the space between colors

a recent painting

2012-02-11T10:11:00.001-08:00

37 years of friendship

2012-02-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

a conversation

2012-01-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

I met a very nice Korean woman the other day who told me she could tell by talking to me that i had a "peaceful heart".She said she believed it was because i was an artist and doing what i love that this peaceful attitude was evident in my being.
how cool is that?

update on rocky

2012-01-29T13:39:00.000-08:00

here are some new pictures of rocky, who is doing really well. please keep the prayers and positive vibes coming his way.

the way things sometimes are

2012-01-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

wanting to be painting but there are no new canvases to work on. i have to find something to gesso over. here are the choices:

previous address 2011

detail of Once you've heard the blue guitar

please help me decide which painting to paint over. leave comments. i need feedback. i need to paint.

foolin around in photoshop

2012-01-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

a new pic of rocky

2012-01-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

new year's day 2012

2012-01-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to say a few words about new year's resolutions and how i never make them anymore. i found making them difficult; never mind actually keeping them. so this year is no exception to my "no resolutions "rule. however,there are things i want to do and one of those things is to be more attentive to this blog. i hope to post a lot more frequently this year.

one year with cassie

2011-12-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

a new painting

2011-12-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

i started this painting the night i read about pat passlof's passing.

sleepy time

2011-12-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

sam and rocky catching some zees.

its a jungle in here

2011-12-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

new picture of rocky

2011-11-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

an empty easel

2011-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

It all started the other night when Phil brought me a book he found in the lobby of my building. The book was on Arshile Gorky, the abstract expressionist painter.
Tonight i unwraped my last fresh canvas. before starting to work, i decided to take a look at some gorky sites, to sort of get back to my own roots in abstract expressionism. from gorky i moved on to rothko and some other favorites...including milton resnick. resnick was married to the painter, pat passlof, who i studied with many, many years ago at richmond college.
One of the sites mentioned that pat passlof had died earlier this month. She was 83.
Some of things pat taught me took me thirty years to learn. this painting will be dedicated to her.

kohl and rocky

2011-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

rocky comes home from the hospital

2011-11-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

rocky has a mass on his brain and is not expected to live long. the vet said he had maybe six to eight "good" weeks. she suggested we bring him home for seventy-two hours to determine his quality of life.
so far, he's doing well-interacting with the other cats and being a total joy to have home.
last night he came out from his "spot" and back on the bed. he hung out with us all evening, which i took as a good sign.
sapphire was, of course, most thrilled to have him home.

prayers for rocky

2011-11-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

rocky is very ill with a high fever. he is in the intensive care unit. please send prayers and good vibes his way.

some new pictures of the ladies

2011-11-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

photos by barbara over at Reading the Sky.

family photos

2011-10-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

sam & rocky

sapphire & rocky

sapphire

cassie

rocky and sapphire

rocky and kohl

POEM

2011-10-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

here is a little poem barbara and i wrote the other day.

this afternoon

the thunder crackles
a light spirit appearing
through blackening clouds

rocky at the computer

2011-09-25T06:56:00.001-07:00

rocky and sapphire

2011-09-18T14:54:00.002-07:00

rocky and sapphire

2011-09-18T14:54:00.001-07:00

fostering

2011-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

i am fostering this kitten for a month. his name is rocky and he weighs 2 lbs. i'm having lots of fun with him.

remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T06:45:00.001-07:00

cassie and sam

2011-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

playing with dolls again

2011-09-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

i made my first polymer clay doll recently. she was made for a project barbara and i are working on....creating an autumn crone to celebrate the coming of fall.

i used an earring holder as armature; which is why she has shoulders like a quarterback. i made the head under barbara's direction. i had no idea how to even start to sculpt a face. much harder than i would have imagined.

the hair was fun, tho.

her skirt is made of hand dyed silk; the leaf is an applique cut from an old jacket.

