A Painting a Day
Doesn't that sound like a great idea, creating a painting a day, or doing anything every day? Imagine all the work you would accumulate, how much you would improve your skills, what you would learn..... I've heard of people writing a play a day, a poem a day...
At one time I decided I would spend some time every day for a year working on my tiles, not even completing one a day, just putting in the time every day. Never happened. I would love to be that focused, that dedicated, that passionate about one part of my life. But ain't gonna happen.
I seem to work best in blocks of time. I'm really gung ho about something for a few days, or even weeks, then I have to let it go and move on to something else for a while. During the time I am interested in that one thing, I can work on it intensely, then work on the next different thing just as intensely. Some things drop off my list of interests forever, but the things I love always come around in the circle again.
One person who seems to have mastered the art of the "one a day" is Diane Hoeptner. Well, almost every day. And not just any old painting, but beautiful little paintings that I happen to love. I especially like her paintings of cut flowers in containers. Her flowers are not "still" lifes... they have a life of their own. The flowers are leaning, swaying, reaching across the canvas... they don't how to sit still!
She also does paintings of toys such as rubber duckies and pinnochio. I have to admit these are not my favorites, but they are fun, and I can imagine other people liking them, as toys seem to be popular on the art scene lately. She put nine of her pinnochio paintings together as a group which gave them new meaning and even I found that approach fascinating. I also happen to like the rubby ducky with the flower.
Her latest (December 20) posting is A Pair of Red Amaryllis Paintings. Separately these paintings are wonderful. Together makes them, oh well, doubly wonderful!
Of course, I have to mention that she paints cats too. But not enough, in my opinion!
I have known Diane for many years. When she lived in LA she was a member of the Culver City Art Group. I was in awe of her colored pencil portraits. But now I like her looser style of oil paintings even more. I hope you will check out Diane's blog on a regular basis and her postings will inspire you to do more art work yourself! (Hmmm, maybe I'm saying this to myself...)
http://dianehoeptner.blogspot.com/

Happy (Creative) Holidays!

Every year I set up my Dickens Village between Halloween and Thanksgiving to welcome in the holiday season. All the Village People have come out to wish you peace, love, harmony.... and most of all, ART... during this festive season and in the year to come!

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Holiday Boutique Sale in the Marina

For those of you who couldn't come to the art show last weekend because you had to de-flea the dog or weed-whack the lawn, ha ha, here is your second chance!! You can now visit my ceramic tiles, some new, some not so new.

Holiday Boutique, Saturday & Sunday

November 22 & 23, 9:00am to 4:00pm

Santa Monica Windjammers Yacht Club

13589 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90029
Located next to Burton Chace Park.

For questions contact Pat Salcedo (310) 578-9912.

Looking forward to seeing you!

(Flyer design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Gauguin and the Tuxedo CatI was looking through some old photos on disc and found my cat Friday staring back at me from the screen. The image was screaming "TILE!" For the background I immediately thought of the rug in Guaguin's "Arii Matamoe (The Royal End)" which I wrote about recently.
He is a handsome guy, isn't he?
Ceramic tile, 6"x6"
(Photo and design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Lucky 13th Annual Culver City Art Group Holiday ShowDon't miss our show. The Culver City Art Group has some fabulous artists (far better than me, thank goodness). And if you don't like art, come for the snacks!
I will be showing a handful of new tiles, four Photoshop digital "paintings" that I experimented with, a couple of mosaics and two small acrylic paintings. I also have three entries in the "Colors of Fall" exhibit. How's that for variety?
Saturday, November 15, 2008 from noon to 6:00pm. Meet the artists (and those snacks) between 3:30pm and 6:00pm). Rotunda Room, Vet's Building, Overland and Culver in Culver City. Plenty of free parking! See you there!

(Flyer design copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Ancient Mosaics Among the Saguaros

One of the many niceties about going to the Getty Villa for an event is the drive along Pacific Coast Highway with the view of that seemingly endless blue ocean... LA has so many facets to it, and the Pacific Ocean is certainly a good enough reason to live here, even if I don't make the attempt to see it as often as I could... but I digress (my favorite thing to do).

And so, Thursday morning my car was headed back to her favorite parking spot at the Villa, this time to take me to the one-day class, "Ancient Stones in Modern Contexts" taught by Lillian Sizemore. In the morning we discussed ancient and modern mosaics in general, toured the four mosaics on display (which I pretty much know by heart now, although always noticing something new each time I see them), then visited the exhibition "Jim Dine: Poet Singing (The Flowering Sheets)", a contemporary installation inspired by scupltures in the collection.

