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January 11, 2008
I am still brain dead after returning from the West Coast. Silly errands and desk-clearing took up most of my day. I promise, I will get in gear soon!
Thus, today's drawing was also embarrasingly simple and quick:
Drawing #273 9" x 6"
Tomorrow I will start on larger paper again.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 10, 2008
Our flight back home was suprisingly easy, with all flights on time and the last one arriving in Ithaca a few minutes early. When we got home at 10 p.m. we unpacked and then noshed and watched TV, staying up late since we were on California time.
Today it was hard to get out of bed and motivated. To start with, my computer would not start. The studio was cold and it has radiant heat, so it takes a long time to warm up. This computer has been on its last legs for a while anyway, so I ordered a new Imac. I have never used an Apple computer, but this one is supposed to be easy. It's the transition that I dread.
Finally, I got around to drawing and made another small and simple one. Was I inspired by Miro or simply lazy?
Drawing #272 9" x 6"
Later, after it warmed up, the computer started.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 9, 2008
We fly home from California this morning, so I did my drawing in a bit of a rush, and then did another one to make up for it, also in a rush:
Drawing #270 6" x 9"
Drawing #271 6" x 9"
It will be a long day, with a three-hour layover in Philadelphia if everything goes smoothly. I plan to lose myself in an Ian McEwen book and some New Yorker magazines.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 8, 2008
It is raining again in Palo Alto, California, and I heard it was 65 degrees and sunny in Ithaca, New York. Bad timing.
We went to the San Jose Museum of Art this morning and saw a Miro exhibit of 60 prints, mostly lithographs. His work is so inspiring--light, energetic, playful, and simple, but very strong. We also viewed three rooms of the museum's permanent collection, finding a number of interesting pieces.
In my drawing this morning I used mostly the small-tips of the calligraphy pens in order to make a more detailed piece:
Drawing #269 9" x 6"
Tomorrow we are heading home.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 7, 2008
Today we went to the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto, where we took a hike in the Byxbee Park Hills overlooking the marshes. The park was created over a landfill and the hills contain up to sixty feet of garbage covered with clay and then topsoil. Landscape architects and designers created the park as an environmental art form and recreation area. Peter Richards and Michael Oppenheimer were the artists involved in the design.
The marsh waters were high after all the rain this past week. Ducks, geese, seagulls and other birds were numerous, as well as people out walking on this rare day of sunshine.
After that, we walked around downtown Palo Alto, eating lunch outdoors at a Mexican restaurant. Here it is January, and we were eating OUTDOORS--a real treat! We walked around checking out galleries, but most of them were closed because it is a Monday.
My drawing this morning took on an overall patterned design:
Drawing #268 9" x 6"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 5, 2008 Day 261
Our drive to San Francisco yesterday was a bit precarious, with high winds, some flooding, and branches down, but because the traffic was light, we made it in good time. We met my sister Mary at her office and had a great lunch with her at Fuzios.
Back in Los Gatos later, we played Catch Phrase, which was a lot of fun. Then we continued work on the gingerbread house, which culminated in covering it in tons of colorful candy patterns.
In today's drawing I used the Zig calligraphy brush pen again, and a fine point black pen:
Drawing #266 9" x 6"
I'm ready to go home now and get back to work, but we have four more days. At least this morning it's not raining (yet).
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 4, 2008 Day 260
It is raining heavily here, and there is a snow blizzard in the Sierras. We are supposed to go to San Francisco today to have lunch with my sister Mary. So much for sunny California.
I did a quick 6" x 9" drawing today in black and pale green:
Drawing #265 6" x 9"
The big project we are doing this week with our granddaughters is making a gingerbread house. Using molded cast iron forms, we made the pieces of the house by pressing the dough firmly into the molds and then baking them. It turned out that rolling the dough with a rolling pin created finer details than simply pressing with our fingers. The next stage will be construction using special icing as the mortar.
I also got to go to an Apple store today (we don't have one in Ithaca) and fell in love with the Imac.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 3, 2008 Day 259
Yesterday it was freezing with snow and blustering wind as we walked from long-term parking to the airport. Our flight to Philly was delayed and by the time we got there, we missed our connection to San Francisco. That meant spending four more hours in the Philly airport--not our favorite place to be! Also, the last half hour of the flight from Ithaca, there was so much turbulance that I thought my glass of water would spill, so I picked it up, and then it did spill all over Adrian. But he got back by spilling a glass of water on me in the next flight.
