For the Love of It

"What motivates you to paint?" Someone asked me that question last week at the opening reception of Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition at Redbud Arts Center. One of the things I've been working on is how to talk about my art in the moment, but this seemed like a much bigger question. It was loud at the opening reception, as it often is at such events, and questions about motivation seem better suited to a conversation one might have at say, a quiet cafe over a cup of coffee. I did my best to answer, rather unsatisfactorily, and have continued to mull over the question for the last several days. 

There's a phrase in an old John Denver song, "...coming home to a place I'd never been before." On the best of days, when standing at my easel completely absorbed in the process of transfering ideas from globs of mixed paint on my palette to a no longer blank canvas, my heart, soul, and fingers feel both energized and at peace, if that makes any sense. It is akin to coming home. And the place I've never been before? That was me, 20 years ago, the first time I held a paintbrush in front of a canvas on an easel and started transferring visions and ideas to a two dimensional surface. 

Which seems like a lot of words to say that I LOVE painting and especially love painting portraits. The above painting is my second portrait painting in this small size. (I just now realized that I neglected to blog about the other painting. Oops. I did post about it on Instagram, but not the same thing as blogging about it.) In case anyone is interested in commissioning a portrait, please contact me. Become one of my many happy patrons and let me immortalize your loved one on canvas. 

Deux Shows -- July 13 & July 17

It's a wonderfully busy summer in my little art world. My most recent painting of the Amazing Reese and our grandson, Theodore, was accepted into Archway Gallery's Sixteenth Annual Juried Exhibition, the opening reception for which will be on July 13th, from 5-8pm, with juror remarks and awards at 6:30pm. Internationally recognized artist, Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak is the juror for this show. It's always a priveledge to have my work seen and chosen by people so well regarded in the art world. 

As we were driving to a friend's house for supper last night, we drove past the gallery, and I popped in for a quick look at the exhibit. As you enter the front door, my painting is the first painting on the left on the wall to the left of the front door. Does that make sense?

Archway Gallery is air conditioned, which is an important detail to mention, especially because so many Houstonians are still without power after Hurricane Beryl, which even though the weather people said that it was only a category 1 hurricane, as someone who lived through it, and has lived through other hurricanes in Houston over the past 40-ish years, it felt much more violent than just a category 1. Sadly, our house is still without power, but, happily, some of our dear friends have invited us to use their gloriously air conditioned home while they are out of town. Yay for air conditioning! 

And, here's a reminder that the opening reception for the Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition is on July 17th, at Redbud Arts Center from 6-8pm. At the Bus Stop will be on view there, along with 46 other works in the show.  

Reese and I will be in attendance at both events. Come say hi!

Archway Gallery's address is 2305 Dunlavy, Houston, TX 77006

Redbud Arts Center's address is 303 East 11th Street, Houston, TX 77008

 

Seven Years

When I realized that the next art show reception that will showcase two of my paintings, and in which my daughter Anna will also have work is on June 29th, the date jogged a memory for me, because that is the date of my mammogram and biopsy in 2017 that forever altered my universe by confirming a rather aggressive breast cancer diagnosis. Spoiler alert -- I'm still alive, and dare I say, thriving, balancing a life of gratitude with regard to the reality that disaster can strike anyone at anytime. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE!!! So, it feels like a milestone to not only make it to the seven year mark as an alive human being, but it seems fitting that I will "celebrate" the memory of that tragic day by showcasing LIFE through the beauty of art in a gallery at the Art League of Baytown in Baytown, Texas. Girl With Apple is on view there. 

The Art League of Baytown is hosting a closing reception for the Shadow and Light Pop Show on June 29th, from 4-6pm. Daughter Anna, the Amazing Reese, and I will all be there. Come see us if you live in the Baytown  area! (Rosa's View is also on display in Baytown.)

Girl With Apple was previously in the Visual Art Alliance 37th Juried Memborship Exhibition which was an online exhibit that happened during the pandemic in November of 2020. 

Applying to shows is never a guarantee that work will be accepted into an exhibition. That is why I'm pleased to also announce that another one of my paintings,  At the Bus Stop has been accepted into the Visual Art Alliance 40th Membership Exhibition! Of the 453 artworks that were submitted for review, juror Tanja Peterson only selected 47 works for the exhibition, one of which was mine! The show will be at Redbud Arts Center in the Heights from July 7th - July 27th, with the opening reception on July 17th from 6-8pm.  

