Night Music

Night Music   oil/canvas   40 x 30 x 1.5

Here is that same wonderful triangle....head, hands, instrument....my favorite. In painting a figure, we artists are always tempted to spend too much time on the face. But I have learned, albeit reluctantly, that body parts must be subject to prioritization in order to tell your story, to pay honor to your focal point. A portrait is a portrait. A figure painting is something else entirely. It all gets very confusing when I try to sort out the important parts. In this session, the musician's knees were the closest parts to me. It follows then, that in order to render the illusion of 3 dimensions, the knees would be fully described. However, I wanted the knees to be supporting actors to the important triangle already mentioned. So I attempted to use the rhythm of the gesture of the legs to pull interest up into the hands/guitar area. Another way to accomplish this goal is to render the legs more flatly, heading into 2-dimensional flatness. I had to flatten them, while honoring the jutting forward of the kneecap. Trial and error. It is interesting to watch a dozen painters work from the same model. Each and every one is different. Each and every one tells a different story. Every model can become a metaphor for something deep within your soul. Priorities. Preferences. I really do try to identify my focal point before I set the brush to canvas. Knowing where you are going is a good thing. Remind me of that next time I am behind the wheel.

The Three Stages of Saturday Night

Saturday Night's All Right   oil/canvas   16 x 20 x 1.5

My notion of a great Saturday night has evolved a bit through the years. When we were a young couple, Saturday night was a night to be with friends, drink a little too much and stay out too late. Sleeping in the next morning. After the children came along, Saturday night included shampoos and some pretty bad television shows. Now, my notion of a fabulous Saturday evening is painting....nonstop....terrific. This Saturday evening is the Akron Art Walk and our ASA Studio is on the list of open venues. We will paint from a model from 5-9 pm on the third floor of the Summit Artspace building which is located at 140 E. Market Street in Akron. Painting from a model for 4 straight hours is my notion of Saturday night bliss.

The fun continues on Sunday when we continue the open studio from noon until 5 pm in collaboration with The Sunday Sampler program (FREE admission) sponsored by The Akron Art Museum.

Be evolved. Avoid drinking too much and staying out too late. Avoid bad television. And put off that shampoo for another day....it really doesn't look that bad. Saturday night ART's all right.

In The Pink

Chocolate Box   charcoal/toned paper   23 x 13.5

I am fortunate to be represented by Hudson Fine Art and Framing in Hudson, Ohio. Kathy Johnson, the owner, is a really nice person. She has been combining her business of art with the business of helping others ever since she took ownership. Earlier in the year, she hosted "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" to benefit The Humane Society of Greater Akron. "In The Pink" opens this Friday and will benefit The Gathering Place's annual retreat for women with breast cancer. This show features the needlework of Hudson's Pillow Group, a group of nine women who have formed a coalition of sorts, to share and promote the varied needlework art of its members: Beth Angelotta, Katie Coulton, Anne Cutchin, Brigitte Gottfried, Angela Strach-Gotthardt, Heinke Klaassen, Peg Mayor, Kathy Schiciano and Barb Warner. In addition to my work, the exhibit also features the work of fabric artist Connie Bloom, the collage and haiku work of Darcy Haynes and the work of fellow painter Tricia Kaman. There is a $10 entry fee for a fabulous opening this Friday from 5:30-8:30 pm at Hudson Fine Art & Framing located at 9 Aurora Street in Hudson. Support those with breast cancer. Support the arts. Support Hudson Fine Art & Framing. They are good guys. Or should I say gals?

A Slight Curve

A Slight Curve   watercolor/gouache   13 x 10

Many years back, I was granted permission to watch a rehearsal of The Akron Symphony Orchestra. My goal was to come back with sketches and photos to work from. "A Slight Curve" was done with watercolor over gouache. I first coated the paper with a layer of permanent white gouache that had been thinned to the consistency of cream. Then I painted in watercolor. The gouache creates a surface that is finitely changeable and malleable, which is something that is difficult when working transparently. White gouache is a body color.....it adds opacity to the paint. All colors become tints. It really is a totally different way of working with the medium. I like this small painting and felt the curves of the instrument and likened them to the curves of the human body. This musician is caressing his instrument. That is the mark of a true musician. Just the way we caress watercolor paper with our brushes. Soft touch.

