Self Portraits

One of the hardest and strangest things to do is a self portrait. You learn a lot about yourself as an artist, but also as a person. When you stare at yourself for a few hours you ask yourself why am I doing this? But you can't really stop until it's figured out.

self portrait (work in progress), 2010, 20x16, oil on canvas

Self Portrait (listening to Mahler), 2009, 24x18, oil on canvas

Self Portrait, 2008, charcoal on paper

What I've been up to lately

I need a place to share my recent work and the site I use for my painting portfolio is down so below I give you some of the figures I have painted recently:

Emma, 2010, 48x36, oil on canvas

Althea, 2010, 60x48,oil on canvas

Dan, 2010, 48x36, oil on canvas

Edward, 2010, 24x18, oil on canvas

Betty's Daughter, 2010, 24x18, oil on canvas

Demetri, 2009, 23x20, oil on canvas

Julie, 2010, oil on canvas

Nina in Scarf, 2010, 24x18, oil on canvas paper

Tom, 2010, 24x18, oil on canvas

Tom (profile), 2010, 24x18, oil on canvas paper

Tanya, 2010, 48x36, oil on canvas

Liberty View Farms

A few weekends ago I went to Liberty View Farms with a dear friend. Because sometimes we just can't find enough nature in the city. We need a country fix to unwind and slow down to the pace of the crickets singing and the sun changing the shadows on the open road before us. We apple picked with old rickety wooden apple pickers. Skipping through the rows of organic Empires we enjoyed one of the last hot days at the beginnings of fall. We pet the goats, inspected the field of kale, cautiously walked among the white turkeys, and watched the fashionable hens pecking at the ground strewn with apples. We lay in the grass and breathed in the nature and the apple scented air. Then we bought some squash, onions, and other delicious things such as apple turnover from Billiam's farm stand and went on our merry way.

(front) (inside)

I made this card for my sister's birthday. It's a Linoleum cut. It makes me want to eat cake right now, although not while wearing a corset. The rice paper I printed on was a little too soft, the texture is off so I need to reprint.

A trip to the Heartland

I went on a journey a weekend ago. I went up north of the city. There were fields of tall wild grasses, white butterflies, and prickers. And perched on this land was a big, old, white house and some red barns time had forgotten. I camped on the hard ground behind the big, old house with a purring cat and my long john's to keep me warm. And I woke up to morning dew on my tent and sunshine on my face and I breathed in the air and heard the quiet breeze through the green leaves, the crispness of fall just on the edge of everything. Coffeeless and in silence, I saluted the day with my yoga practice and at the day's end I sang aloud with strangers around a welcoming fire. By the end of my stay I had new found friends and did not want to leave my dear old friend nature to return to my city mouse ways. When I did return, however, I found my new friends were my neighbors all along and that nature was here I just had to look for it harder. With my heart reopened to the world around me and my senses heightened I wanted to smile at the world, and I did. And I will again tomorrow. I do wonder how the fields I left behind are doing, but I know they are happy where they are, and for now so am I, besides I know where to find them again when I need them.

Where has the summer gone?

(Front) (inside)

It's been too long. Somehow it's August. Perhaps the New York heat has left me speechless? Anyway, above is a birthday card I gave to just about everyone who had a birthday in these hot months. It is a lino cut. This process of creating always makes me simplify my style and get back down to the basics. And oddly enough it reminded me that I want to take a screen printing class, and soon.

Hipsters in the park...

With this crazy hot, humid weather McCaren Park in the Burg has been just like the beach lately, minus the water. Everyone is out to look their best and check out everyone else through their ray bans while they lounge on sheets and bathe in the heat. Unfortunately hipsters don't seem to want to sit still for very long, but I tried my best the other day to capture the current vibe of my neighborhood through so very quick sketches.