Come see me!

In Grandpa's Arms

Grandpa and Theodore, oil on linen, 18" x 24"

When Reese loves on people, I fall in love with him all over again -- even more so when he's holding one of our grandchildren. 

This was painted from a reference photo.  (Theodore is four now! Time flies.)

Where I Am, and Where I'll Be...

I'm pleased to announce that my painting, Self Portrait - 2024, will be on exhibit in the Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Open Exhibition from April 1- May 11. The opening reception is at The Jung Center, 5200 Montrose Blvd, Houston, Texas, 77006, on Wednesday, April 10th, from 6-8pm. The juror for the exhibition is Houston gallerist, Kerry Inman, and I consider it a huge honor to have had my work chosen by her for this exhibit. The Amazing Reese and I would love for y'all to join us at the opening reception!

Self Portrait - 2024 

In our life here in Texas, it's bluebonnet season, and we're enjoying the bluebonnets in particular, (see photo at top), but, really, all of the wildflowers are beautiful. We have been staying at a friend's ranch for a few days in Blanco, Texas, in anticipation of the total solar eclipse happening in a few hours, and we've thoroughly enjoyed the wildflowers, butterflies, and change of scenery. We'll be back in Houston for the exhibit, though, so come on by and see us. :)

At the Bus Stop

Sitting in the passenger seat of our car at the stoplight on the corner of Montrose and Westheimer in Houston, I saw this woman sitting at the bus stop. Her hands were constantly in motion, like she was trying to brush something off. She was keeping some sort of rhythm with her movements that only she could hear or feel.

"Art is beauty in ordinary moments." That's the opening line in my artist statement. This tiny moment, a snapshot in the life of someone I don't know, is just that -- a slice of rawness in an unexpected location that was beautiful to me. That's why I wanted to paint it. 

It's 24" x 30", oil on canvas. 

The Grey Scale

This fella was sleeping near the bottom of some stairs along Buffalo Bayou in the downtown Houston area, though it seems like it's a scene that could have been anywhere. That's the thing with homelessness, or whatever brand of outdoor living this is. I don't know this guy's story -- I don't know anything about him other than how seeing him there, vulnerable and oblivious, my eye was drawn to the composition and color scheme and the poignancy of his aloneness in the vastness of this city. 

This painting is 24" x 30" oil on cotton canvas. I usually paint on linen instead of cotton, so it's always interesting to see how the paint moves on a different surface as it is applied. There was a bit of a learning curve painting on cotton, which hopefully I'll remember as I have several more cotton canvases that someone gave me to use. I've already started the sketch on another cotton canvas so we'll see how the next one goes. :)

Self Portrait - 2024

Lately, instead of standing at the easel, I've been sitting in this green chair to paint. One day recently, while sitting at the easel, I noticed the harmony of the greenish blue shirt I was wearing, the soft blue of the walls, and the light reflecting onto and bouncing around my hair, and I knew that I had to paint what I saw. So, voila.

Self Portrait - 2024, oil on linen, 20" x 16"

And, it just so happens, over the years, when in between projects, or unsure of my place as an artist, or afraid of starting something new, or about to tackle something new, or any or all of it, I have come back, again and again, to painting my self portrait. It's a bravery exercise. It gets me back in the studio, back at the easel, back to mixing paints. It is a great motivator to shake the sticky cobwebs off my fingers and dust out the underutilized corners of my mind. 

The green chair very closely matches the color of spring happening right now outside the studio window. It's a happy thought.

Heart Health

Edit : Sorry for the confusion -- I was trying to do something on my blog and accidentally unpublished this blog post from January 31, 2012. I'm re-publishing it, but the original, THIS story was from 12 years ago. I guess I'm not as tech savvy as I thought. Oops. Thanks for being understanding. (It's going to really bother me that it's out of chronological order.)

February is heart health month. In that vein, this is the art heart I created for a member of the Circle of Red Society for the Go Red for Women portion of the American Heart Association.


