Perfect Timing

I’m thrilled to be one of the featured artists in 805 Living – the Arts + Culture issue (October) plus a big shout out to Carol Paquet, Lynne Andujar (publisher), and Joan Tapper (contributing writer.) Congratulations to the other artists too. YAY! This is perfect timing as October is Harvest season in SLO county with lots of visitors, wine pick-ups, open art studios and lovely meals. The magazine distribution started on September 29 with 25,000 print copies to many restaurants, four- and five-star hotels and other locations. Also, there is an e-blast to launch the digital edition to a database of 18,000!

To view digital editions, go to: https://www.805living.com/archive.html

Cool Summer Deals

I may regret this moment; however, I’m selling a lot of my oil painting supplies. If you’re interested, please send me an email. I am willing to meet you somewhere to make the exchange of product for cash but I’m not keen to ship.

• Princeton and Winsor Newton Brushes: Most of the brushes are Filberts and range in size. The brushes are almost new. Take care of your brushes and they will take care of you was my motto. Prices range depending on size from $3 to $20.

• Oil bars: There are only a few. Price is $0.50 each.

• Galkyd Light 4.2 fl. oz. (unopened): $10

• Oils (transparent and opaque): The price depends on how much of the tube I used and there are some full tubes. Most of the tubes are 37ml and most of the oils are either Gamblin or Winton. Prices range between $5 to $10. Utrecht oils are about $3 tube.

Exhibiting

I am pleased to be participating in The LAST CA 101 exhibit at Redondo Beach Historic Library, located at 309 Esplanade in Redondo Beach. I have three pieces in this exhibit which includes works by 133 other artists from 46 California cities plus guests from other states. In addition to the exhibit, there is a gift shop with 20 artists and an installation called “THE LAST CA 101 BANQUET.” The gallery and gift shop are open noon to 7:00 p.m. August 26 – 27, September 1-3, and September 8-10.

• Opening Reception: Friday, August 25 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

• Closing Reception: Sunday, September 10, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. I would love to see you at the closing reception.

This exhibition benefits Friends of Redondo Beach Arts (FRBA), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Their mission is to enhance the City of Redondo Beach and the South Bay Communities’ quality of life by providing art and cultural experiences. They are dedicated to making the arts an integral part of the South Bay’s experience by helping to bring the highest quality arts and arts education programs to our residents and visitors.

More Eyeballs on my Art

I’m delighted to share with you about three upcoming receptions where my artwork is being showcased so get ready to mark your calendar.

Closing reception at bG Gallery on Saturday, July 1 from 7pm to 9pm. I have three pieces in Spectrum-Gestalt exhibit. It’s fun; it’s a rainbow of color and the work is hung salon-style. If you missed the opening reception, join me at the closing reception. bG Gallery is located at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., #A-2, in Santa Monica, CA and this exhibit is up until July 5.

Spectrum-Gestalt, the blue section

Aftermath II was selected by juror Kassandra Voyagis, producer and director of LA Art Show and Art Palm Beach, to be included in the group exhibit, Specimen, at Gallery 825/Los Angeles Art Association. The reception is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 from 10am to 5pm. Gallery 825 is located at 825 La Cienega, West Hollywood, CA and this exhibit is up until July 28.

Aftermath II

upRooted is headed to the Brand Library & Art Center with the opening reception also scheduled for Saturday, July 8 from 7pm to 9:30pm. This year’s annual exhibition, Brand 51 Works on Paper, features 98 artworks out of over 1,200 entries from around the country selected by juror Ara Oshagan, curator of ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale. Brand Library & Art Center is located at 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, CA. The Brand Library & Art Center is truly a unique public library focused on visual arts and music! The architecture and gardens are stunning and not to be missed. This exhibit, Works on Paper, is up until September 1, 2023.

Notes from My Artist Residency

I had a great experience at Dorland Mountain Arts Colony. I will definitely apply to more residencies and one week was too short. I barely touched my giant roll of watercolor paper as finding wall space that could accommodate a large sheet was close to impossible. Dang it! I completed two new artworks and started a third. I met some lovely people, did a little hiking and enjoyed the sunsets.

Mark Your Calendar

I’m pleased to announce that one of my most recent pieces, upRooted, is included in an upcoming exhibition at Blue Line Arts, located at 405 Vernon St., Roseville, CA) This exhibition is a long-standing tradition between Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and the Kingsley Art Club. The exhibition dates are December 3, 2022 through January 14, 2023 with the opening reception on Saturday, December 17 from 4 – 8 pm. (I have a conflict that day so I will not be attending the reception.) I started this painting in March 2022 when Ukrainians were fleeing for their lives. At the same time, my potted aloe vera plant was blooming. I was having a hard time with the juxtaposition of new growth among the backdrop of failed humanity. It took about five months to complete.

