The One With Wolf Kahn

So I thought I'd dust off this here old blog and tell any of my remaining readers about the exhibit with Wolf Kahn.

I know it's been ages since I wrote about this, so here is a quick description of the building and how the shows are usually organized within it:

"The Smithy is the oldest building in Cooperstown. It has three floors, each with varying kinds of gallery space. The first floor is at street level and is the original part of the building, it's very rustic; stone walls, forges, anvils, and tools remain from its original use as a blacksmith shop. The second floor is where the member group show is held each summer, in addition to a small room that features a solo show each month. I had a solo there in the summer of 2008. And the third floor is a large open space, which usually features one or two artists and often has a particular theme, often historical. This is the space I will be sharing with Nancy Samstein. The member group show and solo show by Michael Whaling will be on the second floor and Wolf Kahn will be showing on the first floor."

You can read my initial post about all this here.

I was a bit worried about showing in such close proximity to an artist who A. I admire, especially for his amazing longevity and productivity and B. my work has so often been compared to, mostly because of the whole brightly colored landscape barn thing, I think. I was worried about looking like a copy cat I guess;)

I decided to work around B. a little bit, by doing some new work which would include humans and farm animals, though not together, which would put me in an entirely different genre. heh. I was also reading the recent biography of Grant Wood at the time and decided it was time to put some figures and barns together and just so you know for sure, yes, I was COMPLETELY thinking about "American Gothic" when I did this painting:

Sunday, 2011, 60"x40" Oil on Panel

And since the one and only sheep painting I have ever done was the very first piece to sell in a show last spring, I decided to do some more sheep, and go larger too. So I did three that were meant to be together always:


Then I did a large red barn just for old time's sake.....

The rest of the paintings in the show were older paintings that I had on hand, ones that have not sold found their people yet. I spent quite a bit of time choosing pieces that worked together and that also looked right with the new paintings. Doug helped me a lot with this since I tend to want to include everything I have ever done and he tends towards sparse.

I had two walls of a HUGE room, the whole third floor actually. The light was a bit funky, there is an unfortunately placed stairway, and a lot of windows. Although I specifically requested the walls with the windows because I wanted to make groupings on the smaller wall sections.

So here are images of the exhibit. You can see a bit of Nancy's work in the last picture.





Now about Wolf Kahn. I learned a few days before the opening reception that he would not be able to attend. I was disappointed but I immediately understood that the bright side was that I wouldn't have to worry about prattling on and on in front of him or doing something dorky, like spray cracker crumbs on his shirt while prattling. Despite missing Doug, (he was out of town) I was very pleased that so many of my friends came to the opening and I had a lovely time chatting with everyone, not to mention getting my ego inflated a bit. The farm couple and the sheep received a LOT of positive feedback, yayy!!

However, the ego part didn't really last long enough for me to become unbearable. A few days later when Doug was back home, we went to take pictures of the exhibit and while we were doing that two guys were looking at the show. They were wandering around the room while we were taking pictures and finally stood in front of "Sunday." One of them said, and I quote: "the only thing that missing from this one is a pitchfork" Cue their hysterical laughter. Then he turned and they both spent about 5 minutes checking out every. single. detail. of the really "well built! nice color! sturdy! and it has a drawer!" table sitting near the stairwell.


Doug and I had a good laugh about it after they left and I am quite glad he got a few pictures of them which will serve as a reminder to me that not everyone loves my paintings. Sob.....

Anyway, Wolf Kahn's work was displayed on the first floor. Danielle (the Smithy's gallery director) was the curator and she did a wonderful job of that. The pieces were all pastels and were priced in the 3-5k range. I think Doug was tempted to buy one, but unfortunately those prices are not in any part whatsoever of our budget lately; our income is at the mercy of the current economy, alas. Maybe I should have suggested a trade? bwahahaahaaaaa!!!!!

So of course, it was wonderful to see his pastels in person, to see the marks, the colors, it all has a random and expressive quality yet the space and structure is so descriptive. Also these pastels were far more subdued that the pieces I have seen in the past, probably due to the changes in his eyesight (he has macular degeneration) and that accounted for just a little bit more of a difference in our work. Phew!





So all in all, this was a very exciting event to participate in, especially since it was actually IN our little town here. I am very grateful to Danielle for thinking about me when she got the yes from Wolf Kahn, and I am also extremely impressed that she was able to get that yes! Not sure yet if anything will come of this show for me, however I do have a pile of cards for the show with both our names on it which is pretty dang awesome and constitutes actual proof that I once had an exhibit with Wolf Kahn.....

