Polychromatic Thoughts

Rush Hour

2012-01-20T19:08:00.001-05:00

The title of this post seems ironic to me, because I definitely have not been doing any rushing with my art lately. I can't believe I haven't posted anything in five months. My painting came to a screeching halt when Goldsmith's left Waterbury and I had to relocate back to my living room. Painting at home with only the television to keep me company is not the same as painting downtown, where people I know and random strangers would wander in to chat about the painting or watch me paint through the window.

Just before 2011 ended, I managed to finish my painting of Rush Hour Traffic. The scene is Union Street from the intersection of South Elm.

This particular painting was disappointing for me. Or maybe it's better to say I learned a few things about myself as a painter, mainly that I'm too timid. I was inspired to paint this scene while sitting at a red light at dusk--the contrasts of the brilliant artificial lights, dark shadows and illuminated sky were stunning. None of that comes through in the painting, although it does come through a little better in real life than in this photo.

I re-painted the clouds and the Courtyard by Marriott building several times, each time making them darker. I have a vague memory of being cautioned way back when I was a teenager about putting down paint that is too dark--"you can always make it darker, but it's hard to make it lighter." That probably was a warning for watercolors, not oils, but I guess it's stuck with me.

I will give myself a few points for doing better with painting cars than in previous paintings. The first time I tried painting cars, they looked more like pigs. I learn from doing. Now I just need to do more!

Conflict

2011-08-11T10:11:00.002-04:00

Now that Goldsmith's has closed their Waterbury location, I have two paintings in my living room demanding that I finish them. It's not a very big living room, so having two easels set up makes it a little crowded.

For some reason, I'm having trouble moving forward with either one. I want to keep painting the big one of Fulton Park, but I'm almost finished with the little one. Reason tells me to finish the little one first, since it won't take anywhere near as long. But since I want to work on the big one, it's hard to get into the right frame of mind to paint the little one. So I paint neither.

I've considered putting away the little one until the big one is finished, but I can't bring myself to do that. I've definitely spent too much time thinking about this, because I'm starting to imagine a scenario, like a cartoon, in which the paintings start talking, each one demanding that I pay attention to it.

It would probably be easier if the two paintings were more similar to one another.

Connecticut Women Artists Open Juried Show

2011-05-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

Tempus Lux: Clock on the Green, 2009 oil on canvas, 20 x 30 inches

Very excited to learn that my Tempus Lux painting was accepted into the 82nd Annual Connecticut Women Artists Open Juried Show. The Juror was Dr. Fereshteh Daftari, former Curator at The Museum of Modern Art.

The exhibit will be held at the Jorgensen Gallery at UConn, Storrs, June 19 - July 16.

The Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held Saturday, July 9, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Subject Matter

2011-05-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

The Waterbury Fire Department stopped by my house yesterday to check for a gas leak. Two very large firemen in full gear waited upstairs while the third fireman checked out the basement with a meter. We started talking about my art, since my almost-finished painting of rush hour traffic is on an easel in the living room.

First there was the standard polite compliment. The conversation quickly turned into a friendly debate about subject matter and marketability. When I remarked that I have yet to make any profits from painting, one fireman said the problem was my subject, that there is no beauty in Waterbury and thus there is no market for paintings of Waterbury.

I didn't have any other paintings in the house, so I grabbed my cell phone and showed him the detail of my painting of the Welton Horse fountain, which I have on an iPhone case for just this sort of situation.

Waterbury is full of beauty, but I guess not everyone can see it.

Mixed Media

2011-04-03T21:14:00.001-04:00

I went to see the exhibit That's Women's Work at the Freight Street Gallery and was really struck by a mixed-media painting by Pam Bogert.

At first glance, I thought I didn't like it. I thought it was too crude, too grungy. Then I looked at it closely and realized that I love it. It's fantastic. I love the cartoonish depiction of Torrington, the caricatures of familiar sites, the playfulness of the depictions.

I'm inspired to do something similar of Waterbury, but I know it will be hugely challenging for me. Which is probably all the more reason to try.

