July/August 2014

Red by Donalee Nelson (destroyed)

Everyone Loves a Mystery

The biggest news in the art world currently is that scientists and art experts have found a hidden painting under “The Blue Room”, a painting by Picasso done in 1901. The painting has been owned by the Phillips Collection since 1927 and experts have long felt something was just not right about it. The brushstrokes seemed odd. Well, finally with advanced infrared imagery these experts found the portrait of a man under the painting from Picasso’s blue period of a woman bathing. Now they are trying to figure out who the guy in the painting might be. Historically many artists have painted over previous images including Picasso who was known for this practice.  Several hidden images have been found under other paintings of his. Experts say that he just couldn’t wait to work on a new idea so grabbed whatever was handy to express himself. Other explanations for why artists paint one painting over another is that art supplies are expensive so recycling is practical; sometimes painters “practice” painting images on a canvas before they tackle the final “masterpiece” and sometimes they just don’t like the original piece. Could it be that the man in the painting didn’t like what he saw? “The Blue Room” is scheduled to be the focus of an exhibit scheduled for 2017, the first exhibit about this painting as a seminal work in Picasso’s career. Somehow creating a mystery surrounding the painting seems like masterful marketing. Enjoying the painting as it exists should be satisfying enough. It is not as though there is scant information about Picasso, his life and his process. As artists and creators many of us incorporate parts of old paintings into new, paint new paintings on the back of old paintings on paper and destroy work we are disappointed with. The painting above is one of mine that I did not like and painted over so it no longer exists. I have no idea what image I painted over it to obscure it from view…no clue. But I am not Picasso and galleries don’t have the financial stake in my work that they do in his. In fact, the closest I will get to the artist is seeing his work in a gallery. I was lucky enough to see “Guernica” when it was at MoMA and it is stunning. It is always interesting to learn more about an artist, the creative process and a particular work of art. Whoever the man in the shadow of “The Blue Room” is will probably remain a mystery. As I said, everyone loves a mystery and it’s good business.

Where you can see my artwork

Check out my artwork at Rons. For further information call the shop at 805.489.4747.  Rons is located at 850 W. Grand in Grover Beach a few blocks from the train station, a golf course and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Check out Rons website at www.ronsingroverbeach.com or find him on facebook.

Exhibits on the Central Coast

I’m looking forward to Living in the Timeless: Drawings by Beatrice Wood which opened May 11 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and runs through August 31.The renowned Ojai potter emerged on the art scene in 1917 as part of the New York Dada movement. Her drawings were her diary and allowed her “to live in the timeless”. This show features her works on paper, figurative ceramic sculptures and tiles as well as her illustrated books. Details on this exhibit are available at www.sbma.net .

The Art of Bugatti: Carlo, Rembrandt, Ettore, Jean is at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard through mid-December. Not only are cars from the most extensive collection of Bugatti autos in the exhibit, there are many examples of handcrafted furniture, sculpture and paintings from the family’s collection. www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com will supply more information or you can call 805.385.5400.

 Not To Be Missed – Other Museum Exhibits

Here is a quick list of other exhibits worth a visit

The California-Pacific Rim Triennial has been installed at the Orange County Museum of Art and is currently open. The installation focuses on California’s role in the Pacific Rim. 32 artists from 15 countries are represented many with site specific work. www.ocma.net

California: The Golden Years is an ongoing exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Featured are 22 paintings done in the late 19^th and early 20^th century by some of the best California artists. Included are Elmer Wachtel, William Wendt and Gardner Symons. Also at the Bowers is Chuck Jones: Doddles of Genius.The work of the academy award winning animator will be on display through August 3. If you love Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and the rest of the Warner’s characters here is your chance to see many never-before-seen works by the animator/artist. He personally created the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, my personal favorites. Information is available at www.bowers.org.