The idea was for us to design our own mosaic based on the ancient mosaics we had viewed that morning. I did a preliminary sketch of grape leaves in a geometric pattern but I had no enthusiasm for it. After a short meditation I saw a vision of saguaros in the southwest with mountains against a sunset. I had no idea where this came from or how it would translate into what was supposed to be a geometric mosaic, especially as we had to use the pieces without cutting them, but there it was, so I proceeded to lay it out on my board.

As the design progressed I realized I had gotten myself into more than I could deal with and part of me had the strong desire to wipe all the mosaic stones off and start over with something more organized, but as we only had a couple of hours to work it was too late. Nevertheless, another part of me was compelled to see the outcome of this mess.

Regardless of my design choice, I have to say I enjoyed the process, of being in the moment, and the realization that no matter the outcome I was creating something that had never existed before. That, to me, is the beauty of the creative process: the opportunity to give birth to an entity entirely new with a life of its own.

Even though, as one of my classmates expressed, the Jim Dine exhibit was not my cup of tea, I "got" what he was doing. This mosaic was my expression of all the influences of that day and of my entire life.

Later, reflecting on what I had done with the mosaic I understood where my inspiration came from. Looking at the mosaics had tapped into my love of archaeology in general and specifically, the project I am working on currently, drawings and photos from an excavation in the southwest US. The images in the mosaic are not just saguaros, but as another classmate commented, look like some of the Indian petroglyphs and pictographs to be found on rocks and cliffsides. So perhaps my subconscious mind was weaving together the designs left by the ancient Romans with those of the Indians. Stones hewn from the mountainsides, rocks and cave walls painted, pebbles and clay taken from the earth. It's all the same. Art is what ties us all together.

[As a side note, one of the many things I learned this day was the technique of dry grouting. Because these mosaic stones are very porous, it's not a good idea to apply wet grout. Instead, you can sprinkle the dry grout over the finished piece, let it fall into the spaces and brush off the excess powder. Then spray the piece with water, carefully clean off any grout that has bubbled up over the stones and let dry. Repeat this process until the grout is as you want it. I am in the process of doing this. Very useful advice for grouting my framed tiles as well, as the wet grout sometimes mars the wood frames. I'm going to try it with my latest tiles.]

(Photos copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A Beautiful End to a Beautiful Day
The two Gettys are pretty much my home away from home these days. Each time I visit I tell myself I have been so many times this year I don't need to go for a while, and then I find myself returning to either the Center or the Villa, so I give up. Of all the cultural venues in the LA area (probably hundreds, possibly thousands?), the Gettys are the ones I visit the most. I let my MOCA membership lapse because I found myself intrigued by an exhibit maybe once a year. I do believe in supporting the arts in LA, even the ones I don't necessarily enjoy that much, but my dollars only go so far these days. I remain a member of LACMA because its diversity of genres holds my interest, even though I don't go there as often as I used to, mainly because I keep getting sucked in by the must-see exhibits at the Gettys!

My most recent visit to the Getty Center was on Saturday. I started out in the morning at the Getty Research Institute library to research an archaeology project I am interested in. The time went by too quickly and I realized I had to meet a friend for lunch and then to see the Bernini exhibit which was ending (I had seen it previously but decided as I was there anyway, it was worth a second look). I generally don't like going at the weekends as the crowds are too much for me. On the one hand I think it's wonderful that the Getty Center has retained such a high public interest. On the other hand, too many people can spoil the ambiance for me, so I was glad I had seen Bernini under quieter circumstances.

But my primary reason for writing this particular blog is to mention the Getty's recent acquisition of Gauguin's "Arii Matamoe (The Royal End)." Before leaving for the day I had to take another peak at this painting. Naturally, I have read all the discussions about it. (You can read about it here so I won't repeat any of it.) I recognize all the influences, etc. but I have developed a personal relationship with the painting. When I walk into the room filled with paintings by other favorite artists such as Monet and Van Gogh, this is the one that attracts my attention. I find everything about it to be perfect. (Just a note: I saw the online photo of the painting before seeing the painting in person and was not impresed by it at all. Seeing it "in the flesh," as with all paintings, is a totally different experience.)
The subject matter could be thought of as grisly and abhorrent. Gauguin could, indeed, have chosen to show all the blood and guts associated with it. But I don't believe that was his intention. Instead, the scene comes across to me as serene and harmonious. I feel very much at peace when viewing it, even though, intellectually, I think I should not. The reactions of the people in the background are temporary, and life will go on. The head is surrounded by vibrant colors, exquisite designs and exotic scenery. It is not at all somber. Perhaps that is the message I am getting here: death and destruction are a part of us, but at the same time we must find the beauty all around us in order to move forward.