Sketchbook Freedom

As far as I’m concerned, there’s gold in my sketchbooks as I develop new ideas or toss out problems. And the sketchbook is for my eyes only; that’s the best part. Each year, I enjoy hosting a sketchbook workshop either at the tail end of the current year or at the start of the new year. It’s designed for all artists looking to jump-start the daily practice of sketching, or for novices looking to explore sketch booking for the first time. Tips will be provided for starting — and sticking with it as a daily practice. You’ll have a treasure chest of ideas, observations, emotions and more. This workshop is two hours in length and includes a glass of bubbles as we call out and call in the new year. If you’re interested, let me know by sending me an email and I’ll send more specifics as in date, time, location and cost.

Take a Peek Inside Artist’s Studios

Personally, I think visiting artist studios is one of the most fun things to do so I highly recommend. I recall seeing an artist’s WALL of Golden paints; it was amazing.

Visit Brewery Art Walk: Where Art Lives on Saturday and Sunday, November 5 and 6 from 11 am – 6 pm, 2100 N. Main St., Los Angeles. A special shoutout to Emily Halpern, Francine Lecoultre, Guillermo Bert, and Kristine Schomaker/Shoebox Projects.

Also visit Inglewood Open Studios on Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13 from noon – 5 pm, 1019 Manchester Ave., Inglewood, CA with a special shoutout to Susan Amorde.

Not to be Missed

Of An Infinite Solitude, a solo exhibition of Joey Feldman’s work continues through November 9, 2022.

Ink, Paper, Stone: Six Women Artists and the Language of Lithography continues at Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena through February 13, 2023.

William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows continues at The Broad through April 9, 2023. He was born in South Africa and is known for his prints, animated films, drawings and theatre productions. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing a retrospective exhibition at the Zeitz Museum in Cape Town, South Africa in 2019. It was a heartbreaking, self-reflective and intimate. Don’t miss this rare opportunity as he hasn’t had a show like this in Los Angeles for over 20 years.

Special Note

In case you haven’t noticed, our days are getting shorter which means for many of us, we lose an hour this Sunday.

Your SLO County Art Guide for October…

I’m opening my studio along with many other artists in San Luis Obispo county. Come see my recent artwork and the source material behind those paintings. A little hint…dead branches and macarons. This 24th Annual Open Studios Art Tour is hosted by SLO County Arts Council. I am only participating on the following dates:

• Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16

• 10:00am to 5:00pm both days with a closing party from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday

• Catalog Studio #4, 1921 Vine St., Paso Robles

It gets better. I was selected to be one of the twenty-one artists to participate in the “preview show” at Hotel SLO (877 Palm St.) on Friday, October 7 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for Art After Dark. I’ll be there so please swing by and say hello.

Many people have asked about the image at the bottom of the Contact Page of my website. Initially, I wanted to paint this message on the OUTside of my garage to remind me and others every day of the impact of art. I thought better of that idea so I painted this Martin Heidegger quote inside of my studio garage door. I’m grateful for Martin Heidegger’s wise words. He argues that “art is not only a way of expressing the element of truth in a culture, but the means of creating it and providing a springboard from which "that which is" can be revealed.” Pithy words…both statements are worth re-reading again and again. See for yourself during the studio visit.

One last thing while you’re exploring art. Be sure to check out Alyssa Monks: Be Perfectly Still, A Retrospective that continues at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (1010 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo) through November 13. It’s not to be missed. Her attention to detail, light and water is truly remarkable. And be sure to walk around the corner from the museum and visit Edna Contemporary Fine Art (583 Dana Street, San Luis Obispo.)

In Good Company...

Found a New Home

I’m happy to report Untitled #1 (blue) found a new home, and the fun thing is this work of art is hanging in a wine cellar with other complementary art. The inspiration for this piece is the point off of San Simeon Bluffs. The owners like to hike so perhaps the next time they do that trail, they will see what moved me.

Untitled #1 (blue)

Covid on the Eiffel Tower

When I was 21 and in Paris, I was probably traveling on $10 per day. I don’t recall but I was either short on money or my quads were burning from climbing the stairs. Regardless, I never went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. On my recent trip to Bordeaux and Paris this summer, I was determined to “complete” this experience by taking the elevator to the top. And of course, the views are remarkable. Upon my return, I tested positive for Covid and fortunately, I only experienced a runny nose. By isolating at home, I had plenty of time to sort through the images. There is a lot of source material to consider for future paintings. I like the wall of bricks, shapes and colors of the macarons, the gradation of color from the cognac bottles and the outline of buildings.