I started working on this last summer, first with a practice sketch, and then on the giant heart itself. The front of the heart is very three dimensional, sort of like a wedding cake, which makes drawing on it rather difficult.


The back is a flat surface; much easier for drawing and painting. It's been a long process, but today it is finally going to its rightful owner. I couldn't be more delighted.

More Joan

More Joan, 14" x 18", oil on linen

This commissioned portrait, More Joan is painted from an old black and white (sepia tone) photograph from the 1930's/40's. It is a portrait of a beloved mom/mother in law, before she had any mom responsibilities, when she was in the prime of her youth, full of life and promise. The stillness of the pose seems to be hiding a lively spirit, bursting with life and laughter. The Amazing Reese and I enjoyed living with her for a few weeks, as the painting dried. The more we looked at her, the more enigmatic her expression became. 

In the beginning, it was quite difficult to find the right color values. While struggling with it, I asked for a few photos of this lady's grandchildren to compare skin tones and hair and eye color. Those reference photos were an invaluable tool as then I was able to fully visualize what Joan (probably) looked like as a young lady in the flesh. 

It's my understanding that she lived a life of hospitality, welcoming and encouraging everyone around her to live their best lives, continuing to volunteer acts of service well into her advanced years. May we all be so free with our gifts and time. May we all be more like Joan. 

Meet the Parents

I love these two people. Even though I've known them my whole life, and have loved them forever, I can say for a fact that the sweetest they've ever been was when they came to Houston time and again to care for me when I was going through chemo and assorted surgeries for breast cancer. Dad shopped for groceries and they both cooked all of my favorite foods -- anything and everything to bring me comfort when I was at my most desperate and vulnerable. 

The traits I've seen and appreciated the most from both of them is their gift of hospitality and acts of service. They really work well together as a team when they have a common goal of serving others -- I've been on the receiving end too many times to count. Reese and I are grateful for their example. 

Thanks, Mom & Dad. 

This is 18" x 24", oil on linen.

 

A Mother and Daughter Portrait

On my website, in the about the artist section, I have this written artist statement --

Art is beauty in ordinary moments.

Subject matter for my paintings is propelled by my personal belief that common moments are beautiful and worth capturing in a two-dimensional format. There is a realistic quality to my work, but it is more about a moment, rather than focusing on details. Because my eyesight is bad, my work is slightly out of focus. Even so, the general impression is one of tranquility. I call my style "fuzzy realism".

I love painting figurative work and portraits and prefer working in oils on linen.

It is always a privilege to be commissioned to paint a portrait of a loved one. Capturing delight, beauty, and emotion in an everyday moment is at the core of what I work to portray as a visual artist. 

For my most recent commission, we scheduled a photo shoot so there would be something fresh and current to use for reference photos. It was my first time to visit at length with the mother and I sort of fell in love with her. Which in a way helps, because of out of the dozens of wonderful reference photos from the photo session, four poses stood out above the rest, all of which resonated with beauty and charm. To select the pose to use for this painting, I cut out two 18" x 24" canvas sized pieces of cardboard, and sketched the four poses in thinned oil paint on the front and back of the cardboard. After studying each pose carefully, and weighing the pros and cons of each, I selected my favorite pose. 

Often, what looks good in a photograph doesn't translate well on a canvas. Many times in the past, I have sketched (in thinned oil paint) on the canvas and wiped off repeatedly until one sketch prevails. Sometimes the sketches don't completely wipe off, and then I end up starting a painting with a muddied canvas. By sketching on cardboard first this time, I was able to avoid the muddied canvas phase of the process and select the pose that stood out above the others -- the pose that represented the sweetness of this mother and daughter relationship -- and the pose that looked the best in an 18" x 24" format. This was that pose. 

A Mother and Daughter Portrait, oil on linen, 18" x 24"

For this painting, I changed the color of the mother's top from black to a red violet. Also toned down the distracting, busy background so that the viewer could focus on the subjects rather that darting all over the canvas to look at wrought iron fences and barren winter shrubs.

Edit: This is what the daughter in the portrait, Dovie, posted about the painting and her mother. 

This is a portrait of legacy that feels apt during Women's History Month. Sarah Hazel recently captured this beautiful moment between me and my mom as my gift for her upcoming 80th birthday. I can't stop looking at it.

