I picked up this little red book of poems of big ideas by Diane di Prima (1934-2020) at the airy bookshop/cafe Fitz Books. Originally published in 1971, Revolutionary Letters remains relevant, such as this letter #17 . . . we will all feel the pinch there will not be a cadillac and a 40,000 dollarContinue reading “Enough: poem, biking, bonfire”
Tag Archives: lastingness
Not the Daily News: ordinary life
Poet William Carlos Williams wrote: so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. Consider a yellow chair and a green shed. In 1986 I pulled this sturdy oak chair from a dumpster on Franklin Street in downtown Manhattan. I carried it around the corner to my artContinue reading “Not the Daily News: ordinary life”
Looking Back: curious things about us
I have always appreciated the phrase “live the mystery.” Art is finding parallels and connections that unravel something more. It turns out that each of our mothers owned the same set of Desert Rose china, popular in the early 1950s. Anyone who knows Tim discovers over time that he is drawn to stumps . .Continue reading “Looking Back: curious things about us”
Painting-a-Gogh-Gogh: Beyond little fluffy clouds
Can a post impressionist Dutch painter from the 19th Century be repurposed and to entertain and inspire 21st century techno-savvy and pandemic-weary citizens? Cities around the world have been hosting five different versions of the Van Gogh immersive experiences. I attended the one in Buffalo, New York called Beyond Van Gogh, created and produced byContinue reading “Painting-a-Gogh-Gogh: Beyond little fluffy clouds”
Little Fluffy Clouds: when it’s not that simple
The recent documentary about the popular television artist Bob Ross (Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed) reminds viewers of his lush landscapes, happy trees and little fluffy clouds–his love of painting the beauty of nature and teaching others to do it. An aside related to little fluffy clouds . . . This summer we took aContinue reading “Little Fluffy Clouds: when it’s not that simple”
Artist Memoir: the inside story of lastingness
In a previous post I wrote about lastingness–the idea of carrying on, remaining devoted, tending to the garden (interests, relationships, self-care, creativity) one has planted along the way (and weeding out the unnecessary). My favorite genre of film and literature is documentary and memoir. I just watched two an excellent ones . . . ValContinue reading “Artist Memoir: the inside story of lastingness”
Last Paintings: simply, the end of production
I mentioned in the previous post how moving it is to stand before Elizabeth Murray’s last painting, EVERYBODY KNOWS, 2007. The need to produce art ebbs and flows throughout an artist’s life. At the time of death, one work is left with the label as “last painting” (sculpture, photograph, print, etc.). While not always theContinue reading “Last Paintings: simply, the end of production”
Art Icons: the inspiration of others
I tuned into Elizabeth Murray during the 1980s when she was well into her career as a known artist and teacher. I was making my own paintings in a fifth floor walk up apartment on lower east side of New York. I was eager to see what living artists were doing beyond the ones fromContinue reading “Art Icons: the inspiration of others”
Painting in Place: map of everything
Before Angola, we were in Buffalo–before that, P was in Denver and T was in Virginia. Before that, P was in New York and T was in Austin. Before that, P was in San Francisco and T was in New York. This mapping can go on and on, but the point is that so muchContinue reading “Painting in Place: map of everything”
Scent of a Painting: wallpaper, slipcovers, and dresses
Many of my paintings include collage aspects of cloth or paper–at least at the start. I often end up covering over most of these images with paint as the work evolves. The 1950s were a time of patterns on walls, patterns on furniture, and patterns on clothing. Anyone coming of age now may not graspContinue reading “Scent of a Painting: wallpaper, slipcovers, and dresses”
cottage industry 