Start, Stop, Start, Stop

The last few months my life seems to be full of starting a painting, stopping, starting and stopping. This is also true for this blog post. I have started it a number of times and then something comes up that requires my attention. When I come back to the painting or blog post it seems irrelevant. Is it simply me or is anyone else experiencing this phenomenon? More importantly, how do you manage it? I would love to hear. I tend to schedule studio time or social media in my calendar and yet, a particular situation arises, like a hot day or emergency, which seems more important or is a distraction. I’m not particularly fond of the word “seems” because the word “seems” to be a false statement or possibly a backhanded politeness. For example, “he seems to be busy…” or “she seems to be pleased…”

I brought up this topic with my fellow art friends and they shared two tips and they are:

• leave the studio with something exciting happening on a piece

• play with a sketch or write using the less dominant hand

Try these tips and let me know how it goes. And please share your own tip(s) by clicking on the comments area at the bottom of this blog post.

Back to scheduling our calendars; let’s not miss

Up until August 22, 2022 at Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA Alternate Realities: Altoon, Diebenkorn, Lobdell, Woelffer. These are some of my favorite and most influential artists. I love Frank Lobdell.

Up until September 2, 2022 at Brand Library and Art Center is a group exhibition called Abstract Los Angeles: Four Generations. Abstract art thrives. This show explores the continued dialog between artists over a period that spans roughly 80 years.

One of my all-time favorite artists is Carlos Almaraz. His work captures the essence of Los Angeles. The great news is The Cheech opened in June at the Riverside Art Museum and could possibly be the first museum in the U.S. dedicated to showcasing Chicano art. This is an A-list of artists ranging from Carlos Almaraz to Frank Romero and Patssi Valdez. Be sure to check out this center.

Tips, delays and a benefit reception…

A few nights ago, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. with a brilliant idea for a new body of work. And for about an hour, I tossed and turned. I visualized the gallery wall, the number of cradle boards needed, associated storage, logistics and more. Then I woke up and after a few cups of coffee with a clear head, I decided this “brilliant” idea may not be all that unique so I should get back to the work I’ve already started. This machination leads me to a few tips.

• Tip #1: Decades ago, I was working on a painting. It was about 50 percent complete. An art instructor suggested I work out the problem on paper before going any further on the canvas. This was a very good tip and saved me from numerous frustrating moments or losing some good work.

• The second-best tip I ever received is if I’m suffering, there’s probably some form of integrity missing.

• Tip #3: At the end of the day, leave something unfinished as this will provide a clear plan for the next day.

The first two tips let me release the tight grip I may have on the problem. I become a bit more flexible, resilient and playful.

Delayed Notice

There was a fantastic exhibit of Kishio Suga’s work on paper at Blum and Poe in Culver City. This show was the most comprehensive survey of his work in this medium. (It could be a little cruel to write about this exhibit after-the-fact as it came down on February 26. I confess I was distracted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Me bad.) I found his work attractive by the rectangular fields of color, shapes and materials so I still wanted to share it with you.

Rarely do I show work in progress but I’m currently working on the below painting. I think this is the first 30” x 30” cradle board of a triptych. For some reason, the gray, ashy surface is reminding me of the rubble of buildings in Ukraine. For the final painting, come back in a month or two.

Noteworthy Reception

A number of artists are gathering for a Relief Benefit Exhibition at Keystone Gallery from April 9 through April 17. The reception is April 9 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 338 S. Ave 16, Los Angeles.

Check this out...

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased this book, Disrupted Realism, Paintings for a Distracted World, by John Seed. I couldn’t put it down and have recommended it to three friends. And what grabbed me was this one paragraph in the foreward by Katherine Stanek.

“Handheld devices alter our attention span and redefine our visual experience. There is so much pictorial competition, we believe we must scroll through multiple images incessantly just to sustain what we perceive is required to remain connected to our world. The eye doesn’t have time to settle and the brain doesn’t have time to process what the eye has just seen before we are on to the next image.”

I think this book is particularly profound as we’re all on some social media platform and for the past two years, most of us have stayed close to home and perused art digitally.

I love how this book is organized by common themes and the images are beautiful. The interview questions are the same for each artist and provides a good insight into the artist and art. It can be purchased on Amazon.

