A few years ago we visited Finland and north of Helsinki we visited a historic artists colony. I snapped a photo of a lake just as someone in a canoe came into view, past some scupltures of birds. My latest painting, “The Wind on the Lake”. Oil on Canvas. I have been experimenting with minimalism and paint texture recently. 22 x 22 inches.
I have just had two of my paintings accepted into Ridgefield Guild of Artists’ 44th annual juried exhibition.The juror was George Billis who has galleries in NY, Ct, and Los Angeles, Ca. The opening is Saturday, September 18th from 4 to 6 PM on the patio of the RGOA gallery, 34 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield Ct. https://rgoa.org/directions-and-hours/ You are all invited. I am very excited! Can’t make it? I’ll share the two paintings below, but I’d love to see you at the opening!
Between the Sea and the Sky
Usually I happiy pose with my picture in the show. But between the mask, and mask hair I decided just to take a photo of my art. I really like how they hung Between the Sea and the Sky with another artists work (the couple with the pool).
And “Intermission” was nicely color coordinated with some other work as well.
“Flour Power” In 2020 many people turned to the soothing art of baking while in lockdown. Here is my still life with my baking tools, instead of vases of flowers.
A few things happened during the pandemic. People, unable to go out, to entertain turned to cooking and crafts and art. I have always baked my own bread. One day I went to the store and not a single bag of flour was to be found, the same for yeast. I found alternate sources and instead of buying yeast by the jar, I had to buy it by the pound from commercial sites. I learned to bake with Einkorn flour and learned the nuances of the different types of artisanal flours and raised my baking to a new level. The scent of bread in the house made us feel secure, and the loaves that came out of my oven, eased the fears we might not be able to get one or another item. Still lives are usually done with flowers in elaborate silver vases on rich tablecloths. But during the pandemic, flour had power.
“Intermission” Oil on Canvas. I originally painted this solely as a background, but as I sat in front of it, about to paint some detail on top, I just felt soothed by the colors and the motion of the brush strokes. The painting said “I am, as I am, enough.” So after the Covid panic and the wild election season of 2020, a calm intermission. Let’s hope the play has a ending that pleases all.
I painted this during 2020, trying to record in images what was occurring around me in the pandemic. Oil on Canvas 3 x 4 feet.
There are a lot of images. First you can see the flag is divided to represesnt the discord that we see in 2020. The red and blue stars represent the states fighting over so many things this year. Fear about election security. Protests turing to riots, political discord, and fear of the future. It’s a lot for a small blue planet.
And even though we are a small blue planet, we are even smaller in the scope of the universe. With all the energy and vastness of the universe, a tiny biological particle, a virus has brought us to our knees. People are in denial that it is as contagious as it is so we see a second wave, healthcare workers over come, and the fastest research for a vaccine this planet has seen.
The virus started in China, and China was not transparent in the early days, hoarded medical equipement and supplies and let it spread to the world without concern for the other people in the world. Here I show the angel of death, a bat (one suspected source of the virus) and a cheating pig with a ace up his sleeve outside an ICU. Yes, I see You China and Xi Jinping.
But hope is on the way with vaccines for the virus released and near release worldwide. The dove is symbol of hope and I painted the fluid in the syringes gold, as it is liquid gold.
And 2021 is near.
And you would think that would be enough for 2020. But for the first time in 800 years on December 21st 2020 Jupiter and Saturn will conjunct, appearing as a bright star. Some astronomers say this may have what was seen as the Star of Bethlehem, the first Christmas so many many years ago. A sign of hope. So the top of my painting depicts that conjunction. We end with hope.
I have to admit, I like painting and drawing owls. They will not be my finest artwork but they are the most fun!
Here is one I did while gallery sitting at Muscoot Farm, where some of my owls were in a show. I used my Derwent Inktense Water color pencils, I used a brush with water to blend them and then later when I got home, outlined bits in black ink to make it pop.
I have to admit I was a little miffed when Odd Birds in the Family Tree ended up in a dark hallway!
And poor Odd birds ended up alone!
But my Muse salved my miffedness when another art organization I belong to, asked for a donated canvas, they provided the canvas and then it was donated and sold to help support the organization. And what was the theme? BIRDS! So here is Owl Power!
I did he background in acrylic and the owl in Oil paint.
And that is how art sometimes comes into being!
Finally completed, I present to you The Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Big Ben, is the largest bell within it and weighs 16 tons.
Sometimes you meet a tree and it speaks to you.
The first painting completed in 2018. This is oil on canvas and the title is “The Last Customer” It is of Bob’s Diner in #Brewster, NY. I’m painting some of the buildings that will be demolished when they build our new town center in a couple of years, as we will not see their like again. Small theaters, 50’s diners, and Pool Halls.
Brewster, New York is a village within the Town of Southeast. They are going to renovate the village in late 2018-19. They will knock down several historic buildings, including a 50’s Diner (Bob’s Diner) a Pool Hall and the old Cameo Theater. I plan to paint them each before they are gone.
Here is the Last Customer, the interior of Bob’s Diner in Brewster, NY