(Paul Gauguin French, Tahiti, 1892 Oil on coarse fabric 18 7/8 x 29 1/2 in. 2008.5
The J. Paul Getty Trust
© J. Paul Getty Trust)

A New Look
The Culver City Art Group website has a new, fun look. I've been wanting to update the site for a long time but could never set aside a block of time to do it. Now it is done. I'm hoping in the coming year we can upload some new photos of our activities. If you have any photos (in digital format) you would like to see posted, let me know!

We are having our lucky 13th Annual Holiday Art Show on November 15. If you are an artist and would like to exhibit in our show, you must be a member of our group (only $25 a year), be present at the event and be willing to help with a small task. More info will appear on this blog later on. Or keep checking on the CCAG website.

Plaster of Paris Penguins
40 days and 40 nights, yep, that's about how long it's been since I have posted here. I've THOUGHT about it every day but that's how far merely thinking gets you.... absolutely nowhere! Must be a lesson in there somewhere.
I've been busy revising my resume, posting it on various job boards, and updating my portfolio. Because, as the economy is tanking and this is the worst possible time to be doing it, I am looking for a J-O-B! My cats refuse to give up their cosy little lives, so it's up to me...
Over a year ago I quit my well-paying, secure corporate job in order to go lie under a palm tree and gaze at the blue sky... well, not quite. I did quit the job but over the past 14 months I have found myself incredibly busy. I've never been one of those people who can take a vacation to a tropical island, lie in the sun and drink mai tais all day. Five minutes would be all I could take. Which is not to say I never advocate doing "nothing." Although that depends on the definition.
Getting out of bed every morning and not necessarily having to go anywhere or do anything opened up all kinds of possibilities. I was so burned out on my corporate job I really wasn't enjoying the rest of my life. I decided I needed to let life fall where it may for a while and see what came up. I admit that the first few months weren't particularly wonderful. I spent many days worrying that I was wasting time. I think I was waiting for a revelation of some kind. A flash of light and a voice from the heavens to tell me what direction to take. As I wasn't living in a movie, that never happened. All changes in my life have come about very slowly, even the ones that started with a sudden event. The consequences and realizations always take a while to catch up with me.
So it has been with my time "off." Looking back over the past year I realize how very far I have come. And no matter what happens to me from now on, this year will play a large part.
An interesting outcome is that the things I didn't do are as important as the things I did. This has helped to solidify who I am and where I am going. As a child I was extremely creative. I lived every day to paint, draw, write and make Plaster of Paris penguins (getting that beak out of the mold intact is much more difficult than you might think!). I truly believed this is who I would revert to during this year. I bought my own kiln but this did not increase my tile output. I bought canvases and self-teaching DVDs and attended art classes. But nothing could get that creative spark ignited. This was terribly disappointing and frustrating.
Then the revelation came. What I really enjoy, bringing me hours of rapture, is the study of art. Reading about art history, attending art galleries and museums, critiquing other artists' work... that's where I get my jollies! This is a huge relief as I've been beating myself over the head for years for not being more artistically productive! Okay, so I do more artwork than the average person, but not enough to become a really good artist. Or at least, not enough, or any, work that would qualify for the title "fine art." I have always loved arts and crafts more than, say, oil painting, but I have never valued painting tiles or making those Plaster of Paris penguins as much as a "real" piece of art.
Somewhere inside me was always that child who wanted to be a great artist. Perhaps if I could turn back the clock a few decades I could have gone in a different direction, but at the time, the realities of life (or, that is to say, the perception of what life was like) stepped in and took away my paint brush. But we only have the future to work with, don't we? (Speak up, someone, if you know something I don't!)
I realize my entire adult life has been a process of turning the wheel around to where I was in my early twenties, to that point where I closed up shop creatively and let my left brain run my life. During this past year I completed that creakingly slow, torturous process. Instead of looking back to what I lost, I am now able to move forward. I'm very excited about the future. I see very clearly where I want to be, what I want to do, who I am. The ship is headed in the right direction and there is no stopping me now!

Catalina Cats

As a self-proclaimed tile addict, my favorite thing to do when I visit Catalina Island (just a short boat ride from Los Angeles) is to hunt down all the beautiful tiles that adorn the buildings and walkways in Avalon. (And I highly recommend the Jewels of Avalon Tile Walking Tour.) But just as ubiquitous, and beautiful, are the feral cats of Catalina. T-shirts and other souvenirs of the cats are easily found in the shops. So for me to paint a tile of a Catalina scene was well overdue. I just retrieved this one from the kiln this morning. I have a companion tile that I'm starting to work on now but for the first one I decided on the most famous landmark, the Casino Ballroom. Inviting you into the scene are my two friends, Friday and Pharoah!