Right now, I’m prepping for a group show at my friend’s renovated barn. It’s looking nice and I hope you can join us for the reception. As it starts to take shape, here is a sneak peak of the “barn”. One of the fun features is his barn is located across the street from Clos Solène which produces yummy wines. Do I hear a wine tasting after perusing some art?

• Reception dates: Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6 from 1-4pm. I’ll be there around 2pm

• Exhibition dates: March 5-19, 2022 by appointment only if you’re unable to attend the reception

• Location: 2021 Niderer Rd., Paso Robles, CA

• Contact info: 626-393-1750 (Larry’s mobile)

Musings of an artist and mark your calendar...

This blog post is loaded with noteworthy artist info. Enjoy.

First, My Shameless Plug

• I have a work of art, Untitled #2 (blue), in the upcoming group exhibition at San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA). The reception is Friday, February 4, 2022 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and I will be at the reception around 6:00pm so I hope to see you. The museum is located at 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo and the exhibit is up until March 27, 2022. My painting was created in 2019 from a lovely, peaceful summer evening in my own backyard.

• I have five paintings, all 16” x 16”, in an upcoming group exhibition with five other artists. Fun fact: Like so many people during 2020 with the pandemic in full swing, the host of this exhibit and participating artist, Larry Stone, renovated his garage/barn into a beautiful gallery to showcase other like-minded artists. The receptions for this exhibition, Acts of Worship, are Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6, 2022 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and I will most likely be attending both days around 2:00 pm. If you are unable to attend and would like to see the exhibition, please contact Larry at actsofworshipart@gmail.com to schedule an appointment. The gallery is located at 2021 Niderer Road, Paso Robles.

• I have a few art workshops scheduled at Art Center Morro Bay over the next few months. Please note, a minimum of eight participants is required with a maximum of 15 participants. Sadly, we had to cancel two of the workshops previously scheduled due to the Omicron variant. Damn pesky pandemic.

Plugs for Other Artists

• Run, don’t walk. And if you’re speeding in a car, don’t blame me if you get a ticket. There’s an exquisite, breathtaking exhibit of Hilary Brace’s charcoal drawings at Craig Krull Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. This exhibit is up until February 19, 2022. Initially, I thought I was looking at black and white photos and then I saw these magical, imaginative cloud formations. I almost cried at the beauty and with charcoal!

• Tic, tic, tic. If you’re lucky to be in NYC, then check out the haunting, realistic paintings of Hannah Lee at Entrance, located at 48 Ludlow St., Manhattan through January 30. I was an armchair visitor by reading the article in Hyperallergic.

• If you are uncomfortable with receptions, travel and yet need an art-fix, then enjoy this virtual tour of the Los Angeles Art Show that happened on January 19-23, 2022 at the Convention Center.

Studio Visits

I think one of the biggest joys is visiting an artist’s studio and a few days ago, I visited Eric Dubnicka’s studio. His work is raw, personal, authentic, tactile, expressive and more. He is actually working in one studio while renovating a run-down horse stable into another studio. The horse stable is amazing, complete with an old drawing of a horse by the previous owner pinned to the barn door. Eric has a super vision of keeping the integrity of the space. It’s also fun to see new art supplies laying around. I might have to try this Gaffrey texture material.

Wrapping Up 2021

This is a sweet way to wrap up the year. I’m pleased to share with you that I have a piece, Untitled #4 (black), in the Los Angeles Art Association Open Show 2021 exhibition. This highly competitive, juried exhibition was open to emerging artists across the United States. The juror for this exhibition was the renowned art critic Peter Frank. My abstract painting represents the view from the studio window on a dark, rainy day. Here are more details:

Open Show 2021 reception at Gallery 825
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Hours of the reception are 10am to 5pm
(I should be at the gallery around 10-ish.)
Exhibition is up from December 11, 2021 to January 7, 2022.
Gallery 825 is located at 825 N. La Cienega, West Hollywood, and will also be open by appointment for in-person viewing.

With the holidays in full swing with Santa Claus parades and parties, it’s a great time to support the arts with either donations, purchase of a hand-crafted art gift or your favorite art-oriented charity. This year, I purchased fun sets of colorful pens for children age 4+ for Toys for Tots drive. I’m always concerned about budget cuts in the arts education so this seems like a good way to stimulate the creative interest.

Art Workshops are scheduled for 2022, including creative sketchbook workshop, collage and encaustic. Let me know if you’re interested. Also, I have already lined up a group exhibition for February. More information coming soon.

Thank you for your ongoing support, friendship and partnership. I couldn’t do this without you.