Actually, I’m going to try an experiment and try to get my latest “Nude Study” to show up in Google Images for ”nude study” in the first page; I’m inspired by my success with “After The Bath” - my painting appears in position 19 today (it used to be in position 14 - so eventually it’ll end up on the second page of Image results for “After The Bath” - which was the name of some Degas Pastels).  Swear to God, I knew nothing of this when I named my painting - “after the bath” 20 years ago - this would happen.

Anyway…. when got to my studio this morning I opened up the oil pastels I bought last night - only they were not oil pastels but regular chalk pastels.  Decided to use the chalk pastels  anyway and I’m glad I did.  Plus, I found out I could freely put Chalk Pastels over Oil Pastels (the other way did not work so well - to be expected).

 

Nude model is named Katherine; she has a website called KatLove and has a nice long body; but Katherine  has a shaved head - I asked her if she was going after the Brittney Spears looks - and Kat said I’m the 8th person to ask her that question this week.

A couple of thoughts about this study …. which I spent the full 3 hours on.  

1. Changing the materials I’m working with had a profound effect on how I worked (and what I ended up with)- Chalk Pastels are much quicker, much more fluid than Oil Pastels - it’s also possible to get more vivid color effects and I decided to go for it.   

I did start this one off with Chalk Pastels for the first 20 minutes and sprayed the drawing with fixative during the nude model’s break, and then working onto with Oil Pastel; I got some nice effects that way.  But then I decided to use the chalk pastels onto of the Oil Pastels and it worked really, really well.  

2. I was thinking about how I might start off my work, if I make it to France in late May, with chalk and finish with Oil Pastel.  The idea of me - painting in the countryside of Aix - is scaring me a little.

It’s not like I can just paint on my own terms than walk over to the nearest coffee shop - being in the countryside means ..kinda, being away from it all.  I’m kinda glad I won’t spend the full two weeks in Aix….and I’m not sure I have the money to go yet, anyway (and it appears  I’m going to owe 2006 taxes - or at best, brake even - so I just don’t know).

3. I wonder about my commitment to be an artist - I’m spending the better part of a day a week at my studio, making strides - but often, as I’m painting I feel as if I want to get up and leave…. and I force myself to stay and work.  Then, all of a sudden, I see some possibility in my work - a passage of color, and I forget, for a time, my discontent and get totally wrapped up with the painting.

I mean, it’s easy for me to just waltz in to paint one day a week, yet several of the other artists in my studio many come every day and spend at least a couple of hours painting - I’m paying the same money they are…but am I as serious about Art as they are?  And many of the artists are showing and seeking to show their work while I’m doing mine for my own self development and I also post my work here, on ArtNewYorkCity.com.

So…I don’t know all the answers to these questions - but I know that what I’m doing feels right to me, for me, painting as I do.   And, I feel it’s more important to focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t.

I went to a book signing for 100 New York Painters by Cynthia Maris Dantzic  tonight; of course I bought a copy of the book and got it signed by some of the artists and Cynthia Maris Dantzic, who were present and in the book. 

 

There was about 25-30 people in the room, on the 6th floor of the YMCA rooftop.

 

  

Personally, I’ve met, known or studied with a couple of the artists in the book - which seems to have a lot of the people around in the 70’s and 80’s when I was studying painting in NYC and briefly in Vermont.

First, I never met Cynthia Maris Dantzic, who is an Art Professor at LIU, but she spoke very well and warmly (she’s wearing a black jacket, seen in the background with her arm resting on a chair).

I studied with Harvey Dinnerstein (who was not present) in 1974-75 at the School of Visual Arts, I was in one of his drawing classes and his work is shown on pages 80-81 of the book.  I met his brother, Simon Dinnerstein, at the book signing tonight and his work is on page 84-85.

Janet Fish, who is featured on pages 100-101, visited the Vermont Studio School when I spent the summer there in 1987 - she often goes there, even now - I may have personally met her but I don’t remember speaking with her if I did - and I like the paintings in the book.

I can’t swear to it, but I may have studied with Louise Fishman at Hunter College (unless I’m mixing her up with another artist with the first name Louise -and that would be in 1971-1972) - Fishman’s work is on pages 102-103.  Audrey Flack also visited Vermont Studio School when I was there in 87, and her work is on page 104-105.

Sonja Gechoff was a personal mentor of mine in 1987-1988 after I returned from Vermont but lost contact with her shortly after.  I even took her to see my painting, After The Bath, when it was hanging in a show I had in the East Village.  It’s nice to know that Sonja is still active and Gechoff’s work is featured on pages 112-113.

I went to Cecily Kahn’s art opening several weeks ago in Chelsea and immediately recognized her as the daughter of Wolf Kahn, who also visited Vermont Studio School and who I saw at Hunter College in the late 1980’s along with his wife, painter Emily Mason.  All three artists are in the book, pages 130-133 and 152-153.

I also notice that Vincent Longo’s work is featured in this book, pages 144-145, and I think was a teacher of mine at Hunter College in the late 1980’s.

Helene Manzo was at the opening and her work is on pages 148-149; got her signature.

I’m not sure, but I may have also taken a class with Don Nice at the School of Visual Arts sometime between 1974-76, his work is on pages 160-161.  Doug Ohlson was a teacher of mine at Hunter College in 1971-73 and I remember him well. 

I seem to recall meeting Paul Resika, that I was influenced by him many years ago, but it’s not clear to me how or when, and his work on pages 174-175.

Susan Sills was at the book signing and lives in Park Slope, I got her signature on the book, on pages 194 and 195; I liked her paintings which are adaptions from Manet, mainly.

Pat Steir’s name sounds familiar - I probably met her in Vermont, her work in on pages 196-197.

Come to think of it, I also studied  with Robert Swain at Hunter College in the 1970’s; his work is shown on pages 200-201.

I met Ella Yang a couple of months ago, she has a studio in the same building Brooklyn Artists Gym is located in - and I first heard about the book from her; Ella’s work in on pages 214-215.

OK, those were the artists that I studied with or personally met - many that I knew well enough that I could say some of them might remember me (15 artists out of 100).

What about the other New York Artists in the book that influenced me but who I did not personally meet?  Well, I remember hearing about Lennart Anderson while taking classes at the Art Student’s League in the 70’s-80’s, but I don’t think I studied with him.  Will Barnet has been a well known figure in the New York Art world and while I took some courses at Cooper Union as a teenager - (Saturday courses) I never personally met him (though I know he taught there).

I also am very familiar with Chuck Close (pages 66-67) but I never met him; I knew of Richard Estes (pages 92-93) via William Beckman, who’s not in the book but whom I studied with and knew in 1973-76 when Beckman taught art in Staten Island Community College - as it was called then. 

Of course, everyone knows of Eric Fischl (pgs 98-99) though I never met him - I saw his work around NYC often, there were many shows of his work, esp in the 1980’s. Jack Levine is well known, and I recall looking at his work though I was never influenced by it; same goes for Philip Pearlstein and Robert Mangold.  I am also very familiar with George Tooker’s work - and yes, he’s still alive and living in NYC, but very old by now.

And that’s about it - I studied with, met, knew or was influenced by half of the artists in the 100 New York Painters book! 

Yes, I had to buy the book.