We didn't go to bed until after 3 a.m. our time, and then woke up on an Eastern Standard Time schedule--too early!
My drawing this morning reflected my zombie state:
Drawing #264 6" x 9"
After that, we had a great walk with granddaughter Rebecca and her dog Abby. It was wonderful to walk without a coat in 50 plus degree weather, sun peeking out among storm clouds that were brewing. Later it started to rain and is supposed to continue for the rest of our stay here. But hey, they call THIS weather?!
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
January 2, 2008 Day 258
We are flying to California this morning, so I made a quick simple drawing:
Drawing #263 11" x 14"
We will fly from Ithaca to Philadelphia to San Francisco--a long day! There were three or four inches of fresh snow on the ground this morning and it is snowing now. I hope our plane takes off. Maybe winters should be for hibernating only?
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
November 25, 2007 Day 220
After traveling, it always takes me a day to recuperate. Feeling half-awake, I made my drawing this morning with greens and blues. It was good to get back to 9" x 12" paper after feeling cramped in the 6" x 9" size I travel with.
Drawing #225 12" x 9"
After that, I tackled canvas #24 again, covering up much of what I had before. This is the last blank canvas I have, so after this I'll have to stretch some new ones.
Canvas #24 36" x 36"
I couldn't stay awake after lunch, and took a short nap. I'm still sleepy, so I think I'll spend the rest of the day reading the Sunday New York Times.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
November 24, 2007 Day 219
Last night we had dinner at Peppe's Ristorante, where they served the best Italian food I've eaten in ages. So if you're ever in East Stroudsburg, that's a restaurant you don't want to miss.
We arrived home an hour ago, at 4 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The drive back from Stroudsburg was not bad, but there was a lot more traffic than there had been on the way down. We took a walk in a park this morning, and then after Eric left for home, we had lunch with Owen at an Irish pub.
I can't remember too much about this morning's drawing, except for the feeling that I didn't have enough space work in. The 9" x 6" drawing pad I travel with is constructing after working in larger sizes.
Drawing #224 9" x 6"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
November 23, 2007 Day 218
We are in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, the day after Thanksgiving. I hope this is the last time I ever stay in a low-budget motel. It was freezing last night, but I didn't want to wake Adrian by turning on the heater. It was right next to his head, and made a lot of noise. Instead, I got up and put more clothes on, then huddled under the thin blanket.
Adrian got up first this morning but he went back to sleep. I got dressed, opened the curtain for a sliver of light, and did my drawing. It was a struggle, becoming more and more of a chaotic scribble. I did what I could to bring it into shape and focus, but probably should have scrapped it and started over.
Drawing #223 9" x 6"
Last night we ate a late buffet and of course we all overate since there was food in abundance. Another promise to myself: NO MORE BUFFETS! First, I hate standing in line for my food when I'm in a restaurant, and I'd rather have a small plate of something special than unlimited amounts and choices of food that is simply adequate. There was so much waste as people filled their plates and then ate half in order to go try something else. How many hungry people could we have fed with what we threw out?
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
November 22, 2007 Day 217
For U.S. readers, Happy Thanksgiving! We woke up at 6 a.m. and left the house at 8 to drive to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to meet sons Owen and Eric. With little traffic, we made it in 2 1/2 hours. We are staying at a Budget Host since those were the only rooms available. After we unpacked, I did my drawing for the day, wishing I'd brought all the calligraphy pens with me instead of just half:
Drawing #222 9" x 6"
Then we went out to eat at an Irish Pub--just for sandwiches and salad. Tonight we will have our Thanksgiving dinner at the Stroudsmoor Inn. After lunch we took a light walk at a local park on trails along a creek. Now we are waiting for son Owen to get here. Eric came in last night.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)
July 22, 2007 Day 94
I used my favorite colors in this morning's drawing: shades of red to burgundy, orange to yellow. I've been listening to Don McLean's "American Pie" cd for days now. I guess I can listen to it over and over after all. Sometimes that's what it takes to really get into a song. The intensity of hearing it again and again drills it into your brain, making new responsive grooves.
Drawing #95 14" x 11"
Yesterday it seemed that nothing we tried to do quite worked out. We drove to Watkins Glen to attend the wine festival, but when we saw people walking downtown with cases of wine on their shoulders, we quickly parked the car. "The festival can't be far," we said. "Let's take a parking space while we can."