Now for procedural questions. Do I try mixed media, like Bogert did with this work? When I was a kid, I loved playing with paper dolls and paper cut-out buildings. I used to take huge sheets of paper, lay them out flat on the floor or table, draw roads on them and then place the paper buildings I had made on them. Maybe I could do some sort of complex high-relief mixed media image. Something to think about!

In Progress

2011-03-07T19:23:00.000-05:00

I've been working on finishing two paintings of Waterbury, one that I'm working on at home when time permits (which is far too rarely), and one that I'm working on almost every Friday in the window at Goldsmith's downtown.

First up, here's the one I'm working on at home. A view of downtown looking towards Grand Street from St. Mary's Hospital, at rush hour during the Autumn.

Taking photographs of my art is always tricky. Sometimes I put in the effort and camera technology necessary for a good photograph (as above) and sometimes I just do a quick snapshot with the camera in my phone with bad lighting (as below). When I go for the quickie, the colors are off and there's a tendency towards blurriness.

I have no idea when I'll get this finished. There's not that much left, but I never seem to have the time to work on it (have to do the things that pay first!).

Next up, the painting I'm working on at Goldsmith's, a view of Fulton Park in the summertime.

The lighting is a little odd. It's very hard to get a good shot in a small space when the painting is so large (48 x 36 inches). This is the largest canvas I've ever worked on, which is very fun for me. There was a sale, so I bought two of them. The second one will be a winter scene at Hammonasset.

A couple of details:

Eliminating Art

2011-03-03T21:38:00.001-05:00

State Sen. Paul Doyle, 9th District, has introduced a proposed bill to eliminate the state requirement that the State Bond Commission allocate one percent of every state building project cost for the purchase of art.

There will be a public hearing on March 7. Please contact your state legislators about this.

Doyle justified the bill with the following comments in the Hartford Courant: "It doesn't hurt people in terms of the safety net. … it doesn't take food off the table of a poor person." The article makes it clear that Doyle believes elimination of the 1% allocation will somehow save money.

Doyle is severely misguided and misinformed on several levels.

First of all, eliminating the state requirement will have no impact on the amount of money being spent. I have been involved with the Public Art program, so I have an understanding of how it works. It's very simple. When the state decides to construct a new building, they figure out how much the project will cost. Let's say, hypothetically, it is expected that a new building will cost $20 million to construct. The state then figures out where the $20 million is going to come from. After the state confirms that they have the $20 million to spend, they start the project and set aside one percent of the funds to use later for the purchase of art for the new building. How much is one percent? For a $20 million project, it's $200,000.

Doyle's bill will not save any money. The money will still be spent, just not on art.

Secondly, eliminating the state requirement absolutely will hurt people and will take food off the table of artists (who are so often suffering from poverty the phrase "starving artist" is cliche). It takes work away from artists, it takes work away from the fabricators and installers who help make art happen.

The Connecticut Arts Alliance issued an excellent press release on February 8 which does an excellent job of explaining why the 1% program is essential. I have reprinted it below:

A Case for Public Art in Connecticut

CONNECTICUT’S ART IN PUBLIC SPACES PROGRAM

Administered, by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, the Art in Public Spaces Program Connecticut's Art in Public Spaces program was established by the General Assembly in 1978, the Art in Public Spaces program requires that not less than 1% of the cost of construction or renovation of publicly accessible state buildings be allocated for the commission or purchase of artwork for that building. Over 300 works have been commissioned since the program’s inception. The works represent a wide variety of media, including sculpture, wall relief, environmental installation, painting, and photography; and range in scale from works on paper to monumental murals.

The purpose of the Art in Public Spaces program is to provide the citizens of Connecticut with an improved public environment by investing in creative works of high quality for public buildings. The program adds visibility to the cultural heritage of the state and its people. To date, the Connecticut program has resulted in 318 projects created by 199 artists in 61 towns. To see the towns and projects, visit http://www.cultureandtourism.org/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=2214&q=274520

The Art in Public Spaces program has employed 90 Connecticut artists. In addition to employing artists, the commissioned artist frequently contract additional employees hiring fabricators, studio assistants, structural engineers, electricians, architects, installers etc. Artists who receive commissions purchase project materials from Connecticut businesses. They buy paint, granite, glass, stone, steel, light fixtures and more.

