Blog

This blog traces my influences, studio practice, learning, and teaching of art.

"The Goddess Of Wisdom"

This view of ancient Athens was painted from an old German engraving. I added the dawn/ sunset atmosphere with Pegasus, and Athena. She holds a vase of olive oil and an olive branch. I will be showing it along with a few others at C.W.R.U. My design class will also be showing some Aeneid themed works. The classics department is hosting an all day, 12 hour reading of Virgil's Aeneid: April 2nd 8:30 AM-8:30 PM, Sages Cafe, Crawford Hall.


Case Western Reserve University's wild party time


I've been invited to a Classics Outing / Symposium / Party. It feels good to know I'm not alone. Any kind of classical reference is scoffed at in most of our fine art colleges. It really was not cool to be showing any kind of fine academic drawing skill when I was an undergraduate.



"The Show Must Go On"

The Greek theatre lecture at CWRU reminded me of this one I painted in NYC, 1986. A Greek comic actor is on the vase. Modern equivilents on a dixie cup and mug are Bugs Bunny and Laurel and Hardy. There is an African mask. I actually sold this one to a theatrical make up artist. Who would think that 23 years latter in 2009, I'd be exhibiting with a mask artist/ collector at a lecture about Greek theatre? Maybe I'm a psychic artist.

"Making Masks Play", CWRU Art Studio

Our director, Tim Shuckerow, showed his collection of world masks.

Dr. Amy R. Cohen loves to play cyclops.
She presented her new discoveries about constructing Greek dramatic masks. A montage of her productions of Greek plays at Randolph College was shown. I had some of my favorite paintings hanging.














"The Two As One"

This is a straight forward depiction of a real Greek vase and a contemporary paper soda cup. The horizontal banding predates the sparkle of 1960's Op Art. The two eyes on the vase are from a convention called "cup kiss". Greek drinking cups had painted eyes strategically placed so that when the drinker tipped the cup it looked like he was wearing a mask.

"Provence"

If you ever get to Marseilles, France, check out a new gallery: Polysemie. This painting can be seen there. From my funny cup series this one compares ancient and contemporary images. I guess it could have been titled "Menage a tois, old and new" or something like that.

"Soul Mates Will Meet"

I painted this in France, 1988. It was kind of a lonely time in the city of light. Romance was no where to be found. There was the Spanish student I met at French lessons. She compared me to Sacre Coeur, like a white marble bascilica sparkling on the inside but dirty, (sale), on the outside.

"Builders"

I painted this in 1987 while thinking about how pervasive the smurf iconography was. It is truly international. I found this little guy holding a brick and a trowel in Paris, and made a free association with masons, Egyptology, and how to construct a French breakfast.

"Harvest Is Great"

It feels so good to get back to painting after the drain of the holidays. I sprayed some retouch varnish on the landscape which was painted in November at Bechwith's. It smelled like frankincense. I drove up to Giant Eagle and bought 4 different apples: Roma, Aphrodisia, McIntosh, and Jonah Gold. I'm trying a new, (for me) way of painting the title directly on the niche.

"Harvest Is Great"

Some Kent State art students dropped by as I was painting on the last warm day of 2008. They were changing their majors from fine art painting to illustration. It is strange and wrong that there is this separation. The Renaissance painters were illustrators.
At this point the light is fading, I was getting cold and decided to pack up.
There is a painter in Boston who has a huge delivery truck that he parks all over the city to paint from. It is such a great idea. I'd like to try that some day. Like Steinbeck's, "Travels With Charlie", I'll drive across the country.