Hope and Fury

Logo Impact

2012-03-02T15:59:00.002-05:00

That Shelby logo packs some power, especially when the negative space reflects right back at you.

Working Title "Leadership"

2012-02-29T15:53:00.004-05:00

Above is a record shot of a very recent painting, a collaborative effort working with Dr. Ju.

If I am not mistaken, it is an updated variation on a old Chinese poem, praising a leader for service well officiated, and at the same time, reminding the leader of the importance of future humility and service to the community.

This detail of the painting shows the layering of images, found so often in our work. More detectable to the in-person viewer, and less so to the viewer on the web, is the under painting. The original layer lays out a kabbalistic map of how energy flows in the universe. Over this is the poem, focused on the world we live in.

The work weaves as one, and renders an intercultural exploration.

Looking At Glass, Through Glass

2012-02-28T16:06:00.004-05:00

In passing, an object d'art, in this case with one of my favorite color combinations, red, orange, and yellow. An artisan has brightened our world with beauty.

Fun 02

2012-02-26T14:14:00.002-05:00

With words.

Junk Architect

2012-02-26T13:47:00.007-05:00

The master artist himself, Jim Healy, Junk Architect, chilling in my studio late Friday afternoon, assessing the week.

Fun

2012-02-23T11:25:00.001-05:00

It's everything its cracked up to be.

Keeping With The Color Palette

2012-02-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

The Henry Moore scupture, "Vertebrae", poised in front of the Seattle Public Library, a juxtaposition that works.

Emotional Impact

2012-02-13T15:41:00.003-05:00

Dr. Ju in the studio, the image having been altered, for emotional impact.

Push Button

2012-02-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

Engaging image on the street, outside the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

Digitize and Enhance

2012-02-10T16:20:00.003-05:00

I can't resist the urge to lay a photo down on its side, and digitally enhance the image. The color made me do it.

Shutter Release

2012-02-10T14:52:00.003-05:00

The Francesca Woodman exhibit at SFMOMA is one of the most engaging and honest photography exhibits I have ever seen. Soon to be seen at the Guggenheim.

You Are The Art

2012-02-10T09:29:00.001-05:00

With a frame scribed on the wall at SFMOMA, the passerby becomes the art.

Four Stories

2012-02-10T08:45:00.003-05:00

Four stories, up over head, at SFMOMA.

Break For Sculpture

2012-02-08T14:07:00.003-05:00

This work entitled "Throwback", by Tony Smith, is on display at SFMOMA.

Want to counter the mayhem and horror? Create that which is beautiful, and elevate our world.

For Publication

2012-02-08T10:17:00.005-05:00

I had the good fortune to photograph one of the Pascal Calculators, a work of true genius and inspiration by Blaise Pascal, dating back to the mid 17th century. Yes, it was a bit nerve racking to examine, handle, and stage the object, being truly priceless, but exciting and fun, all at the same time. Two of my photos appear in the Museum Henri-Lecoq publication, "Les Machines Arithmetiques De Blaise Pascal." The book cover image appears at top.

The Art of Collaboration

2012-01-31T11:35:00.002-05:00

Dr. Yanan Ju, at work in the studio.

Intermission

2012-01-27T10:24:00.002-05:00

An old sketch, freshened up with a bit of digital magic.

That Which Is Soft, That Which Is Hard

2012-01-26T14:49:00.002-05:00

The new, with the old. In the flow. In harmony.

Beauty Found

2012-01-26T14:38:00.002-05:00

The beauty of Acadia, at our feet.

Memory in Pigment

2012-01-26T14:17:00.003-05:00

I had reason to go through some old images, looking for some work related photo, and came across this painting that I had done some years ago. It's one those works that I can hardly remember doing. Strange really, and yet strangely appealing on account of its honesty.

There is some sadness to it as well, some wrenching thing that the world can do to a person sometimes, drawing you into some strange state or place, even temporarily, almost like an image in a mirror you might behold, in passing, in a dream.