Groupie

Renaissance Man   watercolor   18 x 12.5

I am a music groupie of sorts................and love most kinds of music. It seems to me that musicians and visual artists alike trust their intuitions to make the music, the painting, their own. For me, playing the piano became the source of great stress. I just couldn't get over the performance anxiety and the feeling that I was continually being watched and judged. But I continued to admire those who played, those who went inside of themselves to interpret the music, to make it their own. Both art forms resist words. And so, along with paintings of those who labor, I have found that paintings of those who make music have always pleased me. I think I have painted dozens of musicians over the years. "Renaissance Man" is a painting done of my nephew George while he was still in high school and played the viola. Even then, the shapes of the figure merged with the background and rhythms took a higher priority than the figure itself. The triangle created by the musician's head (with intent gaze), the hands and the instrument is so important and symbolizes, to me, the going beyond the self, the letting in of the thing that makes one greater than the self. Head. Heart. Instrument.

The Art of the Figure....tee hee hee

January Nude   pastel/paper   19.75 x 8

I see the human body as a major miracle, a thing of beauty, and I love to study it. Muscles of dancers and runners thrill me. Postures of musicians titillate. But the jokes associated with life drawing classes (tee hee hee) have never been that funny to me. We are a culture of contrasts: we don't think twice about watching people get "blown away" in movies or in video games; we love to watch intimate details of people treating each other horribly, disregarding kindness and respect, through the lens of reality television; and women with plastic breasts stare at us from magazine racks at every quick-stop across the land. But somehow the nude human body scares us, taints us and could possibly be evil? It is my own humble opinion that things are a bit bass-ackwards here. "The Art of the Figure" exhibit at Peninsula Art Academy will be shown through October 17. Will all school children who view the exhibit be forever tainted? I think not. I hope for "forever inspired".

Patriot - Labor Series

Patriot   watercolor   13 x 10

The word "patriot", I believe, would present a multitude of definitions, dependent on how many people would be asked to define it. But for those in our labor class, I believe that the definition would be the most concrete, the most fervent and the most resolved. For they have sacrificed the most. I dream of a world where each person's definition is considered equally and treated with respect.

Happy Hour - Labor Series

Happy Hour   pastel/paper   19 x 12

"Happy Hour" was done from a live model in pastel on toned paper. John, the model, is an amazing guy and his look was right for what I needed. I wanted the feel of a guy who celebrates the end of the work week with a can of beer....none of this fancy imported stuff but more likely a can of high-powered Milwaukee Ice. In actuality, John is a Pepsi freak, but that worked just fine. I like using the paper itself, in this case a darker blue, as the dark value masses of what I am seeing. I like the surface being incorporated into the picture. I like this work. Pastel can be very immediate. When I look at it now, I see that I threw caution to the wind that day. I drew recklessly. And I like that. Maybe it was Friday.

Painter - Labor Series

Painter   oil/canvas   49 x 24 x 1.5

It's funny how a simple word can pull up impressions in our brains. The notion of "painter" for example. A painter who paints pictures on canvas conjures up a romantic notion, those who are somewhat removed from the society at large, and those whose notion of beauty or personal expression take preference over daily labor. The painter who paints the homes of others can be considered an "underling", and often get paid only a minimum wage to do the work that homeowners don't have time to do for themselves. These two notions are vastly disparate.....but I like the idea of offering these two stereotypes for consideration, for thought. Both wield a brush with ease. Both work hard. "Painter" was done from a series of photos take while visiting San Francisco. The city is filled with these Victorian monster-houses, built before the cost of heating was an issue. The temperate climate there is relatively easy on these homes and few seem to be vinyl-sided. On each block, one can see home that are "in the process" of renewal. Constant upkeep. I loved the combination of shapes, both geometric and organic, the mix of which can result in a good painting. I wanted to honor this young Hispanic painter even though he has no idea that his picture is here on the internet. And yes, I deem him a painter.

Drawings

Laborer   charcoal/paper   15 x 21

Some artists use drawings only as vehicles in the preparation for subsequent paintings. I do that a lot. But I also like drawings as finished art. By subtracting color from the design mix, the resultant limited palette can carry lots of strength with value changes and creative line work. And I have always loved loved loved drawings done in earth tones....they convey strength and softness all at the same time for me. "Laborer" was done from a live model. John looks like the guys I see at Circle K at the end of each work day buying their high-powered beer to get them through an evening filled with aches and pains just to get up and do it again the next day. I respect their physical labors. An honest day's work. Little in the way of financial rewards. Fatigue. That is what I wanted the work to say. I can relate.

