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.