Belgravia, Chelsea and Sloane Square

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Food, London, Travel, Uncategorized

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Belgravia, Chelsea, Duke of York Square, Saatchi Gallery, Sloane Square

Last summer, I walked from Victoria Station through Belgravia towards Chelsea one morning, two new neighborhoods which I really had never visited before.

Great take-out from this lovely Italian Deli right up the road from Victoria Station. Photo by me

Great take-out from this lovely Italian Deli Le Bottega right up the road from Victoria Station. Photo by me

It was lovely, and I understand why the area is a popular place to live, shop and stroll.

The shops turned decidedly upscale. Photo by me

The shops turned decidedly upscale as I turned in to Belgravia. Photo by me

As soon as you head up Eccleston Street, behind the station, towards Belgravia, the scene transform from a gritty train station neighborhood to lovely shops and tree-lined streets.

This shop offered pink champagne and cupcakes. Delightful. Photo by me

There are rows of lovely townhouses around green squares like this row at Eaton Square.

Photo by me

Soon I was entering Chelsea.

The beautiful red brick of the Chelsea neighborhood. Photo by me

It became more commercial with shops and buses. Early morning was very busy.

I could understand the reputation for shopping, with one fine storefront after another presenting itself.

Photo by me

It was fun to see busy London on a workday morning.

Photo by me

Sloane Square stood in the middle of all the activity.

Photo by me

I wandered in circles for a bit, before finally realizing I was near the Duke of York Square, with its lovely shops, hairdressers and cafes…

Duke of York square shops. Photo by me

as well as the adjacent Saatchi Gallery.

The entrance to the courtyard where the Saatchi Gallery stands. Photo by me

All in all it was a morning of discovery. I always like to think I have become familiar with one more London Neighborhood on a trip. And this past year it was Chelsea.

Not By Words

03 Saturday May 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

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MOMA, Not By Words, Rauschenberg, rebus, The Museum of Modern Art

You may (or may not) have noticed I have not been posting to this blog site as frequently in the past several months as I have in the past. That’s because my painting studio has held me a delighted prisoner. I have been immersed in my “Cities” series of paintings, and in particular I have been working from wonderful reference I gained this past snowy winter to NYC.

One of my favorite museums is MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art, in New York. I find constant inspiration there from the art, but also, now that I have come to work on this gallery series of museum scenes, I can spend hours watching the art lovers move through the space and react to the art.

I go back to the galleries again and again during a single visit, waiting for the right configuration of characters, with interesting poses creating interesting shapes. This woman in front of Robert Rauschenberg’s “Rebus” was fascinating to me, especially with the long black bench in the foreground catching the reflection of light and colors from the painting, as well as her shadow.

For this particular piece I wanted a lot of contrast so that the figures would appear like chess pieces moving in the space. In my black & white check for tone, I can see these figures’ relationships even more clearly.

The title of Rauschenberg’s art “Rebus” is where I got my title for this painting “Not By Words”. A rebus is a picture puzzle, where the names of pictured objects have a literal meaning in a sentence…like “(Picture of an eye) I (picture of a heart) love NY”.

Rauschenberg wanted his collage to be a true picture of the reality of his immediate environment. And isn’t that what many artists want to accomplish, including me? By anchoring the main figure in front of the painting, and having the three other gallery visitors move around her, it focuses even more on her intense contemplation of the painting in the moment.

When I look for these scenarios in art museums, I often wonder what the security guards posted in the galleries think. I come back again and again to the same spot and wait until the other visitors create a scene that attracts my interest. If I don’t find it at that moment, I’ll move to another gallery and come back later. It is not until I get my digital camera back to the studio that I truly know if I have gotten it or not. The variety of possibilities is endless.

Floating

13 Thursday Mar 2014

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art studio, cut outs, Henri Matisse, oil painting, Paris, Polynesia, The Centre Pompidou

And finally, Floating. I have always loved Henry Matisse’s cut outs that the artist did in the last years of his life. When I saw these two Polynesia works at The Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the three figures sitting in front of them literally being drawn into the floating images…I was there.

Sometimes one the most difficult parts of a painting is deciding what to paint.

I often take many, many photographs and tape them to my studio wall, hoping that something will jump out at me.

This is after hours of playing with the images. Re-cropping. Adding or subtracting and re-adding figures. Deciding which color palette fits the mood of the scene. Shadows. Light and dark.

Then, finally, once it is sketched on the canvas, deciding on the ground color that will set the tone for future layers of paint.

And it is always at this middle stage of the painting that I wonder if it was really the right decision.

I recently was reading an art tutorial blog and the artist mentioned this middle period of horror when you think all the hours you have put in are for naught! I thought it was just me that had to force myself to work through this phase. Obviously it is a common issue.

But finally I come out on the other side, and I am happy. It’s when I breathe that final light into the canvas that the image lets itself be born.

I don’t stop working on a painting as readily as I once used to. If I come back the next morning and some area just doesn’t seem quite right, I work with it. And sometimes it might get worse before it gets better. It takes immense concentration, patience (not my strongest virtue) and focus.

