newest painting

I called this Halloween because I finished it on October 31st. I see little things I would like to fiddle with but I am leaving it be for now and just happy to be back to painting.

Prospect II New orleans

Yes, it was smaller than last time, 26 artists versus 80+ in 2008. But it is still New Orleans and some memorable art and experiences at the best American biennial. I loved the Sophie Calle intervention at the 1850 House and was lucky to catch both the riveting Joyce Scott performance, Miss Veronica's Veil and the start of William Pope L.'s piece, Blink in the Lower 9th Ward. images top to bottom: Joans Dahlberg video Macbeth, william Pope.L. and me at the Sophie Calle installation.

color study

I have been in a bit of a slump lately- not painting which makes me very unhappy. However, I have signed up for an intensive color class with Sandra Kaplan at the Art Students League of Denver www.asld.org
I took a color class many years ago and think it is time to refresh my skills.

Joan Mitchell Lady Painter by Patricia Albers

Last year I read the big DeKooning biography and the similarities of their lives is inescapable. Both painted big,bold expressive canvases and both were in NY in the 1950s and 60s. Both mingled at the Cedar bar with other artists, musicians, poets and writers of the era. Both drank much, much too much but still managed to create sublime paintings and have successful careers.
And how many more of us recognize the name Willem DeKooning and saw his work in their art history texts then know the name Joan Mitchell?
I was fortunate to see the big Mitchell retrospective at the Whitney in 2002. I went with a friend who is not big on contemporary art. We both were absolutely blown away by the sheer power and beauty of her work. I am a generation younger than Joan Mitchell,and a painter who has worked in the art world since the 1970s. I certainly knew who Joan Mitchell was and had seen her work occasionally at museums or exhibits.I think I, like many other accepted the generally held description of her as a "second generation abstract expressionist" which clearly meant that she was 2nd tier. In the 70s and 80s with the growth of the feminist movement in art her work was "rediscovered" as museums sought to include women artists in exhibits and collections. Joan was certainly uneasy with this, as the author describes in the book.
This is one of the best written biographies of an artist I have read. It reads like a novel, yet it is carefully documented and footnoted. I might quibble that the author often relied on one source who may have been biased, in some of her facts, but the strength of the book is its power in describing Joan life and her times. I was lucky to have the catalog from the exhibit so i could see many of the paintings. As always with artist bios, seeing the work described is very important and frustrating if it isn't available. Will publisher's start using the power of the internet to provide links to images and will the Kindle get some color so we can read books and see the artwork? Stay tuned...

Why I like abstraction

I don't know if abstraction is the best word for it but I paint in a form that isn't necessarily true to what we see in the natural or built world. I find it interesting after more than a century of non objective painting, people still struggle with art that doesn't look like something they recognize. While my paintings are based on all that I see and experience i choose to allow the viewer to make whatever connections he or she wishes. Once you put a chair, a flower or anything else too recognizable in the painting you are leading the viewer into a rather specific direction. What I love about non objective or abstract art is the journey it takes me on, where I can see things that connect to my experience. And in really good art it makes subtle or not so subtle changes each time a I see it. So titles are problematic and a distinct challenge. This painting is titled, Good Morning...

excellent website

I have been enjoying reading the Art Info website and blog posts. I have always followed Tyler Green's blog and he moved to Art Info last year. Nice layouts and lots of good information. Plus you can sign up for the daily newsletter if you are addicted, like me.
www.artinfo.com

slide show of my paintings

I have been painting more and exhibiting less since the flurry of exhibitions in 2009-2010. Here is what is new.Click on the little icon on the left which will take you to Picasa site with more information on the works, or contact me.