(Designs and photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Magical Night in Malibu The first thing you notice when turning off Pacific Coast Highway into the Pepperdine University Campus is the wave of US flags on Alumni Park paying tribute to the 2,977 lives lost in the September 11 attacks seven years ago.
We attended the reception for the opening of Carolyn Mary Kleefeld: Visions from Big Sur in the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, a very nice gallery space which I have never visited before.
Although I liked many of the pieces in the exhibit, I felt most attuned to the ink drawings (listed under "pastels" and "colored pens" on her website). Sometimes I can visit a gallery with all kinds of good intentions to be receptive to the artwork but I end up wondering what in the world I am doing there. But this time I was suitably impressed and felt a definite connection with the art on display.
The mood was enhanced by the excellent guitarist pictured in the corner of the photo.
The exhibit runs from September 13 - December 14, 2008. Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263. General information: (310) 506-4851.
(Photo is copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Don't Listen to Grouch Marx

He said he would never belong to an organization that would accept him as a member!

You are invited to the Culver City Art Group 2008 membership drive, Saturday, September 13 at Graphaids, located at 3030 La Cienega Blvd in Culver City. That's between Jefferson and Washington. We will have an acrylic painting demo from 11:30 to 2:00.

You are welcome to attend the demo without joining the group but membership is only $25 a year and these days that's a pretty good deal. To find out everything you get for your money, come, meet and hang out with some of our members on Saturday.

Portrait of a Cat
My latest tile commision was for a portrait of Frida, a Maine Coon Cat. I was given photos showing her as either brown or grey but I was assured she is really grey. I did one drawing on the tile that I really didn't like, so started another. Then decided to paint them both. I was much less constrained painting the tile I had decided was not the final product. That should be a lesson as the client picked the tile (which I showed them before firing) I had decided was merely the backup. I probably felt I could take chances I couldn't with the "real" tile. (Designs and photos are copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Max Ernst, I Hardly Knew Ye
Since I fell down the stairs and sprained my knees almost three weeks ago, I've had some time to watch a lot of NetFlix movies and read books. Although not one to enjoy sedentary activities (is that an oxymoron?), it has been forced upon me to some small degree. As it was necessary to do some serious sofa time one afternoon I popped the "Max Ernst" DVD in the machine and prepared myself to take a nap. Ernst was always one of those painters on the periphery of my consciousness who I never bothered to be interested in. To tell the truth, the first time I did fall asleep in the first half hour, but as my knees needed to be rooted to the spot for a while I decided to try again. Second time the charm. Fully awake, I was intrigued from the get go. Not only did I find myself admiring his artwork, but the man himself led a hugely interesting life on two continents with the requisite array of beautiful and intelligent women falling in love with him. Had I been around at the time I might have done the same (not tooting my own horn as beautiful or intelligent, just for the record!). How did this artist manage to escape my attention all these years? Probably because I put him in the same class as Magritte, an artist who I know had an important influence on the art scene but gives me no or little emotional satisfaction. Not so with Ernst. I was immediately drawn to his work in a decidedly non-cerebral way. The same feeling I get when standing in front of a Van Gogh or one of Hockney's portraits.... it's a very personal experience. I admit, knowing the stories and influences behind the paintings helped my appreciation. Especially his love of the American Southwest which I now clearly see in many of his paintings. Nevertheless, that doesn't always work for me so there has to be something else.
I managed to restrain myself for 24 hours but then I researched all the Max Ernst books on Amazon and decided on "Max Ernst, A Retrospective" published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with the 2005 exhibit. Wish I'd been there! This has been my bedtime reading the past few nights. Of course, I can't say I absolutely love every single image in the book, some of his paintings I can't relate to at all. But some I didn't like the first time around are now beginning to grow on me! I like the fact that his work is quite varied. And as he said, "A painter is lost if he finds himself."

Rolling van Gogh
Just as The Rolling Stones have been my favorite musical artists since the first time I heard them in the 60s, so Vincent van Gogh has been my favorite visual artist since the first time I really became aware of him when a boyfriend took me to his exhibit at LACMA in the 70s. I can see Keith and Vincent sharing a smoke and some laughs together while Mick and Theo discuss business in the background. The same souls keep coming around in different disguises. This is a story about one of Vincent's over-paintings....
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-sci-vangogh30-2008jul30,0,7491968.story

Rabbit Hides, Egg Yolks & Mummies

Painting in the Ancient World is the day-long workshop I attended on Sunday at the Getty Villa. We learned Romano-Egyptian painting techniques led by artist Sylvana Barrett. We learned how to mix pigments with boiled rabbit hide (or cow hide) glue or egg yolks to make our own paint and prepared a poplar board (which is what the Mona Lisa was painted on) using authentic materials on which we created a tempera portrait. We started out in the museum gallery looking at the mummy portraits. I've looked at these many times but never noticed the fine (and not-so-fine) cross hatching before. We learned to use this technique to create shadows and highlights and soften the edges between them. I rather like this technique and plan to experiment in acrylics.