After walking ten blocks and seeing no sign of the festival, we asked someone and were told we had to go to the raceway, and that it was not within walking distance. So, back to the car, and then another adventure trying to find the raceway, stopping to ask people along the way.
At last, we get there, and it is already 4 p.m., with just an hour left to the festival. We park and only then discover that it costs $30 a person to enter, and $10 for the designated driver. I knew I couldn't drink $30 worth of wine all day, no less in one hour, and John felt the same way. Adrian doesn't drink, but $10 seemed a steep price to pay to go and watch other people doing it.
We drove back to the state park and hiked the fabulous Watkins Glen gorge, where we were able to walk behind a waterfall and watch it pouring in sheets to the rocks below.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
July 21, 2007 Day 93
Lately I've been starting my drawings by making random marks on the page without regard for composition. It's color I'm working with, mostly, and only after the drawing is quite far along do I start to focus on the composition. Actually, I can't even call it a "focus." I just work and gradually the composition takes shape.
Drawing #94 14" x 11"
Our friend John from Chicago arrived yesterday afternoon, and we took him to look at some apartments because he is thinking about moving here. Then we picked up Roxy, our neighbor's black lab, and went for a good hike in the woods. At one point when we heard a dog barking way back near where we'd started, we thought we had lost her. But she was actually far ahead of us, and finally showed up after we called her several times.
I am feeling relaxed and looking forward to a few days of hiking and other local recreation. Later today we're going to Watkins Glen for a wine festival and a hike up the spectacular gorge there.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
July 2, 2007 Day 74
It's five p.m. and I just finished my drawing. We got to the Ithaca airport early this morning to sign Rebecca in for her flight as an unaccompanied minor, but US Air refused to let her on the plane. Evidently Marc, Rebecca's father, had made the reservations with United, US Air's partner, and they assured him everything would be fine. United allows minors to travel unaccompanied on flights with connections, but US Air doesn't. They wouldn't even allow her to travel alone if someone met her in Philadephia, because she is under fourteen. The only solution they offered was to send Adrian with her to Philadelphia so he could put her on the next flight, and then he could return to Ithaca.
The problem was, there were no seats available for him until a five a.m. flight the next morning. After standing there for an hour trying to find a way to solve the problem, Marc finally called United from California and got Rebecca on a United flight from Syracuse instead. That meant rushing to Syracuse from the Ithaca airport, about an hour and fifteen minutes away, to catch that flight.
I got us to Syracuse in record time, but when we got there, no one seemed to know how to proceed. Rebecca was very discouraged at this point, and I was in a bit of a daze by then. At last, between four United employees, they finally figured it out, and we took Rebecca through security. Adrian, with his artifical knee, had to go through a full search again, and the metal button Rebecca had been told she must wear in order to identify her as an unaccompanied minor, also set off the alarm.
But we got Rebecca on the plane, and she should be in San Francisco by this evening, three hours later than she was supposed to have arrived. Driving home from Syracuse, I missed the first Ithaca exit and now my head is buzzing with static. I made my drawing, but just barely:
Drawing #75, 11" x 14"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
July 1, 2007 Day 73
The Canadian side of Niagara Falls was like a mini-Las Vegas where everything said "Money, money, money. Give us your money." It was quite an unexpected surprise, then, to find the American side much less commercial. The state park was filled with natural areas and walking trails where you can see the falls up close without paying a cent. Even parking was free for us because Blixy had a 2007 NY state park sticker on her car.
Adrian was not feeling well, however, so we sat and rested for much of the time while Blixy and the kids walked ahead. Then there was a miscommunication where I got separated from the group, and since I didn't have my cell phone with me, they couldn't call. Just as I was about to tell the park people that I had lost my group, Blixy showed up at the Visitor's Center and found me.
On the ride home, we all slept while Blixy drove.
I got ten hours of sleep last night, but still feel exhausted. Adrian and Rebecca are out walking Roxy, which gave me a chance to do my drawing this morning. I used purples, blacks and grays, reflecting my hazy, disoriented mood. I need some quiet down time, but we have one more day of fun ahead of us.
Drawing #74 11" x 14"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 30, 2007 Day 72
We are all tired after a full day's activities at the Falls. We had the tourist experience, wearing yellow and blue raincoats to see the crashing water up close and to get soaked by the spray. As Blixy said, these are things we probably would not have done if we didn't have children with us, and they gave us a great excuse to indulge ourselves.
