Abstract Art

Visiting the Boca Raton Museum of Art

We just got back from Delray Beach, Florida, where we enjoyed walking around in shorts and sandals, eating outdoors, walking on the beach, and looking at some of the local art.  I wasn't that impressed with the Boca Raton Museum of Art, but it might just be that I'm not excited by their current exhibits:  an Escher collection, and a small selection of works on paper by Mary Cassatt.

We also visited the Artist's Guild, an auxiliary of the Museum, at their gallery.  It was more exciting seeing the contemporary art work of these local artists in a juried show, than the work at the Museum. I always look for the abstract artists, and was drawn to the mixed media pieces of Judith Rostenne.

Now it's good to be back home, even if there is still snow on the ground and a new storm predicted for later this week.  Tomorrow I hope to be working in my studio.

Trucking 31 Abstract Paintings to The Cayuga Museum

Yesterday my brother-in-law and I rented a 16 foot (they didn't have the 10 foot we ordered) truck, loaded it with 31 abstract paintings, and took them to The Cayuga Museum, about an hour away.  It was an adventure! 

Thanks to Jim, who is also my printmaker, we loaded the truck in record time.  On the way there, we had a little glitch when the GPS took us down a narrow curving road, so that we wrecked a tire and rim.  We didn't stop, but saw the damage when we arrived at the museum.

The next step was to carry each painting (some of them 5 ft by 5 ft) down the truck ramp, up the front steps of the museum, and then up a long curved carpeted staircase.  As I made my way up these steps with two of the smaller paintings, I wasn't sure I'd make it.  But Lauren, the curator, helped us and found another staff person to assist as well.

When we returned to Budget rent-a-truck we were a bit smug about the tire damage because we had taken out a $10 insurance policy with no deductible (the low rate was a glitch in their computer system that day).  That's when they informed us that damage from "curbing tires" was not covered, though the rim was.  So it only cost $225 instead of $500. 

I was still happy to have completed our task so easily and successfully, thanks to Jim. And then I came home and crashed.

Anxiety and Sleepless Nights before Museum Exhibit of My Abstract Art

No matter how much I try to meditate and to live in the moment, my brain is always focused on future obligations and worrying about them.  It's a lifetime condition: bipolar mood swings and anxiety, though at this point in my life I manage them better than I did when I was younger.

Having a major exhibition of my abstract art in the Cayuga Museum--my very first solo museum show--has triggered the anxious part of my brain once again.  Last night I could not fall asleep, and I guess I'll be relying on sleeping pills the night before hanging, the opening reception, and the art talk.  I try to limit the use of sleeping pills as much as possible, but there are times when it's the right decision to use them.

I did begin painting a new canvas, however.  Here's stage one of Canvas #78:

   Canvas #78, 48" x 48"

Patterns in Abstract Art: Postcard for Museum Show

Today I'm picking up the postcards for my show at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art.  The show is titled "Patterns in Abstract Art," and this is the image I chose for the front:

   Sound and Fury Two, 48" x 36"

It is always difficult to figure out what image to put on a postcard invitation.  I chose this one because it is one of my most recent paintings, because the size was horizontal, and because I just liked it. 

Organizing a Museum Show of My Abstract Art

When this exhibit of my abstract art was planned months' ago, I felt I had all the time in the world to prepare.  But now it is action time:  order the truck; check the condition of 30 paintings and giclee prints; get mailing list ready; coordinate with the curator at the Cayuga Museum.

I have to admit, I'm getting anxious and nervous. I always worry that I will forget some important step in the process:  That the truck won't be available.  That loading the truck will be a nightmare.  That I will have chosen the wrong pieces for the show.  And on and on and on.

Is it me, or does every artist get nervous before a big exhibit? 

Taking a break from my latest abstract painting

Today I am taking a break from abstract painting in order to see some glass art at the Corning Museum of Glass.  Corning is about a 45 minute drive from Ithaca, and the museum is well worth seeing.  One of the current exhibits is the Heineman Collection, which includes artists such as Dale Chihuly, Ann Wolff, and many others.

We are also going to visit two galleries, the well-established West End Gallery and a new space, Exhibit A.  Going to museums and galleries is a great way to refresh my artist's eyes and inspire me to get back to the studio and work.