Letter to February

Goodbye February. We were sick for 22 of your days. Now we emerge hopefully into March, spring, and good health. Thanks for the snow. See you next year.

Hope

This is Olivia's Black Throated Sparrow Drawing. She's on her way back to school today and hopefully we are DONE being sick!

Love the Eighties

I was in a hurry on the way out to meet school bus number 1 the other day and quickly put on "whatevermovietheyhadn'talreadyseen" for the girls. It turned out to be a breakdancing movie from the 80's. Craziness ensued. And this drawing.

Strep. Again. Still?

Blue. And. Green.

Double Trunk

We just downloaded the 335 photos that Olivia has taken since before Christmas. I didn't remember that she had taken this photo but here it is. This is the double trunk we saw on our last Delaware Trail Challenge hike on my birthday. It's the inspiration behind the structure of my double spiral piece. It's different than I remembered. I may have to construct another double spiral!

Wish I Was Here

I'm not here. I've been sick for the entire month of February. But my sister, Deidre, went to Cancun and came back with some stunning photos.

Desire

I get two urges every spring. Well, not so much Spring as the last part of winter before spring actually starts. The first is to look at flowers. The second is to draw. Let me clarify. I always draw. But this urge is to draw things, not in the studio, not from photographs but outside and close enough to touch them.

Yesterday, driving around in my car, I was overcome by the desire to drag this canvas I’m working on outside, into the wood. But guess what. IT”S STILL COLD OUTSIDE. Argh.

Another trip to Longwood Gardens to see the orchid show may do the trick. Then I can look at flowers and draw them!

Anxiety Room at Factory Fresh

Anxiety Room at Factory Fresh is a collaboration between Jon Burgerman and Jim Avignon. It's also a lot of fun.

Watching

Found in Brooklyn

Andy Piedilato at English Kills Art Gallery

I've been looking at Andy Piedilato's work online for a few weeks. I decided I just HAD to get over to see them in person at English Kills Art Gallery. (And by the way you can too. They told me they are extending the show one more week so hurry, hurry.) Anyway, so often when you finally see the work in person it's missing something. But not this time. This work kicks ass. It's also awesomely installed. English Kills Art Gallery is a fantastic space for these paintings. The texture and workings of the building (ie. pipes and whatnot) interact with the pieces and really bring the whole place into the picture plane. I'm showing you lots of up close detail shots because you can see great images of the whole paintings at Piedilato's website. But do yourself a favor and go see them yourself.

Stanley Whitney at Team Gallery

I caught the last chance to see Stanley Whitney's work at Team Gallery. The show, Einarsson, Rhodes and Whitney is down now which is too bad because I'd really like to go back and see it again. Whitney's works take time to view. I think you really need to stay in front of each one for a good, long while letting the work unfold and reveal itself. The image above is of a small piece. The photo gives you a hint of what you can get from Whitney's work. The photo below is of a much large painting and so you can't really see the details that make this work resonate. But you can still enjoy some of the color and structure of the painting.

Peter Doig at Gavin Brown

Yesterday's trip to NYC was great. A major highlight was the Peter Doig show at Gavin Brown. I think I'm in love...especially with these two small paintings. But really I loved them all.

Looking Backward

I pulled out this drawing last week for another look and to get some perspective on where I'm going with my work. It was really these layered works from last summer that inspired me to begin layering the actual surface. And that, of course, led to the sewn pieces I'm doing now. I'm still so excited about where it all might be going.

Melodrama

So it wasn't the flu, it was strep- joy. Well at least now we can start getting better. Yesterday I visited my studio because I needed to drop a packet off at InLiquid. It was still there. As was the double spiral, last worked on long ago before illness struck. Matt came home from work the other day and asked what was up and I said, "This is all my life has ever been and all it ever will be." But finally the clouds break and I remember that once I didn't have a fever all the time and I did fun things like paint!

Cruising

I've been sick with the flu for almost a week and therefore have neither thought nor done anything of interest. But my folks are on a cruise around the world and sent this great photo of a White Eye from New Caledonia. New Caledonia looks awesome and I would love to be healthy and laying on the beach there! In fact I've been struck by the "laying on the beach" desire frequently lately. Ah well, in the mean time I can enjoy photos from their cruise!

Ella Watson needs a Liver

The best thing about Facebook has been reconnecting with friends from long, long ago. Bruce Watson and I went to high school (what turns out to be almost 20 years ago- thanks for that reminder Alumni Committee...) Anyway his sister, shown below, is an artist in need of a liver transplant. Below I've pasted the information about an upcoming benefit as well as how to donate money to Ella's liver through PayPal.

Get good mojo on Friday the 13th by coming out to help raise some cash for the badass and beloved artist, Ella Watson (and her soon-to-be adopted liver). Even if you don't know Ella, the night promises to be a blast: there will be live music, dark humor, affordable art, light hearts, treats from Gramercy Tavern, and Brooklyn Lager (for the good livered amongst us). Show your love and your civic sensitivity by coming out to support this special person in her quest for her one true liver... and have a great time!

Suggested Donation $10.00

Date:	Friday, February 13, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:	The City Reliquary Museum and Civic Organization
Street:	370 Metropolitan Avenue
City/Town:	Brooklyn, NY

To make an online donation to help Ella
1. copy this email address:
blahblahblah.ellas.liver.blahblah@gmail.com
2. click on the blue "Online Payment Merchant" link above
3. click on "Personal" in the menu bar
4. click on "Send Money Online"
5. paste in the email address in the space on the right.

Viva la Liva!

One More Time

Just thought you might need to see more of my snow photos.




I'm actually in this one. See my shadow just to the right of center.

Snow, Snow, & More Snow

It really was beautiful this morning. I can't resist posting more images.

Double Spiral Still in Progress

So this is what I've been suffering over. I'm seriously considering taking it the laundry mat and seeing how much paint will wash out. But first I'm going to keep working on the front (below) and see what happens. A project for today although I'll have to hurry. Looks like we might get some disruptive snow this afternoon.

School Bus

I haven't had a lot to say lately. I'm suffering over my work in the studio, trying to reconcile what I want things to be with what they are. In the mean time a few sunny days.

Indoor Soccer