gouache painting

Kiko Sitting

Brushwork, Illustrations, Projects Series

The month of August was not mine to do as I would choose. Yet, within my home/studio [a basement apartment] the flooring in both the front and back was steadily eroding beneath me. Carpenters and plumbers and “finishers” were called in – and over the past few weeks all that I had needed to be relocated during the restoration. Of course much of the redistribution involved art supplies…

When I finally found a bit of time to create, I chose to use a long forgotten palette of – of? – that was paint which I realized was gouache. For those who might be unclear as to the difference between gouache and watercolors, one tip I would make is that gouache is harder to lift [or shift] than watercolors. Does it need mentioning that I had trouble in blending the floor? 

Kiko Sitting
9″ x 12″ Gouache

The subject I’ve depicted here was taken from a Takashi Homma photo of Kiko Arai and was published in W’s “Art Issue” of 2019. 

My 2018 Holiday Muses

Brushwork, Projects Series, Seasonal Designs
A vibrant gouache painting which depicts three female muses in tribute to all arts

Arts Muses

The ability to imagine is a vital asset to us all. While not everyone uses this power for good, and then some very sadly don’t have access to its benefits, our imagination is the first step towards change and understanding and progress.

Generally speaking, I don’t share my personal woes with the virtual world. Yet, and with few exceptions, 2018 felt like one woeful day after another. Spring, Summer, and Fall seemed to simply pass me by… Like a year with nothing but a Winter of fear and discontent.

However, I am stubborn. No matter how bad things were, I remained committed each day in creating one thing or another. Such is the powerful force of art.

This year, now soon reaching to the next, I pay tribute to a variety of the Arts – by way of these muses. They are the graces of the written word, music & dance, and visual creations. Furthermore, they are also my saving graces.

As are all of you! Happy Holidays!!

 

Marisa by Penn

Brushwork, Projects Series

The actual title I give this painting is “A Girl Can Dream” – as Marisa Berenson has mesmerized me since my own childhood/girl years. A case of Marisa envy, if you will. And the photo behind the painting is another I’ve held onto for I-don’t-know-how-long! The original was shot by Irving Penn. [Interesting side note: My father had been a commercial photographer and disliked the work of Penn. However, he never elaborated on this.] And with as much credit compliance I can provide, I can only assume that this Penn assignment first appeared in Vogue. That is my guess and can also only speculate on the year it was taken.

An Irving Penn photo of Marisa Berenson, who is wearing a pink outfit

Marisa Berenson by Irving Penn

Plainly, a lot of artistic license factored in this. In addition to modifying her Adele Simpson outfit, I riffed a bit from Milton Glaser in transforming her hair. [See iconic image of Bob Dylan which Glaser illustrated for his greatest hits release, 1966.]

Gouache painting of an Irving Penn photo which features Marisa Berenson, with artistic modification of colors and hair

A Girl Can Dream

Live! At the Green Marble!

Brushwork

I suppose it was inevitable. The time of arrival – when I would no longer have a mutually exclusive relationship with my own works. While I enjoy the kindness and support of my web base, hand rendered art really needs to be exposed to natural light. All of this to say, my own is now up at the Green Marble Coffee House for the entire month. And I would love for you to have a look!

A promotional flyer announcing an exhibit at the Green Marble Cafe, which is titled Riff Raff

September Show at Green Marble

 

 

Aerialist Trio

Brushwork

Right before posting I have a great temptation to change the title of this painting to “The Three Muses” – or, “The Three Graces”.  Truthfully? I haven’t got the whole “Gods and Goddesses” background to pull it off. Not to mention that the costume designs were inspired by an era when The Flapper was all the rage…

This gouache painting measures approximately 10.5” x 8.5”.

Three female aerialists on swings are wearing costumes that were inspired by the Flapper look of the 1920s.

Aerialist Trio

 

 

 

A Cross

Brushwork

Inspired by an image of mossy hills, I wound up painting a sort of story of the origin in the symbolic cross. In this 8.5″ x 7.5″ [mostly] gouache, I also felt compelled to include symbols of life’s four primary elements: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. And while I am not really one for lengthy discourses of a painting’s meaning, viewing this piece on any screen seemed to require at least some clarification…

Gauche painting of semi abstract symbolic meaning of the origin of the cross.

A Cross