Creative Expression

2012-01-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

Yes, that really is satisfying.

Footsteps

2012-01-11T15:04:00.002-05:00

My old stomping grounds, at the foot of the Chelsea, Massachusetts side of the Mystic/Tobin Bridge. With sea breeze in the air, it was a quiet area, with the bustle of Boston, right, over, there.

Night Vortex

2012-01-10T16:47:00.003-05:00

My latest solo work, and I have never had to say that before, is shown above. This represents a new direction for me. I do enjoy having this work on my wall. A friend told me that every room should have something black in it. Yes, I think that could be true.

Et al

2012-01-10T15:34:00.013-05:00

The paintings above represent the collaborative efforts of Dr. Ju and me, to date. Most of the pieces have yet to be signed, which should complete the works. It has been quite an adventure so far, and great fun. The overriding theme of these works is cross cultural exploration, and I feel we are just getting started.

Stage Is Set

2011-12-29T15:42:00.004-05:00

I am close to the end of phase one for this work, "My Father Was In Shanghai, 1937." Exploring my father's time in war torn Shanghai in 1937, I am as excited about this piece as anything I have ever worked on.

Who knows what I will see as I look into this world, and behold the reflection.

I can feel his courage.

Spoonful

2011-12-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

It is proving nearly impossible to capture a suitable photo of a painting in my studio these days. I don't have the room to set up the tungsten lights and compose a decent shot. That has stopped me from posting new work. I can't let that stop me any longer. Above is a detail of one of my earliest completed works in collaberation with Dr. Ju. The working title is "Codes of Destiny." This image is taken with available light, using my least capable camera.

Reaching Into The Corners

2011-12-28T11:18:00.002-05:00

There has been a whole lot of creative activity going on, weaving the intercultural pursuits of two artists, reaching into the corners and holding fast the result, if only for a moment.

East and West

2011-11-29T15:35:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been quite a busy time lately, what with battling the elements, and work, but also, creatively, with a whole new set of paintings in the works. Notably, I have been working regularly with Dr. Ju, collaborating on a series of cross cultural explorations. More on that later.

Shown above is our first foray into the great unknown. The working title is "Earth and Heaven." We have several other works completed, or nearly so, some just needing signing.

I believe this exploration has opened up new possibilities for each of us, Dr. Ju and I.

That's Him

2011-10-13T21:52:00.002-04:00

The man has a big job.

All Alone in this World

2011-10-07T15:46:00.003-04:00

The lone Chinese street sweeper. She is all alone to do her work at the center of the intersection.

Bless her.

Break for Sculpture

2011-10-05T13:50:00.004-04:00

An engaging Louise Nevelson piece. To me, this one seems to move. There is no mistaking her work. When you see a Louise Nevelson, you know it, this one displayed at MoMA.

Friends for the Long Haul

2011-10-04T16:13:00.002-04:00

Once you get away from creating a piece that is all oil paint, or all acrylic, creating a work that is stable with respect to archival concerns is, well, complicated.

I am working on a series involving collage, and the number of materials mounting up the the piece is boggling. Starting with canvas, then gesso, rice paper, newspaper, gell adhesives, fixatives, liquin, oil paint, and finally, Chinese calligraphy ink. The components of many of these materials are themselves complex.

Having them all make friends, and all in the right sequence and correct amount of set time, that is the task at hand.

How long the work will last, well, no one can know.

What You See is What You Get

2011-09-23T14:20:00.002-04:00

How about a bright abstraction in yellow and red-orange to brighten our day? Works for me.

Sketch of the Day

2011-09-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

My coworker, John M., sketched on the beloved Magnadoodle, and now immortalized in the cyber world.

What's in a Name?

2011-09-21T13:12:00.002-04:00

In this case, the crossroads of people's lives, past and present, for better or for worse.

Camera Loves Them

2011-09-07T10:50:00.003-04:00

I find goats to be especially photogenic, particularly, Nubian goats.

