Monday Dec.30th

Lulu and I had the pleasure of going back to our former home- New York City- and spend the holidays with our kids. Got to see the "new" MOMA which was wonderful- saw work I had not seen before in a "live" environment including a Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell and a Lee Krasner. We ate very well, had our senses overloaded (in a positive way) but we're glad to be back home with our critters and "stuff."

New piece in honor of "Hell's Kitchen"- 32"x23" Arches paper with casein paint, oil sticks, pencil and charcoal.

Wishing every one a joyous and healthy 2020!

Sunday, Dec.1st

I want to thank Marta at Frame Art & Design in Fort Wayne for the incredible job she and her staff did on stretching and framing "Imogene."

"Imogene At The Beach" 82" x 58" unprimed canvas with acrylics, oil and oil sticks.

Saturday- November, 30th

Going to go pick up "Imogene At The Beach" today from the framer. It's been stretched and framed. Very excited. Many thanks to Marta at  Frame Art & Design in Fort Wayne, IN.

Tuesday Nov.26th

Wrestling with Black Dogs and a general overlay of dis-ease...restless and depressed. I think it's seasonal and historical but I do find that the anodyne for me is time in the studio. Finishing up a couple of large canvases and getting them off the easels, so been at the table working on paper.

"Arabesque" on Strathmore oil paper 18"x24" casein paint, oil pastels, pencil and charcoal. I would recommend "zooming" in as much as possible to see the different layers. Lots of adding and subtracting.

This was huge fun! My framer give me a piece of gator board 18"x16" and suggested "messing" with it. I used casein paint and it absorbed it like a sponge allowing me to do multiple layers. And then overlay with different pencils. "Transparent."

Wishing everyone one a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sunday, Nov.17th

For Bellmont High School...

Appropriation versus Honoring

November 9, 2019

Sitting Bull 1 Custer 0

November 7th Part Trois

When it rains- it pours...more work


I am loving the flexibility and immediacy of "paper"  Arches oil paper 18" x 24" with Casein paint/pastels/pencil-and charcoals- staying with the theme of my beloved NYC- "Soho."

I have a a profound love for Larry Poons and this is my inverted "dots" tribute. Casein paint with water background and casein "jabs" on Arches watercolor paper 18"x 24" titled with much love for Erik Satie, "Gymnopaedies." Good night- be kind.

November 7, 2019 part 2

I have been working on some large canvas's as well and these are finally ready to post. I had put up some earlier iterations of these:

This is based on a photo that was taken the early evening (Labor Day week-end 2019) that my step-son Nicholas proposed to his fiancé (now), Francesca. "Sunset At Oliver Lake" 36"x48" Oil/acrylic/oil-sticks- this will be their Wedding gift from me.

This is based on a photo that same evening about a half hour later. same dims and specs as above.

 I've been working on this for quite some time and am reminded of something that Helen Frankenthaler used to say, "Is it finished?" I suspect not but I'm liking it so far- 36"x48" oil, oil-sticks, pastels and charcoal. "For JMB."

November 7, 2019 More New Work On Paper

Staying with theme of New York locations, here  is a  new work on paper:

"Washington Square" Arches oil paper Casein paint and pencil

November 4th- Happy Birthday To My Beloved, LuLu

Casein paint/pencil/pastels on Arches paper 30"x 21"

"Lower East Side"

Wed. Oct.16th

Had t o do this as two posts- software is not playing nice with me today...just a couple of more images.

This is also with casein paint and some new silicon tools. Strathmore paper but a bit larger:

Really enjoy playing with primary colors.

This is from a recent show with Lulu's wonderful piece hanging next to a couple of my works.

And finally, a work in process- it's based on a photo of Oliver Lake later that same evening. 3x4 oil/acrylic

I've become a bloody landscape painter, like my beloved Billy Turner.

Wed. Oct. 16th- been a while...I get this sense that as I age, time truly does slip away. I've got some new images to share.  Let's start with a piece that has taken quite a bit of time- "Oliver Lake"

 "Oliver Lake" 3ft x 4ft Oil/Acrylic

This is from a photo that was taken at Lulu's family's lake house where my step-son Nicholas proposed to his fiancé,  Francesca.

This is a sweet piece- working with a new paint medium for me, casein paint on Strathmore paper
12in x 16in.

Monday Sept.9th.