Brushes

Paint Brush (Labor Series)   watercolor   8.5 x 14

Brushes are our friends, sometimes our best friends. When we paint often enough, the brush becomes an extension of our hands, our wills and our hearts. When I was a child, I can remember wanting to paint alongside my father. As he didn't trust my skill-level, I was given a bucket of water and a large brush and told that I could paint the side of the garage, which was cement block. I painted happily, as I recall, enjoying the rhythm and the coverage. All went well until the water started drying up and I could no longer see the fruits of my labors. Bummer. These days my home is filled with brushes of all kinds....various handles and ferrules, with hairs from goats, ponies, squirrels and the beloved Kolinsky Sables. They are, to me, a symbol of creative work, no matter who is wielding them. Jack Lieberman shared his tips on cleaning with me - a bar of olive oil soap that sits alongside my sink. I clean them lovingly now and again. And they serve me well. "Paint Brush - Labor Series" was painted in one of my classes and was one of those odd paintings that seemed to paint itself....I think my heart was in it. The bristles are not perfect, but show signs of use.....off I go for today to pick up my best friend. We plan to work together.

The Value of Work

Paint Dancer - detail

One week ago exactly was Labor Day, and being that I am always late, I feel it appropriate to talk labor today. Every now and then, you see a painting that rocks your world in some way....it could be the technique, the paint quality, the colors, the rhythms or the subject. Subject it was. "The Floor Scrapers" by Gustave Caillebotte. Not only is it a lovely painting, but it elevates the stature of the laborers by its subject, even though the workers are situated at the bottom of the picture plane. Lovely. I love to work with my hands as well, as do most of the people in my family. Even though our education leads us to work in a cubicle, most likely on a computer in what might be considered a white collar job, there are those of us that would be most happy working with our hands in whatever may be considered to be blue. Matthew B. Crawford speaks to this subject in his new book Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work. Sitting down all day is highly overrated.

Debits and Credits

Edna...a sketch

Enough about money. I am talking an emotional bank here. My emotional bank is divided into two sections: debits and credits....much like an accounting book. Those things that drain me are definitely debits: courtesy calls from any business with whom I have ever done business or from whom I have ever ordered a magazine; power plays among people; the little purple pill and other ads from drug companies; and the evening scare-tactic news. I have found that I must consciously fill my emotional bank with interactions and activities that keep my bankbook afloat....those are credits. My sketchbook is filled with small drawings of those people who populate my immediate world....those with whom I feel a connection with, as well as those who don't have a clue that I am drawing them. Edna Williams is a dynamo with whom I have shared gallery sitting at Summit Artspace on more than one occasion. Wow.....I feel energized just being with her. She is an avid reader in several book clubs.....she has an interest in art that she feeds regularly.....and she has a forthright opinion on just about everything. Sometimes we quietly sit and read. Sometimes we chat. She is definitely a credit. Five hours feel like one.

By the way, Summit Artspace can always use volunteer gallery sitters.....could put your bank account over the top....the emotional one, that is.

Q...not O

Q...not O   oil/canvas   16 x 20 x 1.5

Small difference between these two letters. Just a wedge. I see the "O" as representative of "ohm", recycling continuous harmony. I see "Q" as an "O" that has been altered, transformed from the outside. We live in what used to be a rural community. When we heard that a new Walmart was moving in, we couldn't believe our ears, as there was another Walmart with 5 miles of our home already. We documented the transformation of these fields as the building went on for months and months. The shopping arena (would that be like a sports arena?) resembles those arenas just off the freeway in nearly every American town. Homogeny. Blah. "Q...not O" was painted before the land was mutated. And speaking of the environment, a show worth seeing is "One Degree of Change", a collaboration between Nancy Richards-Davis, an abstract encaustic artist, and Bradley Hart, a photographer from Kent. The exhibit is open through October 9 at the Dolan Gallery which is located in the Dolan Science Center at John Carroll University in University Heights. A moving experience! Like-mindedness.

Painting an apple a day.....

Granny Smith's Grin   oil/canvas   4 x 4 x 1.5

The artists in my classes will attest to the fact that I love apples. Almost always, we paint apples for the first session in the fall, as they are easy to lug along and fun to paint. And then they provide a treat for the ride home. We also discuss design elements. If we attest to the simple explanation of good design as "big and little things arranged pleasingly on a page", then we must also admit that not every still-life set-up offers the ultimate in great design. Sometimes it is necessary, and even preferable, to allow our imaginations to create where reality falls short. I think of line, especially pencil line, as an inviting element incorporated into a painting. Those first pencil lines that peek through a watercolor not only function as a design element, but also allow soulfulness to appear by watching the attempts, and perhaps the struggles, of the artist. Lines that have virtually no meaning literally still pack a punch when read visually. Squiggly energetic lines playing with the front-stage round form of the apple. Yum. In "Varietal" I painted the scene in front of me, then added calligraphic line work in the form of the various kinds of apples that are available to us in the marketplace. Playful lines. Colorful lines. Contrasted with rounded forms. Crunch.