My favorite activity was visiting the butterfly conservatory. Being in a large tent with exotic plants and fluttering multi-colored wings brushing past us, sometimes landing on our shoulder or head, made me wish I had one in my back yard. Children and adults were mesmerized.
But every activity here, like at Disney World, ends in a gift shop. There is nothing free except the ice in the hotel. Water fountains are hard to come by, so that you end up buying a bottle of water for four dollars in order to quench your thirst. Signs and notices continually remind us that part of our dollars spent will be used to maintain this natural area, but so little of it is natural at this point.
In the evening we drove to Niagara on the Lake, which provided an antidote to the noise of the Falls area. They were still engaging tourists, of course, but the setting was a historic town set in the middle of wineries and orchards, a low-key version of the tourist experience that we found relaxing.
This morning I woke up early, and the girls were still asleep when I started my drawing. In the half-light, not wanting to wake them, I did a couple of small sketches with a Paynes gray Kohinoor fine-tipped pen. I didn't like the first, but here is the second one:
Drawing #73, 9" x 6"
And now my coffee is ready.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 29, 2007 Day 71
We arrived in Niagara Falls around one p.m. yesterday, and had a full day of tourist activities after checking into our hotel. The view of the falls from our room really is spectacular, and I woke up briefly at dawn to take a photo of the sunrise. In the afternoon we walked all over the area, focusing on the kid attractions like the wax museum and Ripley's "believe it or not" museum and theatre. The noise and commercialism were intense, but the children had a great time.
The walk back to our hotel was hard for Adrian, who was exhausted, but we made it just in time to get to Cirque Niagara. We had bought medium-priced tickets for the show, but were upgraded to the second row when we got there. If you ever get a chance to see any of the Cirque shows, don't pass it up. We all loved it!
This morning Rachel and Rebecca were up early, and I worked on my drawing in their room, which has a desk. I just had time to finish it before Blixy and Mike picked us up to go to breakfast.
Drawing #72, 9" x 6"
In a few minutes we'll be leaving to spend the day at the Falls.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 4, 2007 Day 46
Phew, its over, and it went great! There was a good crowd at the gallery, and my extemporaneous art talk was the best I'd ever given. The crowd was friendly and asked good questions. When I finished, Eric told me he had made a video while I was talking, so if I can get the technology to work, I'll show it here. (It's on YouTube.com now.)
My brother Bob and his son Roy showed up also, and it was great to catch up with them when the crowd thinned out. I only had to drink one small cup of wine for my nerves.
Sales, unfortunately, did not happen for any of us. Hilda Epner explained that Hopper House had always acted more like a museum than a gallery, and until recently did not even put prices on the paintings they exhibited. As a member of the exhibition committee, Hilda was trying to change this. And the show will be up for three weeks, so you never know. I'm not holding my breath.
Last night we had dinner at Wasabi Chi, a fabulous Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Nyack. The rains finally came after threatening to for days, and now things have cooled down a bit.
This morning I drew with the fine points of my pens, ending up with a little whimsical piece:
Drawing #46, 8" x 6"
After a walk and breakfast, we will head home around noon.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 3, 2007 Day 45
Today is the day of the reception and art talk at Hopper House, so naturally I didn't sleep well last night. My drawing this morning is a sleepy pastel:
Drawing #45, 6" x 8"
Owen finally arrived yesterday afternoon and we went for lunch at Strawberry Place. A dog owner we had met the day before in the park said we simply must eat there. We asked a waiter what he recommended and ordered the three dishes suggested: hallah made into French toast and stuffed with fresh fruit, a mother nature omelet, and an "Alvin" sandwich with grilled chicken breast, Dijon honey mustard, cheese, and other ingredients I can't remember. We shared the dishes and stuffed ourselves. I had an iced coffee, which might explain my not sleeping well last night.
Later we tried to hike the upper path at the Nyack Beach State Park, but it was too dangerous for Adrian because his balance isn't good. We had a lovely walk on the lower path instead.
We stopped at Ben Franklin Books in the afternoon, and when I asked the owner whether he was selling used books over the internet, I heard a long sad story. He told me it had been a great way to sell books until one company monopolized the used-book market by selling everything too cheap. They would evidently buy books for pennies from libraries, who had gotten the books free in donations. The story was longer and more complicated, but one lesson to be learned is how quickly things change on the internet.