For me, painting is all about dilemma...about creating conflict and seeking resolution and somehow in the process creating something that has merit. Something that compels a human being to pause. To measure. To take a deep breath and remember what it is to be human. For me, the most profound moments have come in viewing Art and saying to myself, silently, fuck me! It's that moment when I am no longer tethered to my stupid ego and those bloody monkeys chattering. I have had those moments  when standing in front of paintings that render me a blithering idiot- in the British Museum viewing Rembrandts- seeing Joan Mitchell's work...Helen Frankenthaler..et al... Art  is meant to to be transcendental and for me, ultimately link us to a higher being... lots of high falutin' language here... I am humbled to be a conduit...newest work... much love to Jim L. Alexis A and Bob B

"Imogene At The Beach" 8 feet by 5 ft unprimed canvas. Stained acrylics with oil sticks. 

Tues. Sept.3rd..."I don't wanna say goodby for the summer..." as a kid, this was the most depressing time of the year- I did not like school...anyway, loving the new space and I think the work reflects it...here are some new works. Enjoy!

3ft x4ft...ADDITIVE AND SUBTRACTIVE WORK USING ACRYLIC, GESSO AND OIL STICKS.

3FT X 5FT UNPRIMED  RAW UNSTRETCHED CANVAS WITH ACRYLIC, GESSO, OIL STICK, PENCIL AND CHARCOAL.

3FT X 4FT ALL ACRYLIC "LAKE MICHIGAN" (thanks to Bob Bloom for the original photo)

SAME AS ABOVE-CLOSE UP

Wed. August 21, 2019

I've been focusing on working on paper. I am intrigued by how the media responds to different paints, pastels and manipulation with my various tools. Enclosed are the outcomes. Thanks for looking.

Strathmore paper with multiple layers of various shades of red acrylic with bee's wax finish. "A Night At The Opera"

Canvas paper with acrylics and oil paint sticks. "Gabbeh" which is a type of Persian rug.

Kraft paper with tempera, acrylic and oil paints. "Grieving Is How We Honor Love-"

Canvas paper with oil pastels. "Printemps."

Arches paper with charcoal, oil sticks and oil pastels. "For D.S. R.I.P"

This is actually a 24"x36" canvas. Acrylic and oil.  

"Le Nuages Jaunes"

Been A While But Here We Are...

Tuesday, August 6th- where the hell has the summer gone? School starts on Monday August 12th but the really BIG NEWS is that I've finally gotten into my new studio space and it was worth the wait...Here are pictures...two easels no waiting plus a nice table to do paper work and drawing. I have some new work that I'll post at the end of the week..Welcome to Galerie Orpheus..

Saturday, July 20th- it's been too hot to paint much combined with a cramped studio so no "plog" postings...I did get the chance to go in yesterday before it got too hot and finish a piece that I have been working on.

I have a larger piece (6ft x 2ft) that I have been layering various shades of gold and burgundy acrylic. That should be finished once temperatures (on all fronts) come down. The work below was a study done on paper. It's 16" x 20"- all acrylics. Stay Cool!

Saturday June 29th

Well, Summer is here in a big way as the temperatures rise to degrees of discomfort. Keep cool, as Lulu reminds me. I came across, quite by accident, an Austrian artist by the name of Jakob Kirchmayr and was blown away by his work on paper and thus discovered Arches paper. Made in France and it's very heavy-140 lb press. It's labeled as water color paper that can also "take" acrylic. I wanted to see if it could hold oil pastels and oil sticks and also gesso. What is below is testament that it does so very well.

This is titled "I Carry My Landscapes Around With Me," which is a quote from Joan Mitchell. 16" x20" Arches paper- oil pastels/oil sticks/gesso.

June 24th, 2019

I really do need to figure out how to take better photos. The problem is that my space has no natural light- should probably take the pix in the Gallery where there is natural light. Bad photography notwithstanding, I wanted to post this...still lacking context to bring it all together but getting closer.
Thanks for looking.

June 18th, 2019

Painting is solitary ...full stop....I go to places and literally paint myself into corners but what I love is the forgiveness. "Bless The Weather" as brother John Martyn said. This is a melisma of different paints and effects that somehow all merge into a meaningful image... Titled "Lean In And See"

Sunday June 16th "Happy Father's Day"

Times does run away..wishing all friends who are fathers best wishes particularly my own- Branko, Stevan and Ron Gerber...paint with the Angels.