Bounty

Tomato Tango   oil/canvas   8 x 8 x 1

My life is inextricably bound up with the seasons. Time of year determines what I will be painting, what I will be wearing, how I will be feeling and what I will be doing. There is a constant hum in our kitchen right now....the oven dehydrator is working full-tilt to preserve all of the tomatoes that ripened within a week's time. Funny how that is..............we wait and wait and wait..........and then the ripe goodness inundates our menus and our lives all at once. I always look forward to autumn and its quiet. More quality time in the studio. Less to do in the yard, After the tomatoes will come paprika peppers, then parsley, then thyme, then chives. I love following the rhythms of the seasons. Goodness emerges from each. Georgia O'Keefe once said that visiting the East inundated her senses with green.....and she got bored with so much green. Time to put away the greens. Time to squeeze out tubes of earth tones....raw sienna, raw umber, the burnt counterparts of each; yellow ochre and perhaps some violet. I am ready.

Market and High...

Market and High...a sketch

Yesterday morning I sat outside of the Akron Art Museum for an hour handing out postcards for Summit Artspace to museum-goers. The goal is for more area art-lovers to realize the existence of area artists, where they work and where they exhibit. I really had no idea that so many people visited the museum before noon! Of course, it was a free Sunday Sampler and an exhibit of Chuck Close, a combination that is hard to resist. The presence of window washers(on Sunday?) using an outrageously loud lift made it hard to talk and to concentrate. So, when possible, I retreated into my own visual world, where I find stimulation and comfort both. I concentrated on the old part of the building and drew some of the ornamentation which was vastly affected by the changing light. Whoa....here come some people. Letting go of drawings is so very hard for me. I never want to leave that mind arena. By noon I had handed out scads of postcards and had finished a small drawing. The drawing will be ever incised into my memory.....I hope that the recipients of those cards have that same endless-joyful-feeling as they take in the work at the Akron Art Museum. I also hope that many of them will find a new venue to explore in Summit Artspace.

Paint Like No One's Watching

Deference   oil/canvas   40 x 30 x .75

My sister once gave me a small gilded plaque that said, "Dance Like No One's Watching". I guess one could infer that would mean without any self-consciousness whatever. Letting it all hang out. I read once that dancing was one of the most right-brained activities there is....totally in the moment...just feeling the music....no words....no instructions. How nice. This Saturday Night is the Akron Art Walk from 5-10 pm. What a wonderful way to spend the evening! I will be painting at our ASA studio on the third floor of Summit Artspace at 140 E. Market Street until 9:30 pm along with a motley group of painters from The Akron Society of Artists. I am told that our model will be a dancer.....dancers are my favorites models as they are comfortable with their bodies and seem to hold to a higher notion of "the dance" above "the self". I will attempt to paint like no one's watching.

Trust

Trusting Chef Roger   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

O.K.....I have a hard time trusting people....we all have our emotional baggage. But sometimes we can feel akin to strangers. That happened the morning we were scheduled to have Roger Thomas of the Piatto Novo of Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls as our model for three sessions. I had the opportunity to ride up to our studio in the elevator with Chef Roger. There was something familiar in his countenance that felt comforting to me. I had seen his look before in my own family. When I asked him about it, I found that his heritage was quite similar to mine...some northern European, including Wales, as well as some American Indian from the Blackfoot tribe. I really don't get into the ancestry thing at all, as that goes against my "living in the present" philosophy. But, all in all, I found it interesting. As I result, I found it a pleasure to paint him....I felt the intimacy that is necessary for me to turn out a portrait with feeling. I like the portrait. And I like Chef Roger. After the sessions were over, he treated all of us painters to lunch at his restaurant. What a nice, nice feeling.

Chaos...

October Quince   watercolor   19 x 9.5

My painting process requires chaos. When there isn't enough of it on my canvas, I create some by the purposeful destruction of passages that are too sweet, too precious. The problem solving that is a by-product of this process is intellectually stimulating. The end result is sometimes visually un-readable. But sometimes the picture contains more, and becomes larger, than the original intention. This is a very precarious walk between illusion, chaos and reality. We have to be able to see between the lines and to take in all that is presented to us....not just the good stuff. "October Quince" is a chaotic painting. Most of the ones that I do of nature have that same feeling. Painting them helps me deal with life's chaos as well. Our quince bush is a force to reckoned with, especially during mowing. Its long spikes are outthrust like tiny weapons. But in October, it burgeons with the most aromatic fruits. It is also a wonderful fortress for our tiny feathered friends.

Carl Sagan said: It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.