New Work, New Digs

"Muscolo", oil on canvas

"Cushion Spurge", oil on linen

Here's the two latest completed pieces.  "Cushion Spurge" is a ground cover flowering plant in the poinsettia family that I found at the Boothbay Coastal Garden a couple years back.  What appealed to me for the painting were the shadows and shapes combined with all the variations found in the green, yellow, black palette.  On the other hand, "Muscolo" is comprised entirely of different sized and shaped triangles working to "approximate the curve" throughout the image, exploring the triangle's ability to intersect and interact.  Well, I moved uptown and got my own studio on Brunswick's Maine Street in the Lincoln Building, 2nd Floor, across the hall from Connie Lundquist's studio.  The space is roomier, the light (east north east) is great and the sound of traffic and street goings-on works for me.

3 for 3 at 10 by 10

Across Frenchman Bay, Oil, Joe Godleski

View From Camden Hills, Oil, Joe Godleski

Last Friday night's 10 by 10 show benefitting Arts Are Elementary was really something.  Brunswick merchants and restauranteurs donated an abundance of very good munchies that this chow hound "appreciated" to the max.  The crowd was festive and generous.  The volunteers kept everything moving smoothly.  And all three of the paintings I entered were sold - November Morning, Old Pumper, Heading for Cover!  So, I've been working on a couple of mountain/waterscapes, and they are shown above.  The palette and detail for these were scaled back from my usual work, as a change of pace.  Next show upcoming is the Yarmouth Arts Festival at Saint Bart's, October 19 - 22.  The Coastal Garden Rhododendron was juried in.  I'm looking forward to the artist's reception Oct. 20, 6 - 8 pm.

Latest Work and a visit to NCMA

"Coastal Garden Rhododendron", Oil, 30" X 10"

The first new work of the new year has been completed - "Coastal Garden Rhododendron" - shown above. It is from a sketch and photo early last Spring at the Coastal Botanical Gardens.  Again, the panorama format seems to work well and I really enjoyed working on this piece. 



Bob Trotman, "Girl", 2002



Alex and I returned from a holiday road trip early this month.  We had a chance to visit the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.  It was surprisingly enjoyable.  While the art critics may not have been kind to Mr. Rockwell, there is little doubt his work is well-composed and executed.  The exhibit was quite large, with many, many of his oils spanning 5 decades and a compelling narrative to accompany.  Also, at the NCMA was Bob Trotman: Inverted Utopias, a series of life-size carved, painted wood figures in falling, floating, suspended or otherwise unusual poses.  These works were impressive in their construction and a little spooky in their connection with each other.