Will Work for Paint

Keep on keepin' on

2011-07-24T18:44:00.002-05:00

Here is a longer figure drawing - about three hours. That seems like it should be a lot of time, but it goes by so quickly!

Life Drawing

2011-07-04T20:38:00.004-05:00

I'm not enrolled in a class this summer, but I am going to be attending a weekly life drawing session at PAFA. Since I haven't taken a life drawing class at the Academy, I feel pretty clueless, but I'm trying to apply some of the techniques I learned in my cast drawing class and muddle through. Here is a relatively short sketch (30 or 40 minutes) of Stephanie.

Homer

2011-05-08T06:41:00.002-05:00

The end of the semester has arrived, so this will be my last cast drawing post. I'm really glad I took this class. I plan to stay involved at PAFA one way or another. Here is a three-session drawing of Homer.

Another Venus

2011-04-28T20:16:00.004-05:00

Here is an exercise I did on two pieces of paper, so the final drawing is quite large by my standards.

Copying drawings

2011-03-29T15:39:00.003-05:00

Part of the homework I do for my cast drawing class is copying some classic drawings by great artists, such as Ingres and Bargue. I'm doing this to help improve my observation skills. Here's a copy of a Rafael drawing in progress.

Venus

2011-03-19T07:18:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day. We enjoyed watching the Richmond Spiders win their first game in the NCAA tournament.
Here is a more finished cast drawing of a sculpture of Venus:

Cast Drawing

2011-03-06T09:37:00.003-05:00

I am taking a cast drawing class at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. The cast hall is full of beautiful sculptures, mostly copies of Greek and Roman figures. For at least the past couple of centuries now, art students have been dutifully drawing them in charcoal to improve their technique in representing proportion and form. It has been a fun, challenging, educational experience so far. I'll post some images along the way. Here is one I did the second or third class.

Local Lily

2010-09-27T18:20:00.001-05:00

Some fantastic double lilies popped up in our driveway this summer.

Local Peony

2010-09-14T18:49:00.003-05:00

Even if I live to be 100 years old, I will never get tired of painting peonies.

Local Tulips

2010-07-29T10:49:00.001-05:00

These popped up in the yard of the abandoned building next door.

Local Rose

2010-07-13T12:15:00.004-05:00

The roses in front of our building were prolific this spring, even without any special treatment.

Local Dogwood

2010-07-08T17:54:00.003-05:00

I've been painting flowers in my neighborhood. They have been spectacular this year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T11:56:00.002-05:00

I am emerging from a winter hibernation, and promise to start posting again soon.

Vermeer trip

2009-09-28T08:18:00.002-05:00

For my birthday this past week I decided I wanted to venture up to NYC and see this Vermeer exhibition at the Met. It was absolutely fantastic. This was probably my only chance to see two of my favorite Vermeers in person: The Milkmaid, and A Maid Asleep. The Milkmaid is even more spectacular in person... it seems lit from within, and is both painterly and almost photorealistic in places. This was a real treat. I highly recommend making the trip.
I also visited Storm King in the Hudson River valley, which was worthwhile just for the breathtaking scenery. Once the leaves change, I'm sure it will be even more beautiful. We were able to get up close and personal with Andy Goldsworthy's Storm King Wall, the creation of which was featured in the film "Rivers and Tides."

Figs and Creamer

2009-08-23T19:35:00.002-05:00

Sorry 'bout the glare on this one...

Third wine commission

2009-08-02T15:30:00.001-05:00

A is for Albariño

2009-05-08T07:41:00.001-05:00

Here is the second wine glass commission.

Wine and Pears

2009-03-27T06:42:00.002-05:00

This is a commission for a wine lover. More of these to follow.

Flake White Replacement

2009-03-17T07:13:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Fair E

2009-03-04T20:55:00.004-05:00

I am working on various commissions, this and that, and will post some images as I complete them. In the meantime, here is a low-quality snapshot of my high-quality friend Elizabeth. I was lucky enough to paint her while she was pregnant with her daughter Cecilia.

Gallery Information

2009-02-20T10:38:00.003-05:00

Good news: I have been accepted as an exhibitor at The Artists' Gallery in Chestertown, Maryland. My work will be there until the summer, if not longer. You can read about the gallery here. In April, I will be the "featured artist." Looking forward to a great relationship with this lovely little space in one of my favorite Maryland spots.

Wild Raspberries

2008-09-23T21:08:00.004-05:00

I did this while they were still in season.

