Studio Progress

Although moving took its toll on my painting output (an understatement), great progress on the studio has been made. We sheetrocked the walls, and along with repurposed wood floor laminate and pink marble at the entrance, it has become a really nice place to be. Pictures will follow as soon as I take the plunge of hammering the first nails into the walls and get some paintings hung. More slowly, the former driveway is evolving into gardens (an overstatement). In the not too distant future, I'm hoping to invite everyone to visit for coffee and cookies by the wood stove!

Bloggin On

With the move from Philadelphia back to Virginia, and changes in web servers, for awhile I couldn't access my blog as it was lost in the ethers!  Hence the lull in posts, but back in good form now!

Show: Main Line Art Center Fine Art Sale Preview

The Main Line Art Center Fine Art Sale begins April 23, 2010 with a gala opening event. Nine of my floral paintings will be included in this show. With trees and flowers bursting with bloom everywhere, the timing is harmonious.

Luis Melendez--Master of the Spanish Still LIfe

Last summer a friend of mine recently recommended I go to the exhibit of Luis Melendez at the National Gallery of Art. I didn't make it to the exhibit, but fortunately, the book showcasing the exhibit, Luis Melendez--Master of the Spanish Still Life (Hirschauer, Metzger, Cherry, Sesena), is fabulous. The book is a painter's treasure trove with full-page close-ups of the sumptuous paintings along with x-radiographs and microphotographs of the pigment layers of the paintings.  The style of his work may not appeal to everyone with its muted natural tones and frank realism, nevertheless Melendez deserves to be included on the list of great still life masters.

The Barnes Foundation

One of the great treasures just a mile or so from my present studio in Bala Cynwyd is the Barnes Foundation. Soon, amid great controversy,  it is scheduled to move to downtown Philadelphia. This is the last year in which to see this amazing and vast collection of French masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne, Monet, and many more in their original setting. I find it hard to imagine that the experience of visiting it as it is now, surrounded by gardens in a neighborhood of mansions, can be replicated.

Show: Art of the Flower 2010

Besieged with snowstorms and rain, it is hard to imagine that Philadelphia was recently overtaken with flowers. The annual Philadelphia Flower Show attracted gardeners, florists and artists. As part of the festivities the Philadelphia Sketch Club held its annual Art of the Flower 2010. Much to my delight, the painting shown here, Nasturtium Blooms & Book, was juried into the show.

Philadelphia Sketch Club's 150th Anniversary

Founded in 1860, the Philadelphia Sketch Club is our nation's oldest art club. Such art legends as N.C. Wyeth and Thomas Eakins were members. Now housed in an historic site combining three houses dating from 1822 to 1828, the club's monthly meetings take place in a large room with old plastered walls and a huge fireplace all of which reminds one of an old tavern. The upper floor sports a well lit gallery and studio.

Upon arriving here I had hoped to become a member, however, the train near my house runs such a limited schedule and the other local stations' parking lots are always full making getting into to downtown Philly no small effort. Still, I really enjoyed visiting the clubhouse and experiencing this place tradition firsthand.