New York Solo Show

Here are some snaps from my solo show at Pleiades Gallery in the Chelsea Art District of Manhattan.  The Gallery entrance on West 25th St was still full of summer tourists enjoying the art and walking the Chelsea Highline.

 

A few installation shots below.  With Vincent Van Gnome as mascot greeter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

My Sister and my Mom who drove down from Massachusetts.

 

 

And here's my youngest son Ethan and his new bride Amy!

 

I wish I had gotten snapshots at the opening reception.  But we were all too busy having a good time. 

 

We capped off the evening with Paella and Sangria at "El Quijote" on 23rd St

 

Then, a trip over to the Flat Iron Buiding to see the 3D Pop-up Installation of Edward Hopper's "Night Hawks".  That's Amy out the front.

Followed by a late evening stroll above the galleries on the Chelsea "High Line".

Long after all the crowds had gone home, a few hardy souls parted ways in front of the darkened galleries.

 

Upcoming Show

This is the flyer for my upcoming New York exhibit.  The painting was done earlier this summer.  In the show, it may not be hang the way you see it here! 

 

 I composed this painting from a series of charcoal studies.  Hoping for more flexibility in hanging, I was trying for a composition that could be viewed vertically or a horizontally.

 

Stonewash Study II



 

Finally, I drew in an arrangement on canvas with loose oil wash.  The trick was to keep adding stones till the arrangement worked well both ways!

 

 

Once I was beyond the messy stage, I was able to get it out of the basement and up to the smaller work space off the living room.

 

 

Here it is finished.  But I'm STILL not sure which way it will hang!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing up

These are the last two WIPs...again, painted mostly in this corner space in Minneapolis.  They are mates to those Autumn leaves seen in my previous blog. 

I don't usually paint posies...but these are more about showers than flowers!  They are the spring versions to the rain soaked autumn leaves in a previous blog. As I said we've had lots of "wet" this year!

"Spring Blossoms after the Rain"  oil 36" x 42"

 

 

"Spring Flower in Shower"  oil 30" x 30"

I'm now back up north in Wisconsin washing brushes and doing studio housecleaning.
In less than a week I'll be wrapping and loading the canvases for the drive to New York! 

More works in progress

 

 

During a recent weekend up north, I was able to get a new one started in my basement work space.  This is a bit larger than the one from the previous blog.

 

I want to be able to see both shadows and highlights as I block in the painting... so rather than working on a pure white canvas, I prefer to gesso my canvas grey or tone it with a neutral oil paint wash in a cool or warm middle value.  Below is the finished version.

 

 

 "Autumn Rain" oil (36" x 42")

 

BTW: below is the finished version of the WIP (work in progress) that I posted in the previous blog.

 

"Autumn after the Rain"

(30" x 30")

 

Small Seasonal Paintings

I've been unable to be in my studio up north recently.  Luckily, our apartment complex in Minneapolis has a nice craft room.  The Apartment Association allowed me a nifty corner in the communal space to set up an  easel.  For now, smaller space means smaller paintings. 

These are WIPs ("works in progress") and they are far from finished!

 

  

"Autumn after Rain"

 

"Spring Flower in Shower"

 

This year, brought plenty of rain and I find myself viewing lots of nature covered in transparent droplets. 

I have always loved the play of water on objects in my natural environment, as seen from previous postings, tide washed stones from the ocean and Lake Superior's shore have long attracted my attention.

 

A few will make it into the my upcoming New York exhibition called "Seasonal Details".

 

 

Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest Exhibition

This is a belated post of a recent solo exhibit.  It was held at the Forest Service headquarters in Rhinelander, Wisconsin as part of the 80th Anniversary celebration of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. 

 Below are some snaps of the installation.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

The publicity for the reception celebration was coordinated by Suzanne Flory (on right), Public and Legislative Affairs officer for the Forest Service.

 

 

it included a number of TV interviews and at least three news paper stories (including this front page story).

 

 

I was too busy to take photos during the reception but below is a grouping of some borrowed shots taken just as the reception began.

 

 

I was also invited to do a slide presentation.  It was attended by lots of interesting folk who have a sophisticated knowledge and appreciation of forest habitat.

 

 

I was particularly pleased that some work sold and now resides with people who love the imagery of the Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest just as I do!