Nest with Plums and Turkish Pot (sold)

2008-09-07T08:06:00.003-05:00

Hot off the press... this one is 14"x18".

Study for a Stopwatch

2008-08-27T14:46:00.002-05:00

Small Fish

2008-08-18T06:04:00.002-05:00

Another Guy in a Suit

2008-07-31T19:37:00.004-05:00

Here's my copy of Thomas Eakins' "Portrait of Frank B.A. Linton" (1904).

Copying great painters is a very enjoyable way to learn. I look forward to absorbing more of their secrets.

Blueberries and Cream

2008-07-14T12:44:00.004-05:00

I recently completed this 10"x12" commission. I will post a larger image on my website soon.

Here's a detail:

Freud's Irishman

2008-06-30T18:39:00.003-05:00

When it comes to painting portraits, I still have a lot to learn. I thought I'd take some lessons from the experts. Here's my copy of Lucian Freud's "Head of an Irishman" (1999).

This is a small painting (5"x7"), but it's kind of fun to look at the detail view, which you can do here.

Hidden Harbor Show, More Sketches

2008-06-22T14:50:00.005-05:00

I had a great time yesterday with Miriam and Aram, who put together a very nice group exhibition in a fascinating location. If you're looking for an adventure next weekend, you can find them at the Hidden Harbor Retreat on Smith Island. The other attendees (Shel, Marcus, Gabrielle, Terry and Wendy, to name a few) were equally interesting. Thanks to the whole crew for a lovely day.

Here are the last two sketches from my figure drawing class. I'd like to thank Bennett for his sage guidance and the other class members for their encouragement.

Peony and Red Maple

2008-06-15T14:14:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my neighbor Chris for this lovely peony and sprig of red maple. She has the best garden in the neighborhood!

Summer Fruit

2008-06-03T18:54:00.003-05:00

Attention Richmonders: If you're at First Fridays this weekend, stop by Curated Culture at Cornerstone Gallery, where my work will be appearing in a juried group show of fellow Culture Vultures. (Details are here.) To whet your appetite, here are some peaches and strawberries.

Another figure drawing

2008-05-30T12:47:00.001-05:00

Same model, same pose, different angle:

Figure drawing, Jen #1

2008-05-25T08:48:00.001-05:00

Figuring it out

2008-05-17T10:16:00.007-05:00

So I've been talking about this figure class. Here are some images from my first class several weeks ago. This is tough!

What's wrong with your leg, buddy? Might want to get that looked at.

And your face! What happened to your mouth??

I'd be despondent too, if my mouth looked like that. Fortunately, you look a bit better after the long pose:

I have some more images to share later.

Blueberries (Sold)

2008-04-29T07:37:00.004-05:00

...Back into the world of inanimate objects for a spell. I'll post a larger version of this on the website sometime soon.

Here's a detail:

I Swear I Wasn't Grumpy

2008-04-23T06:12:00.004-05:00

Here's something I've been working on intermittently. It's not done yet... I actually made some changes last night, so I'll post another image soon.

My first figure drawing / painting class was a lot of fun. It is a challenge to work quickly and have faith in how the lines work. I will post some sketches when I get a chance to photograph them.

Little update

2008-04-09T11:36:00.002-05:00

I've been working hard on a figure study over the past few weeks. It's frustrating at times, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This painting is the first time I've ever worked from a photograph... not something I prefer to do, but - given my current location in the middle of nowhere - it's convenient. Anyway, I've been amazed by the range of colors and tones you can find on one person. It's funny/sad to think about how we have reduced our descriptions of skin tones down to "white" and "black," but then, it would be hard to spit out "alizarin crimson and cad yellow light with just a dot of ultramarine blue and burnt umber" in the middle of a sentence.

These latest projects have inspired me to take a figure painting class at the Delaware Art Museum, starting next week. This will be my first life drawing/painting class. Probably should have tackled this particular skill a bit earlier... Maybe, if I'm feeling brave, I will share some of the results with you.

Lots of words

2008-03-27T10:09:00.003-05:00

I thought it would be a good idea to check in and tell you about what I'm working on and thinking about. Bear with me, since this one doesn't have any pictures.

Painting inanimate objects is great. It's kind of my thing. Nevertheless, I have lately been feeling the urge to stretch out into less familiar territory. So, I've been working on two different projects over the last several weeks: a self-portrait and a figure study / portrait of a friend. I don't have any images to share yet, but I promise I'll post something eventually. After that is finished, maybe I will work on some larger still-life pieces and some outstanding commissions.

