If It's a Beautiful Day
...boats and cars must be painted.



This was my last square of luan. If I want to do more painting must either a) recycle paintings, or b) buy and gesso more surfaces. Decisions, decisions.
- posted by Cynthia @ 7:22 PM | | | Link |

 
Gescheidle Preview
... Louise LeBourgeois paintings of sugarcane fields in her native Louisiana:



Seems somehow appropriate on this dreadful day for the state to show something beautiful.

One of the friends I gallery-hopped with last week has bought a few paintings from gescheidle in the past, so we were treated to a preview of work that had just arrived. All the paintings were packed wrapped in soft muslin. It was like Christmas morning as we unwrapped the first oh-so carefully, then got sloppier and more frantic as the unveiling progressed.

Louise and her husband Steven Carelli are in Florence right now but will be back for the opening on Sept. 9th October 28th. Her work will be in the small gallery. The Burtonwood and Holmes stuff will be in the large space (I believe) opening Sept. 9th. [UPDATE: see comments. I got dates and who's showing where all wrong. Sorry.]

Susan said that Bill Gates just bought one of Louise's paintings from her West Coast gallery (I can't recall the name of it) and she was wondering how to let the Gates people know about these new works.

So if anyone out there knows Bill's personal email address, drop her a line, will ya?
- posted by Cynthia @ 10:14 AM | | | Link |

 
Landscapes Everywhere
I was afraid that I'd have no more interesting landscapes to look at now that Neil Welliver has passed away, but several recent shows (in particular those in West Loop Gate galleries) tell me that I have nothing to worry about.

Last month (or maybe two months ago) a show at Wendy Cooper caught my eye -- pigment, pastel, acrylic, ink, stones, glitter, etc. etc. on paper by Kim Krans -- the richness of materials countered the spareness of tree trunks and desolate scenes (somewhat like Claire Sherman's).

This month we have Claire Sherman at Bodybuilder and Sportsman. Two large paintings and a number of small studies on wood panel made up her part of the show.



She is good at telling you about a scene without being specific about it and ruining all the fun (unlike me, who always tells far, far more than anyone would humanly want to know). In each of her small paintings (I liked these more than the larger ones), she deftly notes the direction of the sun, the angle of the grasses, the spacing of the tree trunks, the criss-crossing of patterns that is an education in what to look for when painting a landscape.



Her surfaces are dense, horizonless, vistaless. She digs into the mass of forest and swampy water with zest. No animals, no birds, no humans, no romance litter these scenes. They are analytic and smart.

Across town at Lydon Fine Art are more landscapes -- a show called Summer Solstice, showcasing Elizabeth Elting, Tracy Lynn Pristas, and Mary Strasevicius. Elting does hot hot landscapes (she paints on a cad red ground) seen from overhead, fields and roads forming patterns we've all seen before but her painterly bravado can be breathtaking.

The other two painters I found far less interesting -- scrapey spiritual sun-shapes on large canvasses, etc (Strasevicius), or occasionally sick-making romantic canvasses from Pristas (with titles such as "Listening to the Muse"). They are pretty, in an impressionistic way, but are empty calories. Her catalog statement wins this year's Bad Art Writing Award, by far:

The combination of figuration and imagery utilizes dynamic colors to give the appearance of a strictly intuitive process, however my process of creation subsumes the underlying structure of a highly ordered format.

Say what?

Finally, at Perimeter we find William Keland's paintings and works on paper. His large paintings have a touch of Burchfield to them that I like, and his craypas drawings are pleasantly mushy (I know what that's like). Each painting is a thing unto itself. Seeing them side by side, you keep checking to see if it's still the same artist, but in a good way.

That's it for now. Back later with a peek at the upcoming Gescheidle show.
- posted by Cynthia @ 3:51 PM | | | Link |

 
More Waterlilies
See below for explanation.



Did both West Loop Gate and River North with visitors yesterday (the galleries that were open, that is), so will be back in a bit with news. Needless to say, the gallery people were very chatty. Had the feeling we were the first visitors they'd seen in weeks.

Dan at Iconoduel had asked what's up with the Giola Gallery opening up next to Gescheidle.

Susan (at Gescheidle) said they're definitely trying to make a Sept. 9th opening date and working hard at it. She said the work seems to be "standard" abstract type paintings, very much unlike anything else in the building. She's very very happy to have the place rented, however, since it was very very lonely up there.

I looked thru the door and could only see large, fairly uninteresting ab-ex type stuff leaning against the walls. Tried to get a pic of them but the shot didn't come out.

More on news from Gescheidle later, including a Bill Gates connection.
- posted by Cynthia @ 1:13 PM | | | Link |

 
Have Visitors
Catch up with ya later. Will be doing some galleries over the next few days, so come on back.
- posted by Cynthia @ 11:20 AM | | | Link |

 
Deja Vu All Over Again
Iraq really is the new Vietnam.

