Sunday Pick: Inga Dalrymple

#2, 2012, Acrylic on Paper

#8, 2012, Acrylic on Paper

#1, 2012, Acrylic on Paper

Little Place, 2011, Acrylic on Canvas

Deep Dark, 2011,  Acrylic on Canvas

Today I present you with these wondrous works by Inga Dalrymple, an Australian painter.  I would love to see them in person.  Such a beautiful touch and color sensibility.

Good Morning-ish

Breakfast. Eaten.  And for this week, that small accomplishment will go down as a win.  For really no big reason, I have had such a week of struggle.  A few bad studio days and a glimpse at my bank account can really make the self-doubt flow much too easily.  But being up in the wee hours of the night has given me some fresh ideas of things I need to do...now to sort out how they look in the glaring light of morning.

New Painting: New Process?

Here is a new painting of mine.  It looks somewhat serene in the end but I can tell you painting this one was anything but that.  There are at least 4 other paintings underneath -- but sometimes that is how I make my best work.  I completely abandon any sentimentality I have for the piece and weird things end up happening that I think are clever -- like the laptop becoming an arm of the chair.  

It also ended up being interesting in that it is a semi self portrait with my backyard out the window, but with all these household objects I don't own -- just wish I did.  It was freeing -- I abandoned painting my things, and just went with any things the painting needed( and things I'd need if I had gobs of money.)  

I threw in a West Elm lamp, Anthropologie pillow, Etsy bookends, a glass table and other one of a kind items.  This could be a new budget friendly shopping option for me :)  But seriously, I think it is much better than some of my works which adhere more to my reality -- painted with more instinct and less rules.  I'll see if it keeps up -- somehow I blame and thank Pinterest for this.

Guy Bardone

Guy Bardone

A nice print for a winter Sunday.

The Best Gift Giver

Alice Mumford

As my brother-in-law explained in our wedding toast, Alex (my husband) likes to be the best at things.  He proceeded to list those things Alex has claimed: best at cleaning up dog sh-t off the sidewalk, best at persuading me to give him a ride to work, the list goes on.  And to that list I could add: best at leaving socks in every single crevice of our place, best at falling asleep (near narcolepsy) when the dishes need done, etc etc.  But I have and will always give him credit for this title: the best gift giver.  

His competitive nature with himself has worked to my great advantage.  A trip to Spain, an slr camera, totally outlandish things -- a kind of elaborateness that is nowhere else in our lives or relationship.  This year he got me a truly exquisite painting (above) by Alice Mumford, one of my favorite contemporary artists, shipped from the UK.  I would have probably passed out from surprise and delight, had he not left the receipt (an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper) laying on our ottoman.  Regardless of the delivery, he is the best and I look at this painting every single day.  It is a true beauty.

Coming Into View

Coming Into View opens Friday at Gross McCleaf.  It is a group still life show including Giovanni Casadei, Roger Chavez, Katya Chilingiri, Christine Lafuente, Lauren Garvey, Scott Noel, Frank Trefny and myself.  It has quite a range of what is being done with contemporary still life.  The show is up through January 26th.