"Elegant Warrior"

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Take A number

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"I Think We Have A Similar Language Don't You" by Joseph Woolridge.

A painting made by using the number 2.

Urgent Painting.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Several years ago I had turned our windowed porch into a studio for the summer and one evening this fantastic urge to paint something came over me. Had no idea in mind, but the compulsion to create was like an over whelming itch.

Out to the porch I went, grabbing a brush, opening some paint and let er rip. It felt really good just to "let it out" and then sit back and scrutinize what was born. After it dried, it was time to apply matte medium and then do some pastel pencil work. Many layers later we have "Dos Casas".

Rest & Relax

Took the weekend off and went to my hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. So many things have changed since leaving there in 1972; as would be expected. And yet, happily, so many things remain the same. Spent some time taking the same streets that I used to walk to school. What memories.
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Here's a painting about our house back then with me and my brothers in the second floor hallway. I'm the tall dark and handsome, on the left. And my next older brother is scaring my next youngest brother into going back downstairs.

comPAIRS 3

What we have here is 3-dimensional calligraphic gesture.

On the right is "SQUIGGLELinearB307" by Creighton Michael. Read more about his thoughts and reasoning on his Squiggle and Scribble page; one of several styles of Sculptures.

And on your left is Shinique Smith. The image is of "Nobody's Fool, GMG Version" from her page at the Skestos Gabriele Gallery. You'll find more examples of her work at Moti Hasson Gallery and go see her Exhibition there as well.

With a little research you'll find that they are coming at their sculptures/installations by two different trains of thought and processes. But for me, I see the singularity, beauty and strength of the calligraphic gesture and the creative possibilities of it existing beyond the parameters of 2-dimensions.

Creighton Michael

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Almost everything Creighton does is either cursive or calligraphic in nature. Even his wall sculptures have a sort of "penmanship" to them. A lot of his wall sculptures look like 3 dimensional calligraphy. So it seemed rather odd to come across something that was akin to an "infinity net"; like the painting below - "Mesh 799" from his Notation Series of paintings. But when I look at this painting, to the right, titled "Field 1702" from his Field Series, I can see how he got there.

Funny thing about the Field Paintings; they have to do with ocular migraine events or auras. There's really no good way for me to relay the information that you will find tremendously fascinating and enlightening if you'll go HERE and read for yourself. This puts an entirely different spin on what makes an artist paint what he paints. Some reasons are much more real than others.

His site doesn't have an Artist Statement, per se; you'll find that information on his Online Gallery page. He's left it up to us to search through various links in either the Critical Reviews or Current Exhibitions sections for further insight. But with some searching, you are rewarded with good information about his work. And the more you learn, the more meaningful his oeuvre becomes.

My first visual encouter with his work was a painting from his Impact Series and I was attracted to the calligraphic nature of his marks. After some Googling I came across his site and hung onto it. Periodically I'd look at a few of his works here and there, but never really took the time to understand what he was doing - or why. My rescent research has definately been very rewarding and thought provoking. His oeuvre adds volumns to this particular school of painting and artistic expression.

When you go to his WEBSITE, spend some time and check out all his work.

A site where you can view a dozen images of both his paintings and wall sculptures on the same page is the Lesley Heller Gallery. And you also can see 10 images of his paintings on 1 page at Galerie Egelund.

Reverse Pointillism

If this was done the same way she did her other "Infinity Net" paintings, then the yellow is the ground that's left showing through after she painted the red.

Titled "Dots Infinity-OQOT ", this 31.6 x 39.4 in. acrylic on canvas by Yayoi Kusama sold for $84,526 US at Christie's London: Thursday, February 7, 2008 [Lot 198]Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale (Morning Session) Go there to review the Auction results. It's a wonderful service that Artnet provides. You can preview upcoming auctions or view past auction results.

She's been showing up quite a lot lately. Hopefully more people will be exposed to her work; she's a long-time trouper with the pointillism thing; well, dots, actually.

Image from Artnet.

Feelings

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Been under the weather the last couple of days, posting will be slow till I'm better.

Please take advantage of all the artist's links in the column to your left.

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The painting is titled "Misspoken", 2001.

Studios

It's always a special treat to see the workspace in which an artist does his thing. Some make do with what they have; others can afford to rent, buy or build spaces that are more compatable with their needs. Your enviornment surely affects how you work and how you approach your subject matter. For all of the outside stimuli that we need, the insular world of the artist's studio surely molds his oeuvre.

We'll start this random series with Marc Katano, a 55 year old American who has 39 solo shows under his belt and his works hang in more than a few Art Museums. Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1952, he got his BFA at California College of the Arts in Oakland in '75 and now lives in Los Angeles.

You'll cerainly want to visit his Website and see his work which he's catalogued nicely. The Japanese calligraphic influences are very apparent and forthright and his Artist Statement is concise and honest.