I read a number of blogs on a (mostly) daily basis, and I am a fan and spectator of the current "painting a day" / alla prima phenomenon. Though you might not suspect this based on my work, some of my favorite larger paintings look like they could have been produced in one sitting, like this painting of peonies by Manet. Producing a painting in one or two sittings provides quick gratification since my time is at a premium. It can help preserve the immediacy and spontaneity of my impressions, like a sketch. The alla prima method appeals to my genuine enjoyment of new things and fresh experiences and bold brushwork, but - let's face it - also to my good ol' fashioned Protestant work ethic and my obsession with efficiency. As a fairly typical "type A" person, I am easily sucked into this feverish pace of modern life.

Sometimes you just can't knock out a masterpiece in three hours. Now that Spring is in the air, I need to take a deep breath, slow down a little, step back a bit. Be a little more patient with myself. Experiment. Give myself room to fail. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

Devil's Food Cupcake

2008-03-17T18:43:00.002-05:00

Red Onion

2008-03-13T20:25:00.002-05:00

O, Clementine

2008-03-05T19:27:00.001-05:00

Tulip Poplar Cone

2008-02-22T09:18:00.002-05:00

Bread and Water

2008-02-17T20:05:00.001-05:00

My ode to survival in February. I'll post a larger copy on my website sometime soon.

Pomegranate (Sold)

2008-02-12T20:05:00.001-05:00

And here's a detail:

Pears

2008-02-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry, January was not what I'd call a productive month. Here's hoping that February will be, like, totally awesome.

Tatty Butterfly

2008-01-04T17:39:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! If you're at First Fridays tonight in Richmond, my stuff is still on the wall at Cornerstone Gallery (23 W. Broad Street, next to the restaurant "27").

A Christmas Mix

2007-12-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

As a slightly belated gift, I have made you a little mix of some of the songs I have really enjoyed this year. Happy listening!

1. Beirut, "A Call to Arms"
2. Stars, "Take Me to the Riot"
3. The 1900s, "No Delay"
4. New Pornographers, "Challengers"
5. Feist, "the Park"
6. Handsome Furs, "Sing Captain"
7. Wintersleep, "Weighty Ghost"
8. Bishop Allen, "Like Castanets"
9. Cloud Cult, "Take your Medicine"
10. The National, "Geese of Beverley Road"
Hidden track: Joanna Newsom, "Sawdust and Diamonds"

More paintings soon.

Six Shells

2007-12-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

And here's a detail:

Eggs

2007-12-10T10:49:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on Friday night! Much fun was had by all.

If you didn't make it, there will be another open house on Friday, January 4.

Turnips, show reminder

2007-12-03T14:13:00.000-05:00

Reminder: You're invited to Art for Giving, an invitational exhibition featuring artwork by me, Christopher Carroll, Liz Kellinger, Aaron Pavelis and Kathleen Westkaemper. The opening will be held on Friday, Dec.7 from 7-10 p.m. at Cornerstone Gallery, 23 W. Broad Street, Richmond,

VA. Hope to see you there!

Shell

2007-11-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

I'm back!

...And here's a detail.

Feathers

2007-11-15T20:07:00.000-05:00

And here's a little bonus detail image.

I will be on holiday for about a week starting at noon tomorrow, so you won't hear from me until after we return. In the meantime... Happy Thanksgiving.

Fall (2)

2007-11-09T13:50:00.000-05:00

Fall (1)

2007-11-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

Cut Zinnia

2007-10-28T17:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so about that other painting I was going to post... I decided that it's not quite done yet. However, I did finish another one this week. (Click for a larger image.)

Upcoming show

2007-10-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Details about the December show are posted here.
If you plan to attend, you'll want to show up early. For this show, I think any buyers will be able to carry their art home with them for the holidays, so the later you arrive, the less you'll see on the walls.
I've been enjoying working on a couple of larger pieces lately. We are going to Richmond for a short visit this weekend, but I hope to post one of the images after we return. See you then!

Neighbor's Tomato

2007-10-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

I also finished another larger piece recently, which I will post soon.

Lemon in a Painted Bowl

2007-09-30T15:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a slightly larger piece (8" x 10") for your enjoyment.
News: I'll be in a group show in Richmond this December. More details later.