Currently at LACMA, Expressionism in Germany and France: From Van Gogh to Kandinsky runs through September 14. This is the first major exhibit that treats Expressionism as an international movement. A survey that features ninety paintings by artists such as Cézanne, Van Gogh and Matisse, it offers insight into the cultural dialogue that was ongoing at the time. Discover artist John Altoon whose first major retrospective is also at LACMA through September 14.The little known artist who died at the age of 43 in 1967 developed his abstract figurative style that continues to influence artists today. Details can be found here. www.lacma.org

The Scandalous Art of James Ensor runs through September 7^th at the Getty. During the late nineteenth century his art depicted a defiant nature. Often grotesque, complex and eccentric the work of this Belgian artist continues to baffle.  www.getty.edu

Bob Peak: Master of the Movie Poster is at the Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University from May 10 – August 3. Featuring original art from his vast career, the illustrator created images for posters as diverse as My Fair Lady and Apocalypse Now. http://arts.pepperdine.edu/museum

Modernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert & Jane Meyerhoff Collection is currently at the de Young Museum of Art in San Francisco. This amazing overview of work from the end of World War II through the end of the century features such modern masters as Ellsworth Kelly, Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg and Stella. The centerpiece of the exhibit is Barnett Newman’s "Stations of the Cross" which is presented as it was intended with all 15 panels shown together in one room. I have seen them presented as a unit and it is a profound and touching work no matter what your religious beliefs. It brought me to tears. Incredible and a must see.  Information on the exhibit which runs until October 12 can be found at http://deyoung.famsf.org/.

Nearing the end of its run at the Seattle Art Museum, From Abstract Expression to Colored Planes focuses on the juxtaposition between the expressive abstract style of earlier artists such as Hoffmann, Gorky, Frankenthaler and Pollock and the later hard edge abstraction practiced by Stella, Kelly and Held.  Obtain more information at www.seattleartmuseum.org before the show closes November 9, 2014. Close to Seattle, in the village where the city’s namesake chief is buried, there is a new museum. Be sure and check out the Suquamish Museum in the village of the same name. It covers a range of Seattle and tribal history. Find info at www.suquamish.org. Celebrating 25 years of existence, Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island asked artist Julie Spiedel to create 12 steel sculptures evoking giant glacial boulders.  They are scattered throughout the 150 acre public forest. Amazing! www.bloedelreserve.org

Catch Los Grandes del Arte Moderno Mexicano at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wisconsin before it’s gone. The exhibit, which ends August 10, features those artists of the 1920s and 1930s who defined Mexican Modernism. Included are Frida Kahlo, Orozoco, Rivera, Rufino Tamayo and David Siqueiros. Remember the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in Santa Barbara, California has a wonderful mural by Siqueiros in front of the museum. Information is at http://www.mmoca.org/

 Coming soon to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri is The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth & Sky. This promises to be a wonderful exhibit. I have an incredible catalogue that is from an exhibit they did in the 1970s called “Sacred Circles: Two Thousand Years of North American Indian Art.” This exhibit which opens September 19 will bring together Plains Indian masterworks gathered from European and American collections. With over 140 pieces representing many nations from Arapaho to Quapaw and a wide array of painting, drawing, clothing and sculpture it is a massive collaboration between the Nelson-Atkins, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Musee du quai Branly in Paris. Check out www.nelson-atkins.org for more information.

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has announced that it has found six previously unknown experimental works by the artist. These form the core of an exhibit which opened May 10. Also at the museum from May 18 – August 24 is Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede which examines the interconnected lives of the two artists. If you go to ://www.warhol.org/museum/ you will find all the details about these exhibits.

At the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C Degas/Cassatt opened May 11 and is up through October 5, 2014. This exhibit includes 70 works in a variety of media which for the first time focuses on the dialogue between them. Degas’ influence on Cassatt is generally acknowledged but apparently her influence on his work was also pronounced. This promises to be an interesting exhibit and the gallery’s website at www.nga.gov has more information.

After World War II it seemed that portraiture was dead. Many abstract painters did continue to paint portraits and Face Value: Portraiture in the Age of Abstraction covers the period from 1945- 1975  Works by de Kooning, Close, Pearlstein and the famous portraits of Jamie Wyeth of Warhol and of Wyeth by Warhol are included in the exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. It goes through this year into the first weeks of January. Check out  http://www.npg.si.edu. for more information.