A few months ago, I was asked to write about two people I respect or admire most. I wrote about my mother and my grandmother.

My mom - Helen Marie Vaughan Keprta - worked for the same company for 30 years, and would tell you today that her very best friends in life were made at work. She was trusted immensely by everyone from the receptionist to the CEO, often referred to as "Dr. Keprta" (as both a psychologist and as an quasi-MD who typically gave the real docs a run for their money when it came to diagnosing her colleagues' ailments). My mom worked her whole life to give me every opportunity at a fulfilled, happy life. She made many sacrifices, only some of which I'm aware. She taught me my work ethic and the value of a hug. And, she learned a lot of what she taught me from my grandmother.

My grandmother was a strong woman in the prime of her life in the 1930s when she divorced her first husband (for reasons) in an era when that was not the done thing. After that, she made her own way by starting a boarding house business, where she met her future love, my grandfather. She taught her children to be independent, how to stand up for yourself when nobody else is standing up for you and how to love others well.

I am eternally grateful to them. I am humbly conscious that I stand on tall shoulders as I reach every new milestone or achievement in life, personally or professionally. And in this moment, I'm mindful that every life I touch through my own life and work is a product of their legacy as well, at least to some degree.

At the Masur Museum of Art

The Amazing Reese and I drove six hours from our home in Houston to Monroe, LA to attend the opening reception of Masur Museum of Art's 60th Juried Competition Exhibition a couple of days ago. 

Arriving at the Masur Museum of Art for the opening reception (!!!)

The juror for the exhibition was Jovanna Venegas, assistant curator at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She was well spoken and gracious, and took time out of her busy evening to chat about my work and visit with my sweet parents. 

Juror remarks by Jovanna Venegas to a well attended reception

My parents really enjoyed chatting with Jovanna. 

One way that I can grow as an artist is to get better about talking about my work. The viewing public is naturally curious and want to know the inspiration behind the painting(s), and maybe it's all right to say that I don't even know why some images appeal to me more than others, and why I paint them. (?) Is it appropriate to say that maybe some of what I select to paint is based on intuition? Suffice it to say that talking about myself/my art is a work in progress.

Visiting with a new fan of my work

When talking with Jovanna, I wish that instead of me fumbling around for things to say, that I had thought to ask her what resonated with Three Girls that she selected this piece for this show. 

Maybe I could have said that I love painting all kinds of people in all walks of life (?) 

THE #1 reason we drove 6 hours to attend the reception was to meet Jovanna Venegas of the San Francisco MoMA, meet the curator of collections of the Masur Museum, Stefan Nodarse, with the added bonus of meeting various board members of the Masur. It was totally worth it.

The JOY of Eating Ice Cream

oil on linen, 16" x 20"

Oh, the joy of eating ice cream -- does life get any sweeter than this? This is one of those paintings that has been on the back burner for a while, that I wanted to finish before starting my next commission, kind of like making sure that my fingers, heart, and spirit are nimble enough to start the next thing. It is 16" x 20", oil on linen. 

In other news, yesterday was the opening of Masur Museum's 60th Annual Juried Competition exhibit in Monroe, Louisiana where one of my pieces, Three Girls will be on display until May 6th. Of the 1300 submissions for the competition, Three Girls was one of 72 works selected for the show. It was juried by Jovanna Venegas, assistant curator for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (!) The opening reception is on March 9th from 5:30-7:30pm. The Amazing Reese and I will be there for the opening reception and welcome anyone to join us if you happen to live anywhere near Monroe, Louisiana. (I'm so delighted that my precious parents are going to drive over from Jackson, Mississippi to attend the opening!)

Three Girls, oil on linen, 24" x 36"

The First Picnic

Our church is making a concerted effort to be a good neighbor to the surrounding community. One of the ways we're doing that is through an initiative called the "traveling table" -- where church members take an actual picnic table to a nearby apartment complex, and host a meal for the residents there. 

The Amazing Reese and I are on one of the teams going to a specific complex with a traveling table (that our group designed and painted -- see the photo below) and sharing a meal with the people who live there. The idea is to have a few "picnics" over a period of a few months and get to know the people there with no strings attached. 