waiting for the storm

2011-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

sitting here in brooklyn, new york at 10 pm.,anticipating irene's arrival. the storm of historic proportions is due to strike this area around 2 am. already the thunder and lightening and rain seems abundant- can't even imagine what it will be like when it actually hits.
like many others, i'm hoping this is just a case of much ado over nothing much. however, the hype and evacuations are unprecidented. as far as i can recall the mta has Never ceased running in anticipation of anything...So this sounds like something the likes of which we've never seen before.
i expected to ride out the storm with barbara, but she went to stay with her mom. now its just me and the cats and i feel oddly vulnerable.

sapphire with her "baby"

2011-08-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

coney island

2011-08-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

i went to coney island the other day and it had me thinking how it seems every generation has its own take on the area. once a swanky resort area, coney island had faded considerably by the time i got to know it. i remember my folks discussing when coney boasted the famous amusement parks...dreamland, luna park and steeplechase. all of them were destroyed by fire, i believe, but a version of steeplechase still existed when i was a kid...and seemed as magical to me as the stories i heard of coney island's history. the conversations always ended with someone sighing wistfully...."it's not what it was when i was a kid"...

some of the new rides made me dizzy just watching. of course some of the old standards looked as intimidating as ever. most of the games and food were still the same.

coney island is still a fun place to spend the day....but, its not what it was when I was a kid....

a new painting "crossing over"

2011-07-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

introducing ....sapphire skye

2011-05-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

homecoming

2011-05-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

sam and kohl welcome the little one.

NEW BABY

2011-05-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

here she is after being adopted

yesterday there was a new baby at the shawn casey animal rescue. she is somewhere between six months to a year old and weighs four and a half pounds.

painting ties for father's day

2011-05-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

photos by barbara valianti over at "reading the sky". visit her blog for some breathtaking images of sunsets.
applying the color

preparing the dyes

at a recent craft show

2011-05-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

some new painted silks

2011-04-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

painter of the wind

2011-04-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

i've been watching a korean historical drama, "the painter of the wind." there are 20 wonderful episodes in this story of a young painter in korea,circa 1774.Highly recommended.
in one scene there is a discussion about painting. one student offers:

"perhaps painting is to reminisce"

perhaps.

how say you?

ps

2011-02-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

"new home/new life/new name",says charles of sean casey animal rescue. based on that advice, "butterfly" is now "cassie"

new member of the family

2010-12-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

welcome butterfly! this new addition to the household arrived christmas day from the sean casey animal shelter. she was rescued from a hoarder house with 56 other cats.
the first five years of her life were spent in a cage.
she's free now and running around her new home like a kitten.
just this afternoon a friend described my apartment as a "playground for cats". there's lots of stuff to climb on and hide in and butterfly is exploring every inch.

new work... on the subject of time

2010-12-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

mixed media collage

a year with sam

2010-11-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

lived in living room with new paint

2010-11-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

sadly, it doesn't look that much different to me. still too cluttered and messy.

paint job

2010-11-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

finally the painting is finished. most of the heavy furniture is back in place. the people who invaded my space for the last 8 days are mercifully gone. now there's just the cleaning up and arranging of things to be done. no small job, but at least i can take this on at my own pace.

2010-11-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

day 4 HELP!!!!
the painting began today in the living room and the entire experience has been even worse than i imagined it being. Frankie was somehow able to paint around all the stuff.he's done a good job but he won't be back till Friday,so that means an extra day of living in this chaos.
there are plants and paintings everywhere...even in my bathtub! the coffee pot is in the bedroom; books are everywhere; everything is misplaced. my coping skills are being stretched to the limit.
i have to keep reminding myself just a few more days and my home will be my own again...i can't wait!!!

the great paint job part 2

2010-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

the third day of preparation comes to an end. i am so tired of packing and moving boxes.( well, really i'm just so tired and my back is screaming and there's two more rooms to go!!!) i don't know how i'll survive this.
here's what used to be my living room.

the great paint job of 2010

2010-11-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of the dreaded paint job can be summed up in one word: daunting. i am over whelmed by the amount of work and the amount of stuff i have. The things you accumulate over 58 years of living. Most of it still makes me smile.
A wise woman once said "you can't organize clutter". but when do collections of stuff become clutter? when do they cross that line and why can't i recognize it?
my clutter falls into these categories: 1. art stuff 2.finished art pieces 3. books
4. sentimental stuff 5.clothes 6. things i need and 7. everything else.
I wish i had thought to take pictures before i started moving things.there was a lot of stuff, but arranged in an artful manner.
i'm writing all this to avoid working. Gonna go set the timer for 15 minutes like Flylady says.

