Lake

Unfortunately, you can't see all the flaws in this picture. I made a big point of leaving them in there, so nobody would get the idea that this was a picture of a "lake", no matter how picturesque. It is a picture of myself; as I would like to be, if I could maintain this measure of reserve all the time, in order to be able to gaze into my inner world without reference to, um, reference points, concepts, situations, people, problems -the ongoing disorganization of my life- to gaze simply at the self, as self, without reference points. That is the aim.

Yes, there were flaws, but I accidentally corrected them with GIMP; you'll have to be content with what flaws you can see. Did I mention this picture is for sale?

Lake    oil on canvas    20" x 16"     11/2016

Earth Healing 1

This is Earth Healing 1, the first in a series; 2 is almost done. It started when I was reading the news (really awful) and after, thinking "What is an artist supposed to do?" What can we really do to affect things for the better? We artists tend paint what's wrong with the world and with ourselves, without offering a solution or an alternative.

There's a meditation by E.J. Gold around 'warming the world', so I made an artistic experiment with it. I envision the globe in my hands, with all its turmoil and pain, and ask myself what it needs. I send the required calming and peaceful, both warming and cooling, vibrations to it, feeling a change, a re-tuning to its proper tone or vibration, if you will. Then I try to render this in paint.

I think I'm going to have to do something like this forever into the future. I can't just go on doing something 'interesting', it's not enough.

Earth Healing 1    oil on canvas    30" x 24"

Big

The title is ironic: we all think we're 'big' in our own world, 'til one day we see that in the wider world, we're not. And when 'big' as in grown-up, our little one is waiting inside, much to our consternation breaking the surface at some inopportune moment, like when feeling very much alone... have I told you too much? I want you to dream your own narrative, but I'm insecure. 😳

This started life as an abstract drawing, lines reaching up toward some source, down to the ground, but that contrapasto came out perfectly, if wrong. I think (I wonder) if the original abstract feeling I had grew in this painting but I can't remember. All I know is I've seen this guy before, I know this guy, probably been him sometime.

I call this my '70s' painting, like everybody did these 'sketchy' things then; here's mine.

Sorry 'bout the photograph, took many, GIMPed along, yet I think some of the feeling shows through.

I can't decide if this is finished or not, the convenient appelation 'work-in-progress' appeals... 

Big,  2017,  oil on canvas,  30" x 24"

Prostitute

This started life as a loosely drawn self-portrait (like about 15 seconds) and quickly turned into something else. I was originally going to call this 'Goddess' but the mid-tone background and the distilled emotion changed as well. I think I share a lot of qualities with her; I'm bitter, vengeful, cold, remote, but fair (with my customers? I don't have any customers -would you like to buy this? 😸).

Finally this is about women's status in the world; their socioeconomic status in many places depends on their desirability and nothing else. Denied education or opportunity there's no alternative but marriage, forced or otherwise; or this. Knowing the news, I see there's a lot on their plate, even in the more 'civilized' countries. I could go on about this but you know the stories. Finally really, I must say she's the survivor, since time immemorial; no one's going to bring her down.


Prostitute, 20" x 16", oil on canvas.


I couldn't not offer this sonic art, as an accompaniment.

Kerry James Marshall AT THE MET

Thank god it happened in his lifetime: a retrospective for one of our greatest living North American artists, gladly letting us inside his experience. Up through January 29, if you're in New York, see it. Just one image for you, click through to Exhibition Objects.

Voyager, 1992

Enjoy.