Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Gotta get going again
I've been a little slow getting back to painting after all the effort of the Open Studio. But the Sketch Club Group Show at the Newman Gallery is underway now, and I attended the opening reception last Saturday. It is a big show and most of the artists were there. My painting Black Boots was there and it looked good - well lit. I got lots of good complements on it, so went home feeling very good.
Michelle Byrne: Jammin' on the Ukes
24" x 36" oil on canvas
Over the weekend the outdoor Rittenhouse Square Art Show was also underway, almost just across the street from the Newman. Snob that I am, I liked about four of the hundred and some artists who had booths. Dexiang Qian lives in Philadelphia and was showing marvelous paintings of mostly Chinese subjects, including lots of intense portraits. But my real "find" was Michele Byrne, who paints beautiful, bright on-location ("plein air") urban scenes - along with lots of other stuff. She was also giving a demonstration of how she paints, and I spent an hour or so just watching and marveling at how she works. Her handbill features:
Michelle Byrne: Jammin' on the Ukes
24" x 36" oil on canvas
She inspired me to try my hand at painting a landscape in Rittenhouse Square, and to do another painting in Java Coffeeshop. Both were sad by comparison to her work, but I learn a little more about what NOT to do, just from the attempts. Call them learning experiences.
Actually, I have been trying some new things since I am free of art courses and homework assignments these days (except for the drawings of hands and feet that come with my classes with Neil di Sabato). These paintings are rather crude but I think have possibilities, in a very different style from what I've been doing up to now. If anything comes of them, I will be sure to post them.
Actually, I have been trying some new things since I am free of art courses and homework assignments these days (except for the drawings of hands and feet that come with my classes with Neil di Sabato). These paintings are rather crude but I think have possibilities, in a very different style from what I've been doing up to now. If anything comes of them, I will be sure to post them.
Monday, June 01, 2009
OPEN STUDIO: 412 Spruce Street
This is a pretty long post - it will make up for the time since my last one, before I was busily painting and preparing for the Open Studio:
Writing on the morning of the 31st.
I’m up early - couldn’t sleep. My OPEN STUDIO event is today - scheduled for noon to 4, to take advantage of the Society Hill Open House Tour that also happens today and is bound to bring lots of people to the neighborhood. The committee has agreed to give out a flyer for this event with the House Tour tickets - and they have sold some 250 tickets!
So since my last post, I’ve been working like a beaver - or, like an artist on a deadline. Made two paintings on-site in coffeeshops and another of chessplayers in Rittenhouse Square. This requires a loose, immediate style that is a nice change from the careful (overworked?) studio paintings I have mostly been doing.
I also made a rather meticulous painting of Independence Hall. There is no worthwhile background behind the Hall, so I decided to put it in front of an imagined flag. For that, I needed to do three studies of Colonial Flags to learn how to put it all together.
Meanwhile, I designed and ordered handbills from PrintsMadeEasy. They put the “expedited” on the wrong order, but the ‘bills finally got here on Thursday. I’ve been spreading them around this part of town wherever it seems logical to promote our Event.
In addition, the OPEN STUDIO has expanded in scope. Among Patricia’s close friends are two excellent artists, and they agreed to join me in exhibiting in this event. Sandra Sanders was an art teacher and does excellent watercolors. Elizabeth Breakell exhibits her fabulous oil paintings widely and has won awards for her work. We will each be showing about 30 pieces, so this has turned out to be quite an affair. All the wall space in my Studio (nee Apartment) are covered with paintings as well as both sides of the rather gloomy hallway outside. I plan to take off the door to the apartment, to kind-of integrate this interior space with the hallway outside.
More, on the Morning of June 1st
Well, the OPEN STUDIO went smoothly and was a lot of fun. We hung my big (3’x4’) unfinished painting of bathers (3 nudes sitting at the edge of a swimming pool) in front of the apartment with a CAUTION-CAUTION-CAUTION tape across their boobs (to protect the morality of the young'uns in their prams).
The bathers, along with an ART SALE sign and Patricia out front as Barker to get people in all worked well. It was a beautiful day for strolling. We had over 100 people drop by, and in the process met a bunch of nice neighbors for the first time. Several of the visitors were painters themselves or were quite knowledgeable about art, and we had some interesting discussions. I-Ling Eleen Lin lives and paints in Brooklyn, but brings her Taiwanese background into her interesting work.