I'm not comfortable doing anything for the first time in a classroom situation so although I'm not happy with my finished product, it was a fun day and I'd like to use these pigments and techniques at my own speed. But for better or worse, I'm brave enough to post the portrait on this blog for the whole world to see! And you can see the mummy portrait that inspired this painting here. (So, mine doesn't look so bad now, heh....)

The instructor will be teaching a workshop on manuscript illumination later in the year and I already have the date penciled into my day planner.

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Terra Cotta and Shiny Rocks
Saturday five of us invaded the Bowers Museum to view the Terra Cotta Warriors, the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army ever seen outside of China. I had previously seen photos of the thousands of soldiers lined up in the trenches, discovered by farmers in the 1970s, but I didn't know what to expect from the exhibit. The Bowers, as usual, has done an outstanding job. KL had seen the original excavation in China but was suitably impressed by the presentation. I was amazed by the completeness of the statues as many had been pieced together from shattered remains. Like the marble statues of the Roman Empire, these terra cotta soldiers were brightly painted, but apparently as soon as they hit the air the paint disappeared and we see only the color of the clay. So although there are possibly thousands more of these statues waiting to be uncovered, they will remain buried until technology is able to save the paint colors. The exhibit is well attended (at least at the weekend) and the lines were long for people without tickets.
And now for something completely different, the other worthwhile exhibit at the Bowers, is GEMS! Colors of Light and Stone. To quote the website "the most important private gem collection in the United States, with few rivals in the world outside of the royal families, the Michael Scott Collection is back at Bowers Museum and features even more luxurious pieces." I wouldn't know a diamond from a piece of cut glass, but this exhibit is fascinating. I particularly liked the rocks in their uncut state compared to the finished piece. And the largest cut gem in the world was on display, a huge hunk of 500,000 carats... you gotta see it in all its glory...
The Terra Cotta Warriors are a must see (even if you've already seen them in their raw state in China) and if you visit before August 24 you'll have the added treat of the gem collection. And I never tire of seeing the museum's collection of plein air paintings, California, The GoldenYears.

Women of Art and ScienceIf you have any interest in botanical art, don't miss Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters through August 31, 2008 at the Getty Center. From the Getty website: "Enterprising and adventurous, these women raised the artistic standards of natural history illustration and helped transform the field of entomology, the study of insects. The exhibition presents books, prints, and watercolors by Merian and her contemporaries and features one of the greatest illustrated natural history books of all time, The Insects of Suriname."

As an adjunct to the exhibit you can visit with botanical artists in the Central Garden as they demonstrate materials and techniques for rendering plants and flowers. Free; no reservations required. Learn more about artist-at-work demonstrations. Thursdays and Sundays, July 3–31, 2008, 1:00–3:00 p.m. Getty Center, Central Garden.

After visiting the exhibit I wandered around the garden talking to the various artists. Their work is inspiring. And each one had a different story to tell about how they came to this avocation. The Central Garden is in its full summer glory right now as you can see from the photo above.

I learned the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California is to host the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Botanical Artists October 30, 2008 - November 1, 2008 at The Huntington Library. I plan on being there!

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

My Own Piece of Alaska

Nine years ago some friends and I cruised the Inside Passage of Alaska. But due to time constraints, I was not able to continue on to the land part of the trip from Anchorage to Denali. All that time I felt I had not closed the book on Alaska. So in mid-May, one of my friends from that trip (KJ) and another friend (KL) decided to sign up for the Sierra Club bus trip visiting Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali. It was a spectacular trip, and I am so happy I decided to return to the land of ice and tundra. But more about that in another blog.

Our first morning in Anchorage KL and I discovered the Anchorage Market and Festival just up the hill from our Comfort Inn. One of the vendors was Ed Mighell, an artist who makes and designs tiles. I immediately fell in love with several of his pieces and knew I had already found the best possible souvenir of my trip to Alaska. Especially as Ed personally collects the clay from the coast of Cook Inlet in Anchorage near the Turnagain neighborhood.

