the applicant to draw.

Some 35 people applied for 12 slots. I am ashamed to say that mine was the 13th best potato, and I only got a spot in the course because someone else dropped out.
posted by MrBobinski at 7:07 PM on February 27, 2017 [3 favorites]

Does he also sculpt eggs, make egg stencils, and build snow eggs? Because if so I'm seriously going to start thinking there's some kind artistic fixation granting radioactive spider wandering around Portland biting people.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:29 PM on February 27, 2017

That sounds like a concept with L'eggs.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:56 PM on February 27, 2017 [1 favorite]