White Onion

2007-09-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

Wild Persimmons (sold)

2007-09-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

...At least, that's what I think they are. They are smaller and have a thinner skin than the ones you buy at the grocery store. I had to do this in a hurry because I was chasing a sunbeam.

Red Potatoes

2007-09-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

Lemon and Knife

2007-09-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

We are slowly settling in to our new environment. I am looking forward to working on some larger pieces, but I think I have to crawl before I can walk, so to speak.

Leaving the Nest

2007-06-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

The time has come for us to leave Richmond, this fair city. We are preparing to move to Maryland next month. There are a million things to do between now and then. We will miss all of our dear friends here, who have been so supportive and who are just such great company. I’m sure we will be visiting frequently (take note, friends with guest rooms).

Fortunately, I think our new surroundings will really encourage our creative pursuits and will supply some much-needed positive vibes. We are looking forward to new career opportunities and a change in scenery. I am also looking forward to posting more paintings for your consumption, once we get settled. There might be a bit of a lag, however, while we are moving. Stay tuned.

Slump, Pt. 2

2007-06-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

Evidently the muse is on summer holiday. My latest painting of a perfectly charming lemon wound up looking as three-dimensional, and about as interesting, as a mailing label. I'm not even going to post it. Maybe it can still be salvaged later on. I guess everyone goes through this from time to time... but it's exasperating nonetheless.

Fun Times

2007-06-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I have spent the past four hours painstakingly choosing a subject, setting up a composition, and slinging paint around. I was elbow-deep in viridian and ochre, killing numerous brain cells with solvent. And what have I got to show for my efforts?

Egads. I think I have got to take a little walk so I don't accidentally strangle anyone.

Magnolia

2007-06-02T10:51:00.000-05:00

A Neighbor's Peony

2007-05-27T08:31:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to my neighbor, whose garden provided this, my favorite of all spring flowers.

Swallowtail

2007-04-23T07:01:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry for my extended absence... sometimes the other parts of my life conspire against the painting part!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2007-03-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all the kind people at Grace, and everyone who showed up to see the opening tonight. It really is a lovely space to hang some paintings, and I appreciate the opportunity. It has been a refreshing week in Asheville and I look forward to returning before too long.
Also, any locals should take the chance to visit the Student/Faculty show at the Fine Arts League of Asheville in downtown. Link is here:
http://main.nc.us/calendar/events/1172681373.html
This is a really inspiring little show.
Cheers!

Monarch

2007-03-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

I found several recently deceased but mostly intact butterflies this past year. The new Arcade Fire album provided a good soundtrack for painting this one.
This week I'll be heading down to Asheville to hang the show at Grace and enjoy some vacation time.

Voila

2007-03-04T13:54:00.000-05:00

I had a couple of very productive sessions this past week, and think I'm done with this piece.
Good learning experience.

And here's a little detail.

The Sound of One Hand Slapping my Forehead

2007-02-27T15:27:00.000-05:00

I've been busy working on my white still-life. Sunday's breakthrough involved the realization that I had to put some honest-to-goodness color in the highlights. It's tempting to just use pure white and nothing else for those really bright points of light, but sometimes you need an appreciable dose of alizarin or cobalt blue or cadmium orange in there, too. (Any veteran painters reading this are probably thinking, "Duh, Sharon.") Anyway, I hope to finish up within a week, and should be posting an image before too long.

In the meantime, here is a little inspirational reading material, courtesy of NPR and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.

Edward Gordon / Show News

2007-02-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

I just love today's post, "Second Backyard," by Edward Gordon. I spent some time in Berlin, especially the eastern part of the city, during the late 90s. I saw several examples of what he describes in his post. These little places had a sort of "Secret Garden" effect whenever I stumbled on them... some of them are still very clear in my memory. The painting itself is very appealing to me because of the substance or weight of the image despite its small size and relative simplicity. I could learn a few things from this the next time I attempt an interior.

Also, good news, I will be doing a show in Asheville, NC at New Grace Centre Gallery. The show will hang for six weeks or so, starting around March 14. I'll update the "News" page on my website soon with all the details. You heard it here first.
For all of you neighbors, I still hope to do a show in Richmond later this year, if I can produce enough work, and find a place that will have me.

Back to work

2007-02-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Last night I was busy discovering some more challenges associated with using brightly colored backgrounds. I actually resorted to troweling on the paint with a palette knife... and normally, I'm not that kind of girl. But hey, if we're going to experiment, let's experiment. Anyway, despite my frustration, this technique might produce some interesting results.