It was a difficult decision but this is the tile I chose. The bear on the surface of the ice and the seal underneath. Notice the seal's air hole in the ice. Bears have been known to wait patiently for hours at an air hole until their prey appears. I read that they will even make their own hole in the ice a few yards from the seal's air hole then dive into the water behind the seal and grab it.

In Alaska I was very much aware of the balance of nature... and animals eating other animals is part of it. Not something you think much about in southern California.

I saw more of Ed's work on sale at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, but I like my tile more than anything I saw there. Plus, there is nothing better than owning artwork from an artist you have met and talked to. His mother was from the Inupiaq Eskimo village Point Hope but he never learned much about his background until he moved to Alaska in 1980. A few years ago he gave up his secure, well-paid engineering career to work as an artist. Certainly he made the right decision!

He doesn't have his own website but you can click here for more information about Ed Mighell and his tiles.

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins. Tile design copyright ed mighell.)

Going, Going.... Almost Gone
Saturday, May 10, GZ and I serendipitously happened upon the California Art Club's 97th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition. This is running until May 18 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.
We were leaving the Pacific Asia Museum when I noticed the "Art Museum" sign on the top of a building down the street. Let's see what it is! And that's how we stumbled upon the exhibition. I've seen the Art Club's shows at other locations in the past. The PMCA is a lovely gallery, ideal for an exhibit such as this.
I enjoyed the exhibit immensely. Several paintings I would have taken home with me (except for the prices, of course). I was surprised, and happy, to see so many sold tags on the paintings. I didn't see anything that absolutely knocked my socks off for originality, but there is nothing wrong with good, solid work. Of course, you would expect that I disagreed with some of the choices for awarding prizes, but that also means I did agree with a few!
I have to admit I have an affinity for seascapes, or anything with water in it... lakes, rivers, waterfalls. But a couple of landscapes caught my eye too.
If you happen to be in the neighborhood, I would recommend stopping by the PMCA before May 18 to catch this show. And, if you are a KCRW member as I am, you get a 50% discount!
As for the Pacific Asia Museum which was the purpose of our trip, we happened to arrive as they were having a free Family Festival: The Arts of the Pacific Islands (with free parking too) celebrating Pacific cultures and the opening of the new exhibition Pacifika: Young Perspectives on Pacific Island Art. As we were touring the galleries we enjoyed listening to live music of Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand and Tahiti with traditional dancing. It must be 15 years since I last visited this museum and it was a very pleasant afternoon.
(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

It's Contemporary. It's Art. And....
...it's fun!
Lest you should believe from recent postings I do not appreciate "contemporary art" I am happy to bring glad tidings. It was a balmy Culver City evening this past Saturday as BG and I devoured a scrumptious dinner at Tender Greens, proving that while Culver City has recently been invaded by trendy, expensive restaurants, there is at least one trendy, reasonably-priced restaurant in their midst. I've eaten there numerous times and never been disappointed. I always order the tuna ahi plate but next time I promise to be more adventurous. Oh, and as this blog is about art, I should say that the plate is definitely a piece of artwork. And all for ten bucks!
As it was a truly pleasant evening weather-wise we decided to walk the 1.5 miles along Washington Boulevard to the Corey Helford Gallery which was hosting an opening evening reception for "Vanity Bonfire," works by Sean Christopher. Now, I don't "get" a lot of contemporary art as those of you following my blog know by now. But I do expect it to be artistic, imaginative, creative and thoughtful. Christopher's art falls into all four categories. Do I get it? Not really. Do I love it? Not really. Would I buy it if I had the money? Not at all. But do I respect it? Yes. Do I call it art? Most definitely. But is it "good?" I don't have a clue and I don't care.
If I can remember the artist's statement that I read at the exhibit, he says he is juxtaposing elements you would not normally see together: matchsticks, shoes, cherries... so you are surprised when you see them. The gallery describes his work as "a world of hidden meanings, symbols and metaphors." I would describe it as intriguing. I don't understand it but it makes me think about what is going through the artist's mind when he is putting this all together.
And as BG remarked, the Corey Helford always puts on a good show. For this reception each table in the hosted bar area was decked out with a decorated shoe.
Altogether, a nice evening in our little ole town!