At the Whitney in New York, American Legends: From Calder to O’Keefe runs through October 19, 2014. The rotating exhibit has been culled from the depth of the Whitney’s holdings of early twentieth century American art. In addition to Calder and O’Keefe, works by Stuart Davis, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Edward Hopper are on view. Also at the Whitney is Jeff Koons: A Retrospective that goes through October 19 The first retrospective of this artist’s work includes almost 150 objects dating from 1978 to the present. This is also the first major showing of the multifaceted artist’s work in New York and the last exhibition at the Marcel Breuer building before the museum opens its new digs in the meat packing district next year. I understand that it is a wonderful, must see exhibit To quote artist/author Mickey Hoffman:”Just Brilliant! Funny, clever and a few of the works are so precisely beautiful. AMAZING.” Check www.whitney.org for all the details.

Jasper Johns: Regrets is a compendium of the artists most recent works that include 2 paintings, 10 drawings and 2 prints that focus on a damaged old photograph of the artist Lucien Freud. In the photo Freud shows weariness or despair. Some years before this Johns had a rubber stamp made for the purpose of responding to the myriad requests he received. It read Regrets/Jasper Johns. The artist incorporated the stamp and the photo for these works. The exhibit reveals John’s capacity for experimentation and how problems and solutions develop from one work to another. The exhibit ends September 1. Go to www.MoMa.org for further information.

Jasper Johns is again featured with an exhibit at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Jasper Johns: Picture Puzzles is there through January 1, 2015. It features 22 works including prints, drawings and relief sculpture. Also on display is the first retrospective of works by artist Jamie Wyeth. Featuring many of his portraits and preparatory drawings, the show goes through December 28. The museum’s website, www.mfa.org, will provide more information...

The Albright Knox Gallery is a little gem of a museum in Buffalo, New York. If you are in the area be sure and check it out. Love this gallery. There are many fine exhibits here but I am looking forward to Giving Up One’s Mark: Helen Frankenthaler in the 1960s and 1970s which runs November 9, 2014 – February 15, 2015. It focuses on her transition from the use of oil to acrylic paints and from gestural abstractions to images of consolidated color. She is an all time favorite of mine. All the details are at the website www.albrightknox.org so be sure and take a peek.

Matisse:The Cut-Outs is at the Tate Modern in London through September 7. The exhibit offers a rare opportunity to see a large amount of the later works by the artist and in one place. The exhibit will travel to MoMA in New York when it leaves London. The website, www.tate.org.uk, should provide all the information you need. There is a fun color quiz on this website with a challenge for any one who thinks they can identify a work by its colors…..great fun. See how you do!

The works of American fiber artist and California native Kaffe Fassett star in Kaffe 2014 – The Colorful World of Kaffe Fassett at the American Museum in Britain near Bath through November 2. Look up www.americanmuseum.org for information and a look at the artists amazing work. Gorgeous!

Simply the Best:

The best place to find books on the arts, Arcana, is a very special book store located in the Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles…It’s wonderful! I have known owner Lee Kaplan for decades and his  selection of books is as superb as his taste is impeccable.  Arcana: Books on the Arts at 8675 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. For information go to  http://www.arcanabooks.com  or call 310.458.1499.

Michiko Jewelry Design is an incredible jewelry store in downtown Seal Beach, CA., featuring excellent one-of-a-kind gifts. The shop owner and artist, Carol Matsumoto, custom designs beautiful pieces. Michiko is at 228 Main Street. Call 563.431.3237 for more information or check www.michikojewelrydesign.com

  

If you want to see beautiful oil paintings or are interested in taking a class, go to Ana de Wilson’s site at www.anadewilson.ca. Her flower paintings are exquisite.

Bauer Pottery, the classic early twentieth century California pottery that rivaled the east coast’s Fiesta Ware, has started producing again. If you are looking for reproductions and/or new pieces you can find them at Bauer Pottery Company of Los Angeles. Go to their website at BauerPottery.com \aqua@bauerpottery.com or give them a call at 888. 213.0800 or 818.500.0666.

