SAIC Ox-Bow Benefit
No, I didn't spend all day yesterday fighting off a hangover as some have suggested... though I could have. When the School of the Art Institute of Chicago throws a party they put on an excellent feed. Check it out next year (will try to find a link).

This was where I had the small print mentioned below. As usual, I neglected to get a slide or a snap of the thing, so since it sold (pretty well -- went for $175) it's gone forever, except in memory. Which goes as well, so will describe: tiny (abt 4 by 6 inches), on cream Rives, drypoint image of naked pine tree in dk green/gray ink lying on its side on bottom, branches pointing like arms and fingers directly up, almost a classical frieze of vague forest images in yellow ochre, black, one red branch above. That's it. Images mostly taken from a notebook I kept while at Ox-Bow several years ago.

The benefit was pretty good this year. They cut down the number of artists and rearranged how they did the live auctions (one for each section as it closed, instead of all in one group -- a vast improvement, I thought). And you could actually step back and look at the art.

As always with these things, however, I spent too much time eating and not looking, but here are some of the highlights (there are certainly others, so if you don't find yourself in this list, don't feel hurt):

Alice Bogart -- several large Marin-ish watercolors. Very strong and good.

Judith Geichman -- small unframed wisp of stuff with trailing lines wiggling across it. Liked the casualness, unframed. I'm not really fond of frames myself.

Bob Horn -- painting of a potato surrounded by (?) elves, or sprites or something. Several years ago he had a painting of just a potato, grave and simple, that was very strong, and I think of it often. It think it was better.

Marion Kryczka -- in general, a kick-ass painter. This was one of the best I've seen, one of his fish still lives, a vertical format, which I liked, the fish laying down pointing up. I think other people liked it this year too -- it pulled in a very good price.

Judith Raphael -- a small little face, gouache (I think) on panel, very introspective, eyes cast to the side.

Sharon Rosenzweig -- another kick-ass painter. This was a small one of an Ox-Bow cabin, dark and grayed down. Had almost a 30's look to it. Cool.

E.W. Ross -- neat little drawing with watercolor and humor. Woods, with a little round pair of glasses on the ground.

Don Southard -- small, very dark painting he called "Begonias". But clearly they were dead, or with flowers completely gone or in such shade that you can't see them. Didn't like it when I first saw it, but it sticks in memory, which is always a good sign. Why must flower paintings be pretty, anyway?

Debra Tolchinsky -- tiny little figure (I think it was a sticky-film Polaroid snap). I just like her stuff. Has also had wonderful, spooky drawings of woods and shoes other years in this show.

Kathleen Waterloo -- encaustic panel of gray with white stripes. Touches of violet and carmine showing through. Edges yummy, like frosting.

Mary Lou Zelazny -- tiny, tiny little gouache (or acrylic, maybe), like a toy world. Would have liked to spend more time looking at it.

Am starting to shape the armholes on the sweater back. Supposed to be beautiful and warm this weekend (relatively speaking), so if possible will try to get out and paint and then let you all know.


- posted by Cynthia @ 10:56 AM | | | Link |