WHAT IS PUBLIC ART?

Public art is more than just art installed in public spaces. Public art, at its best, is a mirror that reflects local environments, cultural values, and the artistic vitality of the community in which it is placed. Integrated into the design and construction of either exterior or interior projects, or created as a stand-alone objects, public art is planned and developed in response to a particular context or place and is site-specific – created for the specific conditions of the place in which it resides. Public art makes sense of communities by creating landmarks, directional elements, and defining neighborhoods and districts. Public art’s “placemaking” builds livable communities and contributes to the distinctiveness of a place.

BENEFITS OF PUBLIC ART

Public art:

· Creates jobs and stimulates business activity. Public art brings substantial economic benefits. According to the Public Art Network of Americans for the Arts, ten (10) jobs are supported by every public artwork commissioned. These include artists, designers, architects, engineers, fabricators, material suppliers, installers, and various types of assistants, to name a few. Public artworks require transportation, site preparation, lighting, landscaping, insurance, and a host of services from small businesses. The creation and installation of a public artwork is a dynamic contributor to small business development. Notable among the beneficiaries are the creative industries made up of talented workers who are self-employed artists and free-lancers or free-lancers employed by micro-enterprises.

The maintenance and restoration of installed artworks provides an additional economic stimulus, generating business for suppliers, conservators, fabricators, artists, and others.

Boosts cultural tourism. A Public Art Network Issue Paper published in 2004 by Americans for the Arts (AFTA) points out that “Many cities, counties, and regions have, over the years, acquired large collections of artworks in the public realm. These form part of the cultural assets that attract visitors to the region, making a significant contribution to the local economy. A diverse range of artwork in the collection by artists of regional, national, and international stature is important to establish a noteworthy collection that will serve as cultural destinations.”

· Attracts and retains creative people. According to the Public Art Network of AFTA, colleges and universities report that public artwork has a positive influence on student morale, stimulates creativity and innovation, and contributes to student learning. Public artwork attracts creative individuals and helps recruiting efforts on college campuses. The presence of art work communicates a sense of pride and a college or university’s competitive edge and helps attract and retain a creative and high-quality student body

· Enhances our public buildings and improves the quality of life for our citizens. Artwork brings public spaces to life. It improves the visual quality and appearance of public environments and buildings and contributes to the prestige of a community. Public artwork makes government buildings and public university campuses attractive places to work, live, and visit.

· Defines the identity of a place and reveals the distinct character of a community. Works of public art are symbols of the creative energy and artistic vision of a place. They express the soul of a community. Public art tells a community’s story and reminds residents and visitors of what makes a place special. A community with public works of art has invested in its identity and cultural heritage.

· Engages broad segments of a community in the acquisition of artwork. The planning, selection, and commissioning of artwork is a broad-based collaborative process that brings together facility planners, site-based administrators, artists, architects, engineers, arts professionals, and civic and community representatives. The process fosters relationships, resolves problems, and builds consensus.

· Is engaging and accessible to all. Public art is for all to experience and enjoy. It delights. It captivates. It brings us into a state of focused attention. It can inspire awe and bring out deep emotion and satisfaction. Public art opens new ways of seeing and understanding the world. Public works of art stimulate the appreciation of art by Connecticut citizens.

· Contributes to the sustainability of the built environment. Public art, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing, can have a functional purpose. When fully integrated into the site, it can incorporate sustainable features that contribute to energy conservation, water drainage, and solar conduction.

BRIEF PERCENT-FOR-ART HISTORY

The percent-for-art concept dates back to the New Deal and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture established in 1934. The program set aside approximately 1 percent of the cost of federal building for “artistic adornment.” In addition to securing high-quality art for public buildings, the Section was committed to stimulating a “democratic” appreciation of art by the American people.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (changed to Works Project Administration in 1939) to employ artists and utilize their talent and skills to enhance the built environment for the benefit of the public, the economy, and artists themselves. Today twenty-seven states and over 300 municipalities legislatively allocate some portion of building costs for art acquisition.