When in Phoenix
I had to drive over to Phoenix, Arizona on family business. Fortunately, KJ volunteered to ride shotgun as I would never want to drive across the desert alone. I was looking forward to visiting my 94-year-old aunt who moved into an assisted living facility but what to do the rest of the time? I had previously checked out the Pueblo Grande Museum on the internet. When we arrived at our Motel 6 we found a brochure on the Heard Museum. Both museums concentrate on Native American Indian art and culture.
Serendipitously, we decided on the Heard Museum first, located in downtown. Phoenix is in the throes of building a light rail transportation system with all the closed streets and detours you can imagine, so after driving around in a state of bewilderment for quite a while we finally found the correct parking entrance.
The building itself is delightful, designed in the Spanish style with courtyards and fountains. The exhibit spaces inside were well thought out, flowing naturally from one space to the next. Near the entrance was a spectacular 30-foot glass and clay fence by Tony Jojola, "Isleta." (Pictured, a little blurry as I couldn't use a flash.) Although all the displays were interesting, I particularly enjoyed Barry Goldwater's collection of Hopi Katsina dolls and the exhibit explaining the controversial federally run boarding school system designed to forcibly assimilate, Americanize and "civilize" American Indian children.
The next day we visited the Pueblo Grande Museum out by the airport (which, of course, led to more circumventing of the light rail construction). This is an archaeological site on an excavated 1,500 year-old Hohokam village which you can walk around on trails. The galleries house artifacts and displays of the history of the area plus an exhibit on two excavations at the nearby airport before they are covered up by runways.
I'm glad we visited the Heard Museum first as that set the stage for the Pueblo Grande. Both museums are unique in their own way which is first noticeable with the museum buildings, the Heard in a Spanish style while the Pueblo is designed to represent a truncated pyramid (hinting at the relationship between the Hohokam and Mexican cultures) and I could not suggest choosing one over the other, so I'm happy we had the time to visit both. Although I have to admit I have never been overly excited about studying the Native American cultures (my first love being the Roman Empire) I am warming to it, and this trip only added to my appreciation.
Of course, no museum trip is complete without shopping at the store. Both museums have first-rate shops. We bought American-Indian earrings at both locations and a t-shirt at the Pueblo. So, if you need to be in Phoenix for any reason, don't miss the Heard Museum or the Pueblo Grande!
(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Broad Contemporary Art Museum

GZ and I trudged from her house in West Hollywood to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) on Sunday in 90 degree heat. It was my first look at BCAM, something I had looked forward to for months. I loved the building and you have to ride in the glass elevator that is no less than a small room. And outside the 202 restored antique LA street lights are an amazing display.

But to say I was disappointed by the contents of the building is an understatement. Aaagh. Once again, I really don't get it. I'm being very repetitive lately with my "what is art" theme, I wish I could get off it, but I can't. As long as the public is being fooled and hoodwinked I can't leave this subject alone. What does a porcelain (?) statue of Michael Jackson and his monkey say to me? What am I supposed to feel about a dead lamb in a tank of formaldehyde? Now, I may not be crazy about say, Girl with a Lamb by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, or Boy in Red with a Lamb by Joshua Reynolds, or even Footed Dish with the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), but I can recognize these works as "art."

I kept hoping that I would find one piece I could stand in front of and just sigh in satisfaction. But no such luck. The LACMA site quotes the London Times calling this exhibit "the distilled essence of contemporary American art." I didn't read the article but I can certainly agree with that statement. Oh, was that supposed to be a compliment?

Personally, I feel we are already very well represented in Los Angeles with MOCA which has three facilities in the city. Do we really need to support yet another venue at LACMA? I am disappointed that millions of dollars were spent on presenting junk food when there are so many gourmet feasts for the eyes that need a home.

So, okay this was the opening installment. Ever the optimist, I have great hopes for the future. But maybe a few people in this city need to read Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes."

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Art in the 21st Century
So, I've been viewing the PBS series, Art in the 21st Century on DVD (Oh, NetFlix, how you have changed my life)... just finished the third series. This has been a love/indifferent/hate relationship experience for me. I can't get my head around a lot of what is presented in this series as supposedly "art." A blue plastic bucket from the 99 cent store, I don't think so. What amuses me is how seriously some of these "artists" take themselves. It must be because they have not lived outside their protective bubble. You go to art school, everybody just adores your work, you get commissions from people who don't know any better, and it's a case of the emperor's clothes all over again. What do I know? I don't have a fine arts degree, I'm not an art historian, I don't own a gallery, I'm only a dabbler as an artist. But I don't have to be a murderer to know that murder is wrong! Do I?
Okay, I am jealous, I admit it. If somebody, anybody, had told me art was a respectable profession and I could be involved in it, had given me the tiniest smidgen of encouragement, I would have been on it like you know what on you know what. But that didn't happen. Just the opposite. Yes, I see myself in these videos, working away in my studio, being PAID to have fun and express myself. But instead, I spent my life slogging away for the corporation, under-satisfied, under-appreciated, under-paid. So I am entitled to be bitter, right?
I can't deny it. I am prejudiced.
But then, I don't even have the expectation that art will be beautiful. That is not the point. But shouldn't art, at least, be meaningful? That is a real question. I know the definition of art is obscure. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that art cannot be defined. But it doesn't stop me wrestling with it. The word "Art" must stand for something. Otherwise it is meaningless. But what is it? Well, I suppose it is like trying to define God. It has different meanings to everybody.
However, I also must say that although I disliked or was indifferent to at least 60% of the art shown on the series, I truly embraced a good 40% of it. I can't say that 40% was my cup of tea, but I did understand where the artists were coming from and what they were trying to do. And of that 40% I probably really loved at least half. On the whole, I found the series inspiring and well worth watching. I'm looking forward to series four.
I could not live in this world without art. It is what makes life worthwhile for me. And I'll gladly take the good with the bad than not have art at all.