Art Experience

2011-09-06T16:59:00.003-04:00

Experimenting, layering, learning, trying, engaging ,committing, and, it's all fun.

Syncretism

2011-08-30T17:01:00.002-04:00

Creatively, I am in a whole new place.

Impromptu Self Portrait

2011-08-24T17:03:00.002-04:00

Extemporaneous, improvisatory, spur of the moment, self portrait.

Dynamic Sign in the Sky

2011-08-03T13:59:00.004-04:00

The beautiful precursor to high winds, pelting rain, flooding, and marble sized hail.

Texting

2011-07-07T16:38:00.003-04:00

On new ground, the past in hand.

Iteration

2011-07-07T15:20:00.003-04:00

Adjacent and now, volume of energy flows up, the return and response, that which reaches, touches, and is touched, in perfect repose.

Sequence

2011-07-07T12:50:00.004-04:00

Forethought of space and essence the terminal of what and then.

Yes, Carl Sandburg was quite right in stating that what is poetry can not be described.

Yeah, That's Her

2011-07-01T11:59:00.004-04:00

Well, I am painting again, with the usual mix of satisfaction and frustration. But what is to stop me from having some fun with photo illustrations between brushstrokes?

New New New

2011-06-17T16:37:00.003-04:00

New art studio. New type of painting for me. Possible new series. Yeah, I'm excited!

Atelier, 2nd Floor

2011-06-10T15:32:00.003-04:00

After one too many flood events in my home art studio (yes, basement level), I have combined my art studio with my design studio/office, located on higher ground. The last two days, I have started to paint again, and it feels great. It is a whole new environment in many ways. I feel renewed.

That's me, covering a painting from 2007 with a fresh layer of gesso. I am excited to see what comes next.

Trees, Dead or Alive

2011-06-08T15:16:00.002-04:00

Always magnificent.

Image Du Jour

2011-05-26T13:52:00.002-04:00

Two tone, body at rest.

One Indian Cent

2011-05-25T16:16:00.005-04:00

How this 1903 US penny escaped notice, and wasn't pulled from circulation, is beyond me. I received this in change about a year ago. Perhaps it could be on account of its condition, that is, not very good.

It seems to me a little work of art. It has all the criteria of good design... variety, repetition, detail, interaction of positive and negative space (notan), keeps the eye moving, not to mention, excellent form, function and durability.

I often say, keep looking up, however, occasionally, look down, at your change.

Add Beauty

2011-05-06T16:59:00.002-04:00

Add light.

Nude

2011-04-20T15:53:00.003-04:00

The nude. Graceful, elegant, lovely.

Art Du Jour

2011-03-30T16:49:00.002-04:00

Pastel, specifically, Nupastels. Chalky, fun, and no drying required.

Welcome Spring

2011-03-21T14:44:00.001-04:00

Welcome Spring, with your hope and your fury.

Why Stop?

2011-03-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

Well, why stop now? I am loving this fun with color.

More Fun

2011-03-09T15:03:00.003-05:00

A little more fun with red-orange and yellow. Looking good together.

Love of Color

2011-03-06T10:04:00.003-05:00

Somewhere near the midpoint between the abstract and the real, this image is enhanced, for emotional impact.

All in a Day's Work

2011-03-04T13:31:00.003-05:00

Now there is a job, washing the windows of an iconic Seattle building, the Rainier Tower, yes, all 31 floors of it.

The Place

2011-03-04T13:15:00.002-05:00

This is the site of a recurring dream, one of those places that, on the surface should hold no particular meaning, and yet, it does. Why this image of a place 3,000 miles away should hold such importance in my psyche is a mystery. I believe over time, the mystery will be revealed, perhaps with the help of art. As with dreams, art reveals what is within.

Focus on the Ordinary

2011-03-04T13:03:00.004-05:00

A piece of ordinary architectural glass from decades past, seems a bit extraordinary when seen through the lens. What may have been overlooked comes into focus. What was clear now reflects an array of color, changing moment to moment, and depending on your point of view.

