Recent work

I plan to show When Flags Cry at the Watercolor Art Society-Houston (link) in September's Think Outside the Box exhibit. The exhibit runs from September 8 through September 29. They asked artists "to push their work outside their normal comfort zone." For this piece, I used a new medium--acrylic gouache. The theme of current(ish) events is also new for me. The opening reception is on September 8 at 3:30 PM. at 1601 West Alabama Street, Houston, Texas, 77006. There are always great pieces to see there and many are on sale.

What classes have I taken lately?

I attended one of Oliver Hoeller’s weekend urban sketching workshops in San Francisco. I spent the day before sketching at old haunts in Berkeley like Sather Tower (aka The Campanile) on the University of California, Berkeley campus (see below).

It was a pleasure to hang out with old and new artist friends and learn about Oliver’s approach to urban sketching especially how to include people in sketches and structure sketches like a graphic novel to tell a story about the place.

What museums have I visited?

I just returned from a trip to Washington DC and a visit to a few of the Smithsonian Institution's museums. Here are some highlights.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and The National Portrait Gallery (in the same building): highlights for me were the modern and contemporary art. Of the presidential portraits, I liked the JFK portrait by Elaine de Kooning. I was amused that the Truman Library selected her because she worked quickly.

The Hirshhorn Museum: I always enjoy works by the color field artists Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, Clyfford Still, and others. I've missed out on Laurie Anderson's work (both musical and visual). Her installation Four Talks is worth a trip.

The National Museum of American Indian: I liked the contemporary pieces based on older art painted on pages of old army ledger books.

Art news

Sadly, the Rothko Chapel (in Houston, Texas) will be closed for some time due to damage from Hurricane Beryl to the building and three paintings. Hopefully, repairs to both will be quick.