This Will Be Fine, Right?????

White House, 10"x8" Oil on Panel, 2011

After frittering away quite a lot of days lately I am finally getting down to business but omg, why must I always procrastinate???? SO much work to do in the garden, which can't really be put off, and also I have a number of exhibits to prepare for in the coming months. Mostly a few group shows but they all involve me having to develop some new (for me) subject matter so some extra time and energy will be necessary.

However, one event that is coming up will need even more that that. One of the first places I showed my landscapes years ago was at a local nonprofit gallery, The Smithy-Pioneer Gallery. I have been included in their member group shows each summer (it's a seasonal gallery), have had a solo show and they can also take credit for getting my name listed in the Art in America's Annual Guide which I admit to being totally giddy about.

A few months ago, the new director contacted me and asked if I would like to be part of an exhibition called "Rural" that will be up during the month of August. I said yes, even though my exhibition schedule for 2011 was already getting a bit hectic and even though I usually try not to participate in anything bigger than a group show in August and September. I have learned from experience that it is really difficult to prepare for anything big while the kids are home during the summer, however, lately it is seeming like a bad idea to turn down any good opportunities. But I also paused when I heard who else would be exhibiting simultaneously.

But let me back up a bit first. The Smithy is the oldest building in Cooperstown. It has three floors, each with varying kinds of gallery space. The first floor is at street level and is the original part of the building, it's very rustic; stone walls, forges, anvils, and tools remain from its original use as a blacksmith shop. The second floor is where the member group show is held each summer, in addition to a small room that features a solo show each month. I had a solo there in the summer of 2008. And the third floor is a large open space, which usually features one or two artists and often has a particular theme, often historical. This is the space I will be sharing with Nancy Samstein. The member group show and solo show by Michael Whaling will be on the second floor and Wolf Kahn will be showing on the first floor.

Yes. You read that right.

THE Wolf Kahn. Monotypes, and maybe a few oil paintings. This is all exciting and everything but I must admit to being a bit intimidated as well. Over the years, people have often told me that my work reminds them of Wolf Kahn's and while flattering, I have never been quite comfortable with that, especially since I wasn't really aware of his work when I began my whole landscape/barn/color thing in 2003. (I wrote about that here and also wrote about meeting him" last year.) However, I feel now that even though our subject matter is still similar, the point of where my work has crisscrossed with his has passed. I was still concerned about being in such close proximity though and also about inundating viewers with barns and fields and tree lines, and I considered fast tracking a vegetable series I have going (more about that another time) so I could show those instead. But Doug assured me that my work has shifted away from his and it is true, I see that and I also hear FAR less feedback lately that includes his name in it;) So I am going to do some new work for this show, pursue the darker palette I have been using lately and also include more head on barn imagery like House, shown above, instead of the more angled views of structures I usually do. I think these are just a few of the shifts in my work that have distanced mine from his. Phew;)

So mostly I am pretty excited about this, but I still plan to stress a bit as well, which will ensure that things will be fine. Right?

PS. No word on whether Mr. Kahn will actually be at the opening reception. Please do NOT get me started on how much I will be stressing about that if he does attend. Heh.

PPS. I just realized that I really should have added here that I LOVE Wolf Kahn's work. It took awhile but I was finally able to see his oil paintings in person and they were simply stunning, so much better than any of the reproductions. I guess that is another reason why having my work in the vicinity of his is intimidating to me, I can't compete!!!!!

A Little Show

Horizon Lines (Fifteen), 2008, Oil on Panel, 3x5 (that's inches)

Well, as I mentioned in the last post, I have been finishing up work for a local show, which opens tonight. Smithy-Pioneer Gallery, Cooperstown, NY, 5-7pm just in case anyone wants to come by.

When I was first asked to do a solo this summer (in April) I had planned to continue with the small figures that I had done in Vermont last February. I even ordered small panels and everything. But then I got the new studio, and the upheaval of all that plus the other work I had going, made it really difficult to sit down and focus on them. So I decided to pursue another obsession I have had lately: the horizon line. I have been intrigued with a very simple horizontal line and then adding a few details, like telephone lines or a single tree or whatever. Mostly phone poles actually, because I have been a bit obsessed with them too. Have I mentioned before that I have a tendency towards obsessive behavior? Heh.