100 votes

2010-11-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

no, its not about yesterday's elections-tho we did better than i expected...
I received 100 votes on this painting "whale watching" on one of my favorite art sites. PaintingsILove.com features many very talented artists and genuinely nice people and i'm thrilled with my 100 votes. ok, i'm easily thrilled, but still...its a milestone of sorts.

photo of the week

2010-10-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

my favorite picture from last week's photowalk. yum!

locks and keys

2010-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

textures

2010-10-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

today's photo walk had the theme "textures". ( i tend to get real literal...)
anyone who knows my painting knows that texture is a huge component in my work. this was fun finding texture instead of having to create it.

more sunrise pictures

2010-10-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

to view some spectacular sunsets check out my friend barbara's site, Reading the Sky.

some pictures of the sky this morning

2010-10-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

42 years of friendship

2010-10-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

me and lynnie 2010

2010-10-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

previous address

2010-09-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

a painting i added to recently

remembering bud

2010-09-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

it's a year today that bud is gone. not a day passes without my missing that animal. i was blessed with him for 16 entertainingand loving years; from his birth to his death.
it's been a hard year in terms of learning to let go...

mary ann kay

2010-09-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

1942-2010
rest in peace

a new painting

2010-08-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

2010-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

old friends at the new moma

2010-07-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

modigliani matisse

(below) paintings by picasso. photos by barbara valianti.

absolutearts.com

2010-06-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

my absolutearts.com portfolio is up for renewal this month and i'm considering not renewing.absolutearts is a big,beautiful site but i tend to disappear there. i have ten pages of work on the site,but does anyone ever see it??? i'll have to think about this.

kholette and sam

2010-06-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

new painting

2010-05-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

brooklyn botanical gardens

2010-04-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

2010-04-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

rest in peace miss molly....

look, i got new paints!

2010-03-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

signs and reflections

2010-03-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

monday's photo walk

reflections

2010-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

i joined a photo group recently to see if i could learn to take pictures that were better than snapshots. yesterday was our first photo walk and our theme of the day was "reflections".my pictures are still snapshots but it was just the first session. maybe in time.....

some new pictures of sam

2010-02-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

the envelope,please...

2010-02-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

and the winner is....number 97, Bev Coffaro!!!!!!! congratulations bev, i hope you'll like the print.
many thanks to all who visited. this event has been great fun.

carried away part two

2010-02-07T16:44:00.001-08:00

a watercolor version of "carried away". the one below is acrylic. i like the idea of this but i'm still working on the composition.

carried away

2010-01-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

"one world one heart" giveaway

2010-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

i am once again delighted to participate in the "One world one heart" giveaway. this has been a hard year for a lot of people. there have been jobs lost and small fortunes wiped out. many of us are struggling with despair and anxiety for the future. it is for this reason ,that my giveaway this year is an 8" x 10" print of my painting "phoenix". this print depicts the mythological phoenix rising from its own ashes;an eternal symbol of hope. If you are interested in winning this print, please leave a comment here.....along with a way to contact you should you be the winner.the drawing will be held at 9pm (est) on february 15, 2010. thanks for stopping by.

new paintings

2010-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

2010-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

all paintings are a leap of faith; i'm thinking. sometimes you fall on your ass and sometimes you glide gloriously along a line, some colors, or a form emerging.

version two

2010-01-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

studies

2010-01-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

introducing the newest member of the family

2009-11-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

Meet sam, the new addition to the family. Sam is a four year old Maine Coon mix with 25 toes!! i think he may be deaf but it may be he just chooses to ignore me! he's a howler and is always wanting "OUT!". Each evening we take a walk down the hall to visit barbara and her two cats.lil guy and morrison. They usually hide out in the bedroom when sam comes to visit...but he finds them anyway!

