Several months ago I visited the Morgan Library in New York City--one of my favorite stops in NYC--where I viewed the drawings of statues, broken fragments of statues, executed by Jim Dine in visits to the Glyptotech Museum in Munich. I was so impressed by the passion and power of these drawings that I decided to try one of my own. Not a copy of any statue other than the statue in my mind, this is the result.
Statue, Monotype, oil crayon on paper, 7 X 5"
SOLD
Fleeting time caught in visual snippets that can last for centuries. So many of those snippets have endured in caves, artifacts excavated from the soil, and memories of man. Scratches in the rocks have told us much. Blotches of color and pigments have done the same. Archaeologists put them all together, interpret, and tell us much about the history of man. From the time that I was a child until this part of my life, I have been intrigued by the fragments left behind--so much mystery and still so much to learn.
Fragments of Time, Monotype mounted on archival mat board, 6 X 4" (image size), framed in contemporary black frame, $100 USD
In the foothills of the Alps between France, Germany, and Switzerland there lies an area fertile with creativity, past and present. It is here that archaeologists found Lion Man, a figurine dating back to the Paleolithic era 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. Carved from mammoth bone, it stands about 11 inches high and is the first known cave art
"Searching for my Muse in the Paleolithic Caves of the Alps," Oil on Masonite, 12 X 9," $275.00 USD
to depict a human with animal features. Lion Man is only one small remnant of the flowering of creativity that archaeologists have found in this region. The oldest musical instruments in the world--intricately carved flutes from mammoth bones and swan bones have been found in the same area, a tribute to man's desire to ascend from mundane reality into figurative representation.
Because of my love for archaeology and my life as an artist, it only seemed appropriate to include Lion Man in my self portrait.
For years I have been fascinated by the architecture, culture, and history of the Central American Mayans. So much so that several years ago on a trip to Belize City, I found a way to go to Punta Gorda, a place where Mayans still live today in much the same way as their ancestors did. A small plane with seats for about six flew over the jungle, stopping every so often to sit down on a gravel path, drop off a package, and pick up a package. The trip itself was an experience not to be forgotten. At last we arrived in Punta Gorda.
A young Mayan man and his grandfather sat with me for a time. The young man was so excited to try out his English on an American and I was so happy to learn a few words of Mayan. The grandfather had seen many years with a face that matched. Wonderful people and a wonderful experience. Men still went to work in the fields; the women still took care of the thatched homes, doing some embroidered handwork to sell to the few tourists at the time.
I wonder what has happened to this village in the 20 plus years since I visited.
Mayan Memories, Oil on Canvas, 40 X 30," $2400.00 USD
SOLD
Faces Across Time, Oil on Canvas, 30 X 20," $1275 USD
The Quick Draw sponsored by the Taos Center for the Arts during Fall Arts Festival in Taos is one of my favorite events. Late in September, the weather is usually just right--not too hot and not too cold. My favorite spot to paint for this event is under a large tree in the courtyard. It is there that I have the opportunity to chat with passersby as they meander the path through the event.
Visions of Time, Oil on Canvas, 24 X 18" SOLD
Painting time for this event is three hours; however, painters may come as early as 9:00 AM to
set up and start or they may bring a parially completed painting.
I had started a sketch of the woman in my studio, but most of this painting evolved during the event. She was meant to be.
From the time that I was a child, I have been fascinated by the archaeology and culture of Central and South America. Something so magical about the fact that the Western Hemisphere was inhabited by a culture so unlike that of Europe and one that was ultimately to become indigenous to the US. There can be no doubt that our Peublo Native American cultures were peopled by the Anasazis who in turn were descended from the Mayans. This fascination is still a part of my soul and has manifested itself in paintings of the Mayans that I do from time to time.
"Mayan Royalty," Oil on Paper, $125
Remnants of Time, Oil on Paper, 6 X 4" (unframed size) matted to 12 X 9," $112.00 USD
SOLD
On a recent trip to the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City, I was mesmerized by an exhibit of inscriptions on clay and stone from the Ancient Near East and dating back to 2500 B.C.-550 B.C. Originally devised as a way of tracking the distribution of important food and produce resources, these clay tablets were impressed by reed into clay to make wedge shaped symbols with meaning. This was the beginning of written language, what we today call cuneiform writing.
Clay was impermanent. Stone was rare in the desert climate of the Middle East. Stones were therefore imported so that carvers could leave a record for mankind. Thus, some of the more permanent records of mankind.
This painting, although not an exact representation of those symbols, represents my fascination with language of past and present. The ways in which the past has influenced the existing languages of the world is one of my ongoing interests and will probably appear in future paintings.
Capsules of Time, Mixed Media on Paper Mounted on Masonite, 12 X 12" framed to 13 1/2 X 13 1/2," $240 USD
SOLD
Birth of Time, Mixed Media on Paper, $150 USD
SOLD
