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.
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.