Winter Blues

2011-02-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting much to this blog lately, mostly because I'm using my Facebook page for updates. I'll try using this blog for longer things, ruminations about art.

I've been thinking for a while about doing a winter painting. I've always been impressed by paintings of snow. Some favorites are William Glackens' Central Park paintings, John Twachtman's Connecticut Shore-Winter and Winter Harmony, Ernest Lawson's Snow Scene, Robert Nisbet's Connecticut Winter Landscape, and Hobart Nichols' Winter Landscape with Stream.

One of the amazing things about snow is the color. You think it's white, but when you really look at it, there's a lot of blue. It's subtle, but it's there. You can see the blue more obviously in ice, like in this photo I took in Thomaston:

I normally paint scenes of Waterbury, but I took a great shot at Hammonassett a couple years ago. It reminds me of a Twachtman painting. I'm sure it will look nothing like a Twachtman when I paint it, but that's what will be in my mind.

Another Hammonassett shot I might paint someday:

Of course, it's Waterbury in the winter that I really want to paint. Over the years, I've hunted for good snow scenes during and after storms. The Green looks best with snow and Christmas lights combined, but it took a while before I could get them together.

Winter scenes are tricky, mostly because I'm looking for city scenes, and cities tend to be bleak and brown in the winter. It's definitely not a subject I can paint during the winter--far too depressing! In the winter, I like to paint summer scenes (like the one I'm currently working on every Friday in the window at Goldsmith's). The winter scenes will have to wait for summer.

iPhone Cases

2010-12-08T19:55:00.000-05:00

With my art on them!

Here is a selection of what is available for 3G, 3GS, and 4 (clicking on the photos will take you to the cafepress.com store--be sure to explore it for other designs!):

Gift Giving

2010-11-22T18:16:00.001-05:00

When you're doing your holiday shopping this year, consider purchasing real art. It's a unique gift and you help support a starving artist. My available paintings are at Goldsmith's on Bank Street in Waterbury and can be previewed on my website (all prices are negotiable, just make me an offer!).

If you aren't ready to invest in real art, you can also purchase notecards, mugs, prints, etc. from my cafepress.com store.

Drawing a Dream

2010-10-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

I don't paint dreams. I don't paint things from my imagination. I don't paint from memory. I paint what I see. Sometimes I feel trapped by my literalness. I'm always in awe of people who create art derived solely from their imaginations. I've wished that I could do that. Artwell in Torrington sent out invitations to submit art to their Dreams and Nightmares exhibit. I wanted to submit something, but I have nothing that qualifies. I decided this needed to change. I've spent the past week or two with this thought in the back of my mind, that I want to start doing more creative art. Last night, while watching The Lovely Bones, I was finally in the right frame of mind and had a vision of creating a large painting, early Renaissance style, of a dream I had the night after my cat Ferdinand died many years ago. Since there's no point having a great idea if you don't start making it real right away, I did a series of sketches for the painting. There is a narrative that goes with the images, but for right now I'm posting just the sketches, in sequence. Next I have to figure out how they will all fit onto a single canvas.

Going High Tech

2010-09-28T12:53:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I tried drawing on my computer. Not actually, you know, taking a pen and changing the look of the computer, but using software to create a drawing. Unfortunately, the only art software I have is Photoshop, and the only drawing tool I have is a mouse, so it was extremely difficult to get the lines to do what I wanted. I gave up trying to do anything complex after the first line. All I could manage was a stick figure.

In case you can't tell, that's me trying to use my mouse to draw in Photoshop.

I'm going to start researching computer drawing pens and software. There's an entire industry of people who create art using only computer equipment. I ought to be able to find something to use!

Painting in the Dark

2010-09-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

Well, not exactly that. I've got the lights on. It's the subject of my current canvas that is dark. Specifically, that time of day in autumn when the sun has almost finished setting, the lights of cars and signs are bright, dark shadows are everywhere, and there's just enough natural light left to make the sky glow.

