Travels to Berlin in April

The East Side Gallery in Berlin is a moving artistic tribute to all those who endured the hardships of the Berlin Wall, died trying to escape, or offered their hope and sympathy. Several dozen murals have been painted on one of the longest still existing pieces of the Wall. Below are sections of two of the murals, which are protected from graffiti by a fence. Berliners love tagging!

East Side Gallery, Multiple Faces.jpg

March in the CVS Window

I am aiming for twelve consecutive months in the CVS window in Porter Square, Cambridge, as part of North Cambridge Art Association's (NOCA) group showing. This month's image is "A Good Day at Good Harbor." I did this painting more than a year ago, and I believe my style has evolved somewhat since then. I like the bright bursts of orange.

My "Trios" Exhibit at Healthworks in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA

Coral Playground.jpg
Exploring Below.jpg

I am showing 18 artworks at the Healthworks gym in Cambridge, MA through March 26. I call my exhibit “Trios” because I am showing my work in groups of three by a common theme, each theme represented by a photograph, a watercolor, and a collage. 

 

There are six themes:  snow, rooftops, light and shadow, the beach, underwater, and the shoreline.  The images in each theme are not meant to mimic each other but rather to capture some essence of the overall idea and to contain one or more key elements that help to unify the group of images (e.g., a specific image, a color, overall composition.) In some cases, the theme was inspired by a photograph I had taken; in others, a collage or painting I had made. Healthworks is a members only venue, but you can see my show if I accompany you. I have been a member of Healthworks for almost 29 years!

Seascape, Waikiki.jpg

Anatomy of a Collage

July 4th at the Beach was inspired by two photos I took in Wells Beach, Maine—After the Swim and Dusk along the Shore, which I also made into a watercolor. I knew I wanted to combine elements of both without including the ocean itself. The first decision I make is whether the collage will be vertical or horizontal as this decision determines the overall design.  Although I never know what the finished image will look like, I generally have some ideas that influence my initial search. In this case, I knew I wanted houses, a flag, and some towels. The images of the houses came from three different sources—a relocation guide, a calendar, and a catalog of outdoor housing products (fences, lamp posts, mailboxes, etc.) Other sources of images came from other calendars, a travel brochure, an illustrated daily meditation calendar, and a gardening magazine. (I also use other kinds of magazines and origami papers.) I can spend quite awhile searching for images with the right colors and textures.  

After I have located these, I decide whether to cut them out or tear them. I tend to favor torn images, but I wanted clean lines for the houses, flag, and towels in this collage, so I used scissors more than usual. Although some pieces of the puzzle have fixed places, such as sky, others require a lot of moving around until I find a pleasing and dynamic composition. This part often takes the longest, as I also have to consider how the pieces will be layered or overlapped. Once something is glued down it can’t be changed (although I can cover up something I don’t like.) I might tweak the shape of a particular piece at this point. I then glue down (with a glue stick) each piece in order. When the basic composition is in place, I might even wait overnight, examine it again and add final touches that pull the image together. Finally, when I know the glue has dried,  I brush a matte medium over the entire image to even out reflections and to seal all the pieces.

Lexington Arts and Crafts Society Student Show

I have two watercolor paintings up at the student show at the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society. The works are up through this weekend (February 14.) This one is called "Snow's Solace." I painted it in Paul George's watercolor class this fall.