Our first picnic was great. The traveling table was laden with an abundance of food. The area around the picnic table, near the manager's office, was quiet at first. Gradually, though, residents came out of their apartments and joined us for an hour or so. We all chatted, and ate, and played cornhole. It was fun. We had our second picnic last weekend, comprised of assorted crock pots of chili, cornbread, and smores by the fire pit for dessert. We'll start planning our third picnic soon. 

In conjunction with the literal picnic table that we painted, the church commissioned a painting (by yours truly) to go along with the "traveling table" theme. The idea is that the church wanted to have a visual reminder for us to live lives of hospitality toward our neighbors. 

This is how I interpreted that concept.

The title of the painting is The First Picnic. It's large, 30" x 40" and oil on linen.  

It just so happens that the first place our painted traveling table went was to the apartment complex on the other side of the wall that is depicted in the painting (behind the trees). 

The First Picnic, oil on linen, 30" x 40" 

There is a place waiting for you at the table, and extra food in the basket. All are welcome.

Editor's note: I've been sitting on this story for a while. The painting itself took a few months to complete, and then I had to wait to say anything about it until the painting was officially "unveiled" at church, which happened this morning. 

It was a challenge to paint -- in essence, it's ten portraits and a landscape with a little still life thrown in for fun. The people in the painting graciously agreed to pose for me one day after church last fall at which time I took over 100 reference photos. It took a while to sketch. And for continuity and harmony in the piece, I changed the colors of some of the clothes. 

The Local

Every now and then, a friend will post a photo on social media that I'm sure will make for an interesting painting. This was one of those photos. My friend Lorna with Atlas Adventure Trips took the pre-pandemic reference photo several years ago while on a trip in Purmamarca, Argentina. She graciously let me use her image for this painting. 

The monochromatic colors in Lorna's original photo intrigued me. The dirt and rocks in the mountains surrounding the town (according to Google images) are these same colors. It's almost as if the old man is made of the same clay and rocks, which of course reminds me of the latter part of Genesis 3:19....for dust you are and to dust will you return, which, incidentally, is why I don't dust -- it might be someone I know. ;)

The painting is 16" x 20" oil on canvas. 

 

The Neighbor

The Neighbor

As I've been cleaning house and going through old files and documents, emails and photos,  I rediscovered this photo taken at a friend's wedding over 10 years ago, which had been saved to use for a painting some day. Our friends have three kids now and a middle schooler to boot, so it's safe to say that this painting has been sitting on the back burner for a while. Honestly, this would never have come to fruition had I not been going through dusty old files and throwing things away left and right. 

It's 14" x 18", oil on linen.

Recalled to Life (!!!)

It is with great pleasure and delight that I officially repeat what my oncologist said at my appointment earlier this week. Without going into the nitty gritty, after initial pleasantries, she said, "It's been five years and your cancer hasn't returned. You're cured." I was like, "What?" (Did I hear her right?) She then explained that with my type of cancer, HER2 positive, if it hasn't returned within the first five years, that there's a 99.9% chance that it will never come back. She then pointed out that it has been five years (as if I didn't remember - ha!), and that for all intents and purposes, even though they can never say 100%, she repeated that 99.9% is pretty good odds, and therefore, "You're cured!" 

Amen! Halleluiah!

As the oncologist was leaving the exam room, I shouted, "I'm alive!", to which she quickly replied as she turned around at the doorway, with a smile on her face, "and thriving!" Then she came back into the room, gave me a big hug, and said, "You're a different person than you were five years ago. I've seen you grow a lot. I'm really proud of you. Congratulations." 

Me: 🙂

(Shout out to my therapist for helping me learn how to deal with the trauma associated with a breast cancer diagnosis.)

After my appointment, I told everyone at the grocery store -- "I'm cured!" All week long, coming and going, out and about, I tell people, "I'm cured! I'm cured!" There are smiles, congratulations, and high fives galore -- all over the city. 

It has been a long five years, full of hardship and pain. Just this week, saying "I'm cured" out loud, everywhere, all the time, even at home to the dog, ("I'm cured, Daisy!") is further helping to change my psyche back from a place of uncertainty, to one of peace. Words are so powerful!

As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and holiday (and my 59th birthday) celebrations, may I be so bold as to ask y'all to offer a prayer of thanksgiving on my behalf, as I celebrate being cured and "recalled to life". 