Joan Baez Performs at War Protest Near Bush Ranch

About 500 people gathered to hear her on a 1-acre lot offered by a landowner who opposes the war. Not far away, protesters continued a camp-out started by grieving mother Cindy Sheehan.

Baez said a movement like this was waiting to happen.

"It was the final tear for the overflow and you can't stop running water," she said. "Cindy's was the final tear."

Has anyone heard how Cindy's mom is doing? I know the repubs are hoping the movement will just fizzle while she takes care of family problems. Am certain Rove has been doing his incantations to make this so.

Out painting at the harbor all day, but ended up with something that just looks pasty to me. May let it dry and then saw off the top part. Won't show it to you yet.

Thought I got a good spot in the shade, but ended in full, blistering sun for too long, so ended up rushing things -- never a good thing for me. So threw paint on the board so the water looks too generic. Will try again tomorrow, since is supposed to be clear and cool again.
- posted by Cynthia @ 10:10 PM | | | Link |

 
It Was Inevitable
Face over trees....



Image is chopped off a little at top and bottom since I put it thru the scanner rather than the camera lens.

Over one of the few prints before the stone filled in and all the lovely grays were lost.

Good late-afternoon, friends. More humid today than it ought to have been. Cleaned the studio and grabbed this from the rack. At a loss what to do next.
- posted by Cynthia @ 5:19 PM | | | Link |

 
Sorry, Again
... to inflict on you more boats and cars.



Clearly, I need lessons in perspective. Am not sure if the curving sidewalk actually curves, is curved by the lens in the camera, or by my bad drawing.

Gray truck is fine, and stayed put for most of the painting. The red convertible became a hardtop almost immediately after I started blocking it in. Since I liked the creamy leather interior, I tried to finish the windshield and tires from memory. Arghhhh! Will go back and hunt this car down.

Found the most delightful spot to sit and paint on the grounds of the yacht club, or whatever it's called. Am thinking of calling this series "Homeland Security," since some of what you've been seeing on the left side of these paintings is on the grounds of what used to be called the Coast Guard station, and a finer, happier bunch of tanned young men you'll never find. The sign has recently been repainted to reflect the new owners. I promise to get a snap of it, assuming they won't confiscate the camera and throw me into Gitmo for it.

Off, now, to live my happy life again.
- posted by Cynthia @ 10:02 AM | | | Link |

 
Good Morning
A few new blogs have been added to the side. In particular, let's all welcome Tom Burtonwood and Holly Holmes and A Comedy of Errors. They are the team behind quite a few things in the Chicago area. In particular, they've been involved in stuff at GARDENfresh, Bridge Magazine, and at the Evanston Art Center, where, among other places, both have taught. In an email, they promise to be active members of the blogosphere.

Have to get going, now. Back later with today's "catch."
- posted by Cynthia @ 12:01 PM | | | Link |

 
More Boats and Cars
... unfortunately. You can ignore them if you want.



Sat in the extreme shade and painted on a gray ground -- tried it to see if it solved the too-white surface glare problem I was having. And should have been easier to see values. Perhaps. Got caught up in the details of the cars for hours and hours. For some reason I have a lot of difficulty drawing these shapes -- why it's so challenging to do this stuff. Don't want to just do straightforward perspective (drawing sight lines as though I'm a freeking engineer or something).

Was quite unpleasant sitting where I was, however, because of this:



If you can't read it, one of the dumpsters was dedicated to fish.

Quite a lot of fish. Quite dead, too.
- posted by Cynthia @ 8:10 PM | | | Link |

 
Sad Gallery News
Just learned from a friend of the passing of gallerist Sonia Zaks, of pancreatic cancer, I believe. She apparently closed the gallery for good in February (I last visited here) and died this June. The Trib obit said she'd had the gallery for 35 years. It always showed good stuff.

And Street Level Gallery appears to be closing. This would be sad as well, since they were the best gallery north of Chicago by far. Will check this out later and get back to you.

That's all. Weather is lovely gray and cool. Have just finished gessoing some stuff, and must fly.
- posted by Cynthia @ 1:13 PM | | | Link |

 
Our Weekly Tree
... is a notebook drawing.



Tree was a bit wider at the top, but ran out of room. So you'll have to use your imagination. Have a pleasant evening.
- posted by Cynthia @ 10:45 PM | | | Link |

 
My Waterlilies
Monet painted them over and over; right now, when I'm not printing, I do boats and cars.



Have painted other things -- this past year have tried all kinds of things, but I really like to paint landscapes, and right now I really like to paint cars (and boats).