Mosaic of Memories

I was wondering what to do with all those tiles I painted some years ago when I first started out hand-painting tiles. I recently took a class taught by Carole Free (a wonderful instructor) at UCLA Extension on the art of making mosaics. For a couple of classes I was stuck as I couldn't decide which direction to take as I had so many ideas.
Probably the only thing worse than having no ideas (never my problem in any situation) is having too many (which is why I've never been able to focus my life on any one path). About a year ago I broke up some of my tiles but then didn't know what to do with them, so they sat in a bag on the floor just waiting for the right moment.
Happily, the right moment arrived! I had previously bought a framed mirror which I had intended to use to hold ten 6" tiles, probably with a Ballona Wetlands scene, but I couldn't quite get motivated to paint the tiles.
So everything came together, as these things do.
Now I have to figure out how and where to hang it as it is so heavy and I don't want it crashing down in the next quake.

(Photo and artwork copyright roslyn m wilkins)

Temp Work

Some of us might think of "temp work" as a two-week job in an office grinding away in front of a computer. But not Lori Escalera. Working as a Modannari (Street Painter), Lori's temporary artwork is a source of joy for both artist and viewer.

This is a photo of her Trompe L’Oeil Koi Pond from a street painting event in Mission Viejo, CA.

She doesn't mind that the work is temporary. "It seems to be part of its beauty. People seem so sad to know that after the weekend the art will be gone. Washed away with the street sweepers. But life really isn't about permanence anyway!"

Lori is well-known to Culver City-ites. She is the founder and past president of the Culver City Art Group and her work shows up around the city in surprising places.

You can see more of her latest "temp work" here.

(Photo copyright Lori Escalera)

Dali: Painting & Film

If you think you're done with Salvador Dali exhibits, think again. The current offering at LACMA focuses on his career in film and cinema. Well, folks, this IS Hollywood! Did you know he counted Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney among his friends? Most people are probably familiar with his work on Hitchcock's film "Spellbound" for the dream sequences. (Note to self: must rent from NetFlix to see for the umpteenth time.) The oil paintings (in grayscale) that he created for the sets of that movie are wonderful works of art in themselves. In fact, they were my favorite pieces in the show of approximately 100 Dali paintings, sculptures, photographs and films.

One piece not film-related (as far as I know) was the lobster telephone (1936). As my souvenir for the exhibit I couldn't resist buying the plastic lobster for three bucks. It now adorns my bathroom wall, as you can see in the photo, and stares at me as I brush my teeth.

My all time favorite Salvador Dali exhibit was at the Tate Gallery in London in 1980. I still have the poster in the entryway of my home, sadly faded over the years. The image is cropped from the "Swans Reflecting Elephants" painting. I prefer it to the original painting as it focuses on the three swans and elephants, the woman/tree reaching skyward and the boat beached in the background.

Although Dali is not one of my top ten favorite artists, I recognize his importance in the history of art and film and I am awed by his imagination.

Dali: Painting and Film ends January 6, 2008.

(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)

A Familiar Place
I was browsing around some of my friends' blogs to see what was new and interesting. I was struck by Katherine Kean's painting of Monterey Cypress Trees at Point Lobos. I feel like I've walked down this same path in dreams or meditations many times. In my interpretation, the end of the road overlooks a green valley with a village nestled in the hillsides. This village is very colorful and full of creativity, music and laughter. (I'm probably channeling "Brigadoon," one of my favorite movies.) I feel comfortable in this village. I settle in there as an artist, living in a small cottage with birds and butterflies enjoying the flowers in my garden. Of course, I live happily ever after, surrounded by friends who are also artists, musicians, poets, philosophers... I'm saving Katherine's painting to my file of favorites so I can look at it from time to time. It's my metaphor for the New Year: walking through unknown territory to find a very familiar place.
http://katherinekean.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-work.html