But experience has taught me it is worth the frustration. Finally, one morning, I come back in to the studio and just breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction and relief. The painting is finally alive. And finished.

All photos and images by me.

Spring Morning: The Met

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

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Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, oil painting

The second in a series of gallery paintings I worked on this winter is a 30 x 24″ oil called Spring Morning. In many ways it was the most complicated of the three. Dealing with architectural elements is always a challenge for me, and this scene was no exception. But the lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is magnificent, and worth the effort.

I try to work out problem areas early, before I put paint to canvas. Sometimes the drawing is one of the most difficult phases, especially in these with multiple perspectives and an overhead viewpoint.

Notice in the upper left hand corner where I realized in time that my floor tiles were out of line.

I didn’t notice an issue with the center podium under the flowers until later in the process.

The proportion and scale were slightly off. Still easily fixable at this point. One of the hardest lessons to learn is to look carefully, then look again. A lot of time I find a tea break and coming back with a fresh eye helps to see issues.

Often I photograph the work in progress (therefore all these lovely progression photos). When I put the image up on my computer screen I often spot something that I might not notice staring constantly at the actual canvas. Rather like a fresh pair of eyes on a new point of view.

Sometimes I look at a black & white version of it on the computer to check my contrast and shadows. It all helps.

And finally comes my favorite part…adding detail and breathing life in to the work. I work on mood and shadows, depth and atmosphere. On this piece I actually ran a glaze with a golden hue over the canvas to soften and unite the many parts near the final phase. Each day it progressed in the rich layers of transparent color and small detailed highlights.

Until, as in this case, the soft light streaming through the doors adds a glow to the entire scene.

All photos and images by me.

The Women

01 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching

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Getty Museum, Henri Moore, Los Angeles, The Seated Woman

For several months now, I have been busy in my studio, painting three new works that focus on the art museum experience.

I am intrigued by how people re-act to their surroundings, and how art museums, generally speaking, bring a wonderful sense of calm and reflection to the visitor.

The Women came from a visit to the Getty Museum on a gloriously sunny day in Los Angeles. One of my favorite viewpoints to paint is looking down from above, and after many intriguing photographs from the balcony/courtyard area of the museum, I found my subject. The progression came easily once I decided on the details.

I wanted a monochromatic calm to permeate the scene.

The branches are meant to entangle and include the two women strolling, Henry Moore’s statue The Seated Woman, and myself as the viewer.

I wanted just enough color to weave the scene together and engage the viewer. The green shirt draws the eye upward to include all the participants in the tableau.

The balance was complete. The two women bound in a strolling conversation, the Seated Woman, and myself were equally included in the scene.

Winter Scenes

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by pat in Art, paintings, sketching, Travel, Uncategorized

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Central Park, MOMA, New York City, Snow

I am back from New York City, and busy in the studio trying to complete three canvases I have been working on since before Christmas. Tonight there is a possibility of freezing rain. Winter.

I am never happier than in my studio when the work is going well, no matter what the weather outside.

But as content as I am, I miss the snow and museums of last week’s visit to New York.

Even as I work at my easel, my thoughts continually return to those amazing winter scenes of Central Park. Perhaps because I grew up in New York, no matter how cold or uninviting it may seem to most tourists, I still gain new energy from it whatever the weather.

The last Friday of my visit I got up and out early so I could get to the Museum of Modern Art right as it opened. Usually that is not the smartest strategy, but I figured with the frigid temps (high of 22 degrees that day), the usual opening line would be diminished.

I was right. I walked right up to the ticket desk and passed information to check my coat. There was an amazing multi-screen installation in the upper lobby which I went in and out of all day.

I was ready for MOMA.

Always one of my favorite museums, I have read recently that MOMA is getting ready to do a major renovation. I’m not sure how I feel about that. So much of the museum seems still familiar to me from my youth, even though I know they have changed things before now.

Still, walking through the galleries, I feel like I have come home.

I’ll never tire of the museum, no matter what they do to expand or rearrange it.

And even though some of the more contemporary exhibitions can be daunting, I still find favorites mixed in.

I am not as much into experimental or performance art. I still prefer paint on canvas or paper, or sculpture that seems to recall rather than confound.

But the whole package is sublime, and the images kept me warm all day whether inside…

…or back out into the winter fantasy of Central Park.

Sometimes a winter day is the perfect day to be in the city.

All photos by me of Central Park and MOMA.

Winter Escape

06 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Travel, Uncategorized

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Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

I have been putting a lot of hours in at the studio over the past several months and loving every minute of it. What better way to spend this long, cold winter.

Fifth Avenue, next to Central Park, in New York City.

But at times the artist needs to go out in to the real world to find new inspiration and increase their artistic vocabulary. A good friend of mine, and wonderful painter, was having a show in New York City this week, and I decided it was the push I needed to go up north and revisit the area that had inspired me so much in the past. And a little snow never hurt anyone.

Entering Central Park early in the morning.

After one plane delay, and many icy encounters, I reached New York City. And it was magical in the snow. I started my visit by entering Central Park’s south edge early the next morning…

Entering the Mall area.