Real to Abstract

2011-02-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

Start with something real, and then remove all traces of reality. The result? Abstract art.

Another good observation from Pablo Picasso!

Two Tone

2011-02-09T10:43:00.003-05:00

I think Jackie looks great in red-orange and yellow. She had great hair.

Why should Warhol have all the fun?

Ripple Effect

2011-02-07T20:57:00.003-05:00

Creatively, one of the great surprises of recent years is how much I respond to the color orange, and even more, all the colors of autumn, those being weighted on the red side of the spectrum.

Well, that would make it all more exciting.

Striations 02

2011-01-28T16:02:00.003-05:00

Striations 02, a digital sketch done one-handed, while talking on the phone. Yeah, that was fun!

Striations

2011-01-26T15:35:00.002-05:00

Reflections in a column meet Adobe Photoshop. Looks pleasing to me!

Glimpse

2011-01-14T10:44:00.003-05:00

For those of you in the northern hemisphere, how about a little color to brighten your world in these cold dark months. The image du jour is "Glimpse."

Look of Winter

2011-01-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

Showing some of the earmarks of good design, this image has variety, repetition, contrast, and the interplay of positive and negative space, also known to the Japanese as notan. All I had to do was look to the sky, point and shoot. I am glad that I had my little Nikon S220 with me, small enough to carry around on my belt. One of the good things about photography is that it provides a kind of emotional record, it puts you right back in the moment.

I wish everyone a peaceful and fulfilling 2011.

Manifestations of Man

2010-12-23T14:41:00.002-05:00

If you don't look up, you will never know what you are missing!

Modern Fashion

2010-12-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

Attendees at an Austrian fashion show in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.

Vanishing Art Form?

2010-12-10T14:53:00.002-05:00

Here is a master at work, on the sidewalks of Beijing, just behind the Summer Palace. I have it on good authority, that this calligrapher knows what he is doing. As he paints with a water filled brush, the characters vanish as he writes.

I am told that the fine art of Chinese calligraphy, which requires years of diligent study and practice, is proving ever more difficult to learn, and is now yielding fewer true masters than before. The digital age is demanding more of the student's time, leaving fewer hours to learn the myriad characters, and perfect the brush strokes. Brush strokes are giving way to computer keystrokes.

What will come of all this? Will an art form be lost to time? No one is to say.

Triptych

2010-11-30T15:46:00.003-05:00

Keep looking up.

Striking

2010-11-30T14:13:00.004-05:00

I was fortunate enough to revisit the Museum of Modern Art yesterday. With everything I saw, I think this painting, Picasso's Girl Before a Mirror, rated at the top. A striking work, it looks even way better in person, that is, the scale, the color, composition, mood, etc. The listener is included for scale, missing when the work is viewed on line or in print.

Quick and Fun

2010-11-19T09:39:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how much fun you can have, dragging an image into Photoshop, and playing around with it for a minute or so, transforming it to your liking.

Red Nude

2010-11-17T11:02:00.003-05:00

"Red Nude" is a new work. Building on several layers of unsatisfying effort, the end result was pure fun.

Fresh Air

2010-11-04T11:15:00.003-04:00

Monday's frustrating session in the studio, yields results on Wednesday, after I had time to let the paint dry and revisit several canvases I was working on. Like a breath of fresh air, the above work is aptly titled.

Modern, All In Its Day

2010-11-02T15:42:00.003-04:00

Modern Art is a product of the 20th century, er, I don't think so. Take a look at this Greek sculpture from 2,500 BCE, in the collection of the Seattle Art Museum. It almost could pass as early 20th century AD. It reminds me of a Modigliani sculpture.

Maybe there really isn't much new under the sun, as noted in Ecclesiastes. I recently heard Julian Schnabel say, "it isn't who did it first, it's who did it last."

SAM and Company

2010-10-28T15:38:00.004-04:00

We saw yet another fabulous exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum, more on that later. The Master, Picasso that is, just shined.