Bottom line? I sold two inexpensive paintings, and one of Patricia’s friends would like to buy a watercolor from Sandra. We have gained the confidence and good will of the House Tour program, which should help out a lot for publicity of future Open Studio events here. Yes, Betsy, Sandra and I are all interested in doing this again, next year.
Writing on the morning of the 31st.
I’m up early - couldn’t sleep. My OPEN STUDIO event is today - scheduled for noon to 4, to take advantage of the Society Hill Open House Tour that also happens today and is bound to bring lots of people to the neighborhood. The committee has agreed to give out a flyer for this event with the House Tour tickets - and they have sold some 250 tickets!
So since my last post, I’ve been working like a beaver - or, like an artist on a deadline. Made two paintings on-site in coffeeshops and another of chessplayers in Rittenhouse Square. This requires a loose, immediate style that is a nice change from the careful (overworked?) studio paintings I have mostly been doing.
The computer student was considering her data at the Bean Exchange (7th & Bainbridge). I found the couple at JAVA (right around the corner from me, at 4th & Lombard). They both sported magnificent dreads, but seemed somehow disconnected from each other. I hope I caught that. The chess game was in Rittenhouse Square, where the pickup games are usually played for money, using a chess timer.
I also made a rather meticulous painting of Independence Hall. There is no worthwhile background behind the Hall, so I decided to put it in front of an imagined flag. For that, I needed to do three studies of Colonial Flags to learn how to put it all together.
The gray-stripe flag actually found a buyer during the Exhibition!
The shape of Independence Hall makes it difficult
to create an interesting composition
to create an interesting composition
Meanwhile, I designed and ordered handbills from PrintsMadeEasy. They put the “expedited” on the wrong order, but the ‘bills finally got here on Thursday. I’ve been spreading them around this part of town wherever it seems logical to promote our Event.
In addition, the OPEN STUDIO has expanded in scope. Among Patricia’s close friends are two excellent artists, and they agreed to join me in exhibiting in this event. Sandra Sanders was an art teacher and does excellent watercolors. Elizabeth Breakell exhibits her fabulous oil paintings widely and has won awards for her work. We will each be showing about 30 pieces, so this has turned out to be quite an affair. All the wall space in my Studio (nee Apartment) are covered with paintings as well as both sides of the rather gloomy hallway outside. I plan to take off the door to the apartment, to kind-of integrate this interior space with the hallway outside.
The problem with the hallway is that you can't get far enough away
from the paintings to really see how they "feel."
from the paintings to really see how they "feel."
More, on the Morning of June 1st
Well, the OPEN STUDIO went smoothly and was a lot of fun. We hung my big (3’x4’) unfinished painting of bathers (3 nudes sitting at the edge of a swimming pool) in front of the apartment with a CAUTION-CAUTION-CAUTION tape across their boobs (to protect the morality of the young'uns in their prams).
Lots of people thought the CAUTION tape was a real part of the composition.
Hmmmm. Should it be?????
Hmmmm. Should it be?????
The bathers, along with an ART SALE sign and Patricia out front as Barker to get people in all worked well. It was a beautiful day for strolling. We had over 100 people drop by, and in the process met a bunch of nice neighbors for the first time. Several of the visitors were painters themselves or were quite knowledgeable about art, and we had some interesting discussions. I-Ling Eleen Lin lives and paints in Brooklyn, but brings her Taiwanese background into her interesting work.
Neighbor Marilyn Appel, Patricia and me in front of STUDIO 412 SPRUCE ST.
Left: Sandra Sanders with her watercolors.
Right: Me, with some oil paintings.
Right: Me, with some oil paintings.
Elizabeth Breakell and a mannequin look at some of her (Betsy's) oil paintings.
Bottom line? I sold two inexpensive paintings, and one of Patricia’s friends would like to buy a watercolor from Sandra. We have gained the confidence and good will of the House Tour program, which should help out a lot for publicity of future Open Studio events here. Yes, Betsy, Sandra and I are all interested in doing this again, next year.