Our plan today is to take a walk, though if it is as hot and humid as it was yesterday, that might not be a great idea. After that, we'll have breakfast, and be back by one p.m. so I can get ready for the reception. Three hours of being "on" to look forward to. Or, I could look at it this way: three hours of having people admire my art and talk to me about it. I'll report tomorrow.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 2, 2007 Day 44
We met at the Hopper House at 9:30 a.m. yesterday, and didn't finish hanging the show until 4:30 in the afternoon. Hilda Epner, one of the abstract artists in the show, was also the curator. We had to figure out where to hang our paintings so that they would all look good and complement one another. This takes a lot of experimentation: one of us holds the painting up, the other stands back and looks, and then we switch places.
There were three rooms plus the office in which to hang art. Fortunately the third artist, Lee Brosgold, only needed one wall to hang his set of eight 8" x 8" oils in a configuration that made it into a kind of installation. He had a ceramic bowl that went with the group to complete it.
I had not brought any small paintings, and there were some small spaces to hang work, so Hilda, who lives 12 miles away, went home to get more of her small pieces. The gallery director and her assistant did the hard labor of climbing the ladder to adjust string and hooks. After everything was hung, we had to print and apply labels, and finally, the show was ready.
When we started out, the task had seemed impossible, but in the end, we had a great show hung.
Green Here and There and Illumination
Hope and Triangle Pose
Two paintings by Hilda Epner
Installation by Lee Brosgold
After resting at the motel by watching Venus Williams lose and Serena Williams win their tennis matches at the French Open, we had a luscious dinner at the Hudson House. I had two glasses of wine and was feeling mellow as we walked up and down Main Street in Nyack.
Today we have the day off. I made my drawing first thing after picking up coffee and juice. It looked as if it would be difficult to pull together, but by patiently making marks, I felt it finally worked.
Drawing #44, 8" x 6"
Adrian's son Owen called then and said he was only an hour away, asking us to wait to eat with him. We drove to Nyack Beach State Park, only ten minutes away, and took a short walk along the Hudson River. We would have stayed longer, but wanted to get back for Owen.
Now, two hours later, he called to say he took the wrong road and was in Hackensack, New Jersey.
And so it goes.
With temps in the 80s and no shade on the walk at the park, it's just as well we came back early.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
June 1, 3007 Day 43
It's a hot summer day in Nyack, New York. The drive here yesterday was easy, and easy to look at as we headed east on Route 17 through the Catskills. We stopped halfway in Roscoe, a little lake town, and had lunch at a gourmet cafe. Not the usual fare we expect on a road trip!
After we settled in at the Super 8, we went into town to find the Hopper House Art Center, where the exhibition will be. Hyped up on an iced cafe latte I drank in Roscoe, I took the wrong road, but eventualy figured it out. The gallery was closed, but we picked up literature and walked the grounds, enjoying the sculpture and gardens. This house was the birthplace and home of Edward Hopper, a realist painter and printmaker who died in 1967. A section of the house is dedicated to Hopper's life and career, so we'll find out more tomorrow when we hang the show.
After a walk on the pier and through town, and a shopping expedition to the huge Palisades Mall a few minutes away, we rested at the motel by watching Tony Soprano on HBO. I finally felt relaxed.
After getting coffee and juice for the room this morning, I started to draw, feeling light and peaceful. I finished one airy piece and started another. This one pushed out a bit too far toward the edges of the paper, and I wished I'd brought a larger size pad with me. Usually I am stressed and rushing to get the drawing done when traveling, but not this morning. And guess what--I didn't even read my email yet!
Drawing #42, 8" x 6"
Drawing #43, 8" x 6"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
May 28, 2007: Day 39
I started to write, "Happy Memorial Day," but it is not happy. It is, rather, a sad day when we think about the ongoing loss of life in Iraq and elsewhere in the world. I take a moment to think about the dead, the dying, and the about-to-die because of leaders waging war.
We arrived in Wilkes-barre, PA, around noon yesterday and met Eric for lunch at a local pizza place. Wilkes-barre is known for its great pizza. In the afternoon we went for an easy hike at The Tubs, a natural area with interesting geological formations shaped in round cups or "tubs."
