Tag Archives: #oil paintings

Japanese musings

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The train station in Kyoto

Awaiting JR Isetan to open in the train station

Kimonos for sale at JR Isetan Department Store

Zen Garden Imperial Palace Kyoto

Water abstraction at the Kyoto Aquarium

Matcha Green Tea ice cream

A few highlights of our trip.

We loved everything about Japan.

It was so clean, neat and orderly.

The people were lovely, friendly and kind.

Most of our time was spent in Kyoto with

a couple of days in Osaka which gave us more

of the big city experience without needing to

travel to Tokyo. We can’t wait to go back!

Coronations and other milestones

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( Passport photo. I’m on the right with open mouth.)

My family lived in England from 1952 to 1955.

In 1953,, my parents attended Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

We still have a lot of the souvenirs, most of which are with

my niece in Colorado. Among the collection is a replica of the

golden carriage. It’s really lovely.

I was only 5 years old at the time and had a British accent!

Alas that lovely accent is long gone…

(Belt from the Coronation)

On June 12th, I’ll be traveling to Japan.

Finally, after all these years, I’ll see Japanese carp

in Kyoto. Six glorious days there 🙂

Some Yellow abstraction version 2

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“Some Yellow” 30×30 inches oil on canvas

Unfortunately I don’t have a good image of version 2 but it’s pretty darn

close to the original above.

This commission was completed after falling on and badly dislocating my

right thumb. It had been begun a couple of days earlier, but, because I

used oil paint – comme d’habitude – I needed to complete it during that

narrow time frame of drying without any problems (adherence, cracking,

etc.)

In this case, since I was bandaged and awaiting surgery, I finished

painting it with my left hand.

Happy to report that the client is now the contented new owner.

Happy ending all around.

Yay. 🙂

surprises good and not so good

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On February 2nd Groundhog day I tripped and fell on my right thumb.

It was a serious injury requiring surgical implantation of pins to

realign the bones to properly heal.

Fortunately the pins are working.

Seventeen days post surgery, I am out of the splint and into a

fiberglass cast until March 16th.

For my most recent meeting with the hand surgeon at Mass General

Brigham, I decided to ride the elevator to the 2nd floor instead of

taking the stairs.

This is what greeted me as the elevator doors opened:

My Lotus Pool Triptych. oil on canvas 30×36 inches each panel

While I knew it was in the Yawkey Wing,

I always wondered where it landed.

Fate led me to it 🙂

Hear hear Carmen

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Every painting has been a fight between the painting and me.

I tend to win.

But you know how many paintings I threw in the garbage?

Carmen Herrera

Artist

Born 1915

In preparation for my next solo show opening April 2023

(all koi paintings this go-round)

I’ve had a lot of wins – paintings that I like and love.

While a few that did not make my heart sing

were summarily tossed.

You said it best Carmen Herrera.

That’s what the creative process is all about.

Achieve the highest of standards before putting it out into the world.

Seaport Koi

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“Seaport Koi” oil on canvas 36×108 inches (2 panel 35×54 inches each)

Fidelity commissioned me to make this Koi diptych for their

Boston Seaport Hotel in 2010.

For many years it hung behind the check-in desk in the lobby.

Recently, it was moved to the Constitution Room where

the hotel hosts various special events.

When I visited yesterday there was a wedding in process

which explains the tables and random chair below the paintings.

It is always a pleasure to discover where my work ends up.

I had planned to do more of these visits until Covid prevented

access to public collections.

Stay tuned for more work photographed in situ 🙂

Some kid beat me

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When I was in high school, in France, my father helped me compose

an essay for some sort of competition. He was a great writer, while

I typically waited until the last minute to begin this and other projects

with the knowledge that I worked well under pressure. Worked well

under pressure that is during the process not necessarily the outcome,

We didn’t win. Came in second I think.

Hence my father’s exclamation, “Some kid beat me!”

Yesterday I was reminded of this little event upon reading the

following in The New York Times:

Six-Figure Artworks, by a Fifth GraderAndres Valencia’s paintings have sold for more than $125,000. And he’s 10 years old

In June, he had a solo exhibition at the Chase Contemporary gallery in SoHo, where all 35 works were sold, the gallery said, fetching $50,000 to $125,000.

That’s impressive. Made me smile. Good for him!

Following up on the Vancouver trip :

If there were koi ponds I never found them.

But the aquarium had a mesmerizing display of jellyfish.

(possible subject for a new series of paintings. :))

What a great city! Adored it. Reminded me of Boston

in population, location, bustling downtown.

What I unwittingly managed to bring back with me was a nasty case of

Sciatica. For those of you who suffer from chronic pain I now fully

understand how debilitating it is. Drugs and time are the healers.

Still managed studio time to paint this small Koi painting:

4 Koi 22, 12×12 inches, oil on panel

Koi Diptych

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Koi Diptych 22, 24×36 inches each panel, oil on canvas

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 🙂

Elaine’s Koi

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Elaine’s Koi
oil on canvas
30×30 inches
2022

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.

Trio of Koi arriving together

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Red and White Koi 2
12×36 inches
oil on panel
Red and White Koi 3
12×36 inches
oil on panel
Circus 3
12×36 inches
oil on board

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. 🙂