Sometimes artists have muses, I am no exception. Muses are often their source of inspiration. Muses give the artist a sense of passion about something. My muses are words – and the concepts they conjure up for me. Words never cease to inspire me which is why I call myself a conceptual artist and why I write a blog and about beautiful moments in the day.
Posted on April 21 2020
When creating “Figuring It Out” I began by what comes naturally – putting washes of color on the paper. I had chosen the colors I wanted to work with – mainly black and white. It is not easy to make a work exciting when you use just two colors, but I knew that I wanted this to be a journey – not only for myself during the process of creation, but also for others who were going to view the work after it was finished.
Posted on April 18 2020
“Telling the Story” is also all about the yes, yes, yes in creativity. I was working on this piece during an open studio time when folks were invited to came into my studio and watch me paint. Whenever these events happen, I usually don’t like what I did – because I am interrupted so much but this one worked.
Posted on April 15 2020
People often ask how long it takes me to create a work of art. In their mind a task has a start, a middle and an end. Most artists think differently. Regardless if you paint realism or abstract, many artists struggle with knowing when a work is “finished”.
Posted on April 12 2020
People often ask me how long it takes to complete a work of art. That is so – so – hard to answer. Generally I tell them there are many layers to a painting and you never know when the final layer will be finished.
Posted on April 12 2020
An exciting thing happened in the art market recently. The Wall Street Journal, in their April 7, 2020 edition wrote an article about selling the collection of a lifetime high-end art collector. What makes it so exciting is that the collection will be sold through private galleries rather than the... Essays
Posted on April 09 2020
The art market is changing. Inspired by an article in the Wall Street Journal about the changing art market I asked myself – what is happening to the small gallery owners who represent emerging artists? If we follow the news we see that there are far too many small gallery owners going out of business ...
Posted on April 02 2020
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes Part 1 & Part 2 of this blog talked about the power of change in art. The only thing constant in this world is change. Change is hard. ( Preface: Change Change – Part 1 of 3 Change – Part 2 of 3 ) However you say it, ...
Posted on March 30 2020
Change is hard. Throughout art history, change was rejected – the rules of “good art” were clear. With the birth of modern art the rules began to change, and as I argued in part one, today we value change in art. We seek change – it holds power over the creative efforts of the art world. That ...
Posted on March 24 2020
I was blogging about change when everything in the world suddenly changed. I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear, but just as I finished my blogs on change . . . everything in the world began to change. So much change, so much uncertainty, and all if it so quickly – it leaves us unsettled, ...
Posted on March 21 2020
I recently saw this meme on Facebook: These two different Mona Lisa artworks highlight how we often think of the concept of art as a singularity – when really there are many levels of creation. You can think of the levels of creation as a layered chocolate cake. Which level is the best? Is it the succulent ...
Posted on March 15 2020
Two ideas inspire and challenge me to paint every day: freedom and individuality. If I can’t find these two ideas – in myself, in my hand, in the uniqueness of my work – then an artwork is not successful for me.
Posted on March 12 2020
Our wills are such Strong powerful spirits Within our souls. Sometimes, They feed us with Power And energy Sometimes they Challenge Us Sometimes We should just let them And allow the Aesthetics In the beauty Of a Moment To take over
Posted on March 09 2020
Legendary War photographer, Don McCullin, spoke to Artnet News about his landscape photographs, on view at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. “I am a photographer, not an artist . . . I don’t make art. I use composition, but it is not art.” As an artist, I couldn’t agree more. Composition is important, but it doesn’t determine the ...
Posted on March 06 2020
I recently spent time fishing off the coast of Costa Rica. From the boat, the rainforest looks like a dense, thick, impenetrable green. When the land meets the vast never-ending openness of the sky and ocean, I was awe-struck at the immense contrast between the two. Human existence is full of contrast – people see things ...
Posted on March 03 2020
I read a lot. Especially academic papers. Why do I love to read densely worded long academic papers? The words. I love to break down sentences and think about how loaded some words are. Academic papers are full of hidden political jargon that I find fascinating. Academics really know how to use words to their ...
Posted on February 28 2020
In a recent interview for ArtNet News, the world famous actor Brad Pitt talked about his art collection. “The word ‘collection’ kind of bothers me,” says Pitt, implying that it sounds too formal. Nonetheless, the actor has amassed an impressive trove of works by artists such as Richard Serra, Marcel Dzama, and Bansky.
Posted on February 25 2020
I love Sol Lewitt’s Sentences on Conceptual Art. His very first thought especially: Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach. Ideas are spontaneous. Clusters of ideas create concepts. WE have to be careful that the development of concepts does not overshadow the original unconstrained inspirational freedom of the ...
Posted on February 22 2020
During a recent museum visit I noticed how many 60’s modernist painters began by outlining their compositions with black paint or pencil. Those artists who made a general outline and then filled them with color it reminded me of “coloring” in a coloring book. Other artists completely obliterated the lines and went outside their original ...