I got him to sit very still for his portrait. Actually, it's amazing how good an image you can get with a digital point and shoot, hand held, with no flash, cropped and enhanced in Photoshop.

Imaginative and Fun

2010-10-28T10:57:00.001-04:00

Blue Man Group really delivers!

What You See

2010-10-26T15:29:00.002-04:00

What you see is what you get, that is, when you mount a telephoto lens on your SLR, point it out the window on a rainy day, all in fun, and the camera auto focuses on the window pane and not some feature in the distance. The results look good to me.

As I like to say, you don't see that every day.

Ab Ex NY

2010-10-25T14:42:00.006-04:00

I had the good fortune of doing a photo shoot in Manhattan on Friday, just a few blocks away from the Museum of Modern Art. With timing being what it is, the Abstract Expressionist New York exhibition was in full swing. I can't say enough about just how satisfying it was to view this show.

Here is a visual testimonial.

Among other observations, I have a new found appreciation of the work of Robert Motherwell.

Loose and Fun

2010-10-24T10:58:00.002-04:00

I decided that my approach to art and creativity has become way too tight, careful, and constricted. Above is my latest exploration into all that is spontaneous, fun, and unrestricted. It felt good. My plan is to leave this canvas as is, that is, it will not be covered with gesso, only to be reworked later, as I often may be inclined to do. I prefer to go with the flow and keep this work as a reminder of a journey that is carefree, loose, and fun, perhaps, more how life should be.

Up Close and Digital

2010-10-06T12:14:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, with digital SLRs being substantially more complicated to operate as opposed to the film SLRs of the past, such as the Nikon F2 that I cut my teeth on, it is important to keep current with the camera, staying familiar with, at least, the rudiments of it's capabilities. Once you arrive at a photo shoot, it's a little late to try to bone up on the fine workings of the camera, when you should be snapping into action.

I took advantage of this autumn rainy day to pull out my trusty old 60mm AF Micro Nikkor, a lens that is equally adept at macro work as it is with so called "normal" shooting, as, at 60mm, it approximates how the human eye would normally see. Well, the fun has just started, and I post one example above, a shot staged with very little set up.

With digitals, the results are immediate, no need to load the film and little need to bracket any shots through the wonder of Adobe Photoshop. There is no waiting for viewing, processing, or otherwise. Of course, there are things you can do with film that you either can't do with digital photography, or are limited, such as extreme F stop work, at one end of the spectrum or the other. This kind of depth of field manipulation seems compromised. Also, film is its own medium, with warm, specific results, that really can't be duplicated digitally. However, after experiencing digital fun, there is no going back to the past that can be anticipated. There is nothing like shooting two hundred photos in a row, without pausing to reload. You can't do that with film.

If You Have Two Friends

2010-10-05T09:41:00.003-04:00

A morning spent oil painting in the studio yields equal measures of satisfaction and frustration, like two old friends come to visit.

Da Fu Wong

2010-09-28T15:22:00.003-04:00

As my Chinese friends like to call me Da Fu Wong, which translates as Big Old Rich Guy, above is my name as written in Chinese.

Of the three characters, the left character means big (like a big man holding his arms out), the middle character is a large house sitting on a farm (you're rich), and the right character is, I think, a bunch of birds sitting around (wise old guy).

What a rich fascinating language!

Self Portrait

2010-09-28T13:45:00.003-04:00

It's all in the point of view, in this case, on the street looking up at a cantilevered architectural overhang at the Seattle Public Library, a building like none other that I know.

Interplay

2010-09-21T13:45:00.003-04:00

Variety, repetition, interplay of positive and negate space (notan). Yeah, that does it!

What Was,What Is

2010-09-16T15:02:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I long for this place, but it doesn't even exist anymore.

Proximity

2010-09-07T15:40:00.003-04:00

The visual interest inherent in the tasteful juxtaposition of contrasting materials.

Artist Unknown

2010-09-07T15:20:00.002-04:00

The artistry of the stone wall.