This is the first time since 9th grade that I've tried painting a dark scene. It's an interesting challenge. Part of the challenge is making it dark enough. I've already had to go back over it once to make the sky darker, and it looks like I'll have to do the same for the buildings. This is the stage of painting where I need to see what other artists have done. So far, however, I haven't found too many similar works. I love Blakelock's moonlight landscapes, but of course his style is completely different from mine. I'll have to keep googling for images to inspire me.

Painting again

2010-08-08T17:57:00.001-04:00

I did the clouds a couple weeks ago, the buildings today. Still a lot more work to do, but the hardest part is done--getting in the right frame of mind and deciding what route to take with it.

I picked out the scene a few years ago, struck by the contrasts of dark and light looking towards Grand Street while sitting at a red light on Union Street. By the time I started applying the paint, I had lost touch with my original inspiration and wasn't sure how to proceed.

I regained my inspiration during a visit to Marc Chabot Fine Arts, admiring some of the amazing prints in his inventory. The subtleties of black and white prints can be stunning. I don't have any delusions that this painting will be that spectacular, but I am inspired to work in a much more monochromatic palette than I have in the past.

"Urban"

2010-05-31T21:17:00.001-04:00

I was recently browsing the shelves in the Barnes & Noble at Yale and was intrigued by a sign for section called "Urban Fiction". Now, since I consider myself to be an urban artist, painting scenes of city life, I was a little excited to think that maybe there was a larger trend going on, that authors as well as artists were exploring life in cities.

I was disappointed when I took a glance at the books in that section. "Urban" seemed to be a code word for African American trashy novels. As if the only African American experience is that of the city, and as if only African Americans live in cities.

I've done some research since then, and I see that there is a decades-old history behind this literary genre, and that there are some good novels within the genre, but something about it still doesn't seem right.

It seems like there is a sort of segregation going on in the literary world. Take, for example, one of my favorite authors, Tananarive Due. I have not read all of her books yet, but the ones that I have read are clearly of the horror/suspense genre. Try to find her books in the horror, or thriller, or even mystery or fantasy sections of a bookstore and you'll be out of luck. Her books are always in the African American section. Why? Because she and many (but not all) of her characters are African American.

I guess I'll have to stick it all in the category of things that don't make sense to me. My image of "Urban" includes everyone, of every color and nationality, because that is what cities actually are--a place where everyone comes together. Cities are the melting pot of the world.

Immaculate completed

2010-05-29T19:53:00.000-04:00

It didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but at least I'm painting again!

Now I have to decide what to paint next. Hmm....

Immaculate

2010-05-27T15:39:00.000-04:00

Two hours' worth of work. Six months since the last time I painted. I'm SO out of "shape"!

Out for Art

2010-04-28T14:54:00.002-04:00

You are invited!

The Arts & Culture Collaborative presents:

Out for Art
Thursday, April 29: 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Goldsmith's Art & Frame Gallery
99 Bank Street, Waterbury

Networking, Artists' Showcase
Live Demonstrations
Prizes
Food, Drink, Music
Free-Will Donation
Discounted dining downtown at Signature's, 146 Grand St. Bistro and
Marquee Cafe.

Spread the word. Bring a friend. Tell your staff. Hope to see you there!

Analysis: Retraining Needed!

2010-01-10T11:31:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to finish the family portrait I started in California. It was an interesting exercise, working on a strict deadline for a painting. I haven't done that since college. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever finished any of my oil paintings then, either. This painting probably needs another week of work in order to be presentable.

The frustrating challenge of this particular painting turned out to be the faces and hands. It took me a while to figure out why I was having such a difficult time. I can draw faces and hands perfectly well. I can paint faces and hands in watercolor just fine, so long as the color is essentially an enhancement of a drawing. I can depict three-dimensional objects in oil paints, from buildings to pottery to a certain black and white cat with no particular difficulty. But close-up views of faces and hands was proving impossible as I worked on this painting.