I did this shallot with two halves a while back and intended to post it last week, before our little electricity incident. Sorry about the glare.

Long, Dark Night of the Apartment

2007-02-16T18:10:00.000-05:00

Well, thank goodness, we got our heat and light back after a very chilly week. Alas, I must get on the road tomorrow, so maybe back at the easel on Sunday night...
In the meantime, here is something to look at. This is a good example of what happens when I don't concentrate enough on my subject. Things turn out looking like a cartoon. The pear was tasty, though.

In the dark

2007-02-13T09:25:00.000-05:00

I have discovered that one of the drawbacks associated with doing an underpainting is the drying time required between layers. It's been so cold lately that my crazy little experiment has just barely dried enough to start working on again.

I was all excited to get back to work last night, and then we lost power in the apartment. We have known for a while that the wiring in our old building needed an update. Guess it can't be put off any longer. We only have two functional outlets and only two rooms are lit... and they do not include my studio or the hall where this still-life is set up. We don't have access to our computer (or the TV or the stereo), so I might not be posting an image this week. Hope this situation gets resolved soon. In the meantime, I guess we'll be spending some time warming the local barstools.

Underpaints

2007-02-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it... My office closed for the afternoon due to problems with the water.
Here is a little something I did last week.

On Friday, I was reading my Vermeer book and found some interesting information about his use of layering paint and glazes to achieve different color effects. For example, by putting a transparent ultramarine layer on top of a raw umber layer, he created a nice warm blue for a subject's dress. This got me thinking about how little I have experimented with this technique. Always a glutton for punishment, I decided that I wanted to have a little fun with my imprimatura for a new still-life I started over the weekend. Although the subject matter is mostly shades of white, the underpainting might lead one to believe that I have started hanging around with a bunch of colorblind Fauvists. It looks so strange that I feel compelled to share.

Can't wait to see where this goes.

Signs

2007-02-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

I found Jonathan Lethem's article, a different take on the idea of plagarism, very enjoyable. You can find it here:
http://www.harpers.org/TheEcstasyOfInfluence.html
I especially enjoyed the section called "Surrounded by Signs," in which this sentence appears: "We're surrounded by signs; our imperative is to ignore none of them." (An idea borrowed from from Steve Erickson's novel Our Ecstatic Days.)

This brings to mind Italo Calvino's story "A Sign in Space," in which our narrator describes how he made the first sign ever to exist in space:
"...It's easy for you young ones to talk, but in that period I didn't have any examples to follow, I couldn't say I'll make it the same or I'll make it different, there were no things to copy, nobody knew what a line was, straight or curved, or even a dot, or a protuberance or a cavity. I conceived the idea of making a sign, that's true enough, or rather, I conceived the idea of considering a sign a something that I felt like making, so when, at that point in space and not in another, I made something, meaning to make it a sign, it turned out that I really had made a sign, after all." It soon comes to pass that another space traveller starts following behind, and confounding things by making his own space graffiti, and erasing the inspired handiwork of the narrator.

I think Lethem is correct in observing that many artists - any discipline - fail to acknowledge the degree to which they are influenced by other artists and the culture as a whole, instead attributing their work to some private, inner spring of inspiration. As he points out, many artists are drawn to their pursuits first by falling in love with the art... someone else's creation. I find that comforting. It makes the whole thing seem a little less solitary.

Flora / Floea

2007-01-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

I was out walking in late November and came across some blooming azalea bushes. Now, I never did get that graduate degree in horticulture, but I'm pretty sure azaleas normally bloom in the spring. Anyway, the bushes were a little worse for wear, but I was still impressed at their tenacity. Evidence is here. I did another little piece last week but no photo yet. I'm also working on a portrait I started in the fall. The limitations of my abilities have become more obvious to me as I've been experimenting over the past year or so, and as I've been following the work of many fabulous painters who post work online. Sigh. Practice, practice.

We spent the weekend at the Chesapeake Bay with family & friends... entertainment that is pretty hard to beat, in my book. It had been cold enough to produce some big, chunky ice floes that we had fun pushing around and breaking apart with sticks. And no, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

T.G.I.S.

2007-01-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

I had a little fun with some garlic earlier this week.
It's been a nice Saturday... I got some cleaning done, stumbled on a nice gallery exhibit, and fit in some exercise. I don't know about you, but I think the best part about going to the gym is having a good excuse to reward yourself with sushi. Off I go!