In the evening we went to our favorite Italian restaurant, one we'd been going to for years whenever we visited, but there was a Mexican restaurant there instead. We couldn't understand what had happened because the Italian place was family run and always packed. A neighbor told us the sad news--that the chef, one of the sons, had committed suicide. No wonder the family suddenly sold the business.
Eric said, "If the person committing suicide only knew how many lives he was affecting, he wouldn't do it." Suicide is always a tragedy for family and friends, one that has an effect for lifetimes and generations.
My drawing today contains the words, "Sea of Life." It is a cliche, yes, but often chosen because it is so apt in depicting life's movement from calm waters to deep swells and raging storms, from heights of euphoria to despair.
Drawing #38, 8" x 6"
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
May 6, 2007 Day 17
I am bleary-eyed from the five-hour drive back from Maryland. We had breakfast with Eric and then took off. Before I left the hotel, however, I made drawing #16:
Drawing #16, 8" x 6"
Yesterday we walked around Reisterstown in the morning, had lunch at a cafe, and then went back to Eric's condo to photograph the framed paintings. Unfortunately, because of the lighting and my inept photography, these photos don't quite capture the effect.
Photo #1
Photo #2
Photo #3
Photo #4
Photo #5
In the afternoon we took a hike, where we crossed a brook and got a little lost, and then had to recross it in order to get back. I love these little adventures in nature! And the best thing was that spring in Maryland is way ahead of Ithaca. I saw lots of jack-in-the-pulpits in the woods. Lilacs, azalea, forsythia and dogwood were flowering everywhere.
All in all, it was a good visit with Eric and a nice break. I'm always glad to get home again, though. I feel behind already, but will take it easy the rest of the day.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
May 5, 2007 Day 16
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
I am writing this blog from the Holiday Garden Inn in Owings Mills, Maryland. We got in town at 2:30 yesterday afternoon. This morning I made my drawing without even having a cup of coffee first!
Drawing #15, 8" x 6"
My stepson Eric will pick us up at 9 to go for breakfast. Then we'll probablhy hike, visit his office, and relax. I brought my good camera with me in order to take photos of my paintings in his new condo.
Eric has always been a fan of my art, so over the years he's accumulated a number of pieces. He would take a rolled-up painting I was no longer interested in, or relieve me of extra inventory when we were moving. For the new condo, he hired an interior designer to help decorate, with the instructions that everything should revolve around my art.
When we walked into his place yesterday, I was stunned. The paintings looked absolutely fabulous in new $400 frames and lit up by track lighting. His walls were painted a shade of tan that set off the art perfectly. I hope my photos come out, and if they do, I'll post them here.
(Note: There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)
You are invited to view my art this June in a 3-person exhibit, The New Abstraction, at Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, New York. I'll be showing with Hilda Epner and A. Lebowski, and we will be discussing our work and philosophy during the reception on Sunday, June 3rd, from 2 to 5 pm.
It's hard to plan a show when you haven't seen the exhibit space. I am planning to bring as many paintings as I can fit into my Honda Element (after taking out the back seats), so that I will have enough to choose from when we hang the show on Friday. Nyack is a 4-5 hour drive, so Adrian and I will leave on Thursday and stay through Sunday's reception.
I want to include my latest work in this show, and to focus on the red/orange/greens. These are some of my favorite colors, but they are sometimes hard to photograph, so they look best "live" rather than on a computer screen. Here are a few I will bring:
Illumination, 36" x 36"
Green Here and There, 36" x 36"
Pleasure Palace, 36" x 36"
Talking Dog, 36" x 36"
On a recent trip to California, we went to the San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA), where I was delighted to view an exhibit of Korean-born New York based artist, Il Lee. It took me a while to warm up to his work, which is made exclusively with ball point pens on paper or canvas. That's right, I said ball point pens--the ordinary kind you buy by the box at Staples or Office Depot.
Lee does not use the pens to draw so much as to build up an image through repetitive strokes, gradually creating dark masses or shapes. At first you almost want to dismiss them as "scribbling," but there is something obsessive and compelling about his images that seduce you into entering his world.
This show at SJMA is Lee's first solo show in a museum, and the largest exhibit of his work to date, covering the last three decades of his output. One begins with his drawings on paper, and by the time you get to his huge canvasses, you are indeed impressed. I started out as a skeptic, not expecting to like this show, but I ended up loving it.