I've done this scene several times, and, now that the weather is a bit cooler, hope to paint more. Here, I am perched on a steep bank overlooking the parking lot for the boat harbor in the same park I painted obsessively a few years ago. The parking lot is brick, as are most of the residential streets in Wilmette, and vary in color from "brick" red to sand.

So here are today's waterlilies. Tomorrow I print again.
- posted by Cynthia @ 9:55 PM | | | Link |

 
Does Someone Need a Face Lift Or What?


Kinda scary, but I kinda like it and will try one on better paper. Hope you can see that I carefully placed the face right over the part of the collograph print where it looks like a beard.

Yes, carefully...

Background image is here.
- posted by Cynthia @ 6:55 PM | | | Link |

 
Openings at Lisa Boyle and Western Exhibitions
It's hard to talk about these "two" galleries as two galleries, since you must walk through Lisa Boyle's place to get to the smaller Western Exhibitions. Last night, as seems to be the case with most parties, the smallest room gets the largest crowd, especially around the beer barrel.

Showing at Lisa Boyle was this thing:



It appeared to be coloring something with a red crayon while sticking its tongue in and out and twitching periodically. The green thing in foreground pulsed every now and then. I think it works off carbon dioxide, since one of the tubes was hooked to a bottle of seltzer. Regardless, the artist (Matthew Steinke) wasn't at the opening, so I couldn't ask about them. And in any case, they were amusing enough, but ugly, oh so ugly.

Like a patron saint blessing the entire operation, rose the huge and majestic image of EC Brown's cat Vladimir:



Arrayed in a line along the walls were Erik's small, exquisitely detailed paintings. For some reason I'd got the impression from his website that he worked larger, but all were 6 by 20 inches, acrylic and ink on wood, a mix of new work and new to Chicago work. 2 of my favorites:





Though none of these appeared thickly painted, the surface is rich and nuanced, occasionally iridescent. He says he starts with a red ground and uses a very limited palette. Clearly he understands line and color. I suddenly thought, my, but these would make great prints, but that's my head speaking.

At Western Exhibitions were drawings by Eric Lebovsky and fabric art by Aaron Van Dyke.

The Lebovsky drawings were from a series called "Things To Do in an Ice Age," arising from a 3-part New Yorker article on global warming (one of the handouts at the show), though I don't recall the article being as amusing as these drawings.



The captions (top left to bottom right) read:
Finish Camus
Talk to Your Pilates Instructor While You Search for Your Family
Choreograph
Deep Fry Balls of Cheese/Make Pipes/Start Your Own Renaissance Faire
Grow Your Monobrow
Chase After Rations

and about a dozen more. The gallery sells a B&W book of the show for 10 bucks (yes, folks, 10 bucks, edition of 40). Suitable for use as a coloring book, though the artist didn't seem thrilled with the idea when I suggested it.

Finally, Aaron Van Dyke showed 3-ish-D wall hangings, fabric (sheets, curtains, etc), whose patterns have been excised and then ruffled and suspended from pins. Like so:



I talked with the guy for quite a long time about the installation. One of the pieces was originally installed on a board, the fluttering tops held together with masking tape and dozens of pins, then the board pulled away, and the masking tape cut off. These things interest me.

Both of these galleries form part of a coalition called the WestTown Gallery Network, ie., a new gallery district in the Kinzie/Ashland area. Will have more to say about it later.

Turnout was really good for a Saturday in August (not as hot as it's been, luckily). People drifted to the fire escapes for conversation and smokes. A very pleasant, relaxed event. On the way down the steps, I see bicycles:


- posted by Cynthia @ 11:34 AM | | | Link |

 
Friday Tree Blogging
The fastest print in the (mid)west:



Grained the stone yesterday, did the drawing, processed and printed today. This was the first proof, and son of a gun, the other prints resemble it. Is cooler today. Stone was printing perfectly with mix of carbon black plus rollup black (these are notes to myself, folks, so if you don't care about lithography, please ignore). Used litho pencils 5 and 3, processed with 6 and 10 drops of nitric.

Phew. Nothing seemed to be scumming or filling in, so closed the stone and ran out of the place before something could go wrong.

Good afternoon, or perhaps it's evening already. Am exhausted from 2 full days of printing. Will have a face for you later, but feet hurt too much to run and get it from the car. Just spent the last hour racing around between my banks juggling funds, trying to time when the Visa will hit vs. checks clearing, etc. Ended up having to do a money order, which I've never done before, but should be cheaper than suffering an overdraft.

This is what happens when your head is in the arty clouds.
- posted by Cynthia @ 5:10 PM | | | Link |

 
Life in Baghdad
Khalid Goes to Pay His University Bills and Gets Abducted

So the interrogator said: "so he killed 300 people?"
"yes sir" Nathom answered, and the interrogator writes the confession.
"and he stole an Opel Car?"
"yes sir"
"a yellow one?"
"yes sir"
And then the interrogator put down the pen and said "you son of a b****, it has been more that two years since the war and I never saw one yellow Opel car"
(And it"s true, for some reason all Opels in Iraq are grey, some are black or blue but it"s rare, but no yellow ones!) All of that interrogation happened while Nathom is hanging upside down, and being hit at the same time.