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Remembering Last Summer

Sailing in Terherne, oil on linen, 24" x 36"

The Amazing Reese and I had an adventure last summer -- to the Netherlands and France! (It was our first time in Europe.) We were completely charmed by the old world, welcomed with open arms by everyone, and found friends on every corner. We toured museums and churches, ate like locals, and walked everywhere. At the tail end of our trip, we stayed a few nights at our friend's sister's home in the Friesland province of the Netherlands, which is where this painting gets its inspiration. It's a wonderful place and I'm ever so grateful that we got to go there. 

This painting was a bit of a struggle to complete -- it was very complicated to do. The light is somehow subdued and brilliant at the same time that far north, and, well, different from what I'm used to painting here in Texas. It was on and off my easel for months as I tried this and that to get it just right. It's always a good day when the people for whom the place is significant actually like the painting, and I'm happy to report that that is the case here. 

 

Never Give Up

The phrase "never give up" always reminds me of the movie Galaxy Quest. The title character in the film, who is a parody (homage?) of Captain Kirk in Star Trek and played with great enthusiasm by Tim Allen, when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds in the quest to save the galaxy from destroyers of the universe, often in the form of space aliens, always uses the catchphrase, "never give up -- never surrender". What is more invasive (insurmountable odds) to the human body (our personal galaxy) than treacherous (space alien) cancer cells? May we all be reminded to never give up -- never surrender! 

The magic five year cancer free mark is coming up for me in December! (After that I only have to see my oncologist once a year until I get to the ten year cancer free mark.) In spite of the struggle, I'm grateful every single day to still be alive. Never give up! Never surrender! 

Now, to the announcement -- in conjunction with October being breast cancer awareness month, Chemotherapy Self Portrait was selected for and included in an online group exhibition called Cancer: Never Give Up 2022 with Gallerium Art. Also, this is probably the last time I will submit this work for exhibition because it's such a vulnerable piece. 

Here's a link to my artist profile affiliated with the exhibit. 

One Week Later.....Still Processing....and Fangirling

Alison de Lima Greene, me, and Three Girls 

Meeting Alison de Lima Green, the Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the juror of the VAA Open Exhibition, titled "Other Stories About Who We Are" was a transformative event for me. Not only did she select my work for the exhibit, we had a delightful, albeit brief conversation at the opening reception. It was a brief conversation because, even though the art was the star of the show, everyone there knew that the real star was Alison de Lima Greene, and everyone wanted to talk to her. She made it a point to meet all of the artists in attendance, for which I was grateful. Admittedly, I'm fangirling here -- the opportunity of having her see my work was the only reason I entered the show. That she selected it -- priceless! AND, her juror remarks were so eloquent and well said -- if only someone had recorded it! (Maybe they did -- anyone?) 

In her juror statement in the printed exhibition pamphlet, she says that the works in the exhibition were "chosen for their visual wit, their emotional engagement, and that almost ineffable quality of being able to capture and trigger one's imagination." (!!!!!)

As the night was coming to a close, and she was getting ready to leave, I realized that I didn't have a photo with her, and she graciously acquiesced to the above photo, even "curating" the photo by directing the photographer (daughter Anna) on where to position the camera angle to get the best shot. She's a genius. 

Sigh. Maybe someday we'll be friends. (Alison -- want to grab a coffee sometime?)

Another moment of fangirling -- on an Instagram post where I had posted a photo of the painting and was (excitedly) making an announcement that it was selected by Alison de Lima Greene, artist Marta Chilindron "liked" it. For y'all who don't know, Marta Chilindron is a big deal. She is a sculptor with works in museums across the country and world, including a piece in the new Kinder building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. And she "liked" my post! Eeeeee!

Sigh. Maybe someday we'll be friends. (Marta -- want to grab a coffee the next time you're in Houston? I'd love to meet you.)

With Natalie at the #Obamaportraitstour

Lastly, over the weekend, my museum buddy friend Natalie and I went to see "The Obama Portraits Tour" at the MFAH. The two portraits are absolutely riveting -- an extremely well written Paper City article by Leslie Loddeke, in which she explains the symbolism and significance of the portraits, commissioned by Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery is here. It's well worth the read.

