Special Exhibit

9x12 oil on panel

Ask Studio 47 about this painting.

The Blanton is an interesting museum. Its a beautiful space. The lower floor has a couple of large galleries often dedicated to traveling shows. They change the wall color and layout for each exhibit. This time, the walls were painted a lovely, rich brown and the rooms were very dimly lit, except for the spotlights on the prints.
I got a few sketches in here - but Anna didn't want to sit down there long. The upper galleries vary, they have the large contemporary spaces, all clean and white and some smaller galleries with more classical works and neutral wall colors.

I've been getting a lot of painting done recently. Since I moved my easel downstairs, I am more part of the family and my daughter is happy to do her thing (play) while I am nearby working. I had taken a bit of a break and had that sickening "relearning" curve for a few wasted panels, and so I VOW to paint regularly from now on. Even 15 minutes is better than nothing. I find not only does the brush flow better, but so do my creative ideas. There is a logjam of images in my mind - and so, TO WORK!

Arrested by Art

16x20 oil on linen

My final version. Comments were about half and half on the floor... but I felt like it needed to be darker. It is true to my initial "wow" reaction to the scene. A very kind follower gave me the info on the painting too. It is "Black & White" by Franz Kline. Part of his decade+ long series of them... so who knows where this one falls in the line.

As a side note, I would own this piece or such like it. I love abstract art - the action paintings or the color fields. Its so expressive, duh. I think also that its is actually difficult to create and something so very far from what I do that I would rather own it, than representational works. I can DO those... I can't do this. Probably has to do with being too miserly with paint. And too much of a perfectionista.

TOMORROW - Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge paintings!!