Veterans - Mom and Dad, Jane's father

Lanny had these made for our parents when Cedar Falls built a Veteran's Memorial. (The dates are their service years).

PAINTING - Dan Attoe

Somewhat adolescent, at least, young, a bit perverse, sneaking, peeking. So reminiscent of Giorgio di Chirico's evocations of the eerie sublime, seductive, lurking threat, or Dali's magical realism.

I was remembering how much fun it was to teach these artists to teenagers.  The scenes made by these painters resonated for most - suited their emotional need to be risk-thrilled.  

Delightful paintings by a youthful sensibility, which reaches across age.  I wouldn't make paintings like this anymore - too conceptual, too narrative-driven, too fast to fizzle...the problem with thrill is that "it's gone".

Desert Abduction, 2009 Painting - Oil on canvas over panel 36 x 48 inches (91.4 x 121.9 cm) 

Landscape with Water

It occurs to me that these works are quite funny, they twit the sublime, and yet locate the need at the same time.  

Summers At Waterfall 2
2014
Oil on gesso on canvas, stretched over panel 
11 1/4 x 10 inches

The Scrape

Add caption

A most significant passing, and WESTERN LANDSCAPE PAINTERS, Coeur D'Alene auction

Elie Weisel, passed after a life of burning testament and courage. Is there a pit deeper in human experience than this? Read "Night" and never forget.

He and his family, and his foundation, lost their life earnings in the Bernie Madoff scandal.  Said Weisel: " 

[Madoff is a sociopath and a scoundrel] but I've seen worse." 

   

COUR D'ALENE WESTERN ART AUCTION - Compelling Landscapes

and lots of Indians, cowboys, horses...ugh.

The sentimental delights of genre.

EDGAR PAYNE (1883-1947)
Sierra Trail
oil on canvas
25 x 30 inches 

MAYNARD DIXON (1875-1946)
Clouds of a Summer Afternoon (1945)
oil on canvas laid on board
16 x 20 inches

GERARD CURTIS DELANO (1890-1972)
Navajo Ponies
oil on board
20 x 24 inches 

Maynard Dixon,  "Lonesome Camp", 1927

Sydney Laurence, "Fish Boat Marine"

JEAN MANNHEIM (1861-1945)
Sierra Madre [or] Mt. Lowe from the Foothill Boulevard (circa 1919)
oil on canvas
54.5 x 41.5 inches 

MAYNARD DIXON (1875-1946)
Clouds of a Summer Afternoon (1945)
oil on canvas laid on board
16 x 20 inches 

Edgar Payne, "The Narrows, Canyon de Chelly"

Joseph Sharp, "Autumn Landscape, Taos Canyon"

CARL OSCAR BORG (1879-1947), Monterey Cypress

EDGAR PAYNE (1883-1947)
Shadowed Peaks
oil on canvas
24 x 28 inches

excerpts from the day: The School of Life, Wayne Thiebaud

t

The School of Life - wish I'd thought of this!  a secular life-coach, live wisely psychotherapeutic life lessons school of self help based in London.

Among its ideas:  personal strengths have a flip side - a negative dimension of "weakness" which results when the strength is   mis-applied, isn't appropriate to the circumstance.  Someone who is a detailed perfectionist may become a fine surgeon but drive others nuts because the kitchen isn't clean enough.   


Wayne Thiebaud, 95, still a favorite, in my view an under-appreciated painter.  The landscapes are subtle, intriguing, playful compositions, improvisations with formal perspective, the palette a distinctive, unique resolution of complementarity.

River - the delta area of the Sacramento, I think

I had the pleasure of meeting him at a California Arts Education Association conference in about 1990. He has just donated several artworks to UC Davis, where he taught for many years.  He has a good sense of humor - among the things he said was that he always taught beginning classes because those students didn't ever catch him up. 

Grey City

Rosemary Troeckel at Grant, Mauser

Love this weaving and its contradictions about the flag, irregularity, and correct placement.

Tejon Ranch - from LA Audobon Society website posting ab out a field trip

A gentle restrained introspective moment out in the California oak prairie