Aaron, Terry, Martha

Flat Yellow Field, 2006, Oil on Panel, 12x12







One of the most enjoyable things about writing this blog has been finding, and being found by, other artists. The following artists have blogs which I have been reading and who create work that I relate to for one reason or another. Alas, I haven't seen any of this work in real life, nor have I met the artists, however I have had some email contact with each. I am not sure how I feel about the concept of meeting and socializing with others online, but it does seem to be the way these days, so I am going with the flow.

As I was reading through some blogs last week I somehow came to Studio Paint and Pen, a two part blog written by married couple Aaron and Shannon Tucker (she is a writer, he is a painter) The blog led me to Aaron Tucker's website, where I was immediately drawn into his work. I love his use of color and the linear qualities juxtaposed with solid blocks. I see a lightness and quirkiness about his work as well as depth of purpose. His work has gone right up to the top of my art collection wish list.

Terry Muira is an artist residing in California. I am actually somewhat familiar with his work as he is represented by Thomas Reynolds Gallery
in San Francisco. Doug and I have purchased a few paintings from Mr. Reynolds in the past and have continued to keep an eye on the artists he shows, including Terry. I especially like his paintings of city buildings. He also works as an illustrator and I can see in his work the ability (which I used to have but have somewhat lost) to paint a multitude of different subject matter with great skill and honesty. I respect (and envy) that he seems to do a variety of projects, including painting, drawing, sculpture and even backdrops for his son's school play. His blog is here.

Martha found me through another blog and she has made wonderful, insightful comments on many of my posts. Martha paints murals by commission and while I am not always a fan of such strong realism, I do like her work immensely. The murals have a strong expressive quality and the scale must add to that effect. Martha recently posted some of work on her blog and I think "She Stood Up" is just gorgeous, the color the mood, everything about it is just lovely. Martha and I also have other things in common, including children and the need for larger studio space.

I have a few more artists I'd like to mention but I think I will save them for another day. Now go and check out these blogs and websites and I expect a 500 word essay comparing and contrasting the work of these artists, from each of you, by Friday.

Just kidding, I felt like doing a college flashback.