Totally jazzed...

Back at the end of July, I mentioned on this blog that I'd been selected as a finalist in The Artist's Magazine's annual competition for 2008. Two paintings were chosen in the Landscape category -- Moonlit Cactus and Out of Service: Old Plow. I just heard today that Old Plow will be featured in the Competition Spotlight in the magazine in June next year. I couldn't be more thrilled and honored.

I really wanted to post at least one of Miro Sinovcic's paintings when I was writing my last post, but since I was writing at midnight and hadn't thought to email him earlier for permission to use his images, I was out of luck. Now I have permission and want to share two of my favorites:

Spring Morning

Miro Sinovcic
oil on canvas, 30" x 24"

I love the shimmering light in Spring Morning. The brushwork creates such a sense of energy and the vibrant color enhances that.

Snowy Morning in Philly
Miro Sinovcic
oil on canvas, 30" x 30"

Snowy Morning takes me straight back to winter morning walks to school in Wisconsin. Miro conveys exactly the cool light and the sense of intimacy created by a gentle snowfall.

Before I close, I want to mention another artist I met through Brushspace. Patty Ray Avalon's work ranges from still-lifes to figurative to animals, and from a clear bright palette in her still-lifes to a softer color mood in her figurative works. There is an almost contemplative quality to much of her work -- a sense of serenity in the compositions and choice of subject matter. Pop over to her blog and then link to her website to view more of her work.

More connections...

In my last post, I introduced you to a few new friends from Brushspace. Today, Terry Rafferty was kind enough to feature me on her "Monday Memo" -- a new regular feature on her blog. Thanks so much, Terry!! Please pay her a visit.

Among the other artists I've met on Brushspace in the past few days, Miro Sinovcic stands out for some eye-popping urban scenes. His painting style conveys a sense of shimmering light that infuses each scene with great energy. Do check out his blog!

Take a few minutes to travel around the globe visiting a few more Brushspace artists: Per-Inge Isheden, moving between realism and surrealism, produces works that challenge our complacency as viewers. Larry Brooks, in addition to his fine traditional still-lifes, has a series of "curbside" paintings that blur the line between realism and abstraction. Look closely to see all the details he's incorporated into those images. Joanne Licsko creates oil paintings infused with rich color, but that seem nearly as translucent as watercolors. Jason de Graaf's highly polished realism will wow you with its technical brilliance and intriguing use of subject matter. And last but not least in this list, is Rob Evans, whose apparently commonplace subjects contain an air of mystery and almost otherworldliness.

Enjoy the trip!!

New connections...

I've been meaning to post for weeks and somehow running out of steam before getting to it. Tonight's post is my first post in almost a month and lots has happened in the meanwhile. For one thing, I discovered BrushSpace, thanks to a tip from Jeff Hayes. A new networking site specifically for artists, it's mushroomed from about 200 members when I signed on about three weeks ago to well over 900 today. I've met a bunch of artists through the site and will tell you a little about them in a minute.

First, though, I want to say a big thanks to Jennifer Phillips, who's inspired me to try oil pastels. I don't have anything I want to share quite yet, but I think it's going to be a good fit for me. Jen has a fun blog, with a cool video lesson on framing an oil pastel. Through Jen's blog, I found Wakar over at Lightfast, with her wonderful discourses on art and life. I owe Wakar a big thanks for reminding me to see the Women Impressionists exhibit in San Francisco. It was excellent and surprising -- new to me is Marie Bracquemond, who outshines the other three women in the exhibit to my eye. I particularly liked a small black and white drawing of hers of a crowd with umbrellas descending a broad outdoor stairway in the rain. It is included in the exhibition book, but the reproduction loses all the depth and power of the original.

Back at Brushspace, I found (or more accurately was found by) Linda Lucas Hardy, whose colored pencil works are phenomenal. She's recently switched to oils, and they're just as amazing. I've also been amazed by the watercolors of Pablo Villicana Lara, who's almost a neighbor in this land of commuters. Pablo will be having a solo show in October and I'm hoping to get over to see it. Diane Hoeptner has a quirky sense for iconic images -- check out her Pinocchio and Yoda paintings!! -- and wonderful brushwork. Her floral work is equally appealing. Just today, I connected with Terry Rafferty. I love her paintings titled "Things you can..." -- so far she has buttons as things you can lose, and eggshells as things you can stack. I hope she has a few more of these fun ideas waiting in the wings. I found Otto Lange, whose blog is a fun read and whose website gets my vote for its excellent graphic design. His paintings and drawings cover territory from whimsical to edgy. Lastly, check out J.H. Lukens on Brushspace for some astonishing portraits and intriguing cityscapes.

Well, although I started this post at a reasonable hour, it's insanely late now and time for me to close. Hope you enjoy meeting all my new friends.