New Painting Goodness

2007-01-13T17:55:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been a while. You can find the new piece here.
My camera setup ain't the greatest, so it loses something in translation... but you get the general idea.

Cautiously optimistic

2007-01-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I think the latest piece is going to turn out nicely. I had another good session at the easel the other night and got the piece to what I can safely call "substantially complete." I'm going to let it dry in a corner for a couple of days and make sure everything stays the way I want it, and no mistakes pop out at me. Recently, another little piece I "finished" wound up all lifeless and contrasty after drying for a couple of days. I think some more experimentation with mediums is in order... I might try out the Neo Megilp medium from Gamblin.

Back in the Saddle

2007-01-01T22:34:00.000-05:00

So I was working on painting an onion this evening, and had an interesting experience amidst the vapors and the mess. I was working on a small, sparkly highlight on a part of the onion's translucent skin. At that moment, while admiring the onion and making a little mark on the panel, I felt this kinship with all the Dutch still life painters who did that work so long ago. Not to say that this little piece looks like anything like a Pieter Claesz... just that some things don't change much from era to era, such as how lovely onions are, and how much fun it is to paint them. Which reminds me of this Robert Henri passage that I like a lot:

"The object of painting a picture is not to make a picture - however unreasonable this may sound. The picture, if a picture results, is a by-product and may be useful, valuable, interesting as a sign of what has past. The object, which is back of every true work of art, is the attainment of a state of being, a state of high functioning, a more than ordinary moment of existence... These results, however crude, become dear to the artist who made them because they are records of states of being which he has enjoyed and which he would regain. They are likewise interesting to others because they are to some extent readable and reveal the possibilities of greater existence."

Objects at Rest

2006-12-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

This is such an awkward time of year - not yet able to flip the calendar page, but ready to move on to the next thing. Having such a full semester with everything else has left me struggling against intertia in the painting department. Too bad I don't make New Years' resolutions. I need some kind of push to get moving again, instead of spending my evenings just wandering around the margins of the city. On these long, dark nights, the big box stores and their ghoulish parking lots are somehow reassuring. Barnes & Noble, anyone?

Stephen Brown

2006-12-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, I stumble across yet another amazing painter online. My latest discovery is Stephen Brown. To me, his work looks sort of like Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin, especially in the still-life department, translated into the modern era. Here is an interesting article (scroll down) about Brown's recovery from a recent stroke, his return to painting, and how the experience has changed him.

It's Official

2006-12-07T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, my panel approved my thesis, and I have delivered my final document to the printer, so it looks like I will be graduating this semester. Now my main problem is whether to root for University of Richmond or VCU in this weekend's basketball game.

I am really anxious to get back into a regular painting schedule, once all of our holiday preparations and travel are behind us. It's such a relief to reclaim all the time I was spending on my studies. Last night, I used my new freedom to attend a poetry reading by Piotr Sommer, a Polish author. Interestingly, some of his pieces really appealed to me because they could be compared with a written still-life. Or, maybe they captured a particular way of seeing the world that I relate to painting. Here's one I really enjoyed, from 1981-1982:

Medicine

I saw a real lemon again.
Ania brought it back from France.
She’d been wondering: come home or stay abroad?
And come to think of it, what keeps her here—
a few faces, a few words, this anxiety?
The lemon was yellow, it looked like the real thing.
You didn’t have to put it in the window
to ripen alongside our pale tomatoes.
Or as we ourselves ripen
growing up and growing yellow over years.
No, it was already entirely itself
when she brought it, not even yellow, but gold,
and a little rough,
so I took it gratefully.

I want to wrap myself in the thick skin of the world,
I want to be tart, but good-tasting—
some child swallows me reluctantly
and I help to cure his cold.

- Piotr Sommer

Sharon's Blog, v.2.0

2006-12-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping my blog on my own website, but have decided to switch for a while and see how this works out. The old blog will remain at its former location for a while, until my giant hordes* of readers become acclimated to the new location. There are so many painters using blogspot, and sometimes I would really like to comment on their work, so here I am.
In other news, I will be defending my graduate thesis tomorrow morning, so I should know by lunchtime (EST) whether I will recover my evenings and weekends for personal use. I'll let you know.

* Well, let's say "small but awesome cadre," or "extremely exclusive gang," or "two."