Good News

I received good news yesterday that my work will be included in the new Sacred Heart Medical Center Campus at Riverbend in Springfield, Oregon. The work in this post, plus a larger commissioned painting will be part of their collection. The facility is scheduled to open in August. It looks pretty interesting from the website. There are drawings illustrating the atrium which makes use of natural materials and has a grand hotel feeling. Efforts have been made to make people more comfortable, and the building has several "green" aspects. All of the patient rooms have a view of the surrounding landscape. It seems they've gotten the message people heal better when they can see trees instead of buildings. Interesting. I look forward to seeing it after it's completed.

Spring Comes To Visit

I hope you had a chance to enjoy a bit of spring on Saturday. I took the opportunity to wander around Forest Park with my camera, and have dinner with friends on the outdoor patio at Wild Abandon.I think it was so unusual, it caught us all off guard. Needless to say, our typical spring has returned with a vengeance;a smattering of snow, sun, hail and rain. You know what they say."If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes."

A Movie Recommendation

This weekend we rented the DVD "Goya's Ghosts." It was directed by Milos Foreman and stars Stellan Skarsgard,Natalie Portman, and evil incarnate from "No Country for Old Men", Javier Bardem. It is visually beautiful and terrible and places Goya's life and work into the context of The Inquisition, war, and all the atrocities he witnessed and expressed in his work. There is a wonderful quick sequence of the art of etching which quickly illustrates the process. Acting is first rate with Skarsdard as Goya, Portman as a model and victim of the Inquisition, and Bardem as a Catholic priest who breaks free and then is undone by his rebellion. I will say no more specifics about that. I highly recommend the film if you love Goya, history, or masterful filmmaking.

Taking A New Plunge

This week my work arrived at a new gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. The gallery is the Elder Gallery, Larry Elder is the dealer there. His response to my work was very positive, so we'll give it a shot.The gallery has an eclectic assortment of art from non-objective to classical Russian art. The website is www.elderart.com. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Spring Has Sprung

I see I'm many paintings behind even my once a week post. Three to be exact. Let me try and make it up to you. Let's face it. There's been a break in the monsoons, the daffodils are out, and the garden is loaded with things to do. I have been at work in the studio, however. Here's some of the results.

Perhaps A Painting A Week

I have followed with great interest the recent boom in Daily Painters and their blogs. Realistically for me with all the other balls I'm juggling, I'm aiming at a painting per week. So Here goes.

For Your Consideration

I just finished a great book on Chuck Close,"Close Reading:Chuck Close and the Art of the Self Portrait," by Martin Friedman. I became interested after a recent wonderful exhibit at the Portland Art Museum on Close's prints and the many amazing processes involved in his work. The show was a wonderful homage to printmaking as well as the art of Close. The book does a terrific job of following Close's life, thought process and the art of portraiture from his perspective as well as that of fellow figurative artists who have been his subjects. I am impressed with the man,his determination and perseverance. The book is well written, insightful, and sprinkled with an ample quantity of color plates. Have a look.

Something To Think About

Art and money never touch. They exist in parallel universes of value at comparable levels of cultural generalization: Art does nothing to money but translate it. Money does nothing to art but facilitate its dissemination and buy the occasional bowl of Wheaties for an artist or art dealer. Thus, when you trade a piece of green paper with a picture on it. signed by a bureaucrat, for a piece of white paper with a picture on it, signed by an artist, you haven’t bought anything, since neither piece of paper is worth anything. You have translated your investment and your faith from one universe of value to another.

--Dave Hickey (winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant), “Dealing,” in Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy

Any thoughts out there?

Here Comes The Sun

Hi Folks,
We are having a break from the monsoons today. It's Saturday and there is time to rest, relax and rejuvenate. It's a great day to be alive.Get out and enjoy the world.

Moving Into the 21st Century

Yesterday I attended a workshop "Will Click For Art" taught by Mark Grimes, founder of Ned.com Lots of information about directing traffic to your website. As a Baby Boomer I have trouble wrapping my brain around all the information, but I am making small steps to improving things. It all takes time away from painting, but it seems important to keep your work visible. If you sign on to Ned.com and go to RACC, you may find some helpful links for yourself, and a few things just for fun.