Plucked Squab

 

I have to confess I'm not much of an art collector, hypocritical as that may seem. Most of what I have on my walls in my 1920's house are doors and windows but I do have room for this gem by my vintage art supply benefactor Louise Marianetti. It's an oil/paper painting about 8x15 inches and is called "Plucked Squab". Just the title alone was worth the price, and I can't wait to get it framed and on my wall.

Pomegranate from the past

 

I've had a box of old slides scanned in recently and it's fun to see what was in the mix. It also gives me material to post when I'm too busy or lazy to come up with fresh new content and my blog starts nagging at me. This painting was about 3x4 feet and was done way back in my RISD days. I have no idea what happened to it...hard to think I could lose one that size!

Posterized

 

This is the poster I designed for this month's Gallery Night Providence. I've got nothing to show in that fair city right now but I am showing 3 paintings in Warren at Imago Gallery, and one in Newport at the Newport Art Museum.

George Tooker - Egg Tempera artist extrodinaire

Just when I discover egg tempera, we perhaps our best modern egg tempera artist, George Tooker, who died last Sunday at the age of 90. I've always loved his work, and watching this 3-part video makes me realize he was as wonderful as his paintings. Check out his egg tempera set-up, and his work, which will give you chills.

 

Painting in prime time

 

Finally, that show about fascinating paintings is going to premiere this week with its pilot episode featuring, in "Kate's" office (Jeri Ryan), several paintings by me! I think there's some secondary plot about a medical examiner-something-something, but let's hope they don't stand in front of the paintings too often.  Alas, by the time the pilot was picked up for the series, my paintings were recast so it's a mystery as to what will grace the office walls for subsequent episodes. That's why you can't miss the premiere on Tuesday, March 29, 10pm Eastern, 9pm Central on ABC unless you have a good excuse, like me, who still doesn't have a TV! 

But I expect it will be available somewhere like Hulu, so if I find it, I'll publish the link in a gesture of shameless self promotion.

PS - For you Rhode Islanders, there are also bound to be lots of inaccurate arrangements of familiar places, or in other words, a view of "Philadelphia" that looks eerily familiar. 

PPS - How'd I get my paintings on TV? Like this. 

HERE'S MY PROMISED SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION: The link to see the pilot

Timeless techniques - and less time to do them.

 

My egg tempera demo was a lot of fun, thanks to everyone who came even though parking was a challenge and the action looked more "spirited" across the street in the 3 bars celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Above is a little panel I did using egg tempera of the yellow mounds in the South Dakota Badlands where I was artist in residence back in 2002. I'm hoping to keep working in egg tempera, but it might be more of a winter medium. I'm anxious to get back to oils now that the weather is more reasonable and my studio less frozen.

I've also taken some printmaking classes this winter at the AS220 printshop:

Walter Feldman at the Vandercook press

The first was Woodblock Printmaking with Walter Feldman. It's such a treat when you sign up for a class and it exceeds your expectations. I knew Walter Feldman was a master woodcut artist, but I didn't know he would be so inspiring as a teacher. It's not that he gives and exhaustive blueprint of the printing process, but he imparts a love of the medium, a respect for the tools, and an appreciation that woodcut is an art form onto itself. "Let the block speak to you" he says, as he runs his printer's hand over the wood's surface. But don't get the idea that he's one of those artists who hear voices, he's down to earth enough to warn you not to get a fingerprint on the paper "Then you won't be able to sell it".

I took another woodblock class last year that taught how to use a laser cutter to cut the block, but while interesting, is not the way I'm going with this. Laser is surely capable of cutting just about any line, but the hand is the better tool, in my opinion.

I'm also now taking a refresher etching class, the toxic kind. I took the non-toxic intaglio class but once again, toxic is better. The concession to health and environment is to use ferric chloride instead of acid, but I even miss hanging over the acid bath brushing the air bubbles off the plate with a feather.  Not good for you though.

Why am I learning even more techniques when I don't have time to use the techniques I already use? 

No answer to that question but to change the subject. Hey, look over there! Wonderful landscapes, check them out! http://weimarart.blogspot.com/2011/03/crucified-land.html