11th
April
2007
Title: “Tate Modern”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil
We went to the Tate Modern three times when in London. It wasn’t to far from the hotel and our third visit was to get some things from the gift shop before we went home.
The Tate Modern has some spectacular art. We saw the Carsten Holler exhibit, called “Test Site”, where people get into covered slides made of steel and they twist and turn their way down to the ground floor. More on that later!
The museum was converted from an old power plant. It was landscaped with manicured grass and masses of birch trees growing in large rectangles. The shapes seemed to guide patrons to the door and provided a sculptural feel before you even stepped foot inside.
I like this simple image of the building structure when approaching it. The sky was extremely clear. You could see the deep blue atmosphere fade to light as it approached the horizon. The smoke stack and side walls leaned in from the edges magnified the height and perspective of this massive building. This painting reminds us of those wonderful birch trees in the foreground. I also enjoyed what looked like an addition of contemporary glass offices on the top level, and I chuckle at the mass commercialism of the web site address clearly marked on the outside - WWW.TATE.ORG.UK.
If you are interested in this painting, please contact me
posted in Available, City/Urban, Museums |
9th
April
2007
Title: “Venus De Milo”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil
When in Paris, we visited as many museums as we could. We purchased a museum pass that was good for several days. The Louvre was overwhelming. You could literally spend weeks there exploring art and still not see everything. Like many who visit, we made sure we hit the highlights - The Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo, then wandered around looking at whatever else we could soak in.
When entering the room where Venus is, you get a sensation of quiet excitement. It is crowded with people, like a flock of birds who found their nesting site. Lively exchanges in unfamiliar languages form a hum blending with clacking and snapping of camera shutters, capturing unnatural poses of the moment they came for. It was a long journey from their homeland to Paris, through galleries and hallways of the Louvre to their intended destination for the purpose of being in the presence of her. Aphrodite - the Greek goddess of love, lust and beauty. A marble sculpture said to be created about 130 BC, unearthed in 1820 and recognized by a French navel officer as a significant sculpture. It was quickly purchased by the French and moved to the Louvre. She is quite beautiful.
If you are interested in this painting, please contact me
posted in Available, Museums |
7th
April
2007
I thought I would write today to show you what I am working on. I’ve created a new category called “Work in Process” or WIP for short.
I saw many empty days in my blog and it looks as if I’m not painting every day. I assure you that I do paint most days, (unless I’m away from home) but usually I cannot finish a painting - even a small one 6″x6″ in one day or even two days at times. If its a scene that requires some likeness that is recognizable or anything with a person or face there are usually 6 - 9 hours in the painting and then another hour to take photos, proof and post it on the web. If it sells there is another block of time to prepare for shipment and then ship it. On occcasion, I remind myself that it’s about the creative process and enjoying what I am doing - recognition will follow if I persevere.
This is a painting from the world famous Musee Du Louvre in Paris. Hopefully you can start to recognize it. It’s probably one of the most famous sculptures in the world - the Venus De Milo. At this stage you can see the under painting and some detail added to the face. It looks like she has 3 breasts, but that is actually an arm on her right side. That will become more apparent as I crisp the edges and add more information, and of course the breast will start to look more like a breast too (ha ha).
Viewing the Venus De Milo was pretty incredible. The room was packed with people, and the noise of quiet excitement. More about this later.
Look for this completed piece in a couple of days.
posted in Museums |
29th
March
2007
Title: “Touring the Tate Modern”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil
This begins a series of paintings I will complete on my recent trip to London and Paris. We visited several museums and of course did a lot of walking. The very first museum we visited was the Tate Modern. It was spectacular! A huge power plant that was converted to a modern art museum. The ceilings were to the sky (just about) and gigantic rooms filled with contemporary from today and the not so distant past. The art represented international artists from about 1900. This painting is of a woman briskly walking through the museum to get to another location. In front of the window is an Alberto Giacometti sculpture. What intereseted me about this painting are the backlight subjects providing an outline of two very different figures that happen to be in congruence with each other.
See my paintings on ebay
This painting is sold.
posted in Museums, People, Sold |
19th
March
2007
It’s been a while since I wrote, mostly because I didn’t have a computer readily available to me. We went on a long overdue vacation and spent a week in London and another week in Paris. It’s right before their heavy tourist season, and we had some pretty awesome weather so nothing to complain about. We loved it over there and figured out we mostly do city vacations because we love art and love visiting museums. We went to as many as we could fit in, about a dozen or so, and then a few galleries. What a wonderful time! I’m getting back into painting now and have been recharged with new energy.
I did a lot of people watching and took many reference pictures. I brought a sketch book and various writing/drawing implements to make notes of things. Since I’ve been home I rearranged my studio so I could paint egg tempera and oil paints simultaneously. I’ll let you know how it goes! Basically I have a kitchen table that was to wide so I turned it length wise and set half up for oil paints and the other half up for egg tempera. Organization is key.
I’ll be back soon.
posted in City/Urban, Museums, People |