I’ve not been one to daily or weekly blog, maybe one day, but when I saw that I hadn’t put anything here since January of 2013 my own dropped. Life does intervene in many ways that do not lend themselves to all aspects of an artist’s life and I suppose that is what has been happening here. I am still here however and so happily blessed to have the support of my wonderful collectors, my trusted gallery reps and friends and family who keep me grounded. 2013 was what I would call a challenging time. In retrospect the ups were sweet and the downs trying. The passing of my dear dad at just shy of 96 was bittersweet. I am finding myself talking with him every day – he’s so much more accessible now that he is solidly in my heart and mind, not 700 miles away from me. I’ll write more about him later. I’ve lots to write about so maybe this year will be the year of the weekly blog for me. I have a backlog of essays in my swimming brain on issues such as a recent award from Pastel Journal Magazine, inclusion in a coffee table book by E. Ashley Rooney, arts advocacy, dealing with galleries, staying hopeful while physically impaired and the journey through the second half of my life as an artist.
For now its about a current show at Robert Allen – one of my favorite art dealers and gallery owners I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. I have a selection of abstract pastels in a group show there through March. Robert has a beautiful gallery there – slightly off the main track where most tourists devote time. He is also an approachable, personable guy who believes deeply in his artists. If you are in Sausalito, his gallery is a must!
Until next time! Thanks for reading!
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“In Search of the Sacred Path”
Throughout my professional life as an artist my interests have gone in several distinguishing directions, somewhat like spokes on a wheel. As the artist, to me they all relate and always have. In the 1980’s I created pastel paintings of very minimal suburbanesque architectural themes drenched in Southern California light. At the same time I was obssessed with pattern, dramatic surface building through mixed media that were pure abstractions. Concurrently I developed series based on psychological themes surrounding what was going on in my personal life through simple iconography. It was on retrospect that I realized I had been continuing to work within these themes and constructs with varying media and processes over the course of the last thirty years. Spokes on a Wheel.
Within the last decade I have been actively developing my landscape/architectural paintings that are set within a psychological framework. Simultaneously, and perhaps more currently I have returned with vigor to abstractions on nature. This body of work, by design is deliberate and contemplative. Recently I was interviewed by writer Jason Marak, Art Beat writer for The North Coast Journal for an article titled “Different But Not” where I discussed the history and core nature of the work. I have a full body of work of these abstractions being shown together for the first time that include pastels and some prints as well as a suite of oils/charcoal on canvas. The show is at Plaza, Arcata through February with an opening reception tonight January 11, from 6 to 9 during Arts Arcata! Whereas the representational work evokes a psychological landscape for me, the abstractions, or deconstructions, allow me to let go of those burdens, as interesting as they can be and float within the spiritual, visual and philosophical space of ideas and marks and color and light. They are about allowing the purely intuitive to stage the course of action. I imagine the process of creating these as a bit like a piece of the collective subconscious sketching the ideas of what nature would become. With the ending of the Mayan calendar and the planetary alignment that was 26,000 years in the making, these ideas interest me. And again, like spokes on a wheel, they always return to the center.
I’m coming to Sausalito this week to do business, spend some time with friends and family and oh yes, attend the opening reception of “Seasonal Landscapes” – a group show at Robert Allen Fine Art at 301 Caledonia Street. All are welcome to attend and I urge my collectors to come see this show as it may be the one time I get to see you in the coming months along with my work! The theme is seasonal landscapes but some of the work I am currently in love with traverse the seasons so what started to stretch to fall may have gone a little further -WHATEVER! This latest large landscape image has been begging me to be painted for months so at last I did and will be exhibiting it at the show. I hope to see some of you at the reception – this Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30. Its not supposed to rain that day so please come out and see this beautiful gallery!
Update 12/9: Good news/Bad news: The above painting “The Quiet Life” never made it into the show. It was sold soon after this was posted along with “November Rain.” Thank you Shelley Barry from Artful Solutions in San Ramon for placing these pieces and thank you to the lucky law firm for their decisive action! I will post more from this road trip including images from the show in a future post this week.
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