Places to go, People to meet

The eighty year old Festival of the Arts of Laguna Beach is a much loved tradition in Southern California. Set in the beautiful seaside town and artists colony, this year the festival runs from July 6 – August 31. As usual it includes a Festival Art Show, many off site exhibits and the piece de resistance, The Pageant of the Masters. What a treat to watch the locals bring the paintings to life. Wonderful art can be purchased also from the many artists around town. Tickets are for sale now. Information is available at http://www.foapom.com/

In a drive through the area around Lompoc you will see beautiful rolling hills and if you are fortunate to be there at the right time of year you will be treated to the stunning show of color from the area flower and seed farms. Known as the flower and seed capitol of the world, there is much more to see in Lompoc. The city is home to several boutique wineries and boasts over 100 murals on its structures in the heart of the city. If you are headed this way be sure and take them in and check out http://www.lompocmurals.com/ for more facts.

Notes:

Television:

Six by Sondheim is a gem of a documentary by HBO. I also find the HBO Master Class series enlightening. These programs are so informative and inspiring and speak to creativity in any form. The performances in Six by Sondheim of Being Alive by Dean Jones and of I’m Still Here by Jarvis Crocker are riveting. It is wonderful to be able to see the layers each artist puts on a particular piece. Great stuff!

PBS Digital Studios has just launched a weekly web series called The Art Assignment. Designed by its founders to foster an open conversation about art and our expectations surrounding it, the initial offering, “Meet in the Middle”, focuses on a project by two emerging artists exploring the concept of the halfway point. To catch it on YouTube use the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9lpMFPEj58.

Fashion:

Paris design house Schiaparelli, which has been closed since the 1950s, relaunched this past July with designs by Christian LaCroix who has been absent from the fashion scene for four years. Both Schiaparelli and LaCroix are known for their interesting, colorful and whimsical creations so this should be a hoot! Plans are to feature a new guest designer every year but launching with the artist LaCroix is brilliant. An animated video of the things she did first is on the website www.schiaparelli.com  and is very entertaining.

Travel:

Well, I’ve Never Been to Cuba, but I Kinda Like the Music

If you are into old cars you might want to take a trip to Cuba.  That’s right, Cuba! Due to past trade restrictions, Cuba boasts an abundance of classic cars. A good friend, Mayra Crespo, is from Cuba and is now setting up tours to her native country. She has several theme tours upcoming, including one featuring automobiles and another on Cuba’s architecture. Hemingway’s home there is a huge draw as he left it with most of his manuscripts still in residence. Mayra’s agency provides legal travel to Cuba so if you are interested in going to Cuba, and with great service, contact her at Marimar Travel and Tours through her email address at mayra@marimartravel.com.

Education:

Studio One is presenting online workshops called Awaken the Artist Within! With personal feedback from artist Erin Lee Gafill, it is an eight week class where you make the schedule and go at your own pace in your own studio. Included are streaming live demos, inspirational tips and step-by-step instructions within a supportive creative community. Discounts are given if you register with a friend so check out registration at http://www.eringafill.com/shop/online-workshops/awaken-the-artist-within/. Erin conducts many of these workshops through out the year, some on-line, some not, and does outreach with children’s groups that would not ordinarily have the opportunity to receive this kind of training. To find upcoming class schedules go to her website.

Bob and Kate Burridge, the dynamic team of artist and marketing guru, have some great classes coming up. These classes are fun and insightful so if you have a chance try to get to one of them. Information is on their website at http://www.robertburridge.com/.

The Youth Academy of the Arts of the Central Coast is in the planning stages. Land in Grover Beach, CA has been donated and a building has been designed  For more information go to their website: www.YouthArtsAcademycc.com.

Music:

A Ventura native, one of my incredibly talented nephews, musician Aaron Johnson, aka Aaron Orbit, has a really cool website.  Stop by for a look and listen to his wonderful music at www.aaronorbit.com and find a schedule of his upcoming appearances.

Happy Birthday to many friends and dear ones… you know who you are… a special shout out to Jennifier, Geoffrey, Allene, Peter and Nancy. Take care and have a wonderful birthday.

If you like my website be sure and check out the services offered by Sandy Crespo at www.designscrespo.com. Not only is Sandy easy to work with but her experience provides clients many options. These include freelance design and production of websites, web graphics, logos, CD/DVD art, posters, t-shirts, stock and fine art photography, photo treatment/digital restoration/retouching, business cards, brochures, copywriting, custom greeting cards, postcards and flyers.  

Continue to check back as we will be posting upcoming shows here and on the exhibits page of my website…and again, there is always Facebook.