Making this koi painting was utter joy.
Instead of listening to music or NPR (with the exception ofTerri Gross’s Fresh Air interviews.)
I’ve begun listening to books on CD while painting.
For some reason listening to them never seems to interfere with the process.
And, I can catch up on my every burgeoning “to read” list 🙂
see you in July for the latest studio news.
Eighteen 8×8 inch oil on canvas paintings, Small Abstraction Series, 2022
New purchase for a client in the Wellesley area.
She has a large home with huge walls and oodles of light.
An artist’s dream.
I love it when multiples of my work end up together.
The hanging possibilities are endless and adaptable to the whimsy
of the day.
Beth Urdang and I have been doing large installations of small
paintings ever since my “Little Series” of koi paintings in 1999.
It packs a powerful punch.
I’m still getting inquiries about the eight 12×12 inch koi
paintings on the Delta Premier Lounge wall at Logan Airport, Boston.
Stay tuned for more about that.
Just before leaving for Hawaii I was able to ship this commission to a
new client in Maryland.
She’s a big fan of my koi paintings and has a gorgeous koi pond of
her own.
This particular piece is a variation of a much larger one I had made
in 1988 titled, “Koi School 11,” 54 inches square.
It was her favorite.
There were two enormous koi ponds at both ends of our hotel in Lanai.
I took a bunch of photos at different times throughout the day.
The staff kindly provided fish food that I used to lure them into a
roiling water frenzy. (Another favorite motif of mine.)
Still digesting all the images before I leap back into painting them again.
It’s happening.
Another return to Hawaii – my third – where I first saw the
koi swimming among lagoons in the lobby of a hotel in Maui in 1986.
I knew then that’s what I wanted to paint when I returned to the studio
after 10 years in business.
And I did exactly that.
Began painting koi in 1988.
Hard to believe that I’m still intrigued by them so many years later.
This trip we’ll venture to Lanai, a quieter island
for some much needed R&R in warmer weather.
Two glorious weeks April 5 to the 19th 🙂
These 3 paintings just sold to a lovely new client in Newton, Massachusetts through the Beth Urdang Gallery in Wellesley. I have to pinch myself often to remember that my first show of koi paintings was in 1995 at the Beth Urdang on Newbury Street. She continued to show my work there until moving to SOWA in the up-and-coming area in Boston a few years ago. Since then, she now has two galleries in Wellesley.
I loved working on this series, and the elongated profile, another favorite of mine. Since then I’ve scaled back a bit from the 30×80 inch and longer ones. As usual, photographs never fully capture the lusciousness of oil paint – especially the dark green lagoons in the top two images.
As soon as the client sends along an installation shot, I’ll include that image in this post. It’s always fun to see where and how my work lands. 🙂
Last week I began work on a koi commission for a lovely new client in
Maryland.
She has an enormous koi pond – about an acre! – with 6 large koi in it.
And snapping turtles, bass and ……perhaps other unknown critters.
Anyway, the painting I started (above) was not the one she had envisioned.
So, I’ll begin another in January. I told her this is what I would do,
and happily so, because I need to make the painting she wants.
There’s plenty of creative flexibilty for me to exercise in the new version
because she’s a huge fan of my work. (Art major in college turned lawyer.)
That is so gratifying to know.
Most of the time I’m working in my own little isolated world of my studio
unaware of anyone who might be looking at my website
to see what I’m doing. 🙂
Recently I was shopping at Zara’s on Newbury Street. One of the sales people came up to me and said, “I remember meeting you when I worked at Equinox. You told me about your annual gift donation for the children. I loved that idea and that you did it every year.” I had totally forgotten about our conversation. We often forget how we can touch people in lasting ways. Perhaps I had shared my story to inspire her to do the same some day. I would hope so.
It all began during the Iraq War. One of my friends, a fighter pilot in the Air Force on his assignment there, contacted me with a specific request. He asked for donations to help the children and impress them with the kindness of the American people. I sent him soccer balls, regulation size (which he asked for), as well as some art supplies that I tucked in of course.
After that, I gave my myself an allowance each year to play Secret Santa. Sometimes I filled my cart at BJ’s and left it all under their giving tree. Other times it was art supplies or books which I gave to various organizations. It has been so fun to pick out the items and so gratifying to share my good fortune with the little ones.
My options have changed since I moved to Boston. It’s also become easier. This year all I have to do is ride the elevator with the items pictured above and place them in a bin in our lobby. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? The wonder and awe of the season as seen through the eyes of the children. 🙂
“First, a bit of history—Tarot got its start as a card game in the 15th century. So while it may seem like reading cards is an ancient practice, the use of Tarot for divination really came into its own in the 18th century. Because the Tarot deals in archetypes (or universal symbols), the meanings of each card and the stories those meanings tell span culture, continent, and time.
You may have seen the Tarot presented as a means of telling the future—even changing it—but the cards are actually most useful for reflection and empowered decision-making. From this vantage, Tarot can only aid on your journey to fulfillment.” – source Astrology.com
I’ve had the assignment to design this deck for quite awhile – research, choosing materials, and multiple meetings with the amazing psychic on Boston’s north shore, Francine Clausen (who initiated the idea for use in her practice) all took time. Link to her site –
Ever one to accept a challenge, I was fully on board. Apparently, the typical tarot deck is much larger. Forty cards seemed right to me. Most challenging ones to do were the three Archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael.
My finish line was the end of the month. Halloween appropriately. All that that remains for me to do are finishing touches on a few images and lettering. Then follows a design of the back side. Shouldn’t take long. And then drum roll…. off to the printer 🙂