I finally understood my problem when I worked on my cousin Lucas's face (the one sitting on the floor). Drawing and painting access different brain functions. The Ingres/Delacroix feud over line vs. color has new meaning and a deep resonance for me. At this point, I'm not sure which approach suits me better, or if perhaps I can create a blend of their philosophies.

While working on Lucas's face, I tried to think in terms of three-dimensional modelling that I did eons ago in clay. It was a strange experience, pushing myself to use my sculpting experience and ways of thinking to paint a face, but it seemed to work. I wasn't able to sustain it, so my uncle looks a lot like a muppet.

It was very disheartening to realize that I don't currently have the skills I need. Or maybe I do have the skills, but first I have to retrain my brain to stop trying to draw when I'm painting.

Copal Fraud

2009-12-26T20:14:00.000-05:00

The one paint supply that I absolutely could not bring on the plane was my copal medium. Copal is essential to my paintings--it gives me the ability to control the paint the way I want; it gives the paint a smooth, rich flow and a beautiful translucent quality, and it has a drying time that is just right for the speed I work at.

When I got to LA, we went to the Graphaids art supply store, which did not have my usual brand of copal. Instead I purchased a bottle of Weber Archival Copal Painting Medium, thinking it would be essentially the same thing. Wrong! I wish I had thought to read a review of it before purchasing it, but I foolishly trusted the big letters on the front of the label.

Weber's "copal" is horrible. My first clue that there might be a problem was the smell. It smelled suspiciously like turpentine, so I checked the fine print. Sure enough, the list of ingredients includes turpentine. I never use turpentine. I have difficulty tolerating the smell and I find it to be absolutely useless as a medium. However, since I had already purchased the Weber "copal" and because the label claimed that the product has all the good qualities of real copal and none of the bad, I figured I might as well try using it.

As far as I can tell, there is no difference between plain turpentine and Weber's Archival Copal Painting Medium. It made the paint watery and thin, the flow was terrible, I felt like I was almost pushing the paint across the canvas, the paint was drying up on my palette within minutes, and it seemed like I had to use three times as much paint as I would with my regular copal medium. After maybe half an hour, I gave up and went back to the house, declaring that we needed to go to a different art supply store.

This time we were more cautious. I double-checked what I normally used, then we called around to area art supply stores to find one that had it in stock. Walser's art supply had several bottles in stock, so we made a quick trip there, navigating around the holiday mall traffic. I had a nice (short) chat with the man working there about how the Weber "copal" is crap. He suggested I try Da Vinci copal, but I wasn't willing to experiment any further with my mediums right now. Maybe I'll try it when I'm back home. What I did purchase was my reliable Grumbacher's Copal Painting Medium.

This is good stuff. Maybe the Da Vinci will prove superior, but I've always been delighted with Grumbacher's copal. The smell is much nicer than turpentine, the flow is beautiful, it reduces the amount of paint I need to use, and the final colors are gorgeous.

Travel Time

2009-12-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

I'm away in sunny Los Angeles for Christmas, visiting my relatives out here and wondering why I ever left. While I'm here, I'll be painting a group portrait of my uncle and his family. There are some supplies which I knew I wouldn't be able to bring with me--the canvas is a little bulky and delicate for air travel, and the copal oil is flammable, so there's no way that would ever get past the TSA. The oil paints and brushes are okay for travel and are too expensive to buy for just one painting, so I was determined to bring them with me.

I started by doing some research. I probably shouldn't have, because it left me paranoid about getting my paints onto the plane. I read countless horror stories about paints being confiscated by security officials who apparently considered them to be on the no-fly list. One artist recommended checking the paints, another wrote about checked paints being confiscated from checked baggage. All of them recommended printing out information sheets from the paint manufacturers to show to the TSA officials in order to persuade them to not confiscate my paints.

I debated what to do for a couple days, reading and re-reading the official TSA information, before finally deciding to bring the paints in my carry-on bag. Each tube is smaller than the allotted 3 ounces and, luckily, they all fit in a one quart bag (just barely!). I wasn't sure if my bundled brushes would get past security or be considered a potential weapon, so I put those in my checked bag.