You can check out images and commentary on Lee's exhibition by following the links at this API press relase at Art Projects International. If you're going to be in the San Jose, California area in the next couple of months, take the time to see this. The exhibit is open until July 8, 2007.
We've been doing a lot of traveling this summer visiting family and friends, and it's always an added bonus to visit the local art museum. Recently we toured the University of Iowa art center and the Demoyne Art Center in Iowa. When guests visit us, we take them to the Johnson Art Museum on the Cornell University campus.
A local or university art museum usually has an in-house collection that focuses on a particular specialization. The Johnson Art Museum, for example, has a large collection of Asian art. At Stanford University, there is a Rodin sculpture garden as well as a recently constructed site of pole carvings from Papua, New Guinea artists.
I always look for modern and contemporary exhibits when I visit any museum. I am in love with art beginning around the impressionists, and climaxing with the abstract expressionists. This is where I draw my inspiration from. When I visit regional and university museums, they do exhibit this art, but often just a piece or two, and usually not anywhere near the artist's best work. But I am happy to find what I can.
On the other hand, most of the conceptual art that I find, whether it is a video or other installation, leaves me cold. Sometimes there's an interesting idea behind it, a bit of history or political perspective, or a good joke, and occasionally the craft is admirable. But rarely is the emotional and aesthetic punch worth the trip.
Don't you love vacations? Actually, I enjoy them for the first three days, and then I'm usually ready to be home and get back to work. Maybe it's because I'm a workaholic, or that I need a regular schedule in order to control my bipolar moods, but somehow I just don't do well on long vacations.
This past week we had one of Adrian's son and his two daughters--eleven and fourteen--staying with us. That meant every day was a vacation except that I also got to cook, drive everyone around, and plan activities for them. This group was very helpful and easy-going, so looking after them wasn't hard, but I took only one morning out to do my own work. I sent them off with Adrian.
I could have done that more often, but I always want to be in both places at the same time. So I struggle with the conflict, don't get enough sleep, eat and drink too much--the usual.
This morning we took our houseguests to the airport at 6 a.m. Now we have the rest of the day to get ready for a trip we're taking tomorrow to Acadia National Park in Maine where we will stay with another one of Adrian's sons and his family for a week.
The only thing I can say about these multiple vacations is that it's going to feel really good to get back to painting again when they end. And I'll have a whole new set of visual stimulations to impact my art.
This past Saturday I was in New York for the opening of a group exhibit at Monkdogz Urban Art. We had the worst weather--rainy, windy and cold, but still about 250 people showed up for the reception. I was very pleased with the gallery, the art, and the hanging of the show. My three large paintings were well-lighted and situated right at the entrance to the gallery. I couldn't have asked for a better spot.
Our hosts, Bob Hogge and Marina Hadley were terrific--both high-energy people who did a great job in the selection and placement of the art. Good champagne and fresh strawberries kept all the guests happy. I had friends come in from Jersey who I hadn't seen in a zillion years.
The show is up for another three weeks. For more info about the exhibition, the artists, and lots more, check out the Monkdogz Urban Art website.
A traveling chef will be tuned into the tastes and smells of food in new places, or especially observant of cooking tools and equipment in restaurants and homes. A traveling musician will be especially aware of sounds and their combinations. As an artist, my visual sense is the most acute, and as I travel, the changes in color, light and patterns are what attract my attention.
When I left Ithaca, New York, this past Friday the temperature was 16 degrees and there was ten inches of snow on the ground. The landscape I saw around me was toned down to simple stark contrasts, presenting a spare “black and white” tonality that influenced my painting this winter. It’s an inspiring view, actually, and interesting in its own way.
But this week in Los Gatos, California, my eye is feasting on lush spring greens with sprinkles of bright colors. It’s been raining a lot here, and everything is growing. The brown hills to the east, normally fascinating to me in their golden dryness, are emerald green and sparkling fresh after a downpour. The air is wet and fecund, and when the sun shines through the clouds, I feel birth and rejuvenation all around me.
In the summer I enjoy leaving the east coast, crowded with grass and leaf greens, for the dry desert sand and rocky coast of California. I love the freedom and sparseness of it, the sense of wide open space. I love the dramatic palette change. Now that I’ve spent the winter with Ithaca’s sparseness, however, I welcome the lusciousness and bright colors of spring in Los Gatos. We have a way to go before it comes to Ithaca.
