"Country Tranquility" --- Sold

This is 2nd plein air painting at Easton. It is a relatively large painting (12" x 24"). I have used a 3" wide brush for the background. It was so much fun.

Daily art update 1 -- endless highway

This year my daily art is different from past years in that I don't make a piece every day with the same format that I can easily photograph and post to my blogs.  Instead I have a theme -- maps -- but no rules as to what kind of art I should do each day with a map.  Some days I might be making a little book, other days a collage/painting, other days a 3D construction.  Some days I work on a continuing project without trying to precisely document the beginning and end of that particular day's work.

I haven't reported on my progress in quite a while, so maybe it's time for an update.

One of the new formats that I've been doing more than once is what I call "endless highway," in which I cut small bits from the road atlas or other map source and join them to others.  Sometimes I mount these constructions in accordion books; sometimes I make cubes.



It's amusing to see a highway go from Cleveland to Honolulu to Twin Falls. 

The cubes are most difficult to make.  It's tricky to find a map bit with highways heading in three directions, meeting the adjacent sides in exactly the right place. 

And it's also tricky to construct the cube from cardstock; how do you get a firm bond when gluing the sides together when you can't get your hands inside?  But these little technical challenges are what I love about making art.

Nucleus Show!

Thanks to the fantastic crowd who came out for the Gallery Nucleus opening!! Only a few pieces left: you can click here to purchase online or stop by in person!

Art report / Hamburg 5

This is the end of my art reports from Europe, with something kind of funny from the Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Annette Streyl,  BMW München / Palast der Republik / Reichstag Berlin (details below)

As the wall sign explains:  "The sculptures use architectural models as their starting point.  Annette Streyl had the Reichstag and other landmarks of German politics and history knit at a scale of 1:100 and hung them over a clothesline.  Deprived of their power and importance, they resemble pieces of wet laundry."

Germans might find more of an instant frisson of recognition, but if you aren't familiar with the buildings (as Americans would be, for instance, with a model of the White House) you have to take it on faith that these are accurate scale models.

I got a laugh out of these pieces, especially the limply dangling flag atop the Reichstag.  The tall BMW towers looked to me just like as a pair of long johns.

Worth the price of admission!

"Red Roof" --- Sold

This is my first painting on the Plein Air Easton Festival. This was done at Tilghman Island MD.

Thanks to all the friends providing suggestions and share ideas after my previous post. I know I am in a slump right now. It is rather difficult to relax and rest.  I meditated quite often recently, and realized how badly I am attached to this world. I am learning in baby steps, both artistically and spiritually.