I left the jail and the two brothers where still there.

For those who haven't been keeping up with our favorite Iraqi family, Raed in the Middle's brother Khalid writes at length about his recent experience being mistaken for a terrorist because he read his brother's and Riverbend's blog while on campus. I don't know how they can keep their sense of humor about it all, but somehow they manage to. Just call me a terrorist, I guess.

Good evening, folks. It feels like Friday, probably because I printed most of the day, when I wasn't sweating, that is. And resting up now, because will go at it again tomorrow.
- posted by Cynthia @ 7:34 PM | | | Link |

 
The Amazing EC Brown
... will be at Lisa Boyle Gallery, opening this Saturday:

I'll be part of a 2-person exhibition at the Lisa Boyle Gallery (Chicago) on Saturday Aug. 6. I'll be showing brand new paintings, paintings from 2004-2005 that have yet to be hung in Chicago, and a large mural involving my cat Vladimir. Also in the space will be Matthew Steinke (website, Retitle page) who creates sculptures mixing found objects and electronics wrapped with colored wool, that tend to chatter and move a bit.

Refreshments shall be served.
Opening: Saturday August 6, 6-9pm
1648 W. Kinzie, 2nd Floor

Erik, as many of you know, is the keeper of the Kittyspit list of Chicago artists, and also of one of the best mp3 pages out there.

Sorry, Erik. Got this msg earlier but forgot to post it. So go. I may. You will recognize me from my portrait in his listing.
- posted by Cynthia @ 9:27 AM | | | Link |

 
Milestones
Blogger tells me that this is post number 1000, if you can imagine it, so I suppose it means I will be handing out noisemakers and confetti shortly. And we'll have the usual drinking and dancing till dawn -- I know, I know, it never really stops around here, but I'll hire us a good band this time, I promise. Now let's get those ribs on the grill...

But seriously, no one seems to be paying attention to that other recently-passed milestone -- did you know more than 1800 US soldiers have now died in Iraq to benefit the hubris of this appalling administration? 7 reported dead just today. And we will never know when the Iraqi death toll reaches any milestone. We don't know if it's 10,000 or 100,000 or 1,000,000.

Sorry to be such a downer, especially since it may mean I'm too distracted to do justice to the ribs and may have forgotten completely about the mixers and pretzels. (Or worse -- I'll drink and drink and start sobbing and drunk-dialing YOU).

So. Nothing more for now. Maybe more later. Another 90 plus, high humidity day, so am in hiding.
- posted by Cynthia @ 3:09 PM | | | Link |

 
Mooning the Nation
Bush Appoints Bolton, Bypassing Senate

In recent weeks, it faded into the background as the Senate prepared to begin a nomination battle over John Roberts, the federal appeals judge that Bush chose to replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the Supreme Court.[ed. have we forgotten Rovegate so quickly? guess so]

They forgot to mention our other important distractions out there.... Michael Jackson.... Terry Schaivo.... the runaway bride... the blonde girl in Aruba.... Paula Abdul....

But it hardly matters, since this admin thinks so little of the U.N. anyway. This is done with a smirk and a middle finger to the Senate, including some worried and fairly powerful Repubs, like Voinovich of Ohio. Let's hope they don't forget.

Let's hope we don't forget. And I hope we keep pushing on getting those documents from the White House. That's a big issue with this gang. They don't want to give us all of the Roberts documents either.

God, it makes me sick.
- posted by Cynthia @ 1:33 PM | | | Link |

 
Why I Like Printmaking, Part xxxiiiv
... also why I hate it:


I can do versions of this literally forever and never repeat myself. All done from the collograph plate in the upper left corner. Bottom row, everything wiped intaglio, one on the left is a "ghost" of the first impression. Top row is intaglio plus relief roll with a ghost.

Please admire them, because I nearly killed myself standing on a wobbly stool to photograph them. When I was done, and after the vertigo and palpitations had stopped, a helpful soul said that I should have laid them on white paper on the floor and done it. D'oh!

Good midday, friends. Spent all last Friday printing or showing people stuff, spent weekend in hiding with books, videos, etc.

Found some particularly addictive, fiendishly simple-looking logic puzzles at the Guardian site that has been sucking a great amount of time out of my universe. They are called Sudoku, and "all" you have to do is arrange numbers in a grid correctly.

Four or five hours later...

Maybe I should start with the easy ones.
- posted by Cynthia @ 12:35 PM | | | Link |