The avenue of old elms was closed to pedestrian traffic for fear of falling ice and branches.

Benches are waiting for spring.

And ended at the Metropolitan Museum of Art….

The lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

which was bursting with forsythia. Spring must not be too far off.

I spent hours wandering through the maze of galleries…

visiting old favorites,

Degas and Ballet…classic beauty

and discovering new surprises.

In the Asia wing, these classic statues...

In the Asia wing, these imposing statues…

face off with this contemporary brushwork.

It was as wonderful as I remembered.

A group of artists spend their morning sketching.

I only gave up when my legs couldn’t walk one more step, and stopped at the American Wing Cafe to take a break.

I think I’ll dream about forsythia tonight.

And remember enough images for a seasons worth of inspiration.

Art Basel 2013

12 Thursday Dec 2013

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Art Basel, Miami

Miami. Art Fair week. It is an endurance test to see how much art you can see in just a couple of days, but my dear friend and I decided after the “Art Miami” tents on Friday, we couldn’t stop there. We decided to tackle Art Basel on Saturday, and were so glad we did.

In past years I felt the art was a bit too out there and hard to relate to. But this year we kept seeing new work that made us sigh, and say “yes”. This is what art is.

It makes you think, and dream, and takes you away from the everyday.

It opens new worlds, and shows you the sublime. Or makes you view the usual in a new light.

It just went on and on for over 4 hours of walking with quick breaks for food and a cool drink. They had small oasis of calm in the middle of the massive exhibition.And then out in to the fray once again…

Re-energized, and ready to take more in. Bonnard, Mitchell, Katz…Sigh. Until next year…

Miami Art Fairs 2013

06 Friday Dec 2013

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Art Basel, Art Miami, Miami

Another year, and I have made the 8 hour drive down to Miami for the annual Art Basel. Usually, I find the satellite art fairs actually more interesting than the “big show” at the convention center at the beach.

The whole Art Basel is inspiring, with world-renowned galleries showing some master works that you may never get a chance to see outside private collections. But it is the smaller fairs, mostly in massive interconnecting tents, in the Wynwood Art District, that interest me. Obviously crowds of art lovers felt the same way.

They are saying this year that there are as many parties as art lovers descending on Miami this winter. Nonetheless, I enjoy the frenzy.

Where else can you see this much art in such a short amount of time from all over the world.

I like to see what my fellow “emerging artists” are doing, and thinking. Just a taste of the day…

What a wonderful way to spend a winter’s day.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

31 Thursday Oct 2013

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Arkansas, Bentonville, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

I have been anxious to see the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in the heart of the Ozarks ever since it opened a couple of years ago.

A magical tree in front of the drive/entrance to the museum

Not only is the art collection supposed to be magnificent, but the architecture and nature scape of the complex has been reported as stellar.

The entrance to the grounds of Crystal Bridges

This week I got my chance.

The approach to Crystal Bridges

On our way to Texas to see My Beloved Brit’s ex-pat niece play tennis, we detoured to Bentonville, Arkansas to see Crystal Bridges, founded by the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Alice Walton. It was officially opened on the 11th of November 2011. It is the first major museum to open in the United States since 1974. Over $317 million of the project’s cost has been donated by Alice Walton.

From the museum exhibition space, even in the rain, it’s magical.

Nested into a natural ravine in the middle of a forest, the complex was designed by architect Moshe Safdie “…to both complement and counterpoint the surrounding landscape.”

The springwater of the stream actually runs around and through the glass and copper bridges that stretch over the ponds. Lovely.

The Crystal Bridges art collection spans the many decades of American art, offering an expansive overview of masters as well as lesser-known works from the Colonial era to contemporary work.

Mary Cassatt “Summertime”

There were many wonderful surprises. I really loved the balance and scope of the collection.

Tom Uttech, “Enassamishhinjijweian”

It really does have a nice range of some of the very best artists in America. Very impressive considering how new the museum is.

Fairfield Porter’s “October Interior”

Robert Henri’s “Jessica Penn in Black with White Plumes” dominates this room

Quite a day and worth the detour.

Neil G. Welliver “Snow on Alden Brook”. Someone visiting my studio once compared my branches series to Welliver. I was honored when I looked up his work.

One of my heroes, Joan Mitchell

William Merritt Chase–an incredible layering of paint and texture

I saw pieces I had never seen before, yet felt so familiar, like Will Barnet’s…

There is sculpture both inside the museum and outdoors along the trails.

And the museum begins and ends at a charming restaurant/cafe with amazing views of the autumn landscape.

I knew that was just where I would find My Beloved Brit, relaxing with a coffee waiting patiently for me to return…I tend to take a bit more time walking through the galleries than he does.

All photos by me.

accentBritain

~ a romance with art and all things British

Category Archives: Art

Belgravia, Chelsea and Sloane Square

Not By Words

Floating

Spring Morning: The Met

The Women

Winter Scenes

Winter Escape

Art Basel 2013

Miami Art Fairs 2013

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art