Redux

2010-08-24T22:51:00.003-04:00

The splendor of a dead tree on Mount Desert Island in Maine, redone, as a sepia tone. The tree is dead, but not lifeless, enduring in majesty.

Snapshot

2010-08-24T22:32:00.004-04:00

The streets of Beijing. Notice the guide walk for the blind, center strip, a legacy from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Abstract Notion, Part 2

2010-08-23T14:25:00.003-04:00

Pastel image du jour. Yes, I am in it for the fun.

Point of View

2010-08-13T13:36:00.003-04:00

A viewpoint on the Great Wall. Mostly, it must have been quite peaceful, unless of course, the invading hordes were at the door.

West Meets East

2010-08-04T15:58:00.004-04:00

West meets east at this Austrian fashion show hosted in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.

It is a classic situation of life, imitating art, imitating life, where the model does an admirable job of doing her best mannequin impression of a live model. Very impressive!

DreamScape

2010-07-28T11:39:00.003-04:00

The image that appeared to me in the intermittent phase of sleep and waking, recreated digitally.

Life After Life

2010-07-26T12:29:00.002-04:00

The splendor of the dead tree.

Port in a Storm

2010-07-15T15:15:00.003-04:00

After a photoshoot yesterday, I hurried back to the car amid a rainstorm and packed my camera away. I noticed this little marvel of nature, a poetic metaphor for all that is free and beautiful in this world, taking refuge on the road under my engine compartment. It must have been battered around by the raindrops and was lucky to find some shelter, even though it was still struggling a bit in the elements. I quickly unpacked the camera and took a few photos, admiring the design, color and magic of this little wonder. I was quick about capturing a few images, being concerned with the camera, digital cameras being more susceptible to mortal damage in wet conditions as opposed to the old film cameras, like my trusty Nikon FM2, a camera that could keep shooting even with a completely dead battery.

After capturing a few images, I decided that I couldn't just drive off and leave this little one to get pelted by raindrops, so I tried to see if it would accept a lift, which it did quite readily, getting comfortable in the palm of my hand. I brought him into the car so that I could drop off the camera, and then placed him under the shelter of a low, mushroom shaped light fixture. The whole experienced capped off a great day of digital photography.

Great Artists Steal

2010-07-11T09:34:00.003-04:00

"Picasso Looks at Degas" is a wonderful exhibition at a wonderful museum, The Clark, in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Yes, Picasso was a great artist, and yes, he stole. Here he stole from one of the best. Degas more than holds his own here, he shines. This exhibition is well worth the pilgrimage.

Fun With Closeup 05

2010-06-22T22:12:00.004-04:00

Now that the paint has dried on this 12" x 48" oil painting, I think it's time to have some digital fun.
Yeah, that's satisfying.

In Step

2010-06-16T17:08:00.003-04:00

Another blessed session in the studio, and I've been having tons of fun. I am really thinking that everyone should try this! If everyone could put all the destruction and mayhem on hold, and just give creativity a try, oh what a world we would live in!

In Process

2010-06-14T16:48:00.005-04:00

I had the good fortune to spend most of another day in the studio today, with considerably less frustration than I experienced in my last session. In addition to tapping back in to the fun factor, which I consider to be critically important, I explored a host of unorthodox techniques, with, I believe, some success. I was able to get from stage to stage in the process with satisfaction.

Is the painting done? Probably not, but I feel that I am closing in on this one, and given that it has been some time since I completed an oil painting, that really feels good. Today, once again, I also recognized the value of the creative process, with respect to the logistics of crafting something, that is, in the moment to moment thought processes of evaluating proportions, light and dark, color applications etc., and then applying those thoughts into action. Yes, this is good for the soul.

I feel the excitement that comes with wondering how I will view this work in progress as the hours advance. Several days ago, I wondered if I would have to cut the canvas out of the frame, a rare but unfortunate necessity if a canvas reaches the point of no return on account of it being entirely over worked. This is a pleasant turn of events.