Afterwards, Natalie and I really did grab a coffee (and tea) and have a chat, because we ARE friends. Sigh. Good times. 

The Three Graces

It is my pleasure to announce that Three Girls, or The Three Graces was selected by Juror Alison de Lima Greene, the Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for inclusion in Visual Arts Alliance 38th Juried Open Exhibition. Word on the street is that she only selected 10% of the work submitted for the show, only 50 pieces (!), so, understandably, I was overcome with emotion when receiving the news, and admittedly, choked back a few tears upon hearing it. 

Three Girls, aka The Three Graces, oil on linen, 24" x 36"

It takes a long time for oil paints to really dry, and watching this one settle into what it is becoming has been a delight. It's truly wonderful to see it in person, and to that end, I encourage all of you in the Houston area to see it in person at Sabine Street Studios from May 9th - June 11th. 

Mark your calendars -- the opening reception for the show will be May 18th from 6-9pm. (Juror remarks are usually around 7.) The Amazing Reese and I will be at the opening reception and would be delighted to see you all -- Sabine Street Studios -- 1907 Sabine Street, Houston, Texas, 77007.

Youthful Beauty

16" x 20", oil on linen

A dear friend shared a photo of her daughter with me, that the daughter's friend had taken, and said that she envisioned the image as a painting. From one, to another, to a mother, and to me - so many people sharing in the beauty of a simple, captured moment. 

Work began, and as the painting progressed, it became increasingly obvious that something was "off". It was not without calculations and finagling and tweaking of the vanishing point, which the Amazing Reese helped me accomplish by stretching a piece of thread across the canvas, that the painting finally started coming together. 

Finding the vanishing point with a piece of thread

Painting is a mystery. How is it possible to take an idea or an image and convert it to a flat surface? Though I've spent years painting and creating, the finished product still overwhelms me with wonder. 

P.S. I've known the young lady in the painting her entire life -- literally -- even to the point of being in the delivery room when she was born! 

 

Fast Four-ward

There's a beautiful scene in the movie, Big Fish, where the main character, Ed Bloom is recounting the story of his life to his son. He tells of being completely enamored by a young woman he sees across a room. As he walks toward her as all action around him is stopped, beautifully illustrated by even a spilled bucket of popcorn with popcorn kernels suspended in mid air.

They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.

And then, the action in the scene fast forwards. 

My own life is feeling a little bit like that right now. The last few years have been spent almost exclusively concentrating on restoring my health, and now, it seems like time is moving extra fast to catch up, and specifically, in this case, illustrated by having another four of my paintings on display in an art space in Pearland, Texas.

These will be on display through June 3rd at the Vineyard Church Art Gallery, 2905 Harkey Road in Pearland.   

Peonies in a Clear Vase, oil on board, 32"h x 29"w

Lily Pondering, oil on linen, 30"h x 30"w 

Sheer Delight, oil on linen, 20"h x 16"w

 

Perchance to Dream Oak, oil on linen, 30"h x 30"w

The Amazing Reese and I have a previous commitment, and will miss the "meet the artists/opening reception" night this coming Friday, April 22.  

Opening Reception Recap

Last night was the opening reception for Visual Arts Alliance 38th Juried Membership Exhibition. It was a wonderful reception -- for a Wednesday night, there were a lot of people in attendance -- and the quality of the included work was impressive. It is wonderful to have my work in such good company. 

Studying my painting with juror, Lester Marks -- always interesting to see my work through someone else's eyes

It was so nice to be back in person, though, to be fair, with all things pandemic considered, VAA did an amazing job for their virtual 37th Juried Membership Exhibit back in November 2020. (Girl with Apple was in that show.)

Happy to have had "Martin" chosen for the exhibit by juror, Lester Marks

Though Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, it often feels like a small town. It was such a treat to catch up with several old friends throughout the evening -- some were fellow artists, and some were friends who showed up on my behalf. Thank you all, or as we say in the South, thank all y'all. 

Delighted to see one of my favorite people -- I love her!

The show will be on display through the month of April at Sabine Street Studios, 1907 Sabine St. here in Houston. 

I'm ever so grateful to be back in the studio, painting, pausing, and painting again. It feels like my soul is waking up a little bit more every day. Alleluia!