Wit Gallery

According to their web site, "An acronym for "Wonders In Time" The Wit Gallery focuses on art that brings a feeling of warmth and hospitality which transcends time.  While the works intrigue me, I don't trust them.  There is too much commercialism, too much "oh, isn't that neat, cute, pretty, unusual".  While quite skillful and polished, the works seem to be contrived and made for Architectural Digest.  Somehow, the artist's hand has disappeared.  It's almost as if Pier One Imports showed up.  And for some inexplicable reason, to me it smacks of California art.  

The above painting by Suzanne Howes-Stevens is an example of the gallery works.  It is oil over a collaged map which locates the painting's site. The painting is framed by and bleeds into the map.  While the idea of using the map to restate the idea of landscape is interesting, the very formal and clean use of it defies nature (IMHO).   Also, every painting of Howes-Stevens looks more or less like the one above.  She's found her schtick and she schticking with it.  

Summer Reading

Summer Reading, Oil on Board, 28.5" x 20.5" is showing at the Judith Klein Gallery in New Bedford, MA Art of Summer 2012 show which benefits the New Bedford Women's Shelter.  Both subject and color are more illustrative than my usual oeuvre.  This was to appeal to the theme of the show.  The point of view is from our upper deck, across the flower boxes to the pool.  
I will be out of the studio for the next 10 days while I visit galleries and museums in western Massachusetts.  However, I will post my insights.

Minkcove Sunrises

The sun rising over Minkcove created a beautiful orange aura.

Rudbeckia

The painting is finished and installed at Rogers Gallery. I discovered a way to address the flatness of some areas without varnishing. It's referred to as "oiling out", and simply means applying an oil medium to the dried surface. When done, the painting again appears to have a uniformity of richness and saturation.

Rudbeckia, Etc

I notice that I have not posted in some time. However, I have been working daily. The weather has been abominable, English wet and dark. It's difficult to see well and I find my self unsatisfied with work viewed the following day. Mostly, I've been attacking the yellow rudbeckia. Yellow is such a difficult fellow. It's not so much the values as the transparency. There is hardly any coverage initially. I've also been experimenting with glazes in these two small landscapes (8x13"). I've learned techniques immediately and prefer this to using the gold leaf.

Rudbeckia

I haven't posted in over a week. But I have been working everyday averaging abut 3 hours a day. Today I finally worked completely across the upper half laying in the basic palette. The other major change was to remove the 2 white shasta daisies. My resident critic said they should go. When asked his opinion about them he said, "The question is why?". The weakest section is the center top. Tomorrow I will start on the lower, grass portion. Then it will be time to refine shapes, values, etc.

Rudbeckia

The plant can reach a height of 1 m. It has alternate, mostly basal leaves 10-18 cm long, covered by coarse hair. It flowers from June to August, with inflorescences measuring 5-8 cm in diameter (up to 15 cm in some cultivars), with yellow ray florets circling a brown, domed center of disc florets. Wikipedia