This past week has been a blur with prepping for Decatur's Sculpture Tour and ACE 40.8 Open House and studio tours. Cleaned my joint up and got to hang some current work. We are getting closer and closer to the new space. I'll try to post photos of the space under construction. In the meanwhile, enjoy theses pix. And many many thanks to all the out-of-town sculptors who are always a blast to hang out with. See you next year!

This is the view out of the studio into the Gallery- two pieces above are recent. The Color Field study is oil on photo paper-never gonna dry.

That's "Sibelius" in the center who has a home with my sister, MaryAnne in Michigan. Lulu and I look forward to seeing her soon.

The three Color Studies  (yellow, black & white)are in very early stages but will be framed as a Triptych. Thanks for looking and seeing.

Monday, June 10th, 2019-

Lulu's home and all is well- we got to spend most of the day yesterday in our studios. I went back today and "solved" a painting which had been perplexing me.

Lots of acrylic layers (5-6 undercoats) but I just couldn't get a handle on it. Switched to oil stick and oil pastels and wiped them and I think it finally "revealed" itself to me---"Red Hexagram (#1)

Not the best photo as it doesn't capture so many of the subtle textures and color bleeds. But, I'm happy with it. 

Friday, June 7, 2019

Lulu's away at a workshop and I'm the archetypal old man who can't find his way...so, the only place I feel grounded-studio. Following up with the acrylics and offer up this:

24"X36"- mostly acrylics with some spot oil...."Turner's Sea"

Gonna live with it and see if it still feels done. Come home Lulu....

Wed. June 5, 2019

I don't think I've ever really given acrylics a proper "work out." Invested in some really good tubes and gave them a spin last night. I like the movement of the paint and appreciate how quickly they dry allowing for layering and texture. This is first pass...

Has a really nice Monet feel to it and so I thought it needed some "overdubs" and that's when shit went south really fast and a for a couple of hours I felt that I had lost the painting. In this process, I discovered the beauty of acrylics- the ability to "stack" paint and play with it's "plastic" nature. The result is below. Size is 16"x20" Winsor & Newton tube acrylics.

Working title is "Summer Storm At Sea."

I think I want to push this onto large format paintings and play with using oils on top. As my beloved Lulu sez all the time, "All that matters is the work."

Late Sunday night (for an" alte kacher") June 2nd.

Lulu and I were able to tuck into the studio for some real time. I love, I mean really LOVE Jazz and particularly Bebop and in that spirit, I offer this. Oil pastels on photo print paper. As Django Reinhardt, the greatest guitarist of the 20th Century said, "Take me to Dizzy" when he disembarked in NYC in the late 1940s.

"Bebop" 2019 8 1/2 x 11 photo paper/oil pastels

If you can, zoom in and grok the textures and blending of the oil pastels. God bless you Dizzy Gillespie. Bird Lives!

Sunday, June 2, 2019---sorry for the crickets but life has been infringing on my good time. School is over-today was Graduation- congratulations to my niece Hope and all my wonderful seniors. On to my next life.

NEW WORK: So, the problem I have is- no space. I have truly outgrown my sweet little spot and am in "in-between" land. Trying to be patient as my new space is being completed. I had posted a color study entitled "I Ching" a tri- color  study that is now a triptych. It requires some detailed finishing work that I can't do in my space. I have a bunch of wonderful new canvases that I am anxious to attack but...so I've been doing "small work"- lots of oil pastels and experimenting with different papers and have discovered photo print paper and it reacts really well with the oil pastels. Enjoy...

Not a "grotesque" but  also not representational. Who are these people?

"Green Boy" Oil Pastel and medium on paper. 8 1/2/x11

Oil pastel on linen paper. "Pastoral." 8 1/2 x 11

This is on 8 1/2 x 11 photo paper using Sennelier oil pastels. Bloody expensive but oh so good. If they were good enough for Picasso, Monet and Matisse then...  creamy and smooth.."Jeune Filles."

Much like "Green Boy" not a "grotesque" but from deep somewhere. "Blue Boy" 8 1/2 x 11 oil pastels on linen paper.

Sennelier oil pastels on 8 1/2 x11 photo paper and medium. "Yellow Color Field" Thanks for looking and fingers crossed, new studio gets finished. Enjoy!