May 2010 BLOG

-
ALICE NEEL 12" x 12" oil on canvas

Whoever heard of Alice Neel (1900-1984)?
I did about 10 years ago when the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York gave a retrospective exhibition of her work. Her reputation was at its height at the time of her death. Because I had just started painting again after a 20+ year sabbatical, I was intrigued and hopeful that my art career still had some years to go. In fact I was so interested and amused that I painted this portrait of Alice Neel from published photographs of her in later years.

The HOUSTON MUSEUM OF ART has put together "ALICE NEEL: PAINTED TRUTHS" so you can learn about her by visiting the Museum's Caroline Wiess Law building where their retrospective continues until June 13th. Check out the Museum of Fine Art Houston's web sight (MFAH.org) to order the catalog (same name as the show) for $65.00. Her life and works are featured in a documentary directed by her grandson; "Alice Neel" premiered in 2007.

"One of the great American painters of the 20th century" (MFAH) and "an icon for feminists" (Wikipedia), she is best known for her psychologically acute portraits of the famous and infamous. She painted a portrait of Kate Millett for the cover of Time magazine in 1970 and in 1979 President Jimmy Carter awarded her the National Women's Caucus for Art award.

For information about a bus tour from Austin to Houston on May 22, sponsored by the Art Divas, email divas@womenandtheirwork.org. For those living in London, the exhibition is traveling there to the Whitechapel Gallery and then on to Moderna Museet Malmo, Malmo.

Of interest to you calling Austin, Texas your home:
The Austin art scene seems to be awakening in a big way. It has much catching up to do, especially with the Austin music scene, but it is rolling. For example there is the redesigned Art House on Congress Avenue, the on going improvements at Laguna Gloria and the AMOA art school on Lake Austin at the end of West 35th Street as well as great programs and exhibitions at AMOA downtown. If you haven't already, I recommend you check out "B Scene" at the Blanton Museum of art on the U.T. campus. Visit the many Austin art galleries and contact Cook and Rudd for their Curator's Tours of exhibitions in the Second Street District. The meeting place is 210 Guadalupe St. every Wed. at 12:30 and on Sat. 12:30 and 2:00 p.m. and by appointment through May 26.

Until next month.....
I do hope you have gone to my blog at www.carolesikes.blogspot.com and subscribed so that you are receiving notices when I post my monthly comments. Let me hear from you.
Posted by Picasa

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Carole's FEBRUARY BLOG

-
Image
GULF COAST SPLASH 30" x 30" Oil on Canvas This painting is the result of my sitting on a sea wall at a friend's house located on the intercoastal canal in Port Aransas, Texas. Staring at the splashes against the rocks is hypnotizing. Like snow flakes, no two splashes are alike. As a result of a trip to the west coast many years ago and watching the waves break on the beach, I painted a wave. This painting reminded me of that similar experience. Toni, do you remember buying that wave for your son's wedding gift? The colors on our Texas Gulf Coast can't compare with the incredible blue of the Pacific Ocean, but I borrowed a little of that color for my Texas splash. Artist'd Privilege! MUSEUM SHOW: At the GETTY CENTER in Los Angeles until February 28 is "Rembrandt and His Pupils: Telling the Difference". If you can't make the trip, do as I did. The interactive on the Getty's web site allows zooming in on the images. You can test yourself b
Read more

CHECK OUT THESE IDEAS & COMMENTS:

-
AUSTIN ART MUSEUM EVENTS      The Francisco Matto exhibition at the Blanton Museum is a great one for taking your children and grandchildren. But hurry, the show comes down September 27, 2009. Enter the Univ. of Texas parking garage on M.L.K. Street next to the Blanton or park across the street adjacent to the Bob Bullock Museum. It was fun taking Michael (6) and Angela (9) who returned home, discussed the show with their parents and made drawings of what they saw. They especially liked Matto's found-wood totems.      Chuck Close's digital pigment prints are at Austin Museum of Art on Congress Ave. through November 8, 2009. The artist was asked why he didn't use more models when producing the huge frontal portrait heads. He replied that he didn't like people around. We can ask Austin artist Sydney Yeager about this. She was one of his subjects.  There is also a variety of work from AMOA's permanent collection. NETFLIX SUGGESTION      We really liked THE VISITOR
Read more

DECEMBER BLOG 2010

-
Image
Almost one year ago I posted an image of a painting that I call MOTION on my January blog. I was never completely satisfied with it but liked it enough to continiue to look for solutions. I spent an inordinate amount of time sitting and staring at the painting. I hauled it ( it is 30" x 30") to a meeting of some Austin painting friends where we share criticism of one another's work. Then finally months later, I placed it on my easel, took brush in hand and modified it enough to call it done. I would love some feedback from you readers who would go to the http://www.carolesikes.blogspot.com/ , scroll down to the painting below the HAPPY NEW YEAR on last January's blog and tell me which version you like best. A common dilemma of many if not most painters is knowing when to stop. Often when one is having fun moving paint around, the painting can become overworked. This one was a great challenge and I like nothing better. Other paintings seem to slide right onto the can
Read more