Sam's no substitute for bud,of course, but he's a nice cat with his own,very unique personality.Welcome,Sam!!!

some photographs

2009-11-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

2009-11-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

the poet robert frost once wrote that he could sum up everything he knew about life in three words. "it goes on".

bud grows golden wings

2009-10-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

this is a very sentimental painting i did the other night while missing bud. those of you who knew him know it doesn't do him justice; it's just my limited hand trying to convey the limitless sadness of life without him....and my hope that he is truly, in a better place.

batcha galupe

2009-10-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

it's been a little over a week since bud died and his presence is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. to say he is missed seams way too small...

no words

2009-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

1993-2009

2009-09-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

here's what the trees turned into...an odd portrait dedicated to singer/song writer mary travers who passed on september 16. rest in peace,mary.

primer

2009-09-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

today i am gessoing over this painting. it's already had several incarnations...."not to be seen", "lake at bear mountain" and "fog". i don't know yet what it will finally grow into, but right now it's a clean white surface to "do over". wouldn't it be neat if life were like that? if you could just cover your mistakes with primer and begin again.....(sigh)

2009-09-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure exactly why i ever thought having a blog was a good idea. i'm a long time bore and i don't even like "writing"! i think i intended this blog to be a visual record of work i was doing; a presentation of paintings in stages which no longer exist. these are the paintings i create already knowing i'll invariably paint over even the best of them. the will and passion to paint outweighs the $$ for art materials. hasn't it always been this way? but i digress.....when i first began this blog, my cool, young friends admonished me for being neurotic in a public forum. wise counsel,but i'm reminded of Robert Frost's poem " how hard it is to keep from being king when its in you and in the situation", where an old king is sold into slavery but soon finds himself back on the throne. my point...and i do have one...is that neurotic is bound to show up in my writing.i've decided to stop worrying about this and just use this blog as a therapeutic journal. my apologies to the three people who actually read this stuff.

spirit dwelling

2009-08-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

trees

2009-08-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

some pictures from bear mountain

2009-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

hawks overhead

2009-08-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

new painting

2009-08-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

oil painting

2009-07-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

i was gifted with someone's leftover oil paints recently....only a few colors. this is the first oil painting i've done in 25 years. it's titled " bird woven in green rug" based on an image in a wallace stevens poem.

round two

2009-06-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

2009-06-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

recently i listened to an interview with a well known artist who suggested that other artists should post works in progress on their blogsites. since i'm reknown for my propensity for repainting canvases, my works are always on their way to being something else. i don't always know when to stop....so today i'm posting a painting, as it is now and as it morphs into a finished painting.

2009-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

these are from the White Cat series from the mid 1980's.They are both 30" x 22".

i am such a bust at this blogging business. what kind of minds do people have who are always able to pontificate on any and all subjects? who are these people producing so much art with time and energy left over to tell the world. why is my process so agonizingly slow? bottom line: why am i so boring??? the age old question. rhetorical of course. so, since there's nothing for me to say i'll show some pictures of some early watercolors.

2009-05-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

all day i come and go...like those long lost women talking michealangelo while old men rolled their tousers and their dreams were etherized upon tables,white linens starched and stretched across the beds of said women languishing in the proverbial pale shade of white,while we watch like the elders in an altogether other poem.

thank you

2009-05-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

thanks,barbara ( roadsidegems.blogspot.com)

showtime

2009-04-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

more guests

jocelyn and her sister, lee, me and susan

jocelyn, lee and me

mingling

joe and guests

some paintings

marty and melissa

ruth and john

more guests

guests

betty and me

betty, richie and me

angelo

joe, richard and me arriving at the gallery

da cappo

2009-04-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

here are the most recent additions to the show . i've repainted the same canvases so many times now i can't remember what was there to begin with. somehow, tho, i think i always return to the same painting i started out with.