Yesterday I hung new paintings at the Gallery to
replace those that had sold at the opening.
Landscape 1315 on the right is another painting
with fall colors although fall has pretty much
given way to winter here with a nice
sloppy inch or two of snow saturday night.
So I guess Landscape 1314 below would reflect
that change perfectly even though it was painted
months ago during the dreg-ends of winter. It has
more wildness and energy than the others I
have hung at the gallery. There's alot of scratching
and texture in the lower area. Gary and two other
friends who were looking while I was hanging
picked it as their favorite of the six on the wall.
Several people have suggested that I try to work larger. Most of my current work is in the 4"x10"
neighborhood matted to 11x14 but still quite
small. Marilyn pointed out several pieces
she though would translate well to a
larger size. She said just go out and buy some
canvases. I like keeping them small and therefore affordable - that's what we did best at Mill River Studio. But after nine days in DC seeing paintings that were as big as a house, I'm inspired towards a larger, more expansive and expressive form of painting.
This de Kooning at the East Gallery - part of the Meyerhoff Collection (1945-1995) exhibit - was inspirational. Both Faroll and I thought it was beautiful and timeless. I later read that the critics called the period in the eighties when he turned away from the vulgar, grotesque women, his "old-age style". Isn't that terrible? I guess he didn't like it either because when he moved to Easthampton he resumed the women series and his prices soared when it was disclosed that he had dementia - now we know it was probably Alzheimers'.
http://hirshhorn.si.edu/dynamic/collection_images/full/82.135.jpg shows another painting from the more lyrical examples. These personify the term "action painting" that was often used along with abstract expressionism and New York School to describe that group of post-war painters who now fill our museums. Can you imagine the reception if de Kooning had painted his women series today instead of some fifty or more years ago?
So working larger will be a goal for the new year. My make-shift studio at home seems a little small and confining for larger works so I'll have to do something about that or maybe just start marginally larger like 16x20. It would be nice to frame the painting without glass since they have the feel and texture of oil paintings so I'm going to try using some gessoed gatorboard. We'll see.
Holly