So I banged out about 37 paintings in the last few weeks, but don't get too crazy when you hear that. Most of the pieces are very small, 6x8, 6x6 and even 3x5 and 4x4, so they didn't take long. I also did several larger ones for some balance. I am very happy with the work and having to work so quickly was a good way to get acclimated to my new work space. Which is great, by the way.

I hung the show on Friday (this gallery is a nonprofit and so is more along the lines of a do-it-yourself kind of place, in fact I have to go make some cookies to bring to the reception) and it looks pretty good. I will take some photos tonight at the opening, I promise! and post them tomorrow.

Juggling

Red Roof, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Well, despite being pretty busy the last few days, and being terribly lazy about getting started in the studio, I did manage to get quite a few 8x10 paintings finished up. I am juggling a few deadlines right now, and they are all on this Friday, mostly because on Saturday we are going on a week long family vacation to the Lakes Region in New Hampshire. So this is what I have to do before we leave (doesn't count packing or cleaning the house):

The Harrison Gallery has been doing a bang up job selling my work lately and they need more paintings in their inventory. So I need to ship them at least four, although six would probably be better.

I am in a group show, called Upstate Landscape at a local gallery, the Smithy-Pioneer Gallery in Cooperstown, NY. I have to drop off about six pieces on Friday, and the opening is on Monday. We will miss it, which is unfortunate, because we usually know so many people at their openings.

The Blogger Show needs to have jpegs by August 31, of the two pieces that I plan to put into the show which is in November. So, um, I have to paint those paintings this week....

And the local arts org is having their annual Arts on the Lawn sale and so even though I have decided not to participate this year, I probably will end up doing it anyway. Since the events starts before we get back from vacation, I will have to drop off the work before we leave.

I have about 15 paintings in progress (five are essentially finished) and will totally be holding my breath this week, hoping that I don't screw up more than one of them. Heh.

After a bit of trial and error, I have a pretty good system for keeping track of all of this stuff. I have a calendar next to my desk which has the deadlines written on it, plus as a back up I take notes on a notepad on my desk. Cause sometimes I don't even feel like actually turning my head to look at the calendar. I also have a Day Runner type month-in-view calendar in a binder which I use to map out shows and projects for the upcoming year. Although I don't refer to that very often, it's great to have the overview easily available. And I always add the opening receptions that I have to go to, to the FAMILY MASTER CALENDAR, centrally located in the kitchen. That way the kids can see when the 'rents are going out of town!

The interesting thing I have found is that if I write everything down, I always remember all of it and rarely have to check the dates. If I don't write it down, I forget the info entirely. So I take special care to write the important stuff down leaving the rest to mysteriously disappear into the recesses of my shrinking brain.

Back to Work Finally

Pink Hollyhocks, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Today was the first real day of work in my studio in over a week. I should have gotten right back to it on Monday, based on how much I have to finish up by next Friday, yikes, but I kept finding other things to do on both Monday and Tuesday. Getting back to painting can be tough for me when I have taken too much time off, or if something dramatic has happened, which is the case this time. My chair feels funny, the easel needs adjusting, the colors look different. Everything just feels odd.

But usually I decide to close my eyes and just dive back in. This always works and today was no exception. I felt as if I was really back home finally, that I was wrapped in the comfort of creating something, anything. The end results didn't matter. Well they did a little bit because I do have to send new work out soon, but while I was painting I didn't think about all that. I did some very nice underpaintings as well as added color to a few pieces that were in progress.

And so I am back on track. For the time being, anyway.

The piece I have posted today is an oddball for me I think. I almost never use white, and I sure used it here. Doug liked it, I didn't. But it made the cut anyway (I trust his opinion, usually anyway) and is hanging in a group show at the Smithy-Pioneer Gallery in Cooperstown, NY.

Floral and Fauna

The stack of rocks in front is our attempt at camouflaging the septic tank opening.

Mostly just pictures of my bloomin' garden today. I have to work in the studio all day and try to finish up some large pieces (four 24x38, and one 48x60!) so that I can prepare them for delivery by next Wednesday.

Also, I have to get ready for a community event that I am doing tomorrow (more about that on Monday) and begin a number of small pieces for a local group show in August called "Floral and Fauna." Which brings me back to the flowers. My back flower garden is looking great right now so I thought I'd get a few shots, both for reference for the paintings, and to, well, show off a bit. Heh. Actually, I still think the garden looks a bit too sparse, but I keep reminding myself to wait before adding more plants. The garden will fill in over the next few years.

I am not a very patient gardener though.