When I got to the security checkpoint, the manufacturer's sheet turned out to be completely unnecessary. The TSA at Bradley airport have some sort of very quick (a few seconds) test they run to verify that the paints are paints (or whatever it is they were testing for) and that's it. I was good to go (except for the part where I didn't realize there was metal in my new knee brace--but that's a different story).

Warming Up

2009-11-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy to paint since the end of July, but thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday, I finally found some time this weekend. For a variety of reasons, I decided to try something in watercolors. I haven't used watercolors in over a decade--my first step was rummaging through my art supplies to see how many paint tubes were still good and whether or not I had the right type of brushes.

I used to paint primarily in watercolors, way back when. I switched to oil paints partly because someone suggested that my watercolor technique might translate very well in oils.

Oddly, when I sat down to paint yesterday, I couldn't remember how to paint in watercolors. I could remember doing paintings way back when, but I couldn't remember how. I checked a couple of resources and was reminded that it is good to start with a wash of color. With that starting point, I dived in. The resultant painting is not my best work, nor is it even close to being my best work. It's my warm-up piece. Throughout the course of creating the painting, I remembered so many things about how to use watercolors. It was, to use an old cliche, just like riding a bike.

I chose a tree-filled view of the Green and St. John's church, leaving out a lot of the details. I figured trees would be more forgiving of errors. Today I'm going to try a still life. I'm not too confident that it will go well, but at the very least I'm sure I'll learn from it.

Art Scam

2009-10-24T14:10:00.017-04:00

I just stumbled across slightly old news stories from March concerning Lawrence Salander and his Madoff-like scheme to bilk millions of dollars from art collectors and investors. His basic operation was similar to that depicted in The Producers: selling percentage shares of artwork to trusting investors, but selling more than 100% worth of shares per artwork (so, for example, there could be five people who paid for a 50% share in a single artwork). His scheme was exposed by John McEnroe, the tennis player and now art collector. Since McEnroe was suing him because a painting he had purchased from Salander had outstanding liens against it, I'm guessing Salander had more than one type of scam going.

What brought my attention to the story was Arshile Gorky. After reading a NY Times review of a Gorky exhibit, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite paintings, Gorky's Pirate I.

Pirate was on view at the Mattatuck Museum for many years, a long-term loan from Jean Levy before it was sold at auction by the Levy estate. It's a fantastic painting, perfectly capturing the mess and smell and noise of Pirate, a dog, raiding a garbage can. I loved being able to spend time with it at the Mattatuck and I still miss it.

When I read the NY Times article about the exhibit, I naturally was reminded of Pirate I and did a quick internet search to see if I could find out where it is today. Imagine my dismay to learn that it had been confiscated by "the authorities" as part of the criminal investigation against Salander. Poor Pirate! Do "the authorities" have the proper storage facilities for the painting (it's said to be in the custody of a bankruptcy court in Poughkeepsie), or is it languishing in a standard police storage room next to a wide variety of evidence? I suppose it will be stuck in the evidence storage room until the case is over and the true ownership is established, which could take years.

Horse Fountain on the Green

2009-09-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

I think it took me longer to get this blog post up than it did to finish the painting, but here it is (at long last)!

I finished on my last Friday at Goldsmith's, back on the last day of July. Since then, I've been too busy with work (the commute to NYC chews up a LOT of time) and campaigning to upload the photo and write the blog post.

It was an interesting experience, painting in public and with a set schedule. I didn't have as much time to fuss over the details. I'm not sure how I feel about that. With the painting of the clock on the Green, I fussed too much with the detail. This time I think I didn't fuss enough. Which is probably a good thing in terms of my development as an artist.

Next up: a small painting of Immaculate Conception (assuming I ever have free time again!).

One Friday Left!

2009-07-30T12:00:00.003-04:00

Much to my surprise, I think I will be able to finish tomorrow, which is my last Friday at Goldsmith's this summer. I'm going to start early, maybe 10 a.m., to make sure that it's done by the end of the day.

If the day goes really well, I might even come close to selling out--I have a verbal agreement from a buyer to purchase three paintings, including this one, and strong interest in two